AN: Hello lovely readers! Thank you to those who continued to read and review and encouraged me to continue on with this story. Hopefully the next chapter won't take QUITE so long!

Umm...so it's been awhile since I wrote for this story. You guys will tell me if this is off track right?

Well, I hope it isn't and I hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter 9

51…52…53…54… Wait, that last one doesn't really count – it fell off the board. Oh sweet mother of merciful mayhem! This isn't working at all!

Elle swiveled around in her squeaky desk chair and threw a rather sticky pink straw down on a sheaf of papers covered in bored squiggles. Her elbows quickly followed, thumping down on the desk as she dropped her face in her hands and sighed. Even covering her cubical wall in dozens of slushee covered spit wads wasn't enough to cheer her up today. Usually she loved coming in to work but lately she had been in a bit of a slump and this particular day seemed like it couldn't go by any slower. And it was all because of...

"Why all the sighs, firecracker?"

"Ugh, I can't concentrate." Elle looked up to see Hiro picking a tiny, crumpled pink paper wad off of his glasses.

"Uh, sorry. Didn't think those were going over the wall."

"This is not about that boy again is it?"

Elle reburied her face in her arms and groaned. She should have never told Hiro about Gabriel! She had been getting sad, annoyingly sympathetic looks from him all week, every time he passed by her cubical. And not only that, she had started to notice some strange looks from her other co-workers as well. People who she had never even spoken to before were coming by to ask her how she was. Some of them sounded sincere and some looked like they were sharks scenting the water for blood. At was all very weird and was starting to make her a bit twitchy.

"Ando and I were talking about your problem, and I think we can help," Hiro stated with gusto.

"What do you mean Ando and you were talking?" Elle asked slowly. "Did you tell him about…?"

"Well, of course I told Ando. We have been very worried about you. Everyone has been."

"Hiro! I told you about that in confidence!" As Hiro's words penetrated her slushee fuddled brain, Elle froze. "Wait – what's this 'everyone'?"

"Well, I told Ando and he told –"

"Nooo!" Elle moaned, burying her head again. No wonder she was getting so much sympathy. Of all the humiliating things that could happen! If word about her pathetic attempt at exercising her feminine wiles got out – indeed, if any information AT ALL about her love life got out - she could only imagine what would happen. In fact, this reminded her horrifyingly of something that happened to that poor intern in marketing last year. "Hiro," Elle began urgently, "please tell me you didn't tell that idiot in PR about this."

"Who? Adam?"

"Yes, him, Adam - the blond with the grabby hands. The smarmy womanizer who has it out for me. Please tell me you didn't tell him."

"No, I didn't tell him."

Oh thank God!

"But I think Ando did."

No!!!

Elle jumped up and grabbed Hiro by the lapels of his brown zip up jacket. "Do you realize what you've done!" She gave him a vigorous shake and watched as his head bounced from side to side and his glasses slipped down to lie crookedly against his left cheek.

"Itai! Stop that!"

"Hiro! He has had it out for me ever since last year's picnic! Do you know what he does to people who get on his bad side?" Hiro slapped futilely at her hands on his jacket as Elle's grip tightened. "Do you?" She shook him again. "Do you??"

"Ie! Let go, firecracker! You are making me dizzy!"

"He ran that poor sales assistant right out of the office last year with rumors that she was actually a he! And that graphics designer who had to quit because HR somehow found out about his supposed relationship with his boss – who Adam has had his eye on for forever! Not to mention that little intern who he started a betting pool on last year –"

At this, Hiro flushed abashedly. "Uh…oh yes…I forgot about that."

Elle's eyes narrowed. "Hiro, is there something you are not telling me?"

"Oh, it is nothing you need to worry about…"

"Tell me!" She pulled at him until they were nearly nose to nose. She saw him swallow nervously as he focused on her with slightly crossed eyes.

"Well, yes…there may be betting pool going on. But don't worry, firecracker - I put my money on you getting a date for this year's office party. Unlike last year. And the year before that."

Elle's face went through a series of colors ranging from puce to prune and everything in between before she finally hissed, "Thanks, Hiro. Really. Your vote of confidence is inspiring." He immediately beamed in relief, completely missing her sarcasm.

"And it's ten to one odds against you. I will make a fortune!"

"Just how many people are in this pool?" Elle asked dangerously.

"In this office or including the Ohio and Texas branches?"

Elle stared at him with huge, horrified eyes. "What do you MEAN the Ohio and Texas branches?? This is unbelievable!"

"I know!" Hiro responded with relish. "It's replaced the weight loss contest in activities with the highest employee participation!"

"Oh my god…I think I am going to be sick..."

"Now, now firecracker...it is nothing to be upset about. It is an honor. We really believe this is going to be your year."

"Then why are there ten to one odds???"

"Well…it is true you do not have a very good track record. But with a little help, that could all change."

"What are you talking about, Hiro?"

"Ando and I have a plan!"

"Noooo," Elle groaned, putting her face into her hands. "No plans, no more plans!"

"But-"

"No, Hiro. I told you all about what happened at Peter's party last week. I'm no good at this man/woman subterfuge stuff."

"That was because you did not have a partner to help you make your plan. You used faulty judgment," Hiro said sternly. "Now you have two partners! And this partner says using a man to make another man jealous can only end in misery."

"I know, I know…it was a stupid idea. I admit it. Sheesh." Elle closed her eyes, replaying the sad events of Peter's party over in her mind. She had ended up falling asleep as soon as Gabriel placed her into bed that night and when she had awakened in the morning, there had been a bottle of water and two aspirin sitting on her nightstand and no Gabriel. She had been so mortified by the whole ordeal that she had avoided both Gabriel and Peter for days afterwards. When she saw Gabriel again, she had pretended like the entire thing had never happened. And he never said a word about it either...

___

(Two days ago...)

Elle was holed up in her bedroom, under the covers with only the soft glow of her laptop to illuminate the room. She had been successfully avoiding Gabriel and Peter all week by leaving her apartment lights off, drawing the blinds and ignoring all calls and visitors. And jamming a chair under her doorknob just to be extra safe. As far as the world was concerned, Elle Bishop was Not AT Home. And yes, it was the kind of 'not at home' that required capitalization.

It wasn't that she was being chicken. Of course not. No way. She, Elle Bishop, just preferred to sit quietly in the dark. It was a perfectly logical preference. She was saving on her electric bill!

Elle jumped as a sudden loud knock on her door startled her. Hunching down even further she waited patiently for the person to go away. When no more knocking occurred, she eased back into bed and turned back to her laptop screen and slipped some headphones over her ears, cranking the music up. If she hadn't done that, she might have heard Gabriel's worried voice calling her name through the door. Or perhaps she would have heard his spare key turning in the lock. Yes, her music was turned up THAT loud. But it still wasn't loud enough to cover up the bang of splintering wood and cracking plaster as Gabriel broke down her door with enough force to send her carefully placed chair flying.

"Oh my God!" she squeaked, jerking in fear, arms and legs akimbo as she flung off her sheets and laptop to land in a tangled heap next to the bed. Light - bright, unwelcome light - flooded the room and blinded her and she shrieked in surprise and fear. She groped for the bat she kept next to her bed, ready to beat the living crap out of her attacker and swung blindly with the full force of her weight behind the blow in the general direction of a big, dark blur. It landed with a solid and meaty thunk.

"I gave you this bat so you could use it on strangers, Elle," a familiar voice grunted.

"Gabriel?" She blinked. The dark blur started to coalesce into black hair and a black coat with a large hand wrapped around the end of her baseball bat. She gasped and quickly let go, her hands fluttering up to cover her mouth. He gently set the bat down and flexed his hand, wincing slightly. "Gabriel! I'm so sorry! Your poor hand - I didn't know it was you. What are you doing here so late?" She looked out of her open bedroom door. "And what happened to my door?"

He flushed. "You didn't answer any of my messages. And you haven't been answering the door. I thought… I was worried about you."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh."

"I'm fine. I just...I've been working hard. I'm sorry I haven't been around." Guilt twisted in Elle's gut. He did look like he had been worried. What was wrong with her, ignoring him like that? She felt like scum. It was an unpleasant feeling.

He looked away morosely. When he looked back at her, his eyes were shuttered. "Well, you look like you're fine. Good night, Elle."

"Wait!" She immediately latched onto his sleeve and tugged. He didn't turn but he stopped. "You still owe me dinner," she blurted.

Gabriel turned around fully, his eyes incredulous and Elle thought for a minute that he was either going to shake her or kiss her. Her heart pounded in her chest. But he did neither. He stared at her like he was trying to read her mind.

"You would have gotten your dinner by now if you weren't so busy ignor—"

"So Saturday? Same time?" Elle interjected quickly. He signed heavily and looked heavenward before looking back at her. Elle smiled encouragingly, hating herself for slipping back into old habits and hoping alternately that A) he would call her on it and B) that he would just let her play groundhog for one more day – or at least until she was more mentally prepared. She slipped her arm through his and walked him to the front door, chattering about different places they could try and about how she had really been craving Greek lately. "And I hope you were planning on fixing this door, mister, because I am NOT going to sleep with it like this," she chastised, hands on hips, secretly beaming on the inside at finally getting him to crack a smile. For the next half hour, she watched him work to get her door to rights and they shared an easy banter that was almost like normal again.

When he left, Elle noticed that the jacket that she had abandoned at Peter's party was lying neatly clean and pressed in a dry cleaners garment bag on her couch.

___

(Present)

"Firecracker, the only way to win this boy is to woo him with your womanly charms." Elle almost laughed at the determined way in which Hiro said "womanly charms" but was too aghast by the thought of Hiro and Ando helping her to prepare said womanly charms to do more than croak. "We are going to give you a super special make-over! Sure to wow any man!"

"Uhh, it's not that I don't appreciate it, Hiro, but I just don't think you and Ando are the best choice to, umm...help me...with something like that."

"Why not?"

"Wellll...you're not exactly...the most fashion forward yourself..."

Elle cringed at Hiro's affronted look. His back straightened and his mouth pursed. Elle fidgeted in her seat but decided to continue anyway. In for a penny, in for a pound…

"And you don't even know Gabr – uh, him. So how could you know what he likes?"

"Oh, Firecracker." Hiro turned pitying eyes on her, his mouth quirking up at the corners into a kind but patronizing smile. "That will not be a problem. He is a man. It is obvious what he wants."

Elle wasn't so sure about that. She sighed dejectedly and buried her face in her hands. When she peeked out again from between her fingers, Hiro was still standing next to her desk, patiently waiting. Well, what've I got to lose? NOTHING could be worse than the slump I'm in right now."

"Alright, Hiro," she said grudgingly. "What have you got in mind?"

"Yosh!" Hiro actually jumped for joy and fist pumped. "You won't regret this!" he said quickly, dragging her from her cube with one hand and texting something to Ando with the other. "Ando will meet us in the lobby," he interjected, ignoring the fact that it was only ten AM and they had only been at work for two hours. Guess there were perks to being the boss's kid. "First, we go shopping! Then, we work on...body language! After we are done with you, I guarantee, he will be eating out of your hands!"

As Hiro hauled Elle along towards the building elevator, gesticulating wildly with one hand and expounding upon the merits of bright spandex and its wondrous effects upon the female form, a feeling that felt suspiciously like dread began to creep over her.

Elle had been wrong. Apparently, things could be worse. Much worse.