Don't get mad, get even.

For the next few days, Priya clung to those words like armour. Used them to fortify her bruised ego. After going to Marai and getting little more than a verbal slap over the head and told to 'woman up', she decided one of two things had to happen. Either she'd quit, or she'd show Daniel she was not going to go down without a fight.

Priya had never quit anything a day in her life.

Daniel had no idea what he who or what he was dealing with. Buried in work, dividing herself between Marai and Daniel was challenging with hellish hours, but exhaustion was an old friend she greeted warmly.

She thrived under pressure. This would be no different.

"I don't know about you, dahling, but I'm famished." Lorraine sidled up to Priya's desk. Dressed in a crisp navy sheath dress with cider stockings and cream pumps. Her straightened black hair tousled around dark brown skin and fire engine red lips. She was a walking aesthetic for fall.

"What time is it?" Priya blinked at her monitor, knee deep in filing a slap on the wrist cease and desist for a Senior VP against a journalist currently trashing him in the New York Times.

"Almost two. Lord have mercy woman, how are you not keeling over with starvation?"

"I have to finish—"

"A DCMA isn't life or death." Lorraine flashed a hand with gold polish nails. "A twenty-minute lunch break won't kill you. Depriving your body of sustenance will."

Priya sighed. Smiled. "Fine. Twenty."

"Thirty." Lorraine winked. "What's an extra ten?"

Knowing better than to argue—lest Lorraine insist on forty-five—Priya grabbed her clutch and followed her out to the elevator bank.

"How's everything going with Daniel," she asked as the doors shut, sealing them inside.

"Wonderful."

Lorraine smirked. "I tried to warn you."

Priya cut her a glare. "You could've tried harder."

"Would you have listened if I had? Truthfully? Because the Priyanka Seth I've come to know is ambitious, stubborn and believes she can conquer any obstacle set in her path, and would rather show up to an interview hungover and without panties than risk losing an opportunity."

"Touché," she giggled. Sighed. "You got me there."

"I wish I could give you all the sordid details," Lorraine worried her bottom lip. "I truly do. You know I would if I could, but I can't take the chance of losing my job.":

Priya brushed a hand over Lorraine's shoulder. "I know. How is your mom?"

"Lousy." She rolled her eyes. "I swear, the doctors here are morons more interest in padding bills then actually saving lives."

"Fuck cancer."

"Sodding right."

Stepping off the elevator, they wove through the busy lobby and out into the crisp, damp air. Priya soaked in the blissful chill of autumn with a smile. She loved fall best. The way the leaves gilded and the sky went a soft, pillowy grey.

"Perfect. There's no line today." Lorraine gestured across the courtyard between the two tower buildings to the street where a food track was park. Bold blue with vibrant graffiti text.

EL LOCO LOBO splayed across the side.

"They do a Latin and Hawaiian fusion taking the Manhattan food truck scene by storm. I've tried three times this week and the line is always insane."

"Sounds good to me," Priya agreed. It was only when they crossed the courtyard and got close enough for her to read the writing on the chalkboard menu that Priya realized her mistake.

Jason idly reclined against the trunk, his long hair falling across one side of his face, the other was tucked behind his ear. Dressed all in black ripped jeans and fitted tee, an arm banded across his chest while his eyes were glued to the phone in his hand.

"Sweet baby, Jeebus, what I would kill to do to that body."

"If you saw him with the shirt off, I'd have to carry you back upstairs."

Lorraine's head whipped left so fast Priya was shocked she didn't snap her neck. "Excuse me? How do you know what he looks like with his shirt off?"

Heat seared Priya's belly at the memory. "We're neighbors."

"Of course you do." Lorraine released a hungry groan that had nothing to do with food. "Oooh look, he's smiling at us. Let's go over."

"Let's not."

"We don't have time to go anywhere else." Lorraine smirked. Determined, she hooked an arm through Priya's. "Don't be a chicken-shit," she added, her lips ventriloquist steady. And hauled her the rest of the way.

Reaching for his back pocket, Jason tucked away his phone and slid on his gloves. <Hello, again.>

"Hi," Priya answered.

<So you work near here, eh?> he winked. <Small world.>

"In the left tower," she gestured to the silver giant across the courtyard. "And this is my friend, Lorraine. We work together at MNS & Associates."

<Pleased to meet you.>

"Oh, believe me the pleasure is all mine." Lorraine held out a hand and shook his. "If you don't mind me asking where did you get those ASL gloves? I've never seen anything like them."

"It's his own design," Priya answered. Winced. "Sorry." She looked to Jason, "I shouldn't speak for you."

Jason shook his head. <No worries.>

"It's wonderful. I've never seen anything like it." Lorraine beamed. "I'd love to buy a set for my little brother. He was born deaf and while we all speak ASL at home, it's a struggle for him in school," she explained. "To feel normal."

<My brother and I have thought about it.> Jason offered a pained, apologetic smile. <But it's a complicated process. Patents and funding. We didn't really know where to start.>

"Well, if you need help with filing a patent, Priya is your girl." Lorraine gave her a hip-check. "I'm sure she'd be more than happy to assist you in any way possible."

He smiled at Priya. Rich brown eyes like liquid pools of darkest amber. <Maybe I'll take you up on that.>

"Good." Lorraine linked her hands. "Now, I've heard so much about the infamous Jason Nakoa taking the food scene by storm. What do you recommend? We're excited to try what everyone in Manhattan is talking about."

Jason brought his hands to his lips, whistled. A woman popped in the window—Vietnamese with a buzz cut and more tattoos than skin.

"Yo."

<Two pokés, and the tripe taco.>

"You got it." The girl vanished inside the truck, followed by a fresh wave of spice and smoke.

Less than ten minutes later, the food was packed into a paper bag and Priya's mouth was watering with anticipation. If it tasted half as good at whatever she was smelling from the truck, then it was going to be amazing.

<Take this too.> Jason plucked down a couple of plastic to-go containers and inside was a creamy, super moist caked. <Tres leches with passionfruit glaze. On the house. Unless,> he winked as Priya opened her mouth to refuse, <you're afraid of...indulging.>

"Us? Scared?" Lorraine barked a laugh. "Never. Not even in your wildest dreams." Plucking the containers, she wiggled brows at Priya. "Your thirty minutes are up. Sure you don't want to extend it by another ten?"

"No. Ms. Nagao has a meeting soon and I'll need to draft minutes." Priya accepted her container of cake and tossed a smile over her shoulder. "Thanks."

Jason waved a hand. <Anytime.>

Back at her desk, Priya pulled her food out from the to-go bag. A paper bowl with a plastic lid filled with diced raw tuna tossed in a sweet but spicy sauce, julienned cucumbers and carrots, thin slices of avocado, black sesame seeds and pickled ginger. The taco was braised beef cheek in a rich adobe sauce, topped with pickled radishes and buttery crema.

It took her less than five minutes to scarf it all down, and less than half that to demolish the cake.

Her phone rang and she plucked up the receiver. "Priya speaking."

"Girl, if you don't immediately have sex with that man, I will," Lorraine answered. "God help me, I swear on my great auntie's grave, you better wrap your legs around his waist and screw him into the ground—or else."

Priya smothered a laugh. "Thank you for notifying me. I'll take that under advisement." She hung up the phone with a smile, and caught the time on the screen. Marai's meeting was in less than five minutes. After that she'd have to prepare Ms. Nagao's court paperwork and then check in on the motion filed yesterday for the construction company's file requisition. Then there was the Oculus party tonight.

Screwing Jason Nakoa into the ground would have to wait.

Chin up, lipstick on.

#

First thing Priya learned about being a woman in a man's world was to dress for the job you wanted, not the job you had. If clothes could make the man, the could also make the woman. Black was elegant and mysterious. Powerful and sexy. It demanded respect.

So for tonight's gala, she opted for a fitted black dress with a high neck, sleeveless and chic. The kind of dress that said 'take me seriously or fuck off'.

Perfect.

"Thank you, Nigel," she said as the firm's driver opened the back-passenger door for her. Before she could get inside, a sharp whistle sliced across the street. Priya halted mid-slide into the seat, her eyes scanning until they landed on Jason standing outside his foodtruck. His hand lifted, his smile

If it were anyone else she'd have ripped him a new one, but in this case, a wolf-whistle was the only way he had to say: you look hot at that distance. She tossed him a smile and a wave.

Inside the car, her cheeks burned as she grinned like an idiot for three straight blocks.

Oculus had spared no expense by renting out the 57th floor of a chic hotel with twenty-foot ceilings and dazzling crystal chandeliers. Night pressed in on the wall of windows, obscuring most of the cityscape but at this height she knew the view would be spectacular.

Accepting a flute of champagne, she floated around the busy room.

Music wafted gently. Men and women gathered around tables lined with chilled shrimp, shucked oysters and a station where a chef made flambéed crepes to order. Other servers wove around the room carrying silver trays with bite sized masterpieces or vessels of alcohol.

As she did, the crowd parted enough for Priya to catch a glimpse of The Boys Club of Oculus.

John Dimitrov's gaze lifted before she could manage to scoot out of sight and lit up like a hungry wolf's in a wrinkled face as he waved her over.

Priya set her teeth. "Showtime."

"There she is," Daniel said through a smile but his arched brow told he didn't appreciate her tardiness. Another young woman was with the group, wearing the tightest dress Priya had ever seen. It was gorgeous on her toned body, with just enough cleavage to be sexy but still tasteful. The kind of dress Priya would've worn herself under different circumstances—and most definitely outside of a workplace setting.

"Wonderful to see you again." Barry looped his arm around the girl's waist. Shorter than her by several inches, his head only cleared her shoulder. A quick scan of her shoes, showed she'd worn a modest two inch to accommodate him without sacrificing aesthetics.

The girl tipped her flute to Priya, her expression pleasant but non-engaging. She definitely wasn't an associate from MNS, and Priya doubted she was an employee from Oculus. No executive, not even a CEO would dare parade his assistant or some other poor girl plucked from the admin pool on his arm during a corporate gala.

As Barry hadn't attempted to make introductions, that only left one possibility...one that soured the champagne in her stomach.

"Amuse bouche?" a server asked. "It's seared fois gras with cilantro and grapefruit caviar." Everyone plucked a morsel perched on a white spoon from the tray. The server swung the tray to Priya. "Miss?"

"No, thanks." Priya smiled. "Animal cruelty makes me lose my appetite."

The server blinked, smiled awkwardly, then dashed away.

Daniel paused mid swallow, then covered his temper with a laugh. "Isn't she a riot?"

"Please tell me you're not one of those ecologically obsessed millennials who only eats raw food and wears vegan leather," John teased, puffing up his chest as his colleagues joined him in laughter.

Priya ground her teeth together. "I enjoy a good steak as much as the next girl," she answered, "and still endorse ethical treatment of animals."

"Sounds like a contradiction to me." More patronizing laughter from the men.

The girl sipped from her flute but her eyes flicked up to Priya and in them she saw a very female sigh of commiseration. A look Priya found comforting and returned with the ghost of smirk.

At least she didn't have to stand here and listen to these douchebros alone.

The minutes slid by and she lost herself to the inane chatter, skillfully dodging John's stealthy attempts to touch her, weaving in and around the others and conversation, while he trailed after her like a fucking stalker.

Somewhere after midnight, Barry announced he was leaving with his still as unnamed date, she seized her window to escape with both hands. Excusing herself, Priya sliced across to the ladies' room. Five minutes out of sight, then she'd bolt for the elevators.

Inside the girl waited by the row of sinks. Phone in hand. She smiled and tucked her phone back into her clutch.

"I wondered if you were going to make a run for it." Sliding her clutch under her arm, she sidled up to Priya. Her movements liquid and sexy. "My name is Mindy."

"Priya," she answered. "I thought you guys already left?"

Mindy jerked her thumb towards the shut door. "Barry is saying his goodbyes to some senator or other. For obvious reasons I can't be with him while he does. So I'm hiding under the pretense of 'freshening up'," she said, fingers wiggling in air quotes.

"Hm." Priya nodded. "So, you are an escort."

Mindy angled her head. "Yes."

"May I ask why?"

She laughed, a dazzling kind that lit her up and showcased incredible cheekbones. "I realized when I was twenty-one that with a face and body like mine, I was always going to contend with unwanted male attention. Tasteless remarks, groping, you name it. I was in major debt after moving all the way to New York with big dreams of acting that went no where when I realized—if there are men stupid enough to toss thousands of dollars at a girl to be their date to some boring function, why am I not capitalizing on that demand?" She fluffed her hair. Freshened her lipstick. And met Priya's gaze in the wide mirror. "Wanna know how much I made last year alone?"

"Sure...if you don't feel uncomfortable sharing."

"Three hundred and forty-seven thousand dollars. Cash."

Priya's eyes bugged out of her head. "Excuse me."

"I know, right? That doesn't include shopping trips, gym memberships, all-expenses-paid vacations to the most elite destinations, jewelry, plus the stunning East Village apartment I have which is paid for by whoever wants to lock me in for an exclusive term. Whatever I make, I invest—smartly, and continue to do so. Ten more years, and I will be sitting in my own paid in full mansion in Santa Monica."

Priya leaned against the counter, a little weak in the knees. "Holy fuzzknuckles."

Turning from the mirror, Mindy popped a glorious hip. "You're a beautiful girl. Plus you're extremely well educated while most of these bozo's would love because you could decorate their arm and hold intellectual conversation. All of which makes them look good." She skimmed her teeth across her bottom lip. "You'd make a killing."

She laughed. Sighed. "Thanks, but I honestly don't think I have it in me to pull it off. My poker face sucks. One look at me and they'd know exactly what I thought of them and their pathetic egos."

Mindy laughed too. "Some of them like that. A bit of humiliation. A woman who isn't easily intimidated by their status and dominates." Reaching into her clutch, she pulled out a business card and offered it to Priya. Expensive cardstock, ivory with gold embossing. "Call me if you change your mind and want to dip your toe in to test the water."

"How about I call you just because?" Priya offered. "Dinner. Drinks. Dancing. All three?"

Mindy straightened a little, her confident smile shaken with something like pleasant surprise. "I'd like that."

**AN**

God, I can't tell you how much fun I am having with these girls, but something about Priya always gets me that little bit more. Maybe because I can relate to her character and circumstances being a young woman working in a corporate boy's club, forever being reduced to an object instead of a person valued for her work ethic. 

What do you guys think of this scene. I'm loving her chemistry with Jason and the total Sisterhood vibe between her and Mindy. Who knows, maybe we'll see a little more of her in future.