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“Well… I still don’t get why he’d go through so much trouble just to get you to join his security team, but that’s not my business is it? Although I’m not exactly surprised, I mean let me see, the Rialto theater, Moby, Dominique Boucher, the Sullivan brothers, some how one way or another our cases always lead back to Kenneth Irons.” Jake suddenly stopped, he had spoken the last two words carefully, as if something had just dawned on him.
Sara shook her head as if to silence him, she had a pretty good idea what he was thinking and wished that he wasn’t, unfortunately letting him think wrongly was safer then letting him know the truth. Abruptly Jake turned the course of the conversation. “You probably want to prepare for your evening. I’ll leave.”
Nodding Sara stood where she was as Jake let himself out. She felt a sense of hollowness and sorrow, she hated lying to Jake, up until now she had only to leave out facts, now though… shaking these thoughts and feelings aside, Sara picked the dress up off her bed and took the black laundry bag off of it. Staring blankly Sara shook her head. “Oh no!”
A little distance away Ian smiled in empathy. He’d had a feeling she’d react like this to the dress, he also knew that she felt badly about her partner. Ian understood Sara better then she thought, better even then Irons would admit. Thinking of Ken brought anger and satisfaction to Ian’s mind. Smugly he wondered just how Kenneth would react to the million and a half dollars he’d spent today. This would be a very interesting evening indeed.
~~~~~
Chapter 8 - Dining on Visions
Kenneth Irons straightened his tie one final time before heading from his bedroom to where Ian was waiting for him downstairs. Unlike his usual clothing, this entire ensemble was black except for his tie that was a deep shade of indigo blue. Heading downstairs he gave Ian a once over and nodded, "Well, this is a change, for once you're the one wearing gray, and I'm all in black." Smiling as if he'd just made an interesting joke he headed towards the front door, grabbing a package he left by the coat rack as he went. Ian barely noticed the motion, thinking that Irons was acting much too arrogant, he was hiding something and it was most likely something important.
~~~
Sara let out a breath of air as she put the finishing touches on her make up. Finally, she thought, I'm done. it had taken her the better part of twenty minutes to figure out what to do with her hair and makeup, then twenty more to actually do it. Standing up she looked inside her mirror to admire her handiwork. It wasn't how she usually looked on formal occasions but she had to admit that it worked for her. Now all I need, she thought sarcastically, is an full-length cloak and a tiara. A thought that she immediately retracted for fear that Ian would show up with one when the doorbell rang.
Sara stepped downstairs wearing a black dress coat over her outfit, as she opened the door she was greeted with the site of Ian wearing a black windbreaker and gloves, holding a package out to her, as always his eyes carefully averted. His hair was tied neatly back as usual and his beard had been trimmed so that it was even and close to his face. "You'll have to forgive me, I seem to have forgotten to buy you a proper overgarment today. I fear that this will have to do." Taking the package out of his hands she opened it to find a black cloak with red satin lining.
"Do I have to wear this?" She asked incredulously. "And if you didn't buy it where did this come from?"
For the first time Ian looked up. "Kenneth would insist that you wear the cloak." Then turning his eyes back down. "As to where it came from... It was Dominique's." A chill swept through Sara at that comment forcing her to harden her resolve not to wear it.
"I'd rather not." She stated rather flippantly as she headed for the door only to be blocked by Ian.
"I'm sorry Sara," he insisted softly. Glaring Sara almost told Ian to convey her true opinion of his employer to him and forget the whole thing when she remembered why she was going. Biting her tongue and seething with rage she very unwillingly complied. Changing her coat for the cloak, she smiled coldly and exited her apartment after Ian.
When she got into the limo Sara immediately sat next to Ian, giving Irons no more then a curt acknowledgement of his presence. In return he complimented her outfit to which Sara only rolled her eyes. "Lovely necklace, do you know, it looks just like the set Cornelius Vanderbilt gave his daughter for her wedding?"
Smiling mischievously Sara decided to put Ian in the hot seat. "Actually, they ARE the set Cornelius Vanderbilt gave his daughter." Irons crinkled his brow, which in a moment changed to a glare as he fixed Ian with a look. Ian in turn pretended not to notice and stared at the carpet of the car.
Hiding a smile Sara stared out the window, passing the rest of the trip looking out the window in silence. Once Irons had finished glaring at Ian, he turned his eyes towards Sara. To him she was like a prophecy come true; his way to finally being in control of the Witchblade, and tonight, in his eyes at least, she glowed. Sara wore a long deep red velvet gown, it was opulent and sleeveless with a "v" front and back, bias cut and a fully flared hem, and the bodice was beaded with Celtic designs.
When they arrived at Lespinasse, an Asian/French restaurant off of Fifth Avenue, Sara couldn't help but sigh wearily. She felt as if Irons was trying to drag her into his lifestyle, blind her with the glitter and charm of his world, and while she felt uncomfortable in it she found that there was something seductive about it. She had been pondering what it was the entire way to the restaurant and as they sat down in the restaurant, she finally saw what it was: control. From the way Irons had dictated what she was to wear, to how he handled the maitre d', to the difference the other businessmen at the restaurant showed him. He seemed firmly in control of his life, something Sara wasn't, not since she'd found the Witchblade anyway. Deep in thought Sara missed the look of mild shock that passed into Kenneth's eyes as he noticed the entrance of Calliope DeLancie and Luka Giamano, taping Sara's arm lightly he motioned for her to stand up with him as he made introductions.
"Ms. DeLancie, Mr. Giamano, if I may introduce my future chief of security, Ms. Sara Pezzini. Sara, Ms. Calliope DeLancie Senior VP of P.J.A. Technologies and Mr. Luka Giamano, president of P.J.A. Tech." Sara smiled as she shook hands with the two.
<The apartment was quiet save for the laughter of two children, a boy and a girl, as they chased each other in and out of the living room; the boy appeared to be about eight and the girl about three. The entire apartment was furnished with Chinese antiques but the children didn't seem to notice, suddenly the girl bumped into a desk, and falling back the boy caught her. "Are you ok?" he asks. She nods.
"Hao ying de guo ze!" she exclaims, turning to it she picks up a box, opening it ->
"We've met," Snapping back to reality, Callie realized that she'd had another flashback. Taking a closer look she recognized who she was shaking hands with. "Well, not officially, but we did bump into each other in the hallway today."
Nodding blankly Sara wondered why she had a vision every time she ran into this girl, or more accurately woman. When they'd collided into each other today at Vorschlag Sara had thought that she was a teenager, or possibly an intern, now though she could tell that she was a woman. The two sat down across from each other as if by mutual agreement each studying the other as the men held a conversation of little importance. Luka and Irons almost mirrored each other, they were of the same height and build and both wore black. Luka however wore a green tie, had icy blue eyes and dark brown hair, and was by far the more handsome of the two. Like Callie, he looked younger then his twenty-eight years and a serious disposition was well masked by civility. By the time Sara and Callie returned their notice to them, they were already on a first name bases. Giving Sara a 'Let's interrupt this ridiculous male bonding' look, Callie softly interrupted the conversation. "So, gentlemen," Saying the last word so politely one might interpret it as sarcasm. "Shall we get to business, or would you like to eat first?"
At the mention of food, Sara suddenly remembered that she hadn't had anything to eat since the cereal she'd grabbed at Jake's this morning. Hearing Kenneth say that it was always hard to work on an empty stomach she assented. After ordering, she turned her attention to Callie as the men continued their conversation, not sure wear to start, she did what most women do when they are at a loss for words. "That's a lovely outfit you're wearing, it's late Qing dynasty isn't it?" Callie was surprised that Sara knew anything about Chinese clothing but nodded.
"Yes it is. I had intended to wear a dress I'd bought earlier, but Luka surprised me with this - you know how men are." Sara smiled wryly in agreement. Thinking about her dress Callie smiled to. It was exactly like the one her mother wore in her photograph, a traditional Chinese silk dress of dark emerald green that had embroidery along the neck buttons, slit, hem, and the end of her sleeves.
"P.J.A. tech is a bio-technology company isn't it? Have you ever done any research yourself?" The ice was nicely broken, and genetics, cloning, and business held the main part of the conversation for the next hour or so. The evening passed smoothly save for one incident when Sara and Callie had gone to the bathroom to freshen up. Realizing she had forgotten to bring any lipstick, she asked if she could borrow Callie's lip gloss. As it passed between them both were struck with another vision, or in Callie's case, a flashback.
<Callie walks into the principal's office, in a pair of blue jeans and a white turtleneck. Her hair was tied behind her in a ponytail. As the door closes behind her a clean shaven man with short black hair stands and says "Congratulations Ms. DeLancie, you've just received a full scholarship to Yale University."
A smile breaks out on Callie's face as she hears the good news. "Really! That's great, where from?"
The man tilt's his head saying that he's not allowed to disclose her sponsor, but congratulates her.>
The vision ends and both women lean against the sink for support. They stay silent for a moment, neither willing to brooch the subject, the moment passes and Sara applies the lip gloss, passing it back, making sure not to touch Callie, and went back to the dining room to discuss business.
~~~
On the way back to Sara's apartment, she decided to tell Irons of a decision she'd made,. It was risky but she wanted to find out where her visions were coming from, and where they intended to take her. As they neared her home she broke the silence. "I've decided to accept your offer."