Down to your knees

"It is a big deal for me, Janey!" His voice increased on volume. Why did Janey question his work, or his attitude?

"Stop with this childish behavior then!" His secretary said honestly.

He looked at her. Childish...The last time he heard the word child connected with him was from her. "...at least he is not child." The words resonated in his head as he watched Janey, his secretary. She didn't know what was going on in his head.

"I don't want to know her name but that doesn't mean I don't take this project seriously." His voice sounded much weaker than when he'd first said it a few minutes prior.Why did she say that word? He wanted to forget and never think about it again!

"Mr. Bass, I know why you are doing this. I just think it's pointless."

He could hear resignation in her voice.

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows. He doubted she knew anything even close to the truth of the instigator of his attitude towards this subject.

At least it got his attention away from his thoughts of her.

"You believe that if you don't know the name of woman it could be the one."

He hid the disbelief on his face. He was surprised that she knew. She couldn't know!

But Janey was almost right. He never asked for the name of any girl or woman he had a meeting with. Maybe it was because of her. He secretly hoped the new woman in his life would be better. She would amaze him. She would be better than her. If he would know the name he could find every detail about her life even before she walked into the meeting room. But without a name she was a stranger. Maybe the one who would finally fill the empty hole in his heart she had left there.

"So? Am I right?"

He realized she'd been staring at him the whole time and watching his facial expressions. He smirked.

"Honestly, Janey, do you really believe that? Your boss, romantic?" He smiled.

She smiled.

"You are right again, boss. Where would the world be if Charles Bass was a romantic?" She finally got back to work, but he didn't. Her head was in papers, and his? Somewhere in the past.

"Chuck Bass is a romantic. Who knew?" "Now you do. That's all that matters." He swallowed. What's wrong with his self control? Usually he would go for drink. But usually was past. Now he needed to face the reality and go forward.

"Everything alright?"

Janey's voice saved his thoughts from going further again. She should've gotten a higher paycheck for that.

"This project has to go well." He stood up from his chair. He nervously looked around his office, trying to think about the project, again. He licked his lower lip. C'mon! Think.

"Yes, boss. Do you have something new on your mind?" She smiled. Janey had worked for him for four years. She knew how to manage him in order to work the best and at the end of the day, they both were satisfied. That was her work, and she made him feel like it was all his idea.

"I...I'm thinking about getting the new partner out of my way..." His thoughts were back on business, where they belonged. He was thinking about his job again, not about her.

"What?"

"You know, if we get the whole project just for us." He looked up to at her and smiled, satisfied with himself.

"But the government arranged this project..." Janey started confused.

"We'll get more money, and we'll be the best in their eyes. Because that's Bass Industries we are talking about. The best." He had been thinking about it the last couple days anyway. When he had gotten the project, he'd been thrilled. It was like his dream coming true. Now he knew he was trustworthy. Why would the US government give him that job if he wasn't? Everything seemed perfect until Janey told him, he had to work with somebody else. He couldn't work on it on his own. It ruined his dream. They didn't trust him, nobody really did. And he was about to change it.

"Yes, but..."

"There is no but, Janey. My new partner is a woman, you said?"

She nodded, and he smiled. He had become a better man. He did everything he could to be trustworthy. Now he was getting a project from the US government. His partner would have to keep up with him or give up.

"When is she coming?" He asked after a while. In his mind he was preparing himself.

"Actually, she should be here in a few minutes." Janey stood up fast and started to organize papers to one pile on her desk and make the room look better. Not that it was needed, but she was little perfectionist.

Slowly, he went around his big desk to sit down. The first win for him was that his new partner was coming here to introduce herself. He could just wait and sit. He felt more important than the potential partner that was coming to him.

Finally, somebody knocked on the door. Janey went to open it and a man in a suit came in. Chuck and Janey shared eye contact. Was this man supposed to be the new partner? Chuck hid a confused look. He was prepared for woman, not a guy.

"I would suggest you stand up, Mr. Bass," said the man, looking concerned. "She has a royal title," he added and looked through the doorway. It was open and nobody was there, not yet. Everybody was looking into the hall waiting for the person coming there.

Chuck's heart skipped a beat. But the last time he heard about royalty, she was becoming one. Immediately he stood up, refusing to look away from the empty space beyond the opened door. The atmosphere was tight and he could almost hear his breath. No, it cannot be her. It's just not her, he tried to assure himself. When he heard the sound of heels on the floor, his face lost its color. He knew just one person with that rhythm and sound of steps while walking.

"Mrs. Blair Grimaldi, Princess of Monaco," The man said formally, oblivious to what he'd just done to Chuck's health.

As she walked toward the door, his eyes went blurry. He saw her silhouette and he couldn't manage to say anything. The room was suddenly full of her perfume, which was different than he remembered.

"Mr. Bass?"

He blinked when the man whispered near to him. Chuck saw her clearly now. It was her. And she was there, looking at him.

"What?" His voice sounded strange and distant. He couldn't turn his eyes away from her. Her chocolate brown eyes were the same as he remembered. They hadn't changed at all. These eyes had seduced him at Victrola. These eyes had been locked with Nate's. These eyes pleaded for him to say I love you. These eyes looked pained after what he'd done to her. These eyes were incredibly happy when he had told her he loved her. These eyes had told him it was over. These eyes had told him he was a child and he would never be ready for her. The scars on his heart were open again. Like nothing had changed during all five years he hadn't seen her.

"You need to kneel down before the Princess..." the man said quickly and quietly. It took Chuck awhile to realize what the man's words meant. To show her respect, to get on the dirty floor for her, to love her...?

"No." He heard his voice. His mind was satisfied. He showed her he changed. His heart didn't agree with his strong refusal. If he would do as his heart wanted he would lay down at her feet. Nothing had changed.

Please let me know, what you think. Should I continue?

Maggi

BIG THANKS TO MY BETA-suspensegirl