Nicole Kirkland exited the cab and casually strolled the last few blocks to her destination. The street was beginning to fill with scurrying office workers, eager to arrive in time for that first coffee and latest gossip before knuckling down to quickly shoving the day along to quitting time.

She paused and studied some items in a fashion shop window, contemplating her own reflection in the sparkling glass. A doorman, minding a four-legged floor mop on a leash, gave her a wintry smile as she passed, happily surrendering his charge to the owner when she emerged from the building.

She checked the street behind her in the window, to assure she wasn't being followed, and stepped quickly through the swinging doors of the building. The elevator swished silently to the penthouse office and the doors parted, dramatically exposing the grand entrance. Nicole's face shone with a big smile, and she quickened her pace across the foyer into the embrace of her host.

"Aah, it's been so long..."

"I know. Come on inside we'll celebrate with a morning drink." The invitation sounded half-hearted.

Nicole settled herself on the sofa.

"To success." They both drank from their glasses and eyed one another.

"What's wrong?"

"What do you mean?"

"We just drank to success but you seem unhappy."

"The toast seems to be no more than wishful thinking. Time is nearly up, Nicky."

"I have enough proof on film for your needs." She couldn't understand his reticence.

"You've been sterling in this, it isn't you. I just can't seem to manufacture the necessary funds any more. I'm afraid the trust will never be replenished."

"But if Jarmon is exposed publicly you'll have more time; it will void the trust."

"I doubt it. Lawrence will make a move the minute Cynthia is forced to forfeit. He has no idea there is no money; he'll be all over me and the board like... aaach, I should have realized."

"Is there nothing we can do to prevent that?"

Ellington studied the woman to whom he had surrendered his heart; the woman who asked for nothing but his love in return. "Nicky, how much can I ask of you?"

"Whatever is necessary, Ellington."

He moved slowly about the room, his face a study in sad disgust. "We need to compromise, Lawrence. It's the only way to stop any future action he might take."

Nicole set down her glass, calmly weighing the circumstances of his inference and their relationship. "Are we still good, Ellington?"

"God, I hope so." His desperation surfaced like a breaching whale. "I just feel that you might resent the fact that all your efforts might have produced nothing of what I promised and that with the possibility of failure- well you probably would just—"

"I hope I didn't appear that mercenary when you proposed this in the first place." She said quickly. "Sure the money sounded great but it wasn't the money that attracted me when you called, and I'm not afraid if you aren't."

"I am afraid, but with you at my side..." He sat behind his desk and clasped his hands in front of his face. "We need film or tape of Lawrence admitting his attempts to ruin his daughter's marriage. With something like that to show the board, he would be cutting his own throat if he challenged the trust." He looked up at her. "Even so, you will be publicly humiliated. I will understand completely—"

"I only have a week," she said. "The best way I can see him even considering talking to me is if I tell him about Jarmon and I."

"Then that will give him what he wants; how does that help?"

"I will attempt to get him on tape explaining his reasons. If that works he won't have a leg to stand on legally."

"Don't you think what you have done to date is enough?"

She looked at her hands. "I would be left exposed as the other woman but Lawrence wouldn't have any actual proof and as you say, he won't go to the board if I get him on tape."

Ellington leaned on his desk. "You understand what's happening here, Nicky. This will be nothing more than a huge bluff. If Lawrence doesn't bite and goes on to expose the trust deficit, you will be hanging out there with me in a massive scandal."

"Then I will just have to get him to bite, won't I?"

●○●○●○●○●

Nicole Kirkland had known the Bravo family since university, where she first met Cynthia. They had become close while Cynthia was still a student and even afterward when she ran around Europe spending her grandfather's money. It wasn't until she decided to return home and learned about the trust that she and Nicole broke off their friendship.

Ellington had contacted her upon their graduation and asked for her opinion of Cynthia's character since she was her best and only apparent friend. Nicole had provided a thorough description couched as favourably as possible, realizing that her information could well be the end of their relationship.

As it turned out, Cynthia lived up to the description completely and while Ellington tried to work past it, in the end contacted Nicole and asked to meet with her to properly thank her for her insight. The meeting grew from a formal office interview to a more relaxed dinner and ended both with the shocking and surprising discovery of deep feelings for one another in spite of the age difference.

They spent several more evenings discussing the situation, their feelings, and finally their acceptance of something wonderful in both their lives. The affair continued in secret from everyone from then on.

Nicole watched the videos of her sessions with Jarmon with detached interest. Both parties entered the plan she and Ellington had undertaken with full awareness and a rock solid commitment to one another. The material was incontrovertible; Jarmon would be drawn and quartered in front of a divorce lawyer.

That part of the program was in hand; it was this new problem that gave her pause. She knew that Lawrence could wreak havoc with the company board of directors if he uncovered the truth about the trust. As she and Ellington had decided, getting Lawrence on record as having plotted the sabotage of his daughter's marriage for that very same trust, was their only hope of countering any action he might consider taking.

How to set it up... that was her dilemma. She sat, twisting the stem of her wine glass and frowning at the reflected image in the window. She took a sip and started as the telephone suddenly rang.

"Hello?"

"Nicole, how are you? It's Lawrence Bravo. I was wondering if I might drop by. I have a little business I'd like to discuss."

Nicole sat up, antenna quivering. Lawrence Bravo calling her, what brought this on? Nicole didn't believe in coincidences. "Lawrence, what a surprise. It's been ages, are you in the neighbourhood?"

"I am. Things going okay?"

"You know, some days up, some days down." They shared a naughty chuckle. She waited through more small talk for him to state his reasons, in the end agreeing to see him, without really learning why.

Twenty minutes. He certainly didn't leave a woman much time to prepare. She hurried to her bedroom and selected a suitably chic dress, a pair of sling pumps and some simple jewellery. Her hair was always easy to manage, and a quick run through with the brush accomplished the effect she wanted.

She got her recorder and placed it out of sight under the coffee table, then rushed around the living room adjusting the lights, placed a CD of Dianne Krall on the player and put a bottle of Chardonnay in the refrigerator for a quick cool.