Old Friends 3

		DarkNites:   Old Friends  (Part III)
				or
 	      How to seduce an incredibly stubborn woman
	 	        who hates your guts..

			New York, January 10, 1993


	The phone shrilled annoying again.  A groan escaped from beneath 
the jade comforter.  Nothing moved in the still, dark room.  Another insistent
shrill.  A hand emerged from under the covers and groped for the phone.  After
managing to knock the receiver off its holder, the rest of Garett crawled forth
to pick it off the floor.

	"Hello.", he started groggily.
	"You're a slimy bastard, you know that?"
	Garett came a little awake and peered at his bedside clock.  
	"Dammit Adrienne!  Its five in the morning!  What the hell do you
think you're doing?"
	"I can't believe you went behind my back to the Board of Directors!"
she continued furiously.  "You little asshole!"
	Garett swore with feeling before hanging up on her.  Seven seconds 
later, the phone started ringing again...



		-----------------------------------

			Denver - January 22, 1993
			Rematch:  Adrienne 1  Garett 1


	Andy came around his desk and leant against it before looking at the
man before him pityingly.  
	"Your goose is fried, you know that don't you."
	Garett settled more comfortably in his chair before answering.
	"She's had a few days to get used to the idea."
	Andy gave a strangled laugh.  
	"She'll never forgive you for going over her head.  She's lived her 
life ignoring the rules, answering to nobody but herself.  You've forced her 
to face the fact that the bigwigs *can* make her work with you even when they 
know she's completely against it.  You've dented her pride, destroyed her
self-image...  That's what she'll never forgive you for."

	The intercom buzzed.  Andy hit the online button.
	"Is she here?  Good, send her in."  Both men instinctively braced 
themselves for the worst.  The door opened and Adrienne walked through to 
plop wordlessly into the chair beside Garett.  Black turtleneck, black jeans,
she looked like she was in mourning.

	"Hello Adrienne."  said Garett politely.  She turned her head to 
look at him coolly for a minute before turning back to face Andy.  Garett
felt as if a blast of winter had just poured down his shirt.  

	"Now that's enough, Ade."  Andy started, putting on his best paternal
voice.  "The milk's been spilt and there's nothing any of us can do about it.
Garett's one of the best marketing men in the country.  Don't let your 
personal feelings about him affect your professionalism.."

	"I don't have the faintest idea what you're talking about, Andy.",
she answered, lifting a brow delicately.  "We've got work to do, so lets get
on with it."  The two men glanced at each other warily before turning back
to her...


		-------------------------------------

			New York - February 27, 1993


	Garett pulled the metal arms towards his chest, gritting his teeth.
Sweat gleamed on his bare chest, his hair clinging to his neck and forehead.
Exhaustion ran through his veins, together with the exhilaration of 
accomplishment.  The SRC67 campaign had been set up and his gut feeling 
told him it was going to be a resounding sucess.  All this while dealing with 
its cool and distant designer..

	Adrienne.  What a woman.  No matter how calm and cool she appeared, 
he could still feel the seething emotion flowing just under the facade. 
Nothing he had done had shaken her poise.  None of the innuendo, the probing
the occasional insult...  She simply ignored him, working with him as she had
been forced to, but never more than that.

	Still, it was almost over.  He hadn't managed to get close to her,
but he had certainly got his revenge for that last night.  He grinned even as
his biceps screamed in protest.  The delicate approach hadn't worked so perhaps
he should turn up the heat a little.  A seduction?


		----------------------------------------

			Denver - March 6, 1993


	Alicia sighed.  Yet another shipment of flowers.  This time, it was
Tiger-Lilies.  If a man insisted on sending *her* boatloads of flowers a day,
there was no way in hell that she would have them all taken to the Children's
Hospital downtown.  But apparently, the boss couldn't take the man's guts..

	Adrienne zoomed through the outer room with her normal speed.  Her
voice floated back to Alicia from her office. 
	"What is it today?"
	"Tiger-Lilies."
	"Really?"  Adrienne's interested face popped around the door frame.
	"My God, he finally figured out my favorite flower..  Ok, hand them
over.."

	The Lilies looked good sitting on the coffee table, she decided.  
Abruptly turning on her heel, she returned back to her drafting table to work
on her newest design.  Suddenly there were a couple of knocks on her open
door.  Adrienne looked up frowning.  Alicia was grinning like a jackass at
her.  
	"Garett Rate to see you."  Adrienne rolled her eyes.  Wonderful...

	Garett appeared to lean casually against the frame.  Good pose, thought
Adrienne cynically.  He gave her one of his million-dollar smiles that had 
absolutely no effect on her, of course.  The weird flipping in her stomach 
was entirely due to her missed lunch..

	"I thought we were done working together."
	"We are.", he answered.  "I'm here to take you to dinner."
	"I just ate.", she fibbed.
	"You lie.", he said.
	Adrienne sighed. 
	"Look Garett, I had to work with you.  I did.  Its over.  I don't
want to see you again.  Get lost."

	"Touchy, aren't we?"  He walked up to her to place his hands on her
shoulders.  Tense, completely tense.  He started kneading gently.  She 
shrugged him off and came to her feet to stare right into his eyes.
	"Which part of my last sentence don't you understand?"
	Garett smiled inwardly.  Obvious antagonism.  Much better than the
Ice Queen act...	

	"I see you kept my Lilies."
	"Not really.  I'm going to drop them off at the Children's Hospital
on the way home."
	"That's a nice gesture."  "Although I think they would look wonderful 
against your bare skin.", he added in a husky voice.
	Adrienne sighed.
	"Look Garett", she said slowly.  "Its late and I'm very tired.  I've
also got a lot of work to finish before I can leave."

	"I happen to know this wonderful Chinese restaurant around the corner.
We'll feed our faces and then you can come back to work on this stuff all 
night."  She didn't answer.
	"That or I chain myself to this table and drive you nuts for weeks."
	Adrienne tried to suppress her smile.  She really did, but the image of
Garett chained to her drafting table for days in his fancy Italian suit struck 
a funny bone somewhere in her body..
	"Anything to save myself from that.", she quipped.  "Lets go.  I'm 
starved."


		----------------------------------------

			Denver -  March 12, 1993


	"Garett Rate to see you."  Adrienne waved him in.  He walked in and
locked the door behind him.  Adrienne frowned slightly at that but Andy was
freaking out at the other end of the line.
	"Don't worry, Andy.", she crooned soothingly.  "Everything will be
alright.  Marsha has to come back to pick up her stuff.  You can lock her
in your bedroom and work it all out then.."
	Garett shook his head with a grin and settled down to wait.  He
glanced around the room.  No flowers anywhere.  She must still be sending
them to the Children's Hospital.  He sighed softly.  Stubborn woman.

	He couldn't keep still in his chair.  Something was in his blood, 
making him restless.  The thrill of the chase, a touch of desire and the 
bittersweet of the challenge.  He came to his feet smoothly, and paced around 
the room.  Only half listening to Andy's problems, Adrienne's eyes followed 
him, her gaze carefully veiled by her lashes.  She hated to admit it, but he 
had charmed her out of her bad humor and into being friends again.  But he 
hasn't won the battle, she told herself.  He still hadn't gotten her into his 
bed.  And never would.  Smiling a secret smile to herself, she wondered when 
he would make his move..

	Garett came back to lean against her desk.  Deciding to amuse himself,
he let his eyes trail down her body, enjoying the way the soft rose dress clung
to her curves.  Bringing his eyes up again, he found her looking at him.  
Smiling lazily at her, he let his eyes flirt with hers.  She knew what he was
doing of course.  He could see the amusement in her eyes.  Should he?  Why not.

	He moved to where she was perched on the edge of her desk, moved in
so close that there was nowhere she could go.  A tight note entered her voice,
one hand coming up to push him away.  He didn't budge.  Instead he bent his
head to find the soft curve of her neck.  A sharply indrawn breath, a quick
good-bye and then she was shoving him away with both hands.  She came to her
feet like a cat, her eyes shooting daggers at him.  He didn't care.  He had
her on the run now.  He moved in again, pressing her back against the desk
with his body and when she opened her mouth to blast him, he stifled it with
a swift, harsh kiss.  She put her hands on his chest, pushing away to no avail.
His mouth moving over hers, exciting and dangerous.  The sudden shock of the 
adrenalin in her veins, making her want to kiss back..  NO!

	Their lips parted.  
	"I'll scream.", she said, her voice coming in pants.
	"You wouldn't scream if the building was coming down around you.", he
replied, his voice husky with desire.  And then he claimed her lips once
again.  This time she fought back.  With a strength he didn't know she had,
she pushed him back sharply with a well-placed shove on his stomach.
	"Get out.", she ordered, her voice like cold steel.
	"No." he said.
	"I'll call Security."
	"You wouldn't do that.  You'd prefer to take care of me yourself."
	She stood there and fumed.  He knew her too well.

	Garett reached up and loosened his tie.  The next moment it was on her 
desk.  Then slowly, deliberately, he started to strip, his eyes never leaving 
hers.

	Adrienne froze in shock.  What the hell did think he was doing!!  
Her fevered eyes glued themselves to the skin revealed between the edges of 
his shirt.  Slowly he shrugged it off, shoulder muscles rippling.  
She groaned inwardly. Not that.  Anything but that...  She fought to keep her 
hands from reaching to touch his beautiful shoulders.  His belt slithered 
easily out of its loops and dropped to the floor.  Door, she thought dazed.  
Door.  Escape.  Move to door.  Then the horrid thought of people finding out 
she had a half-naked man in her office during office hours.  Worse, people 
finding out she had a half-naked Garett Rate in her office during office 
hours..

	So sexy.  She felt a little faint just looking at him.  His eyes were
dark and smoldering just like in the books.  Those trim lines that just 
screamed to be touched.  That dangerous, confident aura that left her weak in 
the knees.  His linen slacks slid to the floor.  Her eyes greedily absorbed 
the sheer beauty of the man.  But something wasn't quite right..

	Garett froze as soon as he realised what he was wearing.  His oldest
white boxers.  The one with the yellow smiley faces.  He closed his eyes slowly.
No God.  Please let it be the silk paisley, the zebra briefs, anything 
but that..

	Adrienne was transfixed.  The bright yellow blotches smiling cheerfully
up at her sort of broke the mood..  She felt an insane desire to giggle.  And 
then she saw the look on his face and she couldn't hold it back.  Garett nearly
died when she started giggling hysterically.  Please God, make the floor 
swallow me up.  Then suddenly the humor of the situation hit him..  He cracked 
a grin, then a laugh and suddenly she was in his arms and he was howling right 
along with her.

	They sobered up eventually.  Adrienne reached down and grabbed a 
handful of yellow smiley with an infectious grin.  
	"It was a nice try, wasn't it.", he said dryly.  She exploded against
him once more.

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