As much as Audre tried to concentrate she couldn't, her eyes kept going back to music box on her desk.  She ran her finger over the hand painted lily, it looked almost exactly like the one she had tattooed on her hip.  It was absolutely exquisite, and the most heart felt gift she had ever received from a man.  A man who is soon to be your client Audre, nothing more she tried to remind herself.  The sound of her intercom buzzing brought her out of her thoughts.

"Ms. Highsmith?"

"Yes Dana?"

"I have a Christian Mueller on line two?"  Audre's hand immediately flew up to her head, smoothing down her hair, she made a movement to straighten her blouse when it finally dawned on her that he wouldn't be able to see her through the phone.  Idiot.

"Yes Dana, I'm picking it up."  She took a couple of deep breaths and then slowly picked up the phone.

"This is Audre Highsmith."

"Very professional sounding Audre Highsmith."  Audre bit back the smile that was trying to break through, his deep voice touching parts of her that she didn't know still worked.  Don't go there, bring it back.  Bring. It. Back.

"Well, you are my soon to be client after all."  Audre stated matter of fact hoping like hell that her voice didn't come out as shaky as it sounded in her head.

"Right."  He said, she could hear the laughter in his voice, like everything else about him it unnerved her.  She looked over at the music box, still perched on her desk.

"Um I got your. . .present, the music box.  It's nice. . .beautiful, actually."

"Yeah? You like it?"  Audre beamed at the eager tones in his voice.

"How could I not like it Christian.  It's amazing."

"Well I'm glad you like it."

"Yeah I mean normally I don't except gifts from clients but-"

"I'm not your client yet Ms. Highsmith.  I'm still waiting for your proposition, remember?"

"Right, um of course.  So we're meeting tonight to discuss. . .you coming on as a client for Billington, Cohen and Associates.  I can email you a presentation for you to look over or would you rather I bought you a hard copy?"  He didn't respond for what felt like a long time, Audre bit her lip nervously.  "Christian?"  She finally asked uncertainly.

"Audre?"  He said mimicking her inflection.

"Why the long silence?"

"I was just waiting for you to finish your little song and dance and convince yourself that you meant every word of it."  Audre frowned into the phone.  She was getting fed up with him constantly calling her out.

"That's cute, I have a question for you.  Does your ass hurt from sitting atop that gigantic mountain of self righteousness?"  Christian burst out laughing.

"Sometimes."  He responded still laughing, Audre couldn't help but join in, his laughter was infectious.  "Alright, we'll play things your way.  For now.  Since you are wooing me as your potential client, you can pay for dinner."

"What?!"   Audre's eyes widened, caught off guard by the paying for dinner.  A woman NEVER pays for dinner that was like the golden rule or something.

"Well, the client doesn't buy the attorney dinner; it's usually the other way around isn't it?  I mean since I'll be paying your salary and all that."  Damn he had a point, dating rules didn't apply to client relationships.

"Yeah, you're right."

"Nice.  Since dinner's on you, I can order the good shit.  So, where should I pick you up?" 

"Shouldn't I be picking you up?"

"Nah gotta draw the line somewhere.  Give me your address."

"Um, I'll just meet you there."  Audre said laughing.  He seemed sweet (well maybe sweet wasn't the word) but a girl living in a city like Chicago couldn't afford to take those kind of chances.

"Okay, I'll text you the location. . .oh and Audre?"

"Yes?"

"Wear something sexy."  She rolled her eyes.

"Christian. . ."  He laughed.

"I liked those strappy dominatrix shoes you wore to the art show-"

"Christian!"

"What I could be into that, I've been a very naughty boy-"

"Okay I am SO hanging up the phone now."  Audre said, blushing and giggling.  She frowned.  Did I just giggle?  Audre was most certainly not a giggler. 

"Okay.  I'll see you tonight.  Good bye Audre."  He said, his voice still teasing.

"Good bye Christian."  She hung up the phone staring at it for a second.  What the hell was she thinking, getting all school girlish with her tattoo artist and potential client?  She kept telling herself that it wasn't that big of a deal.  Yet by the end of the day her face was hurting from smiling so much, she was sure she looked like a walking tampon commercial.  The only thing she was missing was a horse and a white dress.  Yep she was operating on her own magical high until approximately 4:22pm, when Dana buzzed her again.

"Ms. Highsmith your mother's on line one."  Audre let out a sigh, rubbing her temple.  If she was on a high her mother was like the human detox machine.

"Can you just tell her that I'm in a meeting or something."

"Well she said that if you keep avoiding her call she's going to catch the next flight up to Chicago to see you in person."  Audre rolled her eyes, she had been avoiding her mom for a while now. 

Her mom had taken Audre's breakup with Greg harder than she had, begging Audre to give it another chance, that Audre was too stubborn and hard headed and that she was on her way to being a spinster.  Audre's parents had gotten married in their early twenties and had, had 40 years of marital "bliss."  At least that's what it said on the invitation to their recommitment ceremony coming up in a month and a half.  For Mattie Anne Highsmith, a southern belle from Winston-Salem North Carolina, it was unfathomable to her that she would have a daughter knocking on thirty (okay, standing in the doorway of 30) who wasn't married, engaged or at least on her way.  It didn't help matters that her older brother Abe Jr. was already married with a wife who was pregnant with their second child, nor did it held that her younger sister Adrienne had just gotten engaged to her boyfriend that she met in undergrad.  Yep, apparently Audre was pulling up the rear in the love race and it made for one too many annoying interactions with her mother.  Mattie expected to talk to her children everyday, Audre had managed to limit it to weekly five minute conversations.  She had become particularly adept at avoiding her but it seemed that luck had run out.

"Thanks Dana I got it."  Audre said reaching for the phone.  Before she could even get out a hello she could hear her mom's rich southern twang on the other end of the phone.

"Audre Lorraine Highsmith what on earth is wrong with you?"

"What?"  Audre said, a weak attempt to buy some time while she came up with something reasonable.

"Don't ‘what' me girl.  You know damn well I have been calling your house, your cell phone and work for the last week."

"Well mama I've been busy. . ."Audre said, reverting back to the six year with her hand caught in the cookie jar.  Her mother took out a long, deep dramatic breath.

"You know, I just don't know.  I swear I just. . .don't . . .know.  I've been talking to your father about this and. . .are you on drugs?"

"Mama no!"

"Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"No."

"Are you physically injured?"

"No ma."

"Then when I call your black ass I expect to hear back from you.  Do you remember when you were in college and you got mixed up with that religious cult and I had to come down there personally and talk to your Dean."

"Mama Wicca is not a religious cult."  Audre said, letting out another exasperated sigh.  When she was in undergrad she had started studying the pagan religion.  It was not uncommon practice at a women's college, the female friendly component of it made it something that self professed feminist gravitated to.  Her dad figured it was a phase, but her mom started freaking out when Audre became a vegetarian and started wearing her hair natural.  She had driven to Sweet Briar's College in Virginia and rolled up on the Dean of Students, Audre wasn't privy to the conversation but next thing she knew she was meeting with the Chaplain for weekly worship and bible study.  She held on to being a vegetarian for a few more months but when she came home from spring break her mom had been on a mission, it was like Operation Meat.  She didn't let up until Audre agreed to either a piece of the honey baked ham, lamb, chicken or meatloaf that she had prepared.

"That Wico or whatever you call it is not normal.  And what kind of people don't eat meat, how are you going to get your iron?  You are just too impressionable Audre."

"I thought you said I was hard headed."

"That too.  And apparently a smart mouth as well."

"Sorry ma'am."

"Audre, I know you think that I'm trying to run your life but I'm not.  It's just that I've been your age, you've never been mine.  I think I have some wisdom that I can offer to you and I just don't want you making mistakes in your life.  Your father and I worry sometimes.  You are young, smart, beautiful. . .but you know you have some blondish tendencies.  And you're in one of the biggest cities in the world by yourself, it's not like you have man at home waiting for you anymore.  Unless you've met some nice doctor or lawyer type and that's why you've been so busy."  Her mom asked hopefully.

"No, no doctor, no lawyer mama."

"Well are you going out trying to meet some young nice, educated, upwardly mobile man?"

"I've been busy at work, I haven't had time for that."

"Oh Audre, your lap top can't keep you warm at night."

"I know that."

"Well, I guess we won't get into this now.  Your secretary said you have a meeting.  I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and believe that you didn't have that little girl lying to your mother."  Obvious guilt trip ploy but damn if it didn't work.  "So I'll let you go, but I expect you to call us on Saturday.  Your father likes to hear from you, as we get older it's more important to be near our children in whatever way we can.  We just miss you."

"I know, I miss you and daddy too.  But I'll see you in a couple of weeks when I come down there for my dress fitting."

"It'll be good to see you." 

"I love you mama."

"I love you more.  Call home, I don't want to have to repeat this conversation at a later date."  Funny with minimal effort her mom had managed to make her feel like the world's most inconsiderate daughter.

"I got it." 

"Tell Jenelle I said hello."

"I will mama." 

"Oh and I got the thank you card from Lisa, I see they liked their Waterford glasses."

"She loved em mama, she said she was sad you couldn't make it to the wedding.  But the next time she's home you all will have to do lunch." 

"Yes well you know I could leave your grandmother, have you talked to her by the way?

"I called her last night."

"Well I guess at least someone knew you were alive.  Yes tell Lisa lunch would be lovely.  Actually I just had lunch with Joan. . ." 

This sparked off another 15 minute conversation about Lisa's mom Joan.  Though Lisa and Audre hadn't known each other before college they both had grown up in Winston-Salem, there was a two school year difference and though they had known of each other, they operated in different social circles.  But it had turned out their moms had gone to school together and the girls' friendship brought them back in contact and they were close ever since.  It was a small black bourgeoisie world after all.  So Audre listened while her mom went on and on about Joan, then her wedding dress for the recommitment ceremony then some rude waiter at the country club, and how Audre's grandmother had a new boyfriend at the nursing home, but Mattie thought he was just after her money.  Every now and then Audre interjected to repeat her lame excuse about a meeting but her mom plowed right on through until she was done.

45 minutes later they finally hung up and Audre laid her head on her desk the earlier high completely blown.

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A couple of hours later Audre stood in front of her floor length mirror examining herself.  She was wearing a black sheath dress with her hair pulled back in a low ponytail, it was simple, pulled together, and perfect. . .if she were going to a funeral.  She sighed as she pulled off the dress.

A few minutes later she was wearing a black jersey halter mini dress.  It was sleek, sexy and perfect. . .if she were going to a funeral at a nightclub.  Audre let out another sigh as she looked around her closet.  It dawned on her that 70% of her clothes were black.  She tried to reason with herself about it.  Audre there's nothing wrong with black, black is classic, black is simple, black is beautiful, black is. . . .easy. 

She looked at herself in the mirror, biting her lip.  She wondered when she had all the sudden become so. . .limited.  It hadn't always been that way.  But she had trouble pinning down at what point it had become her custom to take the path of least resistance.  Well, I don't feel like being simple or limited tonight.  She wanted to wear something that would prove that she wasn't just a stick in the mud like everyone seemed to think she was.

She pulled out a little top that she had bought on a whim at a sale at Niemen Marcus a year ago.  It was a beautiful deep royal blue embellished bustier top with spaghetti straps.  Jenelle had talked her into getting it because it was flattering on her strong athletic shoulders, cinched in her waist and made her tits look fabulous.  It still had the tags on it but every now and again, Audre would try it on just to make sure it still fit, she would tell herself she would wear it out one night.  But at the last minute she would always end up reaching for her signature wrap dress and pumps.  Tonight though, she was determined to do something different.  She paired the top with faded jeans and metallic t strap stiletto sandals with jeweled detail.  She took down her up do and let her thick black hair fall to her shoulders in soft, loose curls.  

Next, Audre sat down in front of the mirror looking at her normal makeup regime which could probably rival a drag queen's: matte foundation, eyebrow powder, false eyelashes, three different eye shadows (highlighter, medium and accent), black eyeliner, white eyeliner in the corners of the eyes, mascara to blend the fake lashes with hers, mascara sealant, rouge, lip pencil, lipstick, lip gloss, face powder to keep everything from sliding off and a bottle of lavender essential oil and rosewater mist in order to give a "dewy" effect. 

She looked at her freshly scrubbed face, despite the pound of makeup she wore daily, a combination of good genes and monthly facials had kept her skin clear and resilient.  Yet the makeup was like her beauty armor and applying it with care and art had become a bizarrely sublime ritual of hers.  With it she felt like she was prepared to face anything, literally it was her Sephora war paint.  She wasn't ready to let it all go, baby steps.  So she omitted the foundation, kept the eyebrow powder, used one eye shadow, eye liners, mascara and the sealant, a little rouge, lip pencil and lip gloss, with the face powder and spray mist.  That was about as natural as she was prepared to go.  She could hear her mom's voice echoing in her head; honey, even a natural beauty needs a little help when she reaches a certain age.

Audre found herself thinking about Greg, about how she used to wakeup before him to brush her teeth, wash the crustation out of her eyes and apply rouge and her berry colored lip balm, just so he could think that she woke up looking that naturally gorgeous.  Not that he noticed, by the end of their relationship she could've practically woken up looking like Quasimodo for all he cared, hell he woke up looking like Frankenstein everyday and didn't give a damn whether it offended Audre's senses.  But love was sacrifice and sacrifice was love or so she had been told.  Only now she couldn't even decide if it had been love she'd been sacrificing for.  Still she couldn't help but feel a little empty at the thought that maybe she had wasted too much of her life with someone whom she didn't love, she couldn't bear that thought so she brushed it away.  It had been love and it had been real, it just was over.  There was nothing else to say about it.  Prince Charming was somewhere waiting for her and she wasn't going to throw away one more moment of her life kissing frogs.  So is Christian the Frog or the Prince?  The little voice inside her head asked her.  In her heart she felt something tug that she couldn't put her finger on, but her head wouldn't allow her to move from what she had decided her life should look like.  She shook her head, it didn't matter because Christian was going to be her client and that was the end of that story.  So why are you wearing the expensive tittie top and stilettos?  The voice taunted.  She pushed the question out her mind as she grabbed her black sweater and big black hand bag. 

Audre spotted Christian in front of the tiny restaurant, she was running about five minutes late but he stood waiting for her.  She took this moment to quietly observe him.  He was wearing a plain white tee that was fitted enough to show off his biceps, which were bigger than Audre had first realized.  It also showed off his sleeve tattoo Audre noted she tried to conjure up distaste but she couldn't it just worked to damn well on him.  He had jeans that were comfortably loose but not falling off his ass, a look Audre hated.  He had on a silver chain and she could see the glint of the heavy silver ring she noticed he wore on his right hand, and a brown leather cuff on his wrist, he scruffy beat up work boots, and a canvas parachute bag slung over his shoulder.  It wasn't a look Audre usually went for on a man, but apparently her libido didn't get the memo, because as soon as he turned and she stared into his intensely deep eyes it started sending her all kinds of signals, she determinedly pushed them away.  No, this would not do at all.