The slap was coming with enough speed to make my cheek sting for the rest of the night. Instinct grabbed hold of me and I took one quick sidestep to my right. Her nails grazed my skin as she swung through the air. I reached up to check my cheek, but when my hand pulled away I found no blood on my fingertips. I then looked over to find Tamara stumbling into the captivated crowd since her momentum never connected with a proper opposing force to balance her dramatic swing. However, she pulled herself up and straightened out with an admirable amount of elegance.

"You are squirrelly, I'll give you that," she said with a devious smirk.

"Thanks?"

"Security," she said with a clear, authoritative voice. "Please escort Ms. Jeffries out of the building and see she doesn't come back in."

I looked over at a couple extra large goons heading our way and I was uncertain I'd be able to dodge them as well as I dodged the vindictive aide's strike.

"Tamara enough!"

The voice was stern and forceful. So much so, that even the guards paused and turned to see who called out from the crowd.

I, however, knew the voice well enough and was relieved to see Alec emerging from the mass of whispering guests.

"Back off," Alec said, turning his attention to the security crew. "These two are done now."

They looked at each other for a moment before deciding to heed his words and return to their stations.

"Alec, she is a danger to this event. I have every right to..."

"Right to what?" demanded Alec, his voice a booming powerhouse that even made me quake a little. "Assault someone? Doesn't matter the reason Tamara. This is never okay and I should have the police escort you out. Did you sink this low because you're that dedicated to the company or because you can't handle the obvious truth that's standing before you?"

He took a breath and a step forward, closing the gap between him and Tamara. I felt a little jealous of the intimacy, but one look at his hardened face and dark eyes cleared away any drop of envy I had. In fact, I almost pitied her in that moment.

Almost.

"It's done Tamara. You and I are done." His voice was a cold staccato just low enough for Tamara and I to hear. A crowd still hovered by us, but they wouldn't be able to catch his words over the general rumble of the delightfully oblivious members of the party. "It doesn't matter if I'm interested in someone or not, because no matter my situation, no matter my status, I do not want you. It's not happening Tamara."

That last part even caused me to cringe. There was no doubting Alec's intentions now. There was no questionable growl in his voice. No look of pained longing. No repressed passion lingering. A wall of sheer ice stood between him and Tamara and from the looks of it, Tamara had finally realized Alec really wasn't coming back.

"Alec," she said, her voice soft and pleading. "Just hold on a second. Let me explain."

"I do think an explanation is called for," he growled. "However, I think you've done enough to interrupt the party for one night. It's time we moved this conversation."

He started to head for the doors to the atrium and Tamara followed. I watched their backs, uncertain what to do, but it didn't take Alec long to notice I wasn't joining them.

"You too Lex."

They both turned to look at me and I saw just how much Tamara had changed in that minute. She was not the Amazon I knew her to be. She looked small next to Alec, even in her impressive heels.

I nodded at him and began to follow. They both turned and we moved out into the atrium. Once we were in the hall, the music and chatter in the ballroom seemed to liven back up. The party progressed as if our little spat never happened. Yet, I knew that the fervent conversation now occurring was probably, in all actuality, the retelling of our duel spreading like wildfire through the crowd. I wondered what mutation my story would undergo by the end of the night and I figured Emily would eventually hear it and talk my ear off about it later.

Alec guided us both to a little exhibit on Medieval suits of armor that no one was currently admiring. It was drawing near to the dinner hour and most of the guests were filtering out of the atrium and into the main hall.

"Now," said Alec, looking over both of us with a serious glare, "someone explain to me what brought this to violence."

"You remember the day I got a phone call just before we were going to leave?" I asked.

Alec nodded, glancing over at Tamara from the side of his eye.

"Well, you see..."

"I got word of a recording," interrupted Tamara with a quick crispness indicative of sheer panic. "It had the two of you out on the executive patio. It showed you kissing. I paid the security grunt off and told him not to tell anyone and to wipe the footage."

"That's not what you told me," I added, an unconcealed snarl in my voice. I felt the hairs raise on the back of my neck and with the way Tamara glared back, it made the two of us look like a pair of hissing cats. "You said you had a copy. You threatened to expose both Alec and myself if you thought I was stealing Alec away from you."

"Yeah, that's what I told you, but it isn't what I did. I had it deleted. I wouldn't be the reason Alec lost his job. Not after all he's put into the company. Not after all his hard work." She paused and looked away from the two of us with a pout on her lips. "Besides, he wouldn't give it to me even if I had asked. I have authority, but I'm still just an assistant."

I wanted to point out that she probably knew first hand because she had asked for it and was rejected, but one cautionary gesture and a tired glance from Alec told me enough to drop it.

"Why Tamara?" he asked. "Why do all this? Why hunt me down so vehemently? You made it pretty clear years ago that I didn't make the mark for you."

"Look, I screwed up," she said, her words hot and low, her eyes unable to meet ours. "I realized that not long after we broke up. I was young and ambitious. I only saw forward and anything not keeping pace with me just fell to the wayside. But, then I realized how lonely it is when no one can keep up with you..." A tremble grabbed hold of her words, her arms crossing over her chest to protect her exposed heart. "I wanted you back, but I was too afraid to ask you for forgiveness. I didn't want to get hurt."

She then turned back around, her eyes barely even glancing over me as she made her way towards Alec. She took his hands and drew close with tears glistening on the tops of her cheeks.

"I'm sorry. Please believe me. I am sorry."

"I believe you are sorry."

A smile flickered on Tamara's face, but when Alec didn't return it, her frown only deepened.

"But, Tamara, it wouldn't have even mattered if we had stayed together. Our relationship never would have lasted. You simply aren't who I'm looking for. After the initial hurt of breaking up dissipated, I realized that I felt freer, happier. I was chasing a fake life by your side. I was using you really. I thought by standing by you and keeping up with you, I could make myself believe this is what I was meant to do. But, it's not. We're just not..."

"No," said Tamara, her hold on his hands tightening, her knuckles going white. "No, Alec, please, you have to give me another shot. I've changed."

"That, Tamara, I don't believe," he said, pulling his hands away. She tried to cling on, but she didn't have any strength left to do so. "Maybe you've started to recognize the consequences of your actions and maybe one day you will actually start to learn from those consequences. Then, maybe you'll let someone really love you, but I know that you will always be a tiger in the corporate world. There's nothing wrong with that. It's who you are. It's just not who I am."

"Please. No." The words barely made it above the rasp of pain in her voice. For the first time, I saw Tamara, truly, honestly, beg. "Please, I don't want to be alone anymore."

"You have the president of Quinto Technologies to keep you warm at night."

"You know that's nothing," she said, tears breaching. "You know I'm just..."

"Just using him? This is why you're alone Tamara."

The Amazon was completely gone. The woman that once terrified me, that had me sneaking through my office afraid of my own shadow, was now a meek mouse caught still in fright. Her hands shook, her lips trembled, and her eyes searched the ground. I watched on, uncertain what to do, what to say. Alec eventually stepped forward and leaned in so that his words only hit my ears.

"Let's go."

"We can't leave her like this."

"She'll be okay," he said, taking hold of my hand. "She's a strong woman, but she won't heal if I stay."

I gave Tamara one last look as she fell to the floor, her face buried in her hands as sobs echoed against the cold metal of the ancient suits of armor. A few people swooped in at the sound of her cries. They looked to Alec and then to Tamara. Judgment passed in favor of Tamara and I wanted to correct them, to tell them that she did plenty to deserve the situation she found herself in, but Alec's cold silence kept my own lips sealed. Once Tamara had a few comforting strangers around her, I found it in me to look away and keep pace with Alec as he guided me back to the hall. At least there the music would drown out the sound of Tamara's sobs

***

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