Nine Months Later

"Morning," Annika said, falling into step beside Shivaay the moment he stepped off the elevator, passing him his usual coffee and a stack of File. "Here are the records you asked for."

"How d'you do that?" Shivaay asked, rubbing his eyes, exhausted, and gulping coffee gratefully as he accepted the stack of Files. He'd had a very late night and very little sleep, courtesy of the young lady who was presumably still asleep in his bed, and was feeling nettled by Annika's unquenchable perkiness and uncanny knack for knowing exactly when he arrived, despite the hour.

"I listen and I take notes," she replied smartly. Shivaay glared.

S: "I meant how d'you always know exactly when I'm going to get off the damn elevator?"

"Oh," she said, smiling widely. "Easy, I just bribed the security with a weekly tea, so they would message me everytime when you come to the office."

"When did you do this?" he asked, and Annika shrugged.

"About a week after I was hired." She switched her clipboard and notebook to the other arm. "I figured it would be better to be prepared for when you come in early." She smiled brightly. "Or late," she added pointedly, glancing down at her watch.

Shivaay grunted, and the cunning girl could tell he was impressed, though he'd never admit it. "Is this all of them this time?"

"All the ones they sent over, but Mishraji said he'd send on any more that may have been 'temporarily misplaced'."

"Good," Shivaay said as they turned into the office. "Call him and tell him I want them no later than tomorrow afternoon."

"It's done, I sent it out when the first batch came in, but I'll send him another. Also, you've got a ten o'clock appointment with the Inter-Departmental Liaison, she's angling to merge the Committee for American affairs with Canadian one and is practically frothing at the mouth to get the Minister's ear and make her case, so she'll probably push you to ask him, and I've booked you in at the Taj for lunch with Raheja to go over the proposal for the new Educational Grants, and your mother called, she needs you to contact her ASAP, wouldn't leave a message with me, but it sounded important. Oh, and you've got the charity gala tonight for Seven Hills Hospital. Khanna should have your Tuxedo waiting when you get home and there's a car scheduled to pick you up at seven, unless you'd prefer any other means."

"Which would you prefer?" he asked, sitting down and flipping through the stack of Files idly, not noticing Annika's stunned expression.

"Uh, sorry, what?" she stuttered.

Shivaay glanced up at her. "Which method of transportation would you prefer?" he repeated slowly, as though speaking to someone who didn't have a full grasp on the English language.

"Why does my preference matter?" she asked, the dull weight of dread that she was about to be asked to do something unpleasant settling in her stomach.

"You're coming with me," the arrogant man in him replied, cocking a brow as he smirked lightly at her. "I don't have time to ask anyone, and I can't go without a date, so you can tag along this time."

"I can call Ragini, or Tina, or Pakhi, or whoever your latest companion is and ask them," Annika said hurriedly, waving her hand as though to brush away the suggestion she go with him to the event. "I'm sure whichever girl it is will be thrilled, so I'll get on that right away and get back to you." She smiled nervously and he grinned back, looking incredibly like some sort of large, predatory cat stalking cornered prey.

"No, it's really much simpler if you just come instead. Besides, I'm in meetings all afternoon, so I won't get the reply even if whoever you call responds. And her name was Ragini, but I doubt she'd answer back politely if you were to call her." He sat back, looking at his assistant over with appraising eyes, realizing that Annika was actually decidedly attractive, which had only happened a few times in the last half year. Her long, vibrant hair waved over her shoulders and down her back today, free from its usual bun, and contrasted with her plain back wool dress and slouchy grey boots perfectly. "So," he finally continued, prying his gaze away from her curves to her unenthusiastic expression, "now that that's settled, I suppose I should let you know it's a black-tie formal event, so wear something extra-nice, and since you won't decide, we'll take the car. Be ready for seven-thirty."

Annika merely gaped at him, trying to think of a way out of going, but she'd learned rather quickly that once Shivaay set his mind to something, he made certain it happened. Finally, after a few long moments where her boss waited patiently while staring her down, Annika sighed. "Fine. But I better get a pay-rise or at least a bonus for this. And I'll have to leave a bit early if you really want me to accompany you; I don't own anything appropriate."

Shivaay rolled his eyes but grinned wickedly. "I don't mind inappropriate, for the record."

"Duly noted," Annika retorted dryly.

At three that afternoon, two hours before she was 'off the clock' (which was a joke because she was bothered just as much at home as in the office by him), Annika finished off her finalized version of Shivaay' schedule for the next morning, sent out the last few emails to various Departments, and gathered her coat, hoping Gauri would be home.

She hurried from the Ministry and went to Gauri's doorstep, knocking quickly on the door and chewing her lip nervously, praying her cousin would be in. To her undying relief, the door opened and Gauri stood there, wearing designer jeans and a tank-top eating a banana. "Oh thank God," Annika sighed. "I need your help. I need something black-tie formal that doesn't scream 'I'm a giant whore'."

Gauri cocked a brow. "Should I ask?"

"Not if you love me," Annika replied as her cousin let her in and she slumped into the closest chair. "Just please, find me something to wear."

G: "Well follow me, darling, and we'll take a peek in my closet. Tell me you're not going to the Seven Hills thing, though. I can't think of anything else tonight you'd need black-tie for." Annika knew Gauri was well-connected and very close with many Ministry executives and hotshots, and wasn't surprised she knew about the charity gala.

"Yeah," the girl grumbled as she followed Gauri upstairs and into a large room her cousin had turned into a closet with dozens of drawers and racks for shoes. "Are you going?"

"Of course, Annika," Gauri chided playfully. "My gown took six weeks to design and fabricate and it's being express shipped for tonight, there's no way I'm not going. But," she turned to face Annika, hands on hips, looking stern, "more importantly, who are you going with?"

She looked away guiltily, knowing already what Gauri was going to say. "It's for work, actually, so I-"

"For what?" Gauri demanded. "Not work, so stop trying to pull the wool over my eyes. That philandering arse wants you to be his arm-candy more like! Damn it, Annika, I don't like it. There's going to be a lot of people there, and a lot of those people have nothing better to do with their lives than talk about other people, and darling you're like fresh meat in the lion's den for them. And the press will be there, and those gossip column bitches will speculate on everything you do and don't do and imply the worst."

Annika was a little touched by Gauri's obvious concern for her reputation, but also felt a little nettled. Of course she knew exactly the sort of people who'd be there, and had assumed she'd be mentioned in the gossip column, but she was merely the assistant, and planned to act as such that night, and not Shivaay' date. Instead of saying all this, of course, she countered the considerate sentiments with a smile, murmuring, "But maybe I'll finally meet someone worth categorizing as a hot date there."

Gauri took the bait as expected and immediately her whole demeanour changed. "Oh snap, I can't believe I didn't think of that! Ooh, now I need to find you something sinfully fabulous." She looked at Annika and her mouth quirked to the side as her inner stylist took over. "Nothing boring, nothing plain, and definitely no black; everyone and their mother will be wearing black. Something with colour, or maybe some sparkle, and definitely nothing short." She switched her remote control and gowns plucked themselves from garment bags hanging in a neat row and gathered together on a rack that Gauri had. "Let's see, what else. You'll need shoes, and knowing you you'll want a purse to hold your shit." She switched her remote again and choices laid themselves out before her.

Annika watched, a little in awe of her cousin's efficiency, and watched as the tall, long-legged woman pulled out a turquoise silk gown and held it out expectantly. Annika shook her head and Gauri pulled out an emerald chiffon dress instead, but Annika shook her head again. Though beautiful, the gowns both seemed too fussy for her taste. She turned down a cream-coloured ruffled number next, and then an eggplant grecian-inspired look before Gauri pulled out a shimmery, slinky golden number. "No, absolutely not," Annika said automatically, but Gauri put the gown aside and began selecting shoes for Annika. "Gauri, no, that's way too-"

"Hush. You won't pick, and I'm not going through every damn dress in here until you decide, so I'm picking for you. Besides, it's going to look fabulous on you, and that's really all that matters. Do you like these?" She held out a pair of red pumps and Annika groaned, giving in without a fight. She was certain that Gauri would not let her go just like that and prepared herself to be submitted to more beautification.

Author's Note : This chapter was 1700 words (is this story really short?) So my dear readers tell me what you think about the story uptill now. Are you enjoying it so far? What do you think will be Shivaay's reaction after looking at Annika's beauty? Do tell. Much more fun stuff to come ahead so keep reading and like always stay safe.