When companies collide {Atroxa & Ethereal Dawn}
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Ty-Ohni on 16-01-2014, 05:55:16</h2>
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				Title: <strong>When companies collide {Atroxa &amp; Ethereal Dawn}</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ty-Ohni</strong> on <strong>16-01-2014, 05:55:16</strong>
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				<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/a/a9/Pizap.com13898450355401.jpg)</div>Blaze Luciano had set up the headquarters for his company, Luciano Enterprises, in Las Vegas Nevada some 3 years prior. Having started the corporation in Athens Greece some 150 years&nbsp; prior, Even though he'd been around alive for 170 years, he still looked as though he were only 35 years old. Blaze had found a way to run the&nbsp; business under the secrecy of it being passed down from father to son. Thankfully, the mortals had believed it. If they had gotten the information that supernaturals were real instead of just a myth based out of story and media, mayham and pandemonium would have spread fast throughout the many different areas in which they had been found. Throughout the years that had passed, when he found himself having to move from place to place for whatever reason, Blaze would shift the headquarters to a branch, hire people to run it in which he trusted then moved his headquarters to a different location. Five branches in all. Athens Greece, Rome Italy, Paris France, New York New York and Madrid Spain. Now with the headquarters in Las Vegas, Blaze had made this his home town. <br><br>Being a private person, Blaze found himself alone in the bedroom of his personal residence. With him being the owner of his company as well as a vampire/vanity demon hybrid, he typically kept people at arms length save those he trusted completely; that not only included business associates and clients but friends and the more intimate relationships as well. He would even go so far as saying he was pretty damn particular about who he let close. As he got ready for the charity ball that was being thrown tonight, he finished getting ready. Checking himself in the full length mirror as he slid on the black jacket of his Armani tux then finished tying the bow tie, he made sure everything was perfect before a nod was given. Looking at his watch, Blaze realized he only had an hour before the function actually started. Downtown Las Vegas was going to be crowded as far as traffic was concerned and if he wanted to get there in any reasonable amount of time without being overly late for the function, he would have to leave now. <br><br>Blaze finally left his home in Summerlin, headed through the city just as the desert sun was drifting down below the horizon and the darkened navy blue sky of night came into view. Each mile that passed as the trip was made, he thought about the clients and business associates that were going to be there. Richard Wellen, owner of&nbsp; Whellen Technologies, was a definite. He had been Blaze's biggest competitor over the past 10 years. Yet it was the fact that Blaze was more cunning and business minded that he was able to outbid the contracts and woo over the clients that he had got. There were times when he knew Mr. Wellen became highly irritated by losing some very important clients that would have netted his company some high end profits yet it was the fact that the clients had chosen Luciano Enterprises over Whellen Technologies.<br><br>&nbsp;Pulling himself from his thoughts as he pulled into the valet parking, Blaze slid from behind the wheel of his black vintage convertible Jaguar and handed the keys off to the valet. Silently, he entered the building. Each step was fluid and graceful. There was an ease and self assured way to Blaze's movements. The charming smile that played on his face and the sparkle behind his blue eyes drew attention as his dominant controlled yet relaxed personality drew attention and his good looks kept the eyes of the females gathered upon him. Coming down the stairs into the ballroom, Blaze slid his hands into the side pockets of his suit pants; his dress shoes making a soft sound with each step that he took. Mingling through the crowd that had already formed, Blaze greeted those he came in contact with until his gaze landed upon her from across the room. An almost minuscule nod in her direction to greet her was given before Blaze started mingling his way toward her. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: When companies collide {Atroxa &amp; Ethereal Dawn}</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>LtRipley</strong> on <strong>16-01-2014, 07:50:27</strong>
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				<div align="center">(http://i.imgur.com/WXia8Mk.jpg)</div><br>Victoria was the future, or that was what her father liked to tell his board members. She feigned humiliation when he boasted about this to people within the company, and especially to those outside of it. And deep down, she thought maybe she should feel embarrassed about her father's habit of bragging about her, but she wasn't. She was the future of Whellen Technologies, she was everything her father was not. He was a good business man, intelligent and shrewd, and so was she, Victoria was exceptionally cunning, her red hair and beauty wasn't the only reason she was often nicknamed 'Fox' among associates after all ('Vixen' among others, but no one would ever call her that to her face). Unlike her father though, she was charming and personable, if she had a reason to be. <br><br>Richard had purposefully raised and groomed his daughter to have strengths where he had weaknesses, she had to if their company was to survive. And he was determined for his life's work to succeed well after his death, and he was confident it would with Victoria at the helm. Even against the likes of Blaze Luciano. He'd been a thorn in Richard's side for ten years, a constant source of irritation and frustration. Every time a business deal didn't work out, he could almost guarantee that Luciano was behind it, the smug Greek bastard. Not with Victoria though, she was his secret weapon. He'd been slowly releasing her here and there with smaller clients, letting her cut her teeth, so to speak. She'd done well, very well, and now when he boasted about his daughter, people didn't roll their eyes when he looked away, they nodded in agreement. <br><br>Victoria had never directly met Blaze Luciano, she knew a lot about him, and not just from the bias rantings of her father. Though, she supposed she should say that she knew a lot about his company, as the man himself was rather enigmatic. No one seemed to know much about his private life, which had always made her curious about him, but she also felt a need to know him, because he was the biggest threat to her father's company. To know your enemy was to defeat him, Victoria enjoyed mixing philosophy into her business practices. At the same time though, she had no desire to really know him. For the same reason, he was the biggest threat to her father's company. How could she say she really wanted to be on personal terms with a man like that? She heard he was charming, easy to like, but she doubted she could ever really like him.<br><br>She knew he'd be here tonight, and she kept an eye and ear out for any sign of him. Any mention of his name would draw the focus of Victoria's attention. Currently though she was chatting with the owner of one of the largest casinos in the city, his wife, and one of the representatives of the charity the ball was being held for, which focused on fighting children's cancer. A worthy cause in Victoria's opinion, and it made them look good. She wore a pale, champagne pink dress (http://i.imgur.com/ZckBoww.jpg), though it was mostly obscured by black lace, her long red hair pulling back into a low bun on the back of her head. The cut was sleek, accentuating the curves of her lithe body, the skirt flaring out in a classic mermaid's fin cut. She was beautiful, stunning even.<br><br>What made her look up, she wasn't sure, but when she did, there he was, descending the stairs into the ballroom. And he looked right back at her, and nodded to her. Victoria only looked at him, then looked away, taking a sip of wine from the glass in her hand, her other hand on her waist. Her boyfriend, Logan, was not too far away. They'd been together for a little over a year, but lately, he'd been growing distant. Even now he was talking with some friends, and every so often one of them would look her way. She got the distinct impression she was being talking about. That made Victoria purse her lips, and look back to the casino owner, a man named Gabriel Cervantes, as he made some punchline to a bad joke. Victoria laughed softly, a charmingly amused smile on her face. Really though she wanted to roll her eyes and ask him if he'd gotten that off the back of a cracker jack box. It took a lot of effort to glance up as casually as possibly, trying not to look like she was looking for Blaze, spotting him not too far from her.
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				Title: <strong>Re: When companies collide {Atroxa &amp; Ethereal Dawn}</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ty-Ohni</strong> on <strong>17-01-2014, 07:15:54</strong>
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				Making his way fluidly through the ballroom, Blaze was stopped from time to time in a socializing moment with other clients and business owners. He caught the emotions of those he spoke with as they broadcast them loudly around the room. It was rather easy actually and Blaze didn't have to consciously tap into any special skill from his supernatural sides in order to do so. Humans had a way of wearing their hearts right out there in the open even when they thought they were hiding the inner turmoil and feelings well below the surface. <em>Normals</em> typically didn't have the mental and emotional blocks that would hide that type of thing from the supernaturals of the world. Even if they could do so, the subtle change in scent that Blaze's acute sense of smell would pick up. Each emotion had a slightly different smell that would be associated with it. Even though each feeling was different as well as the person was unique, the scent of one emotion would be the same from person to person. This was just one of the many ways Blaze could make his way so deftly around the board room as well as other areas. Yet he never used that aspect to say anything which wasn't honest and senciere. Blaze prided himself in the fact that people would always know that if he had spoken something, they could trust that it wouldn't be blowing smoke or that he would go back on his word. Granted he also knew when and how to phrase his statements so that he would always stick to that while having the others he spoke with to walk away with a smile on their faces. <br><br>One of the many wait staff had woven her way through the crowd carrying a silver platter with fluted stemware on it. Each one filled with the more expensive champaine that money could buy.&nbsp; Being typical for charity functions such as this, Blaze flashed the female a charming smile as he gracefully took one of the glasses from the tray before thanking the young female. She had giggled just a bit and, as she turned to leave, Blaze continued to smile but mentally chided himself and his demon. :::You know Axis; sometimes it gets quite annoying dealing with this all the time?::: Hearing Axis chuckle within him, Blaze chided him once more before being asked exactly what he expected to happen? It was the way of the world and nature of who Blaze was. Agreeing completely, he pushed Axis where he belonged; Into the background of his mind before being approached by one of his more well known clients and his wife. All the pomp and circumstance of the event was already starting to wear on Blaze's nerves yet it was these two particular people, more specifically the male, that made Blaze wonder why he even came here tonight. Yet working through the entire conversation with a smile and a few charming words and well placed phrases, Blaze came out of it unscathed. He wasn't quite sure what annoyed him worse about the male.. The fact that he honestly did have a beautiful female on his arm whom he ignored and treated like some second class citizen or that the male had such a narcissistic attitude about himself. Yes Blaze knew he looked good; he also was very aware of the fact that he drew other's attention. Yet it was the fact that he didn't specifically try to and that he always redirected the conversations away from himself to those around him which he thought made him different than the male speaking to him.&nbsp; <br><br>Finally finding a break in the conversation, Blaze excused himself in a graceful exit before smiling ot the female once more then turning to make his way through the crowd once more. While he had never directly met Victoria Wellen, he'd heard quite a bit about her through the proverbial 'grape vine' that corporations and industries had. Richard Wellen bragged about his daughter consistently where ever he was and during the meetings with other clients. It was known that he would get off on some kind of tangent while trying to close a deal because he had decided to make his daughter the topic of conversation for a few moments. Before reigning it in. Blaze made it his business to know what the competition was doing and who they were grooming for power. Mr. Wellen just made it easier for Blaze to find out certain aspects that he wanted to pick up on. In fact, he'd seen a couple pictures of Victoria and her father in articles before and on the media. Again, sometimes mortals astounded him with the way they did things. Even then, Blaze also knew he was a much more private individual that almost anyone else he'd come in contact with. He had very good reason to be that way.<br><br>Catching Victoria's gaze once more; spotting her crimson hair in the massive sea of bleach bottle blondes, dark raven colored locks and the bluish white hair of the older people, the smile became more charming; warm and alluring. Nonchalontly Blaze made his way closer to Victoria stopping every so often to converse with those around him; making small talk with those who were there while listening to them go on about their business and social areas. It was only when he passed a small group of younger males that Blaze had caught Victoria's name being mentioned by one of them. Turning his attention toward the young males while letting his gaze flow around the room, he caught that one of&nbsp; them was named Logan. He spoke of Victoria in such a manor that didn't quite sit right with Blaze. Every so often the entire group would glance over to the crimson haired beauty then go back to their quiet chattering about what was going on. Each time it happened, Blaze could tell that the questioning look behind Victoria's gaze turned into curiosity before dying down quickly to take on the charming amused nature that the casino owner bought so well. The underlying irritation took on a more salty almost musty scent as it drifted off her, was caught in a small breeze then drifted over to be picked up by Blaze. Once again, he didn't understand how someone could not see what was right in front of their faces and, for all practical reasons, ignore the person they were supposed to be with. <br><br>Blaze excused himself once more from a conversation then headed directly over to the young Miss Wellen. He knew that she was his competitor's daughter. He shouldn't even have been drawn to her but there was an allure there. Blaze should have turned, walked away and not even looked back. There were those who had said Victoria was very personable and well liked. She had a spit fire attitude and very cunning to boot. He shouldn't have even liked her or been directly talking to her yet it was when he slipped up next to she and the casino owner, he smiled once more while playing off that he was there to speak with&nbsp; Gabirel Cervantes. “Please excuse the interruption. Gabriel, I wanted to let you know what an amazing function you are running to night. Such a worthy cause as well. You must be fairly proud to have gotten such a grand gathering for this.” The older male all but beamed under the statements as he addressed Blaze in turn and greeted him by name before introducing Blaze to Victoria. Catching her gaze with his piercing blue hues, Blaze held his hand out to her so that if she took his, he could shake it. "It's quite the pleasure to meet you Miss Wellen." 
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				Title: <strong>Re: When companies collide {Atroxa &amp; Ethereal Dawn}</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>LtRipley</strong> on <strong>17-01-2014, 08:52:51</strong>
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				Victoria would certainly agree with him on one front, sincerity was the best policy. She was good at putting on a mask, at showing people exactly what they wanted to see, but she never lied. Lies would come back on you, people would stop trusting you, and you might never get that trust back. In the business world, there were a lot of lies and half truths that people told to try and get ahead, but for all his faults, her father was an honest man. He never tried to cheat or trick his clients, and neither did Victoria. Her father's main fault was that while he was good with business, he was bad with people, too self absorbed to be able to think about what they wanted and needed. It was all about him and his ego. Victoria needed no ego stroking, so she had no problem focusing on others and what they needed to feel comfortable and happy. You weren't just selling a service or a product, you were selling yourself. Because if people didn't like you, they didn't want what you were selling. Her father had only managed to be as successful as he was because of two things, he knew how to hire the right people (which meant his technicians were some of the best, and his designers were some of the best) and he knew how to read the market like no one's business.<br><br>He had done his best to impart these things to Victoria, while having her trainer and groomed to not have his weaknesses. The result was a woman with ambition, good business sense, and people skills. She knew when to be charming, when to be blunt, when to be humorous, and when to be solemn, reading people was the key. And while she might not have Blaze's secret ability to sense the emotions of others, she had learned other ways to read them. Everyone gave themselves away, the movement of their eyes, a subtle tightening of their lips, a wrinkle in their brow. If you knew how to look, you could practically read what people were thinking.<br><br>Which was why she had been getting so frustrated with Logan lately. He was hiding something, but what she didn't know. They'd been happy together for a time. They'd met in Chicago, where Logan was from. She'd been there on business, at the building where he worked, and every day for two weeks, he'd ridden the elevator with her in the mornings. By the end of those two weeks, they'd had coffee a couple times, and when she left Chicago, she left her number behind with Logan. He was a good man. Handsome, intelligent, and attentive, they'd been happy together for the last year, even though Victoria's business habits kept them apart often. He understood, and unlike many men she had been with, he had never seemed intimidated or challenged by her attitude, her drive, and her success. He had never demanded more of her than she could give, and had never tried to make her feel like a bad person because she wasn't dropping everything to be with him.<br><br>Victoria didn't like to admit it, but Logan had become important to her life, not just to her personally, but she'd come to depend on his support and his comfort. Now though, he behaved unsure, even a little withdrawn. And she could only think that things were coming to an end between them. She couldn't say she was entirely surprised. Nothing lasted forever after all, she couldn't have thought that they would spend their lives together, no matter how entirely enticing that had been to think about. Women like her, she was reminded, could have a career, or they could have a family, not both. That was what society told her, and then made her out to be a villain when she chose her career. She'd thought maybe they were wrong, that maybe she cold have both, a successful career and a loving husband, but no, she supposed they were right. Men wanted women who made them feel like men, and Victoria made them feel like equals, or worse, that she was superior.<br><br>Ah well, if she really wanted a child, there was always artificial insemination. Seemed like far less of an ordeal than marriage anyway. But then there would be all these awkward questions about the father... She was more private than her father, but not so much as Blaze. Still she didn't like the media intruding on her more personal life, and explaining that she'd decided to use a sperm donor certainly was crossing a line she wasn't comfortable with.<br><br>Victoria was pulled from her thoughts though, and Mr. Cervantes was interrupted from the middle of another joke, by the arrival of Blaze Luciano. She merely watched him, sipping wine from her glass, and looking rather uninterested, her gaze starting to drift away when Mr. Cervantes introduced the two of them. So she looked back, her pale green eyes regarding him politely and she gave him a small smile and a tilt of her head. She was struck by how very handsome he was, she'd thought he was good-looking in his pictures, but they hardly did him justice. It probably had something to do with the fact that it was hard to capture the way he carried himself in a photo, and you certainly couldn't capture the sound of his voice. Everything about him oozed confidence and charm. Victoria felt drawn to him, intrigued, but at the same time, she resisted that interest. He was competition, and what was more, she was still with Logan, even if barely. So she shook his hand, releasing it as soon as was polite, disliking how her skin almost seemed to tingle softly from it's contact with him. “And a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Luciano,” she replied. She wanted to speak with him, to linger, but that very desire made he decide to do the opposite, “If you'll excuse me, Mr. Cervantes it was very lovely meeting you. And you as well, Mrs. Cervantes.” She looked at them each in turn, shaking their hands, glanced at Blaze, and walked away. She started to head towards Logan, but the look on his face when he saw her coming, almost a look of dread, made her feel a flash of irritation and she veered away. And while she really just wanted to leave, she knew that would be unwise so she decided to find some other associate to mingle with.
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				Title: <strong>Re: When companies collide {Atroxa &amp; Ethereal Dawn}</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ty-Ohni</strong> on <strong>18-01-2014, 07:53:17</strong>
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				During the time which Blaze was standing before Miss Wellen, his blue grey eyes looked into Victoria's pale green hues. Even as she gave him a small nod with a charming yet polite smile, he could pick up the frustration she was feeling. The smell had an almost acidic tone to it that bordered upon a combination of oranges and grapefruit. It was that same frustration that spiked ever so slightly when she looked over toward the young male standing with his group of friends whispering low. Remembering who they were talking about and the glances over Logan's shoulder toward the crimson haired beauty next to him, Blaze ascertained that Victoria and Logan had some kind of a relationship going on between them. That was a given and would have been picked up on quite easily even if it hadn't been in the papers as well as bragged about by Mr. Wallen. Yet it was the fact that there was tension between Victoria and her young suitor which most wouldn't pick up on. Blaze, as well as his demon, Axis, found it quite interesting that the male over in the corner wasn't by the female's side which he supposedly cared for so much. ::::Such a shame.::: Blaze thought to himself as Axis chuckled within the shadows of his thoughts. ::::Finding something you're enjoying are you Blaze? Sure you want to go that route?:::: shooting the equivalent of a mental glare at Axis, Blaze simply brushed him aside.&nbsp; Most days it wasn't bad being part demon; a few day it was damn inconvient to have Axis around.<br><br>The touch of Victoria's hand brought a warm spark dancing along the nerves in Blaze's hand then tingled up his muscular arm to settle in his shoulder. The calm, polite and charming smile never left his face though nor was there any physical give aways that spoke of any emotion other that polite charm and underlying respect for those around him. “As is a pleasure to meet you as well Miss Wallen. “ Each moment that passed between them brought further attention from him in regards to Victoria. Releasing her hand slowly as his fingertips caressed the inner part of her wrist, there seemed to be a small sparkle of light flash up from behind his eyes only to die down just as quickly. Very few, if any, would have noticed it; especially if they had blinked. Victoria was a very beautiful female. One that any single male; and some married for that matter; would have been attracted to. The photos and media coverage that she had gotten along with the images he'd seen of her didn't do her justice in the least. Charm, charisma, confidence and self-assured attitude seeped from her pores to hang in the air around her. It was quite apparent that Victoria knew how to handle herself in most business situations as well as charming those around her while making them all feel very important. The very sound of her voice as it lilted along the air, caressed him with a warmth and softness; not unlike the gentle touch of a spring breeze in the afternoon. For some reason Blaze felt himself drawn to her. What concerned him the most was that it was rather suddenly as well. Yet even more so was that the allure had nothing to do with the fact that Victoria was his competition's daughter.&nbsp; What peaked his curiosity even more was the fact that he caught the subtlest shift in the scent of her emotions as well as Axis picking up on it also.. :: Well well well. What do we have here Blaze. A sweet beautiful red head intrigued with you? And Richard's daughter no less.::: <br><br>Refusing to show any outward signs of what was going on inside, Blaze continued to smile, giving Victoria a small tilting of his head as she spoke once more. Yet it was the inner chiding of the other within him that had ALMOST flared on his face once more. Thankfully Blaze was so used to keeping that part of him at bay and in complete control that, other the flaring of his nostrils as he breathed in deeply, his expression remained the same. “Do enjoy your evening Miss Wellen. I am sure that the both of us will be crossing paths a few more times.” The twinkle in his eyes finally appeared once more as Blaze looked directly into Victoria's eyes only to disappear again when he released her gaze from his. The scent of her desire to stay turned sweet like that of a sun kissed pear that was soft and melted on your tongue. It was the fact that Victoria turned almost to quickly and excused herself that brought a hidden grin to draw up at one corner of his lips as Blaze took a sip of his drink from the stemware in his hand. <br><br>Turning his attention back to Mr. and Mrs. Cervantes, he made a few more moments of small talk, sipped his champagne and on occasion tracked Victoria's movements very nonchalantly as though scanning the crowd around them. The look of dread was not lost that crossed Logan's face was not lost ot Blaze as Victoria started to make her way toward him. With a small shake of his head, he had to wonder what fool would be so stupid as to chase off a female such as the young Miss Wallen in such a way when she cared for him. Blaze's attention went back to the casino owner and his wife for a few more moments as they exchanged pleasantries before he too excused himself then slowly meandered his way through the crowded dance floor once more. Placing his now empty class on one of the silver trays that passed by, Blaze looked over to the band as they began to play a soft ballad that some of the coupled began to waltz their way around the dance floor too. It was always a pleasure to see people enjoying themselves and, as Blaze took a seat in one of the chairs against the wall then crossed his leg over his other knee at the ankle, he leaned back to watch those gathered with an almost calm watchfulness played upon the look of his features.&nbsp; It was the quiet dominance; commanding nature that stirred the air around him. Not a blatant aspect but more one that spoke of a male who knew what he wanted while having the patience to wait it out until just the right moment. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: When companies collide {Atroxa &amp; Ethereal Dawn}</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>LtRipley</strong> on <strong>18-01-2014, 15:16:30</strong>
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				Victoria was wise enough to know a bad decision when she saw one, and Blaze Luciano was a bad decision waiting to happen. For several reasons, the first being the most obvious that she was in a relationship and he was a handsome, charming man, the media would have a field day with that. In a field dominated by men, Victoria had to walk a tight rope of balancing acts, she could never appear too feminine, or she lost respect, but she could neither act overly masculine, because it would alienate her from the men who disliked feeling like a woman was trying to take charge of them. She also had to be very particular about their appearance. If a man showed up to a meeting or a press junket not looking 100% it was frowned upon, but easily forgiven. If you were a woman? You got your face plastered everywhere and had your appearance picked apart like you were just an aesthetic piece. Even if you looked your best, some one had a complaint. If you were a man, even a married man, and you flirted with another woman, no one thought anything of it. But if you were a woman, everyone implied you were sleeping with him, that you were a whore, a slut. Appearances were everything, and she could see it now if she was spotted being friendly with Blaze. The press would be insinuating all sorts of things, and her relationship was rocky enough without having that thrown in the mix to deal with. The second reason was that Blaze was her father's competition. Her father wouldn't appreciate her being personal with him at all. Polite, yes, but never friendlier than she had to be. She didn't even like bringing up Luciano around her father, it made him launch into one of his famous tangents and Victoria had heard it all before and had no desire to hear it again. <br><br>It was hard to really convince herself though when every time she had a moment of thought as she mingled, she was remembering the touch of his hand as his fingers brushed against the soft skin of her inner wrist, and how his eyes sparked at her every time they made eye contact. They hadn't sparked when he looked at anyone else, or maybe she was just suffering from wishful thinking. And every time she looked out over the crowd, her own eyes sought him out, sometimes spotting him, sometimes not. He never seemed to be far away, and she didn't know why that excited her but it did. Even if it was all just in her head. That was easier to tell herself than thinking it was true, for the aforementioned reasons. Blaze Luciano was a bad decision waiting to happen, that's what she kept telling herself, a danger to her career and personal life, and besides, wasn't she being a bit presumptuous even thinking he might be interested in her? And even if he was, then what did that mean? He was probably only interested in her because she was Richard Wellen's daughter, and she was beautiful. And if he was interested in her and knew she was in a relationship, which she couldn't see how he wouldn't know, what did that say about him? Blaze had an impeccable reputation, but Victoria, being a beautiful, successful woman, had known many men who had seemed genuinely nice, only to turn out to be sleazier than even the average man. There was no way he was genuinely so nice and honest, not with how much money and power he had. Women practically threw themselves at him, she highly doubted he was so wholesome as that. <br><br>Speaking of sleaze though, Victoria was finally allowed some measure of a distraction, but not a pleasant one, in the form of one Christophe Jasper, a mildly handsome, middle-aged man with thinning hair and oily skin and currently reeking of scotch. She'd met him before, and every time he got sleazier and sleazier. He was married, but only just barely, thanks to having had numerous affairs, and never passed up an opportunity to flirt, and he especially enjoyed flirting with Victoria. The man made her skin crawl with how he looked at her, like she might as well be naked. He'd made his way into a small group she'd been talking with and when she'd excused herself and when the waltz began playing, he'd started insisting they dance together. Victoria had been trying to just get away from him, and finally at the edge of the crowd she turned and gave him as polite a smile as she could manage for him at the moment, “Mr. Jasper, I already told you, I can't dance with you,” she insisted.<br><br>Christophe just gave her a smile she was sure he thought was charming, “Give me one good reason and I'll leave you alone about it then.”<br><br>'You disgust me,' was what Victoria really wanted to say, but she couldn't. She opened her mouth and looked around desperately, spotting Blaze sitting not too far away, and before she could even think about it she looked back to Christophe, “Because I already promised a dance to Mr. Luciano,” She said as smoothly as if it were true. She looked at Blaze, a pointed, pleading look in her eyes and she edged towards him, “Isn't that right Mr. Luciano?” Victoria smiled.
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				Title: <strong>Re: When companies collide {Atroxa &amp; Ethereal Dawn}</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ty-Ohni</strong> on <strong>19-01-2014, 07:15:58</strong>
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				Leaning back in the chair that he was sitting in, Blaze watched the crowd as the gathered. The ebb and flow of each person as the numbers fluctuated seemed to interest him somewhat. Yet it was the fact that he kept people at arms length while being personable, charming and forthcoming had drawn people over to talk with him about something or another. Usually it was about business deals; setting up meetings; the latest stock market boom; Even the latest event coming up in their personal lives that they decided Blaze just <em><strong>had</strong></em> to attend came up. Graciously letting them know he would check his calender for availability seemed to be the best answer Blaze could give them. Yes he would attend a few here and there when the time was right but someone's daughter's 18th birthday coming out party was not Blaze's idea of a function he would be attending. The last thing he wanted to have happen is some young female decide they wanted to get their sights on him while trying to cozy up to the <em>”Charming and handsome business man who had a dominant force and attitude to him”</em>.&nbsp; <br><br>It wasn't until everyone had decided to gracefully move to the dance floor that Blaze was left in the solitude of his own thoughts. The entire issues of <em>'looking your best and presenting yourself in the right light'</em> had never been a problem for the dark haired, grey-blue eyed male dressed in the black Armani tux. This was who he was. Regardless of dressed in his finest tails or dressing down in a pair of jeans and a button down shirt, Blaze always had that charming self assured handsome look to him. In fact, it wasn't even so much as he tried nor did he think of himself as all that. Perhaps that's why he and the vanity demon within him had clashed so badly at first. With a small quiet chuckle in regards to the way mortals thought of the different demons, Blaze had to wonder about the imagination and mythos of the human nature. Truth be told, vanity wasn't so much and act of thinking you were the most amazing person who walked the fact of the earth or even a narcissistic person no more than being a vampire was a cold hearted serial killer hell bent on killing the entire human race or seducing everyone of the opposite gender. In fact, that was just as stereotypical as thinking that every female who was nice to a male was only wanting to get in their pants, every male was out to attack you or any other stereotype that the general populous of&nbsp; humans would think about any race, religion, gender or sexual preference. <br><br>While Blaze sat back and watched the crowd, his gaze continued to catch the crimson haired beauty that was Victoria Wellen. He knew that she was drawn to him as well as the fact that her gaze had continued to drift back to him every so often. Even though it wouldn't have been apparent to everyone else, Blaze's highly observant gaze as well as his keen hearing and acute sense of smell had already picked up on those aspects. Yet, just as he knew these things held true, he also knew that she was playing the game well; holding everything in behind a shield of aloofness and being standoffish. Victoria had a role to play at the function and in her every day life just as Blaze had. It was an understanding that each of them housed within them that they understood very well. Just as everyone in the room held a secret of their own that no other knew about, Blaze and Victoria had their own skeletons in their closets.&nbsp; <br><br>The other problem here in lied that Blaze was so particular in who he allowed into his life on every level, that he was probably the hardest person to get to close to. There wasn't much put out there about him that didn't revolve around his business dealings. His private life was kept just that... Private. People saw him arrive at events alone without anyone on his arm and leave the same way. Clients and wives as well as daughters and sons would ask if there was someone special in his life. In was a common thinking flaw that if a handsome, well off male such as Blaze with as much charm, personality , power in the business arena and money was single he would have been a womanizer or that he was wanting to <em>play the field</em>. They also thought that if he were married or involved, the person he was with privately would have been with him. The first was not the case and the involvement with someone wasn't either.&nbsp; In fact, if there was someone who he trusted enough and loved, Blaze would have wanted them to be by his side. Each time the topic came up, Blaze would just smile then casually turn the subject back to the people he was speaking with. They were always willing to talk about themselves or business so changing the topic never was as hard as some people might have believed.&nbsp; Perhaps that was what had annoyed Blaze the most about Victoria's boyfriend Logan. The male was obviously ignoring her; distancing himself from her when he should have been by her side while paying attention to the charming, brilliant young female. It didn't help any that her father was not very personable and had a way or grating on people's nerves enough to cause him to lose deals. <br><br>In a blink of an eye, Blaze had heard Victoria's voice close by; two feet away at best to his left. Turning his attention toward the conversation being held between her and Mr. Jasper, a bemused smile drew up one corner of his lips while his gaze danced across the group of people mingling in the corner once more. Yet it was in the moment when Mr. Jasper started hitting on Victoria and she was trying to get away from him that Blaze's annoyance creeped up in regards to Logan once more. With it being obvious that the male had seen the bind Victoria was in yet not coming to her aid, Blaze wondered just why the man was even here. The exasperated look behind Victoria's eyes gave everything away to him yet it seemed as though no one else noticed including Christophe Jasper as he continued to&nbsp; not take no for an answer. Fluidly standing from where he had been seated with a prowness and grace, Blaze strolled over to Victoria's side and a charming yet soft smile upon his lips. The pleading behind her eyes ever apparent as he gave a small nod of understanding then turned his attention back to Christophe. “Ah. Mr. Jasper, quite the conundrum you've gotten yourself into this time isn't it? Miss Wellen did in fact promise a dance with me. I think she's just quite overwhelmed such a male as yourself.” The lilt in his voice gave way to a dual meaning behind the words he had spoken. While Christophe could have taken it as Blaze saying he was such a wonderful male that he could have an affect such as that on a female; if anyone else would have known exactly what he had been thinking it would have been known Blaze was refering to the fact that Mr. Jasper was just a sleezy male trying to get his hands on Victoria. <br><br>Taking Miss Wellen's wine glass from her then setting it down on a table, Blaze held his hand out to her palm side up. A very gentlemanly smile crossed his face as the respect for her danced behind the sparkling color of his eyes. “If you should honor me with the dance now Miss Wellen?” With Victoria taking the offer in just as much of a ladylike way as he had offered her as a respectful gentleman, Blaze lead her to the dance floor. With their hands clasped and his free hand on the small of her back, Victoria rested her hand on his shoulder . Leading her in the waltz that had been created by the music, he looked down into her eyes with a small playful sparkling of his eyes. “I can see the headlines now&nbsp; Miss Wellen; Luciano Enterprises and Wellen Technologies dance around a business deal.” A tiny wink was given to her as Blaze spun Victoria around so as to hide it from any onlookers in the ballroom which might be added that he felt quite a few of them with their eyes staying placed upon Blaze and Victoria together on the dance floor.&nbsp; <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: When companies collide {Atroxa &amp; Ethereal Dawn}</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>LtRipley</strong> on <strong>19-01-2014, 17:07:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Victoria was particular about her friends as well, you had to be in their field. When you reached a certain level, people became like leeches trying to attach to you, merely wanting to siphon off of your fame or wealth. They'd take advantage of you if they could, they wanted money, attention, power. There were people out there who just seemed to exist to be a burden to others, and to make life difficult for everyone else. And many people fell victim to them, Victoria had always been determined not to be one of them. She was polite and cordial with everyone, but she never really relaxed but around a select few people, she was never 100% herself unless she was sure it was them and only them that would see. Letting people in was difficult for her, she'd been burned in the past, and Victoria made it a mistake to learn from her mitakes. And she'd made mistakes like Blaze before. She'd been younger and so much more naïve then, and she thought she'd learned her lesson, but obviously not since she could seem to quite get him off her mind.<br><br>And now she definitely wasn't going to be able to do that, even though she felt a rush of relief when Blaze stood and gave her a small nod before he came to her side to 'rescue' her. She felt like it was ridiculous that she even needed rescuing from a man like Christophe. Blaze wasn't the only one wondering where in the hell Logan was. He shouldn't have to look to a man who was practically a stranger for help. Though really she shouldn't need help at all, men like Christophe should learn to take no for an answer and not try to harass women into doing what they wanted them to do. That wasn't going to happen though, as long as the human race existed there would be men like Christophe. If she didn't care about offending people she'd have told him off, but as it were, he was important enough that he could do damage to her reputation and standing if she made him too angry. <br><br>Victoria glanced at Blaze as he came up beside her, speaking to Christophe in a way that made her have to suppress the urge to smirk. She just kept that polite smile on her face though and let Blaze take her wine glass. She only had a moment between that and Blaze holding out his hand to her for Victoria to realize what exactly she'd gotten herself into. She took his hand anyway though, not wanting to hesitate in front of Christophe and give him some reason to try and get her to 'dance' with him again. And then she was walking with him out onto the dance floor and Victoria heard a small voice in the back of her head say something to the effect of 'Now you've gone and done it'. And that was exactly how she felt, like she had just made a very bad decision, but at the same time, there was an undercurrent of excitement running under all the feelings of irritation and anxiety, it was more than a little confusing to say the least.<br><br>She turned as they got onto the dance floor, her free hand automatically going to his shoulder, and she felt a thrill of nerves and excitement run through her as she lined up across from him and then looked up into Blaze's eyes. He lead them into the waltz, and Victoria was at a loss for words really, mostly concentrating on looking calm and collected. When he spoke though her brows arched at him, but she didn't really have the chance to answer him as he spun her. Victoria was actually a very talented dancer, it was something she enjoyed, she was graceful, light on her feet, and agile. A few friends that knew the extent of her talent often joked that if she got famous enough she should try and compete on Dancing with the Stars, a show Victoria secretly loved. Coming out of the spin though, she gave him a more serious look, refusing to return the friendly smile he was giving her. This was a bad idea. “Thank you for helping me, I hope it wasn't too much of an inconvenience,” she told him, her tone crisp and professional. There was no way she was going to let him charm her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: When companies collide {Atroxa &amp; Ethereal Dawn}</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ty-Ohni</strong> on <strong>19-01-2014, 20:40:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As the two waltzed around the dance floor, Blaze could feel all eyes on he and Victoria. To be quite honest, that particular aspect of things didn't bother him in the least.&nbsp; Weather it was in a business arena or in the general public setting, Blaze was quite used ot having people watching him; drawing their attention; having those flock to him. With the way he was always in complete control; charming; put together and graceful as well as handsome, dominant and intelligent, he commanded the attention without trying. Furthermore, it was the honesty and his standards being so high that kept people coming back. Blaze also understood that there were a few people who were irritated by the above mentioned facts. There were still a few other's who, because they didn't know him, figured he was just like every other business man in the field; that included Mr. Wellen and Victoria's boyfriend Logan. They both had their own faults and issues that other's hadn't known regardless of how well they thought they knew them. Blaze had first hand knowledge of those faults withing Logan and and Richard Wellen. <br><br>Blaze's eyes sparked some as he watched Victoria's face. Knowing good and well that she was fighting the inner turmoil inside her, the battle within her mind and body had become a source of amusement for him. Not in so much that he enjoyed the fact that she was unsettled between what she was feeling and the appearances she felt she had to put on but more to the fact that Victoria was fighting so hard to keep her own distance from him. Blaze did have to respect her for that; especially considering all the other women were so inclined to throw themselves at him rather quickly. That was probably the other reason besides keeping people away from his private life which brought him to turning down most if not all the requests to dance. Lack of respect in the way females suddenly became horny little teenagers around him. <br><br>Interesting that the concentration on Victoria's face as she tried to remain as calm and collected as possible we overruled by the amount of concentration which was residing behind her eyes. Even as she was at a loss for words and a very talented graceful dancer, he could feel the tension within her. A slight muscle twitch under his hand that was on the small of her back; the slight darkening behind her eyes; the silence that surrounded them both as they danced. Furthermore, he could catch the scent of concentration and allure toward him wafting from Victoria's pores. It was the sudden shift from sweet and charming to cold and crisp that almost sent Blaze into a deep laugh that would have brought even more attention to the two of them. Forcing that back but unable to fight off the humor that sparkled in his eyes, Blaze nodded to Victoria. “ It must have been a very hard thing to be 'saddled' with me for a dance young Miss Wellen. Some days it must be difficult to 'take one for the team' when it comes to your business dealing isn't it?” The smile turned more warm and humorous as Blaze spoke; the honey smooth warmth of his voice like a person's favorite warm blanket or a smooth fine whiskey. <br><br>Once the dance was over, Blaze released Victoria from his hold and stepped back only see Logan and Richard standing at the edge glaring at him. Blaze's eyes danced in even more humor as he and Miss Wellen walked toward them. “I do appreciate that you give Miss Wellen the freedom to have a dance with me; especially seeing as you both were so distracted and busy dealing with other 'more important' things. “ Still giving them both a charming calm smile, Blaze nodded to them both. “It was good to see you both here.” Turning to Victoria, he smiled once more and giving her a soft nod while keeping his eyes upon hers. “As always, it's was a pleasure Miss Wellen.” Without another word, Blaze turned and disappeared into the crowd leaving the three to figure out exactly what his words meant or take them as they would have wished to although he knew they would take them as knowing they were very busy business men. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: When companies collide {Atroxa &amp; Ethereal Dawn}</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>LtRipley</strong> on <strong>19-01-2014, 22:33:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Victoria was used to attention, as an only child she'd had plenty of it growing up, and her father had always pushed her to be the best at anything she did. It had resulted in being in the spot light a lot, and since she'd grown up and begun preparing for the day that she would take over from her father as the company owner, she'd had to get used to even more attention. Being rich and powerful, the media watched her a lot. Not as much as they would if she were a model or an actress or singer, but she was young, beautiful, rich, and successful, the kind of stuff people ate up, especially if it was in regards to something scandalous. Which she rarely did, but that didn't stop tabloids from trying to twist everything in a way that would sell. And of course, business papers and magazines kept an eye on every body. They tended to stay away from private or personal news as their main focus, but they certainly weren't above slipping in little bits of information in a larger piece.<br><br>Her jaw tightened a little though when she saw how amused he looked, and the prevailing emotion more became irritation. She wasn't sure what he found so amusing, she supposed he thought it was funny that his rival's daughter had had to ask him for help. That made Victoria stiffen, and she grabbed onto her pride almost desperately, and the sting she felt at feeling some supposed insult. It was easier to ignore her attraction to Blaze when she was annoyed with him. She used it as fuel for her determination not to let him get into her head. She saw him almost laugh at her comment though, and her eyes narrowed a touch, and she took his response as mocking rather than humorous. “You have no idea,” She answered with a warm, charming smile, even though her tone was icy. Victoria was almost relieved though, relieved that now she had a reason to dislike Blaze, it made winning against her own interest so much easier. She would thank him, but there was no way she'd tell him anything about any that, unaware that he knew it all already.<br><br>When she spotted her father and Logan on the edge of the dance floor though, Victoria had a strong sinking feeling, and it was hard not to frown. As soon as they stopped dancing, she stepped away from Blaze, slipping her hand from his grasp, and walked off the floor with him. She didn't acknowledge the look her father gave her, Logan seemed irritated, but as usual, it was hard to tell exactly what was going on. He was very reserved, especially in public. But where some one like she or Blaze hid their emotions on purpose and with finesse, Logan was by no means politically minded in that way, and hid his emotions more out of being shy than anything else. He could be charming when he wanted to, but negative emotions he bottled up. She and Logan had never argued once in their relationship, almost completely because Logan was so non-confrontational. It could be annoying sometimes, since he'd rather just pretend like nothing was bothering him than deal with the problem, but Victoria had learned how to get him to talk about things. Until recently anyway. Now when she tried to mention him acting odd, he evaded the topic. She knew he'd just shut down if she pressed him, so she didn't.<br><br>She felt a flash of embarrassment when Blaze spoke to her father and boyfriend though, and managed not to scowl at him, and only returned his nod when he dismissed himself. The three of them said nothing to one another about Blaze, to do so in public wouldn't be a wise idea. Instead, at her father's not so subtle insistence, she and Logan went and danced together. She used to love dancing with him, but now it was awkward, and she was glad when the night was done and they all went home. She and Logan to her apartment in the city. He still lived in Chicago, but came to visit her often, seeing as he could work from any computer with a connection to the internet. And as it had been lately, the rest of their night was spent in a stand off, neither of them really interacting with the other. He asked her about what had happened with Blaze, and she told him. He hadn't gotten angry, but Victoria almost wished he would. He didn't seem annoyed about Mr. Jasper trying to get his hands on her, and he hadn't seemed annoyed that she'd danced with Blaze either. She certainly made it clear though that if he hadn't been avoiding her all night that Mr. Jasper wouldn't have bothered her in the first place. That was met with an apology, but no explanation. It left Victoria in a sour mood even when she woke up the next morning.<br><br>She got ready and went to the corporate section of Las Vegas, full of businessmen rather than tourists, and then straight to her office. She wasn't surprised at all when the door opened and she turned to see her father walking in. “Before you start, it was either dance with Blaze Luciano or Christophe Jasper, and Christophe smelled like he had mistaken a bottle of whiskey for his cologne, I wasn't going to dance with him,” She told him calmy, for what good it might do her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: When companies collide {Atroxa &amp; Ethereal Dawn}</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ty-Ohni</strong> on <strong>20-01-2014, 09:36:47</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Blaze had known Victoria had taken what he said the absolute wrong way in the instant she reacted. The female had stiffened up, started having scents of acidicness in her normally sweet smell and the flaring of her eyes brought a coldness to her. Even though she tried desperately to use her annoyance to wipe away the feelings of attraction and interest in him, it was a losing battle that her scent gave away even through the acidic annoyance and briny irritation. As he turned to disappear into the crowd, even with the perpetual charming smile and self controlled aspect to him, Blaze silently growled within his mind. Yes he already knew what was going on within Victoria yet in a way, he had a hard time believing that she would be the type who would make rash presumptions and form unfounded idea's about a person. Especially when she, being a female and one of a well known businessman, had presumptions and assumptions made about her as well regardless of what she had done.&nbsp; Even worse was the fact that she was allowing others to control that which she had done.<br><br><br>There was another aspect that he didn't fully understand about Victoria. Blaze knew as well as anyone else that if people were going to talk and rumors were going to be spread, it didn't matter what you had done in your life. Unless you stayed completely out of the media or was so completely private that the only thing one let those around them see was the business practices that you wanted them to see, things were always going to be twisted around to that which people wanted. Making his way out to the valet, Blaze waited for his car to come around while thinking back again to Victoria. The interesting thing was that even though the female had a boyfriend and did for the past year or so, those in the business arena could have easily said that Victoria was an ice princess as well due to the aspects that she never welcomed any of the advances of the other business owners. It was a fine line to walk between being being the type of person who got somewhere in the business aspect and ending up having people think of you in such a way that wasn't a detriment to who you actually were. Eventually, he hoped that Victoria would learn, or at least figure out fully, exactly what it was that she wanted and to be nervy enough to reach out and take that. <br><br><br>This was actually something that Blaze knew all about.&nbsp; What was amusing was that people always wondered exactly Blaze did with his personal time as far as relationship went. The questions came up, they all wondered why he was never seen with someone either coming, going or both&nbsp; and the fact that he never had the temperament to be a sleaze type male or someone sexually frustrated always made them question further. No answers were given in regards to his extracurricular activities nor where they alluded to in any way shape or form. Yet it was the fact that Blaze's 'entertainment' was something that very few people were allowed to be part of; especially seeing as the fact of the matter was that Blaze's little secret wasn't sexual in who he did or didn't do but more that he needed to feed. Blood was the skeleton in Blaze's closet that he hid from others stemming from his vampire side and the fact that he was also had the vanity demon sharing his body.&nbsp; Thank gods for the 'blood escort services”. For a certain amount of money, you could hire someone to feed from at any given point of time. If you wanted to be intimate and sexual with them, it would always&nbsp; cost extra but Blaze never used that part of it. He would go in, feed from their vein then leave just as quickly With the only part of their bodies that touched were his hand around the 'donor's'&nbsp; wrist and his lips at the vein going from they're thumb to their arm. Blaze tended to put a distance between their bodies as well so there wouldn't be any 'accidents' waiting to happen from the other person's side.<br><br><br>Realizing it had been close to a full month since he had last fed, Blaze had made a stop by a little cabin on the very outskirts of town. The location was remote enough that people wouldn't have known where it was and the fact that the media was never out this late nor had he been followed, He could meet his donor in private, pay for the use of their vein then leave without any issues. Even with that being said, he only used one person for this aspect; one person only whom he trusted enough to know they wouldn't spill their information to the next highest bidder or who would feel gilted based on the fact that Blaze refused to have any intimacy with them. The entire exchange was a business deal only and exactly how he had treated it. Once finished up, he made his way back home to his residence and got a few hours sleep. By the next morning, Blaze had woken up&nbsp; bit frustrated as he got himself ready and headed out the door. With a furrowing of his brow while turning on the radio, he did have to smile some at the news from the business report. Just as he expected, there was a piece on the charity function last night and rumor had gotten out there that Victoria and Blaze had shared one dance. Yet it was the fact that he once more left by himself that the reporter picked up on. Giving a deep laugh as he pulled into the underground parking garage of Luciano enterprises, Blaze slide out of his car, set the alarms then took the elevators up to his office to check his messages and start the day off. <br><br><br><br><br><br>In an office two miles away, Richard Wellen made his way into Victoria Wellen's office. Concerned by the fact that he had seen his only daughter rubbing elbows so to speak with his biggest competitor and arch enemy, Richard felt the need to speak with Victoria about the issue at hand. As he strolled into her office, Richard gave Victoria a look then sighed at the answer that was given to his unasked question. Settling in a chair across from her, he just shook his head silently for a few moments before beginning to speak. “Dear, I understand that you didn't wish to dance with Mr. Jasper. That's beside the point. What matters is that you didn't have to go running into Luicano's arms to get away from the other male. Where was Logan during this entire thing? “ Feeling a rant come on, Richard pinched the bridge of his nose trying to fight back the already prominent headache that was threatening to overcome him.&nbsp; “You do realize Victoria the media is already having a field day with this. It started this morning on the drive in. Regardless of what did or did not happen or the why's, we need to figure out how to stop this. “ <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: When companies collide {Atroxa &amp; Ethereal Dawn}</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>LtRipley</strong> on <strong>22-01-2014, 03:16:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Victoria gathered the papers she'd been looking over into her hands, tapping the bottom of them on the counter she'd been standing at to making them line up neatly before she walked to her desk. She stapled them as her father tried to stem the tide of a rant, and then placed them in her 'outbound' tray for her secretary to retrieve later. “I don't know where Logan was during all of this,” She told him honestly, “He's... been distant lately.” She was hesitant to mention their problems to him, not because she thought he wouldn't be sympathetic, but more out of some ridiculous fear that by saying them out loud she was making them worse. If she ignored them then things were fine right? That's what the non logical part of her brain was telling her anyway. <br><br>She picked up the mug of coffee from her desk, leaning against it as she sipped at her coffee. She was dressed in a smart outfit, a matching shirt and business jacket, bold black and white stripes, with a vibrant teal silk blouse under the jacket. The teal looked good with her red hair, which was pulled back in a pony tail high on her head, and the cut of her jacket and skirt were flattering but professional. “We ignore it,” she told him simply, “If we acknowledge, try to fight with it, we look like we're trying to hide something. If the media asks, we simple point out that it was a ball, and people dance at balls.” Victoria, as ever, kept a far more level head than her father, and took another sip of her coffee. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to finish some things up so that I can head to the Grant building for that meeting with Mrs. Franklin.”<br><br>An hour later, Victoria took a taxi to a building a few blocks from her own, arriving to have a meeting with a woman who headed the group that her father's company was working with on a project for their own company. The ride over she was thinking about her father's reaction to her dance with Blaze, and about the dance itself. She sighed to herself, her pale green eyes peering out the glass of the door. There were a hundred women that would have killed to have danced with him last night, and she wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she would have fought them off. She thought about how graceful he'd been, and how it had felt to have her own small, delicate hand inside of his. Looking back, she knew she'd purposefully taken his words wrong, but that was how it had to be. Blaze Luciano was off limits, for so many reasons. If they weren't there, if she didn't have a reason not to stay away from him... she pushed the thoughts away with a soft scoff, angry with herself. She was a grown woman! And here she was, swooning over some man she barely knew. It was ridiculous.<br><br>Thankfully, the taxi stopped and distracted her from her frustration. She paid the driver and climbed out, going inside the lobby and checking with security for her appointment before she was directed to the elevator to take it up to the 26th floor. Victoria sincerely hoped that Mrs. Franklin wouldn't go questioning her about last night's dance with Blaze, she was tired of thinking about it. It had just been a dance anyway, and she doubted she'd be seeing him again any time soon.
			</dd>
		</dl>
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