We have been asked by the writer to close these threads down. We have therefore taken the decision to lock and move these stories into the archive section, and so they are available if the writer changes their mind again in the future. We apologize to all readers but this is a decision we would ask is respected. Thank you.


Hi, all!

Here's something I've just begun... Please let me know what you think...

Special thanks to an incredible beta.

Enjoy!

Idiot Engineer.


Part One


She didn't speak. She didn't have to. If the thought was fully formed in her mind a colleague or an assistant was speaking it aloud, giving assurances all would be taken care of. She sat at the head of every table and though she spoke very little, her presence was commanding. When looking directly into her eyes one was struck with a sudden, odd disorientation. Surely, she was staring right back, alert, but she was also far off, planning, formulating, creating... A deceptively fractious focus.

Competitors and enemies often ranted about her sheer arrogance, her undiluted pomposity. However, that was because she had what they wanted; in fact, she had everything they wanted. Power. Money. An enviable freedom from the maddening need to prove her worth. Friends, competitors, and enemies often whispered of her striking beauty, speculating on what it must be like to see her and her shapely blonde girlfriend having sex. None of them condescended to admit that this fact, and fantasy, tied their jealousies together in a perfect, steadfast knot.

Of course, no one in this amateurish gallery actually knew her. They simply fixed her with attributes that they felt she must exude, an ever-changing array of dispositions employed in order to make sense of the latest decision (business and/or otherwise) she had made. Even more to their consternation was the fact that this nasty habit of theirs didn't trouble her in the slightest; indeed, she understood that an audience is nothing if not a number of projectors.

All of this was implicitly understood and such an understanding imbued everything around her with a delicate golden hue. One could feel it upon entering her building in downtown Los Angeles; that sleek giant nestled amongst the other giants scraping the imperturbable blue sky. It was the unmistakable hum of dynamic paramountcy, which could, by equal turns, cradle or crush. It tingled in the palms grasping the handles of the reflective plate glass doors guarding the entrance; it vibrated through the soles of the feet clicking across the marbled foyer; it encased the bodies flying ever upward in elegantly smooth, brushed stainless steel elevators. This was a certainty that set the moneyman's teeth to edge and caused the player to stumble in his swagger.

Pervasive. Absolute. Unspoken.

Such was Nikki Wade.


***


The ballroom of the Four Seasons Beverly Hills was brimming with notable faces, all of whom turned their attention to Nikki as she entered fashionably late. Her black, floor-length dress cut diagonally across her upper chest, sleeving her right arm to the wrist, but leaving her bronzed left arm exposed, a delicate watch her only adornment. Many of the guests near the door greeted both her and Trisha with warm handshakes or a kiss to each cheek; other guests farther away nodded their hellos. A murmur rippled through the gathering emitted by those who had never had the pleasure of seeing Nikki in person. They all knew she was beyond successful, but gorgeous as well? And this is Trisha? Her lover, you say?

In a city as substantially vapid as Los Angeles, the word "beauty" bandies about as a rabid dog let off its leash. So much so, in fact, that when faced with the real thing, most people sped on by or, rather perversely, they stopped to stare dumbfounded, as beauty strolled past. While “beauty” proliferates in Los Angeles like a weed, the parameters for what actually constitutes this beauty are narrow and confining. Tall, dark, and stunning, for instance, often takes a backseat to painfully thin, blonde, and vacant. Such a prevalent stereotype was perfect cover and Nikki happily used it to move beneath glamour’s capricious radar.

It was for this reason that she chose to host her party for a recently arrived Japanese contingent at the innocuous Four Seasons rather than some trendy hotel on Sunset Boulevard. Nikki observed the Japanese executives, all impeccably attired in dark suits, noting their body language and determining they were enjoying the subtly blended Southern California cum European ambiance.

The venue was a calculated conservative decision on her part designed to lull her prey into a sense of safety... The Murakashi Company had twenty nightclubs in and around Tokyo up on the block and though twenty seemed too small a number for the trouble, the name of the game in Tokyo was exclusivity, which is just what these clubs offered, for owner and patron alike.

Nikki bowed toward Shacho Fudo Nakamura, head of the company and direct representative of the Murakashi family, from across the ballroom. Nakamura bowed in return, his eyes lingering on her figure before returning to his colleagues.

Looking on with great interest during this exchange was James Fenner, owner of Titan Limited, professional snake in the grass. He hauled himself away from the wall on which he was leaning and headed toward Nikki. The bow was quaint, he thought, if not a touch too schmaltzy, not that it mattered in the slightest seeing as the Murakashi clubs were going to be his in a few short hours anyway. Gleefully, he reminded himself what a sweet victory it would be to snatch them from right under Wade’s nose.

He saw that Nikki’s champagne glass was empty so he positioned himself to be the first thing Nikki saw when she turned toward the bar. She did turn and stopped short of running into his chin. She began to apologize then recognized who he was. In the millisecond it takes to blink, hatred burned in her eyes and was gone, replaced by the usual veneer of placid, yet keen, interest. She schooled her surprise at finding Fenner at the party, not to mention directly in front of her face; he had not been invited.

Fenner licked his lips, calling to Nikki's mind a snake flicking its tongue to taste the air, and smiled; he had her wrong-footed and he was pleased.

“Nakamura likes what he sees, doesn't he? That how you plan to seal the deal? Wonder what Trisha'd have to say about that?"

Without blinking, Nikki answered, "I'll have to remember never to book the Four Seasons again seeing as they let just anybody through the door."

Jim's thin smile broke into a grin, "Insolent as always, Wade. Glad to see some things never change."

He plucked a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray and casually sipped, his beady eyes scanned the ornate room.

Nikki caught Trisha's concerned stare from where she stood at the bar and curtly shook her head, indicating Trisha should stay put.

Trisha gave a nod, understanding, and touched the arm of the tuxedoed man standing beside her. Nathan Harris looked over at his sister Trisha then followed her gaze. Wasting no time once he saw Jim Fenner in Nikki's face, Nathan said a few words to the bartender and downed the rest of his drink.

"Man's got a pair, hasn't he?" he asked Trisha.

The corner of her mouth curled into the beginning of a wry smile, "Not for long."

Nikki watched with little amusement as hotel security showed Jim Fenner the door. She knew that as far as Jim was concerned, time was money -- this was no social visit.

When Nikki joined Trisha and Nathan at the bar, Trisha slid a comforting arm around her waist and ordered her a stiff drink, the only indication that Nikki was under any kind of duress whatsoever.

"What did he want?" Trisha asked tentatively.

"Nakamura," Nikki stated.

"Why?" asked Nathan.

"Why is not important, Nathan. He was here to gloat as if he already has what he wants. So, the question is how?" Nikki said pointedly.

Jim allowed himself to be led to the hotel lobby by security before depositing his champagne flute in a nearby planter. He felt his mission to unhinge the usually unflappable Ms. Wade was successful. On account of his good mood, he slid the valet a twenty and eased the car away from the hotel. Basking in the knowledge that in a matter of hours the final act in his scheme to undermine her would be complete, Jim lit a cigarette. He savored the sweet tobacco... Soon Nikki Wade would cease to be a factor forever.


***


All was grey the next morning when Nikki awoke. She eased out of bed, careful not to disturb Trisha, and pulled on her jogging gear. She loved her daily morning run on the beach, relished the time alone during which she only had to concentrate on her breathing, her form.

Just steps away from her front door her feet sank into the deep, soft sand. She took deep breath, trying to feel revitalized by the cool, salty air; yet, she couldn't shake the feeling of dissatisfaction that seemed to have burrowed into her mind lately. She knew she should be happy, on top of the world... Nevertheless, there was only a dogged sense of... Boredom.

The fog, which usually hugged the shoreline in thick layers, was burning off quickly that morning, leaving behind dense, opaque patches that she strode through intermittently. The oppressive, light grey clouds were beginning to break apart in the sky promising a dazzling sunrise as soon as the sunlight peeked over the houses lining the boardwalk.

Nikki quickly crossed the asphalt path leading to the Marina del Rey pier and continued south toward the marina's inlet. Lost in the relentless rhythm of her feet pounding the sand, she didn't hear the gunshot fire, but she felt the sting of the bullet when it hit her ear. She tripped then stumbled to her knees, grabbing for her injured ear as pain, sharp and blinding, burst through her head. She fell onto the sand, her injured ear trapped beneath her head, bleeding steadily turning the sand to mud. Her breathing became shallow as the sun overtook the houses along the shore casting vivid reds and brilliant oranges onto the scattered clouds. Thus, the day came alive just as Nikki Wade succumbed to the blackness dancing at the corners of her eyes.

Hey! Great to see another story from you, id.

Nice start ..... but let's hope Nikki is okay .... otherwise it's going to be a kinda short story, don't you think? :)

You, for sure, know how to catch a girl's attention !
Great expository scene that leaves us wanting/waiting for more.
Keep going, please !

Great start Idengine another few chapters are welcome :D

Great story!

I maybe see where your headed...probably not...clean slate?

Sorry Id...Way too chatty...But seriously...fractious focus....? Damn.

Bleeding on a beach?.....Rescue will ensure silence...Cheers

Wonderful beginning. You have a marvelous command of words. Looking forward to your updates. :fanfic

I must have missed this first time! Having found it, I'd love an update :)

I second that :hug2 :hug2

Ahh! This is really good! Please don't stop there....!

I absolutely must know what happens next....

xoxo
Emms

Hey, I have to say I love your phrasing, and not just in this instance.

I can't wait to see where you take this (hint, hint).

I've just read this one from the start. It's a great beginning, and I'd love to read more...

Loved your last one, any more on this one? Off to a promising start!

:huh: Come back to us ID!! We'd love another update. Nikki unconcious on the beach? :eek :guns Please don't leave our beautiful, sexy Nikki like that1 I'll lose sleep :thought

:silly I second that ID please please come back. :silly :silly

i third it!

Hey, ID... :)

We love the beginning...

Waiting for the next installment....soon, if possible.

please :hug2

Hopeless aint it...

ID come back to us, please :wub: :wub:

Is this story going to turn into another orphan? :cry2

Hi, All --

I greatly appreciate your interest in this story and, after much debate, I have decided that I will finish it. I will resume writing this week. I do want to thank everyone for their comments and encouragement... except you, Tudy...

Ha!

Happy writing!

Woo Hoo ...... :clap :woot So pleased to hear you are going to finish this story. Thanks !!

AWESOME!! I can't wait. :D

tankyou i will check the board with hope to see a update soon.

A fantastic start.

All I can say is:


YES!

YES!!! :clap :clap :clap I can't wait!

Great news that you are writing again, bravo.( 2d is AWOL and will be thrown in the stockade whens she returns so no story for her,she can stand on a high chair and look in at it . ) any how can hardly wait for you to begin cheers. :rofl :rofl

I love that you're going to get back to this story!!!

It is one of my favorites!!

I look forward to any and all updates from you!!

Whoops I got that wrong, its a tall chair not a high chair sorry.

**does happy dance with huge grin** :popcorn I'll be ready!!

i am so glad you're going to finish this story. i'm looking forward to it.

So glad to hear it, darlin'... Can't wait!!!

Sweetie where are you? :giveheart :giveheart

Great story so far. I look forward to the next update.

Patiently waiting... patiently... less patiently... not very patient... quite impatient for more, more more of this story!!

I'm begging, too... Pleeeaaase??!!

We're beggin' for an update!! Nikki's bled out enough...any longer and there won't be anything left for Helen to save! :guns