"We are here." Even I could not recognize my voice; I was just too excited and cheerful.

"Why on earth are you so... how do I put it... exuberant?" Sara complained. "We are here to invite the Parkers, Parkers as in our rivals, arch nemesis and worst people on the whole wide planet."

"I heard the coffee in their cafeteria is to die for and they even serve donuts that are just plain awesome."

"You are here to eat?" Sara deadpanned. She is no fun. I should have brought someone else with me. Ryan would have enjoyed a good snack if he was here.

"Ok Riya, listen to me" she inhaled and exhaled sharply and said, "I don't care what you eat or what you like in this building, the nut head aka the boss of this company is an idiot and I don't want you to get into any kind of fight with him," I tried to express my opinion but, "no Riya I am not listening anything from you. I particularly asked Ryan if I can take Kira just for this one meeting but he insisted that I take you. So, in short, all I am asking from you is: once we go in there, BE QUITE. Don't talk, like at all."

I was hurt when I heard what she said.

"Why did you want to take Kira and not me?" I asked her.

"Riya answer this. What is the one thing you have that Kira doesn't?"

"Just one? I have so many qualities that she doesn't"

"Yaa? Like what?"

"Pff that is easy awesomeness, great sense of humor..."

"And a smart mouth, snarky comments, sarcasm, TEMPER ISSUES, BAD TIMING, need I go on? Riya, Robin Junior is a conceited guy and things got bad when Ryan punched him in the face last year in some party. He is going to say something to provoke us. I want to just walk out of this place as soon as I can, not be hauled out by security, and also Ryan placed a wager that you will not get out of this place without kicking Robin's shin"

"Did he really say shin?" I laughed when Sara shouted, 'get out' and the two of us parked the car and walked towards The Parkers Holdings Inc. building.

The building was great. It was filled with glass, mirrors and marble statues. I was busy searching for a board that read cafeteria when I heard Sara ask the girl sitting at the reception about our appointment. It was 10:45 and our appointment was at 11 am. We were early, which meant I could go to their cafeteria. Yay.

"Sorry Ma'am there must have been a mistake. I really do not see your names here. I think there has been a mix up I will find out. Excuse me." The receptionist said to Sara and quickly lifted her phone. She just informed the person, on the other end, about us and told about our 'apparent' appointment. After that, all she did was look up at us for every five seconds, nod, say 'aha' and 'yes' and then disconnect the call.

I think she just realized who we really are because she was giving us a very fake smile and said "I am sorry Ma'am but the two of you need to wait. Mr. Robin is busy right now; he will see you in some time. You can wait in the lobby."

"But we have an appointment. We are on a schedule here, isn't there anything you guys can..."

Sara was cut off by "straight and first right ma'am" the reception said pointing to her left. And we got the clue. Sara huffed and started to walk away. I just smiled at the receptionist and asked "hi, can you please tell me where the cafeteria is?"

*******************

"I knew it. I knew something like this would happen."

"Oh, Sara chill have your coffee. Mine is amazing" I said stuffing my third donut. We have been waiting here for 45 minutes now and still no sign of Prince Robin.

"Yes, this coffee is really good. How did you know about this anyway?"

"My friend, Sasha, she is an architect. She interned here, not very long ago, when the building was undergoing some major renovations. That, is how I know."

And after some more coffee mugs and three boxes of donuts it was 1 pm and we were asked to go to the eleventh floor to meet *drum roll*

THE SECRETARY.

I really think this Robin guy is just shy and has issues with meeting us. Reaching the said floor all we saw was a huge room with all doors closed to our right and perpendicular to it a wooden desk behind which sat a fairly good-looking girl chopping her nails. She did not even acknowledge our presence until Sara walked up to her and cleared her throat, and she still did not see us. I think people in this office, just like their boss, have issues with looking at people.

"Great nails, they are just fascinating. What nail polish do you use?" before she could answer I lifted my pointing finger and continued "yaa that's right. . Now how about you do your job and get us to meet with your boss before I go barging in? Sounds good, don't you think?" I smiled at her. As the days went by, all the lessons I learnt about manners were dying a slow horrible death. My mother will be so disappointed.

She gave me a stink eye and said, "the Boss will meet you upstairs in a few minutes," and then turned back to her nails.

"Few minutes? Do you know how long weee.."

"Riya its fine, let's go" Sara dragged me to the next floor and guess what? There was no floor, YET. The floor was under construction, it was filled with glass, wood, dust and pipes. The workers were kind enough to leave the entire floor just for the two of us; they left us to have their lunch.

ANOTHER 45 MINUTES later I was still thinking of running down to Miss. I-love-my-nails, climb on her desk and wait there, while Sara was examining the construction material.

"So, what do you think we should do?" I asked Sara.

"Kill Robin, that Barbie and then Ryan, but I don't want to go to jail soo... I was thinking maybe we could destroy something here" she said it so casually like she was talking about any other press conference, gesturing to all the material.

"I would pick glass, you know it is easily breakable and expensive" our heads immediately snapped in the direction of the voice and there stood Mr. Robin Junior. He is uglier in person. Short, dark hair, French beard, floral shirt and looked more like a bad villain (not the big bad guy, bad; the horribly ugly choice, bad) from a parody movie. He just kept grinning at us, which was frankly, creeping me out now.

"Can you please follow me to my office?" Ah! Finally.

We followed him to his office. He sat in his chair and we sat in the ones opposite his. He just kept smiling at us, like he was having his own comedy show going on in his head.

"So, what would you ladies like?"

"No, its fine, we are really late..." he interrupted Sara and said in an even higher tone,

"What is your choice? Vodka, gin or tequila" we just looked at him confused.

"I mean for your refreshments. Although if you want one, you must run to the bar that is just a few blocks from here. Because I don't have any." Ok, I did not understand anything and Sara was in the same page with me. We were still looking at him like he has just magically grown a tail.

"I mean you work for Ryan right, so thought all the employees have the same likes and dislikes of their employer. So, tell me, how is BARyan doing?" he smirked. My hands clenched and Sara was trying equally hard to keep her temper in check.

"Mr. Robin, we are here to invite you to a formal dinner party that Mr. RYAN is having this Saturday. He wishes you to be there and have a great time." His response to the invitation was a colorful paragraph of profanities and before he rained us with his plethora of insults we stood up and said that we had some important work to do and started to walk out when he said,

"Girl, a beauty like you should be in my office not working in a bar," and winked at Sara then turned to me and said, "nothing personal sweet pea, you are just too feisty."

I was cracking my knuckles when Sara pulled me out of his office. We were quite the entire elevator ride. I was fuming and Sara looked upset. We walked up to the front desk and Sara nodded in the reception's direction. I followed her lead.

She made sweet small talk with the receptionist and spilled coffee all over the desk by mistake and I by mistake pushed the land phone gently which resulted in its breakage. When the lady bent down to pick the phone we by mistake messed up the entire desk and ran out.

It was wrong and really immature, but it felt goooooooooood.

******************

"So how many are left?" I asked when we were safely driving away from Satan's building.

"Let me see. We are done with all these snobs from the VIP list. Ryan's friends were all send mails and called yesterday. So that shortens the list by 45. I have already met with Raichads', Vitori's and Luca's. All we are left with are few other people from some startups and media and press. Since the dinner is in three days, how about we spilt the list and invite them separately? We can save more time." That was a good idea.

We stopped for lunch and I was going through the list.

"I can invite these four people here, they live near my apartment." I said showing the paper to Sara. I went through the rest of the list and found Mini's name. She is a reporter; it is quite obvious that she was invited. "I can also inform Minisha from 'News Daily' she is a friend of mine. You can call the rest of your friends from press and media." She just nodded a yes.

"Hey, is this Nick? I mean Nickel of Nlogics? Why is he being invited?"

Sara simply said, "Ryan wants him there" and shrugged "do you know him? I saw him once at Ryan's party last year. Maybe Nlogics is our next deal?"

"Maybe. I know him, he is a friend." By now it was safe to say that Nick and I have become friends, though he keeps bring up the ridicules idea of me dreaming to be with him.

"SARA" she almost jumped in is seat. "Why is Sasha's name here? How on earth is she being invited to a dinner RYAN is throwing? Why is she on the list?"

"Hmm... Sasha right. Sasha... hmm who Sasha?"

"Natasha, architect. Who put her name here?"

"Oh Natasha. I don't know who she is, Ryan asked me to put her name. Said she was a friend, do you know her too?"

"What rubbish? He cannot know her. She is MY friend. How does he know her?"

What is going on? How can Ryan know Sasha? They never met; I did not introduce them to each other. When did they meet, become friends and are being invited to dinners?

Sara just smiled and said "so she is also your friend? Ryan sure is calling a lot of your friends." and I would love to know why.

~*~*~*~*~

Because I had time :D. Another chapter!!!

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