Barbara

"The ice queen is here!"

I ignored the hissed whisper. Continuing on my way, heels clicking on the white marble flooring.

The secretariat staff occupied an open plan space that I walked past every morning in my journey to my office. Either the staff thought I was going deaf or they had no idea how loud they usually spoke, I didn't know. I also didn't care. I was here to run the company. The fact that my staff amused themselves with calling me uninspired nicknames did not matter as long as they did their job properly. And they did.

But I couldn't blame my nickname's lack of originality on my staff, since everyone called me the Ice Queen ever since I started working here. 'Everyone' included the company employees, business acquaintances and the social circle in which I ran.

Even my half brother called me the Ice Queen. Though, he often replaced queen by a more vulgar term.

I reached my office. The white monochrome decor of the room probably helped cement my nickname in the employees' minds.

I took off my blazer, placed it on the white leather chair then took my seat. The glass desk was neat. No family pictures adorned its surface, no useless decoration or travel souvenirs. Stark. Minimal. Cold.

Three of my room's walls were entirely made of glass. Two overlooked the bustling city below, offering a panoramic view. Through the other, the secretarial staff moved around or sat in their desks, beginning a new work day. A button on my desk allowed me to fog up that wall and have some privacy, but I only used it when I had a guest.

Pushing the button connecting me to my assistant, I spoke, "Amanda, the report, please."

Amanda, my assistant of three years, nodded through the glass. Her desk was larger than the others', and closer to my glass wall. I didn't need to specify which report, Amanda understood. She was smart and quick-witted. That was why she'd managed to keep her job for the past three years. Her predecessors hadn't fared so well.

In total, I had fired three assistants before Amanda. The company hadn't been in a good place when I took over the CEO position, so I needed someone experienced, quick and sharp. I didn't have the time nor luxury to train anyone. So I let go of three assistants before Amanda came along.

Maybe that was one of the reasons for my nickname. When I first started fixing the mess the last management had made of the company, I had to let go of many people. It was a necessary process in order to breathe new life into the company. I had been called ruthless, cold, and my favorite, a bitch.

Had I been a man, people would have called me 'strict' or 'tough'. But since I was a woman making those decisions, I was a bitch.

"Good morning, Barbara," Amanda said as she walked in, model-tall with striking mahogany skin, the yellow of her suit looked bright against the white tones of the office. "Here's the report."

She deposited the file on the desk and looked at her tablet. "Jack Brills from B&K called again."

"And?"

"I directed him to Leslie," Amanda said, making me glad I had her as an assistant. Amanda then went over the day's schedule.

"Your meeting with HR will end early. You'll have enough time to get ready for the event. Marcus will drive you there. Should I tell him to pick you up from your house?"

I suppressed a sigh. "No, I'll get ready here."

Amanda nodded and jotted down something with the thin stylus. "Very well. I'll have your dress and make up waiting for you here after the meeting."

"Good." I nodded and opened the report. Amanda left.

I pushed the party from my mind and focused on work. Social events weren't my thing. If it wasn't absolutely necessary, I usually sent my apologies, and a hefty check if it was a charity event.

But my father had insisted I be present this evening. All the big names in New York were in attendance. He probably wanted to introduce me to someone business related.

So I had to attend, because my father rarely bothered with me outside of work.

Ryan

"How long are you staying this time?" Jordan asked.

I swirled the liquid in my glass and looked around the busy banquet hall. It was a little too busy for my taste, but everyone in attendance was an important figure. It was a good opportunity to get back to social life in NY after being absent for the last couple of years.

"Longer," I replied. "Hopefully."

Jordan raised his brows and leaned against the bar next to me, both of us facing the crowd. Extravagant jewelry and sequined dresses sparkled under the ballroom's chandeliers. I'd forgotten how most Americans loved flaunting their wealth in comparison to England. Or perhaps it was just my social circle.

"Jeremy is transferring here, right? How is he taking that?"

I smiled. "I was worried he was going to throw a fit, but so far he seems to like it."

"Hmm, that's what Lia told me," Jordan said, his sharp eyes warming at the mention of his daughter. "You should bring him over more often. Jenny's orders."

"Sure," I said. "She still hasn't gotten rid of your ass yet? Tell her I'll be waiting for the day she comes to her senses and serves you your divorce paper."

Jordan chuckled. "Go to hell."

My smile widened to a grin, though deep inside, the longing I had for a warm family only intensified. I was honest enough with myself to admit I envied my friend's stable life.

Jordan had married Jenny seven years ago. They had their daughter Lia not long after, and their relationship only seemed to strengthen as the years went by. I had thought I'd be well established into a happily married life by the age of thirty four. Yet here I was.

Two young men stopped at the bar next to us. I recognized one of them as the heir to one of the oldest hotel chains in the U.S.

"I'm telling you, she's cold as f***, man!" the guy told his friend, sounding like an excited puppy. Jordan glanced at me and hid a smile behind his drink.

"I wonder what she'll be like... you know..." his friend replied, making a gesture with his hands. If these boys' mothers saw how they acted in public, they would have an aneurysm.

The two boys snickered. "I bet your d*ck will freeze off."

I turned my head and caught the boy's eyes. They widened, and his face flushed. He whispered something to his friend, and the two scurried off.

"Kids these days..." I shook my head.

"I don't suppose it's any better in Europe, is it?" Jordan asked.

"Nope," I replied. "Entitled young assholes are everywhere."

Jordan raised his glass at that.

"Ah, so that's who they're talking about," Jordan suddenly said.

I frowned, following Jordan's gaze. "Who?"

"Owens. Black dress, brown hair." Jordan nodded his chin to the side. "Also known as the Ice Queen."

I snorted. What an unimaginative nickname. "The Ice Queen?"

"That's what people call her," Jordan said. "She's OG Foods' CEO."

I narrowed my eyes in thought, still searching the crowd to spot the woman. "Wasn't that the CEO who saved it? Five years ago OG Foods was taking a free fall."

I had thought that OG corp, the parent company, would simply cut off the rotting limb and let OG Foods die. But it had since made a miraculous recovery.

"Yep, she pulled it right up," Jordan said. "She's done a lot of remodeling, cut off a big part of the old staff. It was cruel, man."

"But necessary," I said. "And successful, apparently."

I finally spotted the woman. The simple black dress almost drowned in the sea of glitter and shimmer surrounding it. The only reason why I spotted her was because the woman turned her head, sending long locks of thick honey colored hair sliding against her dress and throwing her profile in sharp relief.

Ah. I vaguely remembered the woman. I'd seen her a couple of times, maybe, from a distance. But now I could put a name to the face.

"Ah, yes," I said. "I see why the kids were drooling over her."

She was striking. She turned fully, and those bright blue eyes stood out against her light brown skin even through the distance separating us.

Even the dull black dress that fell in folds to her ankles couldn't downplay her beauty. But as she interacted with the group surrounding her, I understood the reason for the nickname. The expression on her face did not change, not even once. It remained polite but neutral. She didn't smile, she didn't frown, even her blinks seemed to be done in set intervals of time. It was kind of creepy.

"I've never met her in person," I said. "Is she always so...blank?"

Jordan's nod was slow. "I've met her a few times on work related occasions. She's pretty stoic."

"Huh."

I looked away from the Ice Queen, and she hadn't crossed my sight or mind again until the very end of the evening.

The banquet hall was located in a hotel with which I was familiar. After having dinner, I left to get some fresh air. 

The garden I headed to was a secluded haven of tended grass, heavy trees and ivy covered gazebos. The place was empty, and I took a seat under one of the gazebos with a deep sigh. Lights flitted through leaves, casting a net of intertwined shadows on the ground. The faint sound of conversation went through one ear and out the other.

If only I could be home with Jeremy right now. But he was with my mother. And despite our differences, my mother actually loved spending time with her only grandson.

After spending two years in England, I really wanted Jeremy to adjust to life here quickly. For a six year old, the past couple of years were basically everything he knew.

I closed my eyes. The noise of the party faded into a distant buzz. Ah, some peace and quiet. I almost fell asleep when the sound of two sets of steps coming closer marred the silence.

I allowed the sound of the flirting couple to wash over me. After few minutes, the nature of the sound changed. I focused on the words.

"No, wait-"

"What?" the male interrupted the hesitant female voice. "come on, sweetheart. I know you want it too."

"I don't know. All I wanted was-"

"Come on," the male said, cajoling.

I sighed as the girl replied to the insistent male. I really didn't want to get involved, but I couldn't just let things slide. Right now, the guy did not sound aggressive. Yet. But things could get ugly in the blink of an eye. It was better to stop it now.

I rose and looked through the branches separating my gazebo from the rest of the garden. The couple in question stood in a corner of the garden, shaded from the lights by a tree. They were close enough that I could make out their features. 

The woman, dressed in a short gown of a dark color- either brown or some shade of red, I couldn't tell in the dark- was barely in her early-twenties. I didn't recognize her. But the man's face was somewhat familiar, even though I couldn't place him.

I watched as the man embraced the woman in his arms, whispering words for her ears alone. The woman's body language was still hesitant.

I sighed and decided to break the couple apart before things could spiral downward. Before I could take one step, however, a voice broke the silence.

"Billy."

I looked at the woman striding toward the couple. Her hair almost glowed in the darkness, and her eyes were as bright as the full moon.

The couple broke apart.

"Barbara," the man, Billy, almost snarled. "What do you want? I'm busy."

Barbara Owens, the Ice Queen, stopped feet away from the couple. She gave the woman a one over and waved her off. "Get out of here."

The woman's indignation was clear in her features. "Excuse me?"

"Barbara!" Billy hissed.

Barbara did not look away from the woman, though. She repeated in a voice dripping with ice. "Now."

The woman scoffed and, with a glare aimed at Billy, turned away and left. I crossed my arms and stayed put.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Billy asked, taking a step towards Barbara.

"Stopping you from dragging our name into a scandal," Barbara replied evenly.

"We were just fine!" The man threw his hands up, his tone reminiscent of a little boy who didn't get his way.

"I was here when you were trying to convince her to give you what she wasn't ready to give," Barbara said in an icy tone. "No means no. Maybe means no. Only yes means yes, Billy."

"What's it to you?" Billy scoffed. "It's not like you care anyway."

Barbara did not shoot down his accusation. "Your behavior would have dragged the Owens name into another scandal. It will affect business. I will not have that."

I raised my brows. I should probably respect their privacy and make my presence known, or at least retreat inside the hotel. But it was too late now. And I was too curious.

My mother always said that men gossip more than women. I smiled to myself. She was right.

Billy put his hands in his pockets and gave Barbara a derisive smile. "Still as cold as I remember, big sister."

Ah. My memory clicked. The guy was Billy Owens, the heir to OG Inc. The man had been more of a boy the last time I'd seen him. 

What I didn't know was the fact that Billy Owens had a sibling. I'd always assumed that the Owens who'd saved OG Foods from the garbage bin was simply a relative. A sibling, however...

"Keep your nose out of trouble, Billy," Barbara said. "We don't want to lose money and effort cleaning up your mess."

Billy rolled his eyes. "As if you're one to talk," he said, brushing past her with a none too gentle bump, saying in a voice that carried over the night air. "Stiff b*tch."

Barbara did not move until her brother was inside the hotel. I watched as she pushed her hair behind her ear, brushed nonexistent dirt from her skirt and went inside without a single reaction.

I did not have siblings, but I didn't believe the two Owens' relationship was a healthy one. Not that it mattered, though.

Barbara had possibly saved her brother from committing a crime, and saved a woman from enduring unwanted attention. Whether she did it because it was the right thing to do, or for selfish reasons as she claimed, I would not know. And I did not care.

Our paths would most likely not cross again. The curiosity I felt towards the poker-faced woman would just have to be buried under the countless other things occupying my mind. Like how I could get my mother off my back concerning my love life. She seemed to think that Jeremy was in great need of a mother figure, and that I needed a wife to take care of me. As if I hadn't spent most of my life doing just fine on my own.