The Relationship Business

He'd called Tina, too baffled to be embarrassed. She'd arrived within ten minutes, nodded hello and begun discussing the day's schedule, making no mention of his trouble. She was smooth, Val thought. She knew how to keep a day flowing even when it started out rough, and Val rapidly came to appreciate that quality.

Val thought ahead to the meeting as he sipped the coffee Tina had left on his desk. She was something, he thought, and couldn't imagine why he'd want anyone else as a PA. He could also feel his resolve to avoid workplace relationships fading when she was around. Focus, he told himself.

"Sir?" Tina knocked and poked her head in. "If you're ready, everyone's assembled in the conference room."

"Sure." Val stood up and tossed her a smile, hoping it hid his nervousness. "Let's meet the crew."

"Now, everyone's been doing this for awhile," Tina said as they walked down the hall, "but it never hurts to review everything. Plus, you should get an overview, at least, especially since we're on such a compressed schedule now."

"Sounds good." Val was relieved to know that his staff had the basics covered; it likely meant he only needed to supervise. Just sign a few papers, give a few authorizations, and it should all work out, he thought. "I'm looking forward to meeting them and then I guess I can just stay out of the way."

"Oh, no, sir." Tina looked at him in surprise. "Everyone will be very hands-on, including you." She smiled. "You'll get the hang of it in no time, I'm sure."

"Any problems I should know about?" Val decided to change the subject.

"Hmmm." Tina pursed her lips into a kissable pout. Val noticed it, but in an objective way, and wondered at himself. Then he caught up with Tina as she spoke. "Well, there's always some little frictions, I guess, but nothing too serious. June and Rhodi will just never get along, but everyone puts it aside for the big day."

Before Val could ask anything else, she knocked on the door of the conference room and then opened it and gestured for Val to go through. Murmurs ceased as everyone looked up to take stock of the new boss. After a moment, he realized they were waiting for him to speak.

"Ah, well." He cleared his throat. "Hi. I'm Val, and I'm the new boss. I can't say I'm not a little nervous, but Tina here tells me you all know your jobs. I'm here to learn and to help. So...let's get started."

"Si, sir." Val looked over and saw Chac standing to one side. "If I may."

"Please."

Chac gestured a blond-haired man with a cherubic face who sat to Val's right. "This is Ross, who runs the Department of Introductions."

"Nice to meet you, sir," Ross said.

Val nodded in greeting. He'd been over the list of departments with Tina, and he'd been shocked. He knew from his former position that it often took more people than one would expect to get the job done, but he had to admit he'd been guilty of that thinking with his new position. Ross and his department were a perfect example. Who would have thought, Val wondered, that someone had to be in charge of introducing people.

Chac was speaking again and Val forced himself to keep up.

Next Chac introduced a tall, broad-shouldered man named Lem. Val shook his hand and was relieved to get it back in one piece. Lem had a booming voice, broad gestures and made no secret of his own sensuality. Val watched as Lem turned his attentions to a statuesque woman who sat next to him. She gave him a cold look and turned away.

"Sir, this is Miss Diana," Chac told him. "She is in charge of virtue."

Val gave her a smile to rival Lem's, and although he thought he detected a thaw in her manner, it was slight.

The next two women were introduced as June and Rhodi, and Val felt the tension between them despite the friendly smiles they both gave him. June, like Diana, had chiseled, aquiline features framed by dark hair. Rhodi had sleek blonde hair hanging past her shoulders. Her eyes were a vibrant blue in contrast to the others' chocolate brown.

"Nice to meet you, Val." Her voice was the definition of sultry.

"Likewise." Val gave what he hoped was a suave grin and nod. Her presence rivaled that of Lem's, though she didn't share his outgoing personality. Confident as he was, Val decided he had to be careful around his new employees. They'd been at this far longer than he had, and he had the feeling that as in any office, there were politics at play.

There were a few more introductions, and Val hoped his surprise didn't show. Wouldn't do for the person in charge of the operation to look shocked. He kept his expression neutral, nodding as Chac finished. Val shook the hand of the last person at the table, a man named Harry who Val thought was in charge of something involving families, before taking his own seat.

"Well, it's good to meet you all." Val looked around the table and nodded. "I know we're on a deadline here, and I'm new, but that's all the more reason for me to be brought up to speed. I'm sure we all want everything to go as smoothly as it usually does."

That brought a laugh from an exotic-looking woman named Izzy, which in turn elicited angry glares from Rhodi and June. Val glanced from one woman to the other; Tina had said the two didn't get along, but it appeared they had a common dislike in this case.

Have to deal with it sooner or later, he thought, and plunged in. "Is there a problem?"

"No, sir." Izzy's voice was silky. "It's just that, well, things never really run smoothly." Her laugh made all the men at the table clear their throats and shift in their chairs.

"She has a point," Harry said.

Val turned to him. "How so?"

There was quiet around the table until Diana began, "Love is messy."

"As it should be." Lem grinned. Izzy laughed with him but others just shook their heads, although Val saw a few smiles.

"What I mean is," Diana continued, with a glare at Lem, "is that things just never go as planned. It's bad enough to try to manage the problems during the course of the year, and on special days like Christmas, or a person's birthday, but for this day..." She shook her head.

Val was still puzzled, so June continued.

"People are looking for perfection," she told Val. Many around the table gave world-weary nods. "Whether it's perfection in their mate, or themselves, or how feelings are expressed. And perfection, of course, is difficult if not impossible to achieve."

"Not for everyone." Izzy's voice was a purr and Val felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as her eyes raked over him.

"Yes, well." Val coughed. "I guess we'll just have to aim for as smooth as possible, then. So, ah, what's the first step?"

"That's for you to decide, sir. Val." Tina spoke up first. "I'm sure everyone has their information ready, but every year the priorities have to be reassessed."

"Of course." Val nodded. He hoped the fear rushing through his system wasn't visible on his face. So much for delegation.

x-x-x-x

Halley turned over on her bed, something she'd been doing all night. She tried to blame it on the post-dinner coffee she'd had with Martha and Toni, but that wasn't it.

I can't believe I'm still thinking about him. She huffed out a breath and flopped onto her back.

What was the problem, she wondered. We tried. It just didn't work. Happens all the time. That wasn't enough of an answer. Because she had wanted it to work, she thought with a sigh.

Val had been a whole different person in the time they'd dated...been a couple...whatever. He hadn't stopped his flirting, but it had changed. He'd been lighter with it, perhaps. Whatever he'd done, Halley had thought he was serious about her, and for a while, his actions had shown it. Whenever he'd flirted with Martha, or even Jeanette, he'd laughed it off almost immediately and come back to her for a hug, or a kiss.

He hugged and kissed that woman in the loft, she reminded herself. Anger rose up in her, but so did some sorrow. She had wanted to believe him, but he'd never given an explanation, and the woman she'd caught him with hadn't seemed the least concerned. Together, their reactions had added up to one thing: Val had cheated on her.

"But why?" She stared at the ceiling. "What did I do wrong? Did I give him too much space? Did I press him? I tried to just...take it as it came." She dragged a hand over her face. Perhaps she should have been more proactive, but she just hadn't been sure at the time.

One thing she had to admit, if only to herself in the middle of the night, was that she missed Val. He'd made her laugh, he'd laughed with her, and damn, his body had made hers feel good.

Almost against her will, she remembered that night in the loft.

x-x-x-x

Back in the loft...

"Like it?"

Halley turned around, her mouth open in surprise for a minute before she snapped it shut. There was a blanket with a picnic laid out, and candles placed in various corners filled the loft with soft, warm light. Val held out a hand as she climbed up the last step.

"You did this?" Halley stared at him, then looked around again.

He laughed and her stomach flipped at the sound. "Don't sound so surprised."

"I just...didn't expect something like this."

"You have a really bad impression of me, don't you?" Val tugged her over to the picnic blanket. "I'm sorry for that."

Halley was lost for words as they sat down, and blushed in guilty embarrassment. "It's not that, Val. I just...I don't know. You like to play the field, and I don't."

He nodded. "I understand. And yeah, I like to flirt and goof around. But it doesn't mean I can't be serious."

"You can be serious?" Halley raised an eyebrow and tried to distance herself a little with sarcasm.

"Of course I can." Val's dark eyes stared into her golden brown ones. "Do you think I do this for everyone?"

"I wouldn't know."

He paused, then nodded. "Fair enough."

"Look, Val, why are we here? Why did you ask me here?" She dropped her eyes but raised them again, determined not to be cowed.

"Because I wanted to. I wanted to be with you." He stretched out on the blanket, propping himself up on one elbow. "Is that another surprise?"

"Well, yes." Halley tried not to be distracted by him. He looked good, wrapped in snug blue jeans and a flannel shirt. Dark curls hung almost down to mischievous brown eyes; she'd often thought those eyes were mocking her, but right now they were serious. It's not like I ever denied he had a nice body, she thought. Val's next question jerked her out of her thoughts.

"Why?"

She paused. "I don't know. Maybe because we've never had a conversation that lasted longer than three minutes? Because any time we talk, it's really just you hitting on me and me saying no?"

"Really?" Val frowned.

"What's my favorite movie?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't know."

"The Shop around the Corner with Jimmy Stewart. What's my favorite color?"

"Blue."

"No, you're just guessing. It's green."

He sighed. "So because I don't know your favorite things, I'm a jerk?"

"No!" She made frustrated noise and stood up to pace the room. "Because you never even asked me about them, you're a jerk! You've never had a serious conversation with me, but then suddenly you ask me up here?" She waved an arm around to encompass the romantic setting. "And I'm supposed to just fall into your arms?"

"Not right away." Val sighed and sat up. "You know, this works both ways, Halley."

"What do you mean?"

"You haven't exactly been approachable." He raised a hand as she opened her mouth to protest. "I'm not insulting you, for God's sake, I'm just observing. Every time I say hello to you, you all but bite my head off. No one else seems to be upset. So I flirt, so what? Have I ever done anything to you? Insulted you? Anything?"

"Well...no, but..."

"Why won't you give me a chance, then? Why do think I can't be serious?"

"Because...I don't know. Because I've never seen you be serious." Halley bit her lip. Because no one's ever been serious about me. God, that sounds so pathetic.

"Look, Halley." Val came over and put his hand on her shoulders. "Please, sit down. Let's eat and talk. I got a bottle of wine; Chardonnay. It's what Martha said you liked."

"You asked Martha about me?" For a moment, Halley felt like a teenager and blushed at asking such a silly question.

"How else would I know that you like Greek pasta salad?" He flashed that grin that Halley had all too often wished would be meant just for her. "Or that you like mint chocolate chip ice cream?"

Halley relented and smiled back, then let sat down. There was the promised salad, more Greek side dishes, gourmet rolls and after, the ice cream. Deciding she had to give Val a chance after his efforts, she forced herself to put aside her previous feelings about him.

To her great surprise, she found...she liked him. He asked her about herself, and she told him things she hadn't shared with anyone. She hadn't felt close to anyone in a long time, but with Val she had no hesitation in talking about anything. He shared himself with her as well. They talked about music, movies, how they'd come into their jobs.

Halley sighed as she finished her ice cream. "How come you were never this nice to me before?"

Val chuckled. "You never gave me the chance."

"I guess not." She smiled at him. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right. You can make it up to me."

"I can? How?" She felt her stomach twist in pleasant apprehension.

"A kiss."

"A kiss?" She swallowed.

"Yes. A kiss."

"O...okay."

Val chuckled as he knelt down in front of her and took her hands to pull her up to her knees. "Relax, Halley. It won't hurt."

"I—"

"Halley, hush." Val smiled and kissed her.

Oh wow. Halley relaxed and leaned into Val and the kiss. His arms were warm and strong around her, and she liked it. He didn't pressure, didn't rush anything. After a few minutes, she let the last of the tension go and slid her arms around him.

When Val pulled away, she had to bite back a whimper of protest. He chuckled. "That wasn't so bad, now, was it?"

"No." Halley blushed and looked down. "I was kind of nervous."

"Feeling more relaxed now?" Val tunneled one hand in her hair and she shivered as he massaged her scalp.

"I...think so."

"Good." Val flashed the smile that so often had made her roll her eyes. Now it made her anxious with anticipation. "Let's try it again."

Her eyes widened as he grinned and pulled her down onto the blanket so that she lay half on top of him. Then she couldn't help it and laughed when he moved to kiss her again. This time she relaxed and returned the kiss. He coaxed her lips apart and another shiver went through her as his tongue met hers. She had just begun to let herself go and stop thinking when Val broke the kiss.

"What?" Do I really sound that breathless? Halley stared at him.

"Do you know how good you feel?" Val's voice was dark and all she could do was shake her head. "I have been waiting and waiting to see how you feel..." He slid his hands under her shirt and she felt goosebumps race over her skin. He smiled. "And of course I wanted to know how you tasted..."

Halley gasped again and her eyes widened as he moved in for another kiss. She snapped her eyes shut as though he might stop if she didn't.

"No, no, this isn't quite right."

Halley didn't time to ask what he meant before he had rolled to his side and reversed their positions, so that his leg lay over hers. She felt the weight of him holding her down and didn't mind at all.

"There. That's better." Val smiled at her. "Isn't it?"

She gave a nervous laugh. "I think so."

Val laughed, but it was reassuring, not mocking. "Oh, Halley. You really do need to relax." To help her along, he stroked her side. His hand moved under her shirt, from just under breasts to her waist. "How's that?"

"I...it feels nice." She swallowed and blushed, furious with herself. I'm a grown woman, for heaven's sake! I've done this before! Just not with Val... That, she realized, was the problem. She was willing to believe, at least for the moment, that Val was interested in more than just the one proverbial thing. However, he had quite the amount of experience and she, well, didn't.

"Nice?" Val raised an eyebrow. "I must be slipping."

"No...it's not...I mean..." She huffed out a breath. "It's me. I haven't...I don't..."

Val stilled his hand. "What is it, Halley? You can tell me. I won't laugh, I swear. I won't do anything but listen."

She bit her lip and shifted under him, missing his soft grunt of surprise as her leg brushed against his erection. When she realized what she felt against her leg, she blushed again, then cleared her throat.

"Okay. Look, you've had more than a few lovers, according to what I hear. I haven't."

"All right. So?"

"So...I don't know. Okay, yes I do. I can't...compare to them. To the other women you've been with."

His surprise seemed genuine when she met his eyes. "That's what you're worried about? Really?"

"Well...yes." Having said it, she felt like an idiot.

"Oh, Halley." Val chuckled and pressed his lips to her forehead, and resumed stroking her side. "You've got it wrong. They can't compare to you."

"Really?" She closed her eyes, lulled by the touch of his warm hand against her skin.

"You know...I know I have a reputation." Val started to drop soft kisses on her face. "But it's really more other people than me. A little flirting, a little joking and next thing you know..." He moved to her neck and she tilted her head to allow him easier access.

"Yes?" She forced the word out of a dry throat.

"People talk, even if there's nothing to talk about, and then the next thing you know, people think I'm the incarnation of Don Juan or something." He nipped at her earlobe and she dug her nails into his arm.

"So your reputation is just...a figment of someone's imagination?" Halley began to wish that they could hurry things along.

He laughed again and the sound slid over her like his touch; there were more goosebumps. "Well, I can't say there isn't a bit of truth at the root of it, but, Halley." He propped himself up on one arm and traced her cheek with his free hand. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. I don't hurt people."

"Okay. That's good." What do I want him to say? I'm so confused. Halley didn't know what to say next. Val was being honest with her, and that was good, but it didn't feel like enough. Something was missing, but she couldn't say what.

"Is it?" Val kissed her again, long and slow. "It doesn't seem like it."

"What do you want from me? From this? Us?" Halley stared at him. "Your reputation may be a little exaggerated, but I don't want to be the next notch on the bedpost."

"Halley." He sighed and rested his forehead against hers. "Believe it or not, I don't do notches on bedposts. When I'm with someone, I'm with them. The only way I can show you that is to be with you, and for that you have to trust me."

"Oh."

"Can you trust me, Halley? Will you?"

"I want to." She reached up and drew some fingers through his dark curls. He closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. "It's just, you know, I've had a couple of bad experiences and then you have this...alleged reputation." She smiled.

"True." He smiled back. "I know. I'm supposed to say things like, 'If I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?'"

Halley rolled her eyes. "Oh, that's terrible." She couldn't stop a laugh.

"It is, but..." Val kissed her again, this time with more seriousness and Halley found she was breathless when he stopped. "It's a valid question."

Halley laughed again and returned his next kiss. "Why don't you ask me and see what happens?"