Business as Usual

I do not own
SC, nor to I make any money off of my fanfiction.

Business as Usual
by Laura
Bryannan

The man in the Armani suit stepped out of the limo,
and the movement caught his eye as if an arrow had flown past.

The
bike messenger wove and dodged the traffic at amazing speed, risking
his life in ways the businessmen found intriguing. He admired
expertise in any form. Hopping the curb, the biker jumped off his
ride while still in motion. They were both headed into the same
gleaming tower of steel.

This particular businessman thought
life was worth risking. He was a killer. In his world of finance, it
was kill or be killed, and he was one of the elite. No one looking at
the immaculately dressed man would have guessed as much, except
perhaps for the hair and jewlery. He was the best at what he did, so
no one hassled him about either.

He allowed the messenger
beat him into the line going through security, and stepped in behind.
Perhaps a little too close. Clothed in black jeans, two wife beaters
and an unzipped gray hoodie, the messenger's body radiated heat and
its own clean scent...the guy was alive. He had been too, not so long
ago.

The messenger turned to face the man practically
breathing down his neck, frankly eyeing him from head to toe. He
didn't try to hide his distain. The owner of his own successful
business, he lived the life of a free agent and had no interest in
those who slaved for others, no matter how...different this
particular salaryman appeared to be. He stared the guy down until it
was time to present his credentials to security.

“Package
for Mugen Ryu-san,” said the bike messenger. The guard checked
his ID and nodded.

“Takeda Delivery...okay, you're
good. Penthouse, 95th floor. First elevator bank on the left, then
follow the signs.”

The businessman chuckled. The
messenger had been clearly unimpressed at their first meeting, but he
found himself suddenly grateful for his company's private express
elevator, and sprinted to it. He wanted to make the second impression
count.

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

The messenger tried to contain his
excitement. Okinawa Development had its corporate fingers in many
pies. If he could land an account here it would mean a lot of
business for his company. When he saw where the delivery was headed,
he'd decided to make the run himself to pitch the deal.

Handing
the package to the receptionist, he asked to see the managing
partner.

“One moment please,” she replied,
picking up the phone. He'd expected to have to cajole his way in, so
her response surprised him. Soon an older woman walked around the
corner.

“Follow me, sir.” The suite took up the
entire floor of the high rise, so they walked for almost a minute
before she knocked on a door.

Corner office, he noted. Good.
Someone important. But when he stepped inside, his heart sank. It was
the guy...from outside. The lame punky hair, the blue marble
earrings. He looked way too young to be sitting in a corner office of
Okinawa Development.

“You!” he exclaimed. “You're
the managing partner?!?”

The businessman snorted. “This
ain't no law firm. We don't have a managing partner. You wanna talk
to the office manager?”

“I don't understand. I
asked to see the managing partner and your secretary brought me to
you.”

“She brought you cuz I told her to.”


Alarm registered on the messenger's face for a brief moment.
“Why would you do that?”

“Have dinner with
me,” the businessman demanded. “You want an account with
us, right? You can tell your boss you landed it. Score you some
points.”

The messenger bristled. He desired an account
with this company more than anything, but not if it meant kissing
this one's ass. Goodbye Okinawa Development, he sighed
inwardly.

“My boss doesn't expect me to suck up to
little boys playing in their daddy's suit,” he said, calmly.
“I'll be going now. Thank you for your time.” He turned
on his heel and headed toward the door.

And suddenly found
his way blocked. The guy had been behind his massive mahogany desk,
and yet there he was standing in front of the door, smirking.

“Uh,
what was that about daddy's suit?” he asked, razor-wire in his
voice.

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

Had he misread the guy? He couldn't
have! When his secretary told him Messenger Boy asked for the
managing partner, he knew he'd win—the guy obviously wanted to
pitch a contract with the firm—so the insult was unexpected,
but he enjoyed surprises.

“Get out of my way,”
said the bike messenger, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

“Not
till you tell my why you're shooting yourself in the foot. I'm
curious.”

“I'm not shooting myself in the
foot.”

“You came in here to land a contract with
us, and something made you change your mind. What was it?”


“You.”

The businessman laughed, surprised
again. “Man, you must really have your boss in your pocket with
that attitude.” He reluctantly opened the door and stepped
aside.

The messenger gave him a terse nod and strode past as
the businessman watched. Damn, the guy was as hot going as he was
coming!

Wandering back to his desk, he picked up the phone.
“Li-san, that guy left his card up front, right? Could you go
get it, or tell Yoko-kun to bring it back here? And put a call into
Security while you're at it. What can we find out about him?”


A few minutes later, his secretary brought him Messenger
Boy's business card. It read

Takeda Delivery

Takeda
Jin
President

His first thought was, Nah,
couldn't be! Although it would explain the snotty attitude.


Knowing what it was like to be dismissed because of his
age—he was the youngest partner in the firm, and his success
caused much consternation among the established power players—he
didn't want to be guilty of the same prejudice. Maybe Messenger Boy
was a big shot in his own little world, after all.

The
businessman leaned back and stretched, then put his feet up on his
desk, trying to imagine what the guy would look like with his glasses
off and his hair down.

to be continued