When Audrey did business she was exactly like her mentor. Though she'd dated here and there, her true love was business. The pressure, the stakes—the money. The sense of achievement that came from closing a deal was something she didn't know she was missing. Her assistant was a gift from Alexander. Joshua. A blonde pretty man who was a little outwardly bitchy, used to be Alexander's assistant. Once Audrey expressed interest in guiding her business he insisted to transfer his contract to her company.

"He was invaluable to me," Alexander had stated, slamming his large hand down encouragingly at Joshua who grinned and blushed. "He'll serve you well."

And he had. Joshua, who she once thought was strictly gay, seemed to flirt with her occasionally. She'd brushed it off as an attempt to get a raise and an easier work day.

Audrey sat her desk, the plaque that held her name under the title vice president shimmered as Joshua came in and sat across from her. She raised her brow and grinned.

"Tell me you got the McManus contract?" She prompted him.

Joshua set the folders on the table haphazardly. "Oh fuck that. Is it really true? Alexander is engaged?"

She nodded softly. "He is. I'm happy for him. I thought no woman would marry that soulless monster but," she shrugged. "I suppose his lucky."

Joshua crossed his arms. "You mean you don't care?"

Audrey opened her folders. "I'm too busy to care. Besides what Alexander does is not my concern. It never was."

Joshua looked over her face and leaned over the desk, grinning. He closed the folder with a smirk. "Then...why don't we get dinner?"

Audrey opened the file once more, and pointed at the clock. "Sounds like a plan. It's 6 anyway. How about some sushi?"

Joshua sighed, furrowing his brows. "I meant...more like a date."

Audrey froze and looked up. "A...date? Me and you?"

Joshua blinked innocently. Audrey winced and looked away. Joshua was sweet when you got to know him. But as you got to know him, you learned one thing: he took rejection personally.

"I...I can't I have these contracts and...a business meeting at Roland's. I'm booked solid, Josh."

Joshua blond hair sparkled, his eyes blue eyes glinting, almost shining. She squinted, covering her eyes. "Please don't give me the model look."

"I'm doing it anyway," he whispered.

"You're like a perfect ken doll," she winced away from the power of the light radiating off him.

"With an extra large package," he grinned. "Fine fine, maybe not a date. How about...we go out as friends and we keep going out until you love me like everyone eventually does."

Audrey smiled good naturedly. "Does that really work?"

"Every time," he shrugged. "You'd be surprised how much being pretty and proximity get you. Hell even Alexander Remington thought I was good."

Audrey leaned back in her chair and grinned widely. "I think it was mostly because you performed sexual favors on behalf of the company."

"And liked it," he added, "So he didn't have to feel guilty for pimping me out. You know guilt makes him constipated."

"So you keep telling me," Audrey mused, going through the contract once more. "Order some sushi will you?"

Joshua nodded. "The amount of prune juices he had me order when you two were...well let's just say he definitely felt something."

Audrey just smiled and kept her gaze on her contract. A certain name caught her eye.

"Josh?"

"I'm not getting the eel I know you don't like it—"

"Why the fuck does this say Remington Financing?"

• • •

There were two things that Alexander Remington considered that he loved. The first was his African Blackwood desk that sat in his office and the shower in his home. He also found that he loved his life, but this realization came much too late, as it flashed before his eyes.

Audrey swing open the door, and before he could express his shock that she showed her face in person, she'd slammed a paper down so hard on his desk that it cracked. A single tear tracked down his face.

"What the fuck is this Steel?"she demanded.

He blinked the tear away. "A crack in my twenty thousand dollar desk. That's just the cost of the raw wood—"

"Fuck your fucking wood! Why the fuck are you financing my company?!" She demanded.

Alexander sighed, finding his new, inexperienced and inefficient secretary trotting after. "I'm sorry sir. She's so fast, and so so strong."

Alexander held his hand up. "It's not your fault Giovanna. Nothing can stop this Amazonia when she's coming to chastise me about something. Rearrange my schedule for at least an hour."

Audrey crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. He took her in for a moment. When he left her, she had loc, and wore frayed jeans. Now she was clad in a smart designer business suit that cut deep, revealing a tasteful peak of her cleavage.

"Audrey. It's good to see you—"

"Explain. Shove your platitudes up your ass and spin, Remington."

He winced. "My name is there because my assistant forgot to take it off. Listen, it takes a lot of money to start and maintain a company. I'm a financier an investor. I see a good company—I invest," he stood, putting his hands on her back and pushing her toward the door. "Now if you'll excuse me I have a call to make to a very expensive wood worker—"

"I want to buy you out. The CEO is retiring soon and she wants me to take her place," Audrey turned around. "I don't want your grubby name anywhere near it. How much are you in for?"

Alexander winced. "You wanna know check with your board members. Send a formal request."

Audrey ducked under his arm, running to his desk. His cold bottle of water was on a coaster, she lifted it, sliding the coaster from under it slowly. "Spill. Or I will. No coaster."

Alexander's hands sprung out desperately. "Alright Audrey let's not do anything rash. Let's talk this out like rational adults—"

Audrey began lowering the cup. "Tell me the truth...or the desk gets it."

Before it touched the surface of the desk Alexander cried out.

"Okay okay! You were going under for a minute I had to step in. The CEO asked me to. I thought you knew."

Audrey narrowed her eyes and set the perspiring cup down on the table. "You lied. You knew I didn't know. I would never agree to take your money."

Alexander quickly picked it up. "You're a ruthless, heartless little thing you know that?"

Audrey smirked brushing past him. "I'm not a little thing anymore. Pull out of my company before next march, Steel or I'm gonna make your life a living hell."

Alexander wiped his desk desperately. "That's is your specialty isn't it?"

She flipped him off and slammed the door behind her, rocking the entire office, shaking the glass. Alexander winced, as she stomped past the receptionist.

"He's gonna need a glass of prune juice." She smiled softly, walking into the elevator.

"Get it done Steel!" She shouted as the door closed.

The receptionist hustled to Alexander's office finding his head in his hands.

"I-I have...prune juice? Sir?"

Alexander looked up. "How did you know. Very good, thank you. Set it—you know what just hand it to me. Thank you."