She entered the Plaza with the air of the child returning home. Large cerulean eyes sparkled with an enthusiasm that rivaled Christmas morning.

A brief moment's hesitation occurred as her gaze slipped over the staircase that had last been descended by her bloody and injured body. A breath hitched in her throat before she was able to rip her gaze from its stupefied hold. A tremble shook her and she took a half a step back as if to depart when she saw the empty receptionist's desk.

Fury erupted. Narrowing cerulean eyes. Unlike some women who could master all expressions, Fiora didn't look mean. Her flashfire of rage had all the effect of an angry kitten but if anyone could see past the adorable cuteness of it they might take note that there was a definitive glimmer in her eye that promised retribution.

She'd get JhaiNein back.

But first it was time to take back her life. And that began with the ascension of those stairs and the reconnection with her business tenants.


She was back.

Two receptionists.

Leave it to Fiora to have made things unnecessarily complicated. Of course, that hadn't seemed imminently important at the moment of realization.

She stepped free from the shower, towel-drying her length of wet curls as she tripped over Euriya's briefcase. And then his shoes.

She'd completely forgotten that she'd asked him to get a receptionist and now the Plaza had two.

The resume of Ms. Raver was impressive, but Fiora was sold on Paige. She liked the young woman and she hadn't even met Euriya's choice. As she thumbed through the pages, dripping water all over them, she had to admit that Euriya was right, Ms. Raver was far more experienced.

But hey, experience wasn't everything, just look at her? She chuckled.

"What's so amusing?"

She hadn't heard the water shut off, nor the sound of his approach, and as she twisted about to find his dark enigmatic eyes upon her she lost her balance again and spilled off the edge of the desk she'd been perched upon while reading.

"Me." She replied on a giggle. For a moment his dark eyes lingered on the paperwork she'd disrupted. The perfect alignment of his shoes kicked about and his briefcase knocked over on its side. But then it finally landed on her sprawled on a towel on the floor of the office and whatever dark emotion she thought she might've seen was replaced by a heated gleam, "You're more than simply amusing."

The fine lines of his sculpted body were a joy to watch, especially when he was bearing down on her with predatorial intent. Her giggle died in her throat as she felt an answering surge of response. She scrambled backwards, scooting along with the towel as her laugh became a choked gasp, "Wait."

He stopped, one brow arching in question.

"I figured out our problem."

"Did you?" He continued forward putting one foot on the edge of her towel and effectively ending her scuttling escape. Unless she wanted to try bare butt on the floor?

"Aye, I did. Ms. Raver has publicity work on her resume, she can be our PR agent, ye know, get our name out there and what have ye..."

She didn't think he was listening as his body lowered over her considerably smaller one, she wasn't sure she wanted him to be listening, even as her mouth continued to ramble on, "I even have a budget for it and I was just gonna do it myself but I think...I..uh..."

"Sounds good." He agreed as he braced himself above her. The touch of his naked skin on hers drew the rest of her thoughts and ability to speak out the window as she managed a whispered, "Again? But we just--"

His mouth effectively ended the next discussion.

She needed to speak with Ms. Valenti. After the GAC meeting Fiora was convinced that they needed to follow Koy's suggestions regarding the funds and Bridget was a part of that Harmony place...


Surely they would know how to best set up the lucrative amount of money raised by the Business Gala to make it available to upcoming new businesses.