Valentine's Challenge: The Sequel. Submission #8

This submission comes from Zolo77. 

Lunch Date:

"Today's schedule is a busy one, Princess."

"Aren't they all?"

The aide smiled shyly. "Yes, you're certainly right there. So, for today, your finance meeting has been moved to 0900, that's scheduled for an hour but it will likely go over a bit. The Mon Calamari ambassador requested you sit in at a border development agreement today at 1000 - I replied tentative to that one. Let's see, oh, tomorrow night before I forget, you have a request to attend the Alderaan-inspired art exhibition pre-opening ceremony at the Jyncet Building, I said you were busy, just in case you didn't want to go, and... I'm not sure when this was entered, I don't remember doing it, but you have a lunch meeting scheduled today at 1130 and that runs until 1430, then-"

"I have a three hour lunch meeting? With whom?" Leia's brow furrowed. Three hours?

"I'm not actually sure, there's no other details. It doesn't even give a location, perhaps just here in your office?"

"How can I have a meeting for three hours and not know who I'm meeting with, or why, for that matter?"

"I'm not sure, I'm sorry, Ma'am." The aide's eyes widened and she swallowed visibly.

"No no, it's not your fault, Najia. I might have made it myself. My mind isn't quite where it should be. I'm blaming the upcoming Trade Summit, but I'm not sure if that's the real culprit. No one else has access to my calendar do they?"

"Certainly not."

Three hours. Excellent. She rolled her eyes at herself. So much for getting her nails re-done. She would have to go another day looking like a low class, Mid-Rim dancing girl. She could deal with the length, but the blood red, high shine lacquer with sparkly silver tips was much too much. This is what I get, she silently chastised herself, for saying those fated words "I don't mind, whatever" to the new salon girl yesterday.

She also knew it had taken every ounce of Han's self control to not mention her new nails last night, which was nice of him. Suspicious, but nice.

"Strange. Well, I guess we'll find out at 1130. Carry on." Leia waved her hand dismissively.

"Okay, so after your mystery lunch, you have a call with the Ithorian ambassador regarding a trade grievance at 1530. I have you scheduled for 30 minutes on that one. You have from 1600 to 1700 booked to handle Summit details. And... that's it. Oh sorry, one more thing, at 2000 there is a note about a dinner party and a reminder to pick up your dress."

Lando's party. Right.

There was also no time today to pick up her dress. She'd never get there before they closed. Maybe I can have it delivered the apartment? Or maybe Han could pick it up.

Today was not shaping up well. Perfect, she'd have to go to this party with hooker claws and without her new dress. Just perfect. I could always just cut them off, she mused absently drummed her fingers on the desk; listening with detached interest to the harsh clicking they made on the glass top. She finally looked up to find her aide still staring at her.

"Thank you. Sorry, my head is all over the place today."

"No problem. I'll get your notes together for the finance meeting." And with that the aide stepped out of the office.

The beginning of her morning went by as imagined, quickly and with very few tangible results. It always astounded her that after everything she had accomplished and survived through the course of the Rebellion, her days were now spent behind a desk; doling out advice which was hardly ever taken, avoiding so-called political incidents, and rushing to pick up her cleaning on the way home.

Home. The idea sent a happy shiver throughout her body. It had been years since she had a home to go back to every evening. A home made even more appealing at the moment, since Han had been placed on grounded service for the next two months. And, provided living together didn't end with one of them killing the other, she smiled inwardly, the arrangement might even, hopefully, become a permanent one.

XxX

The finance meeting was as unproductive as she had predicted. It had also run late, forcing the meeting with the Mon Calamari ambassador to be canceled and rescheduled for another day. And to top it off, after an extensive Comm-Messaging war with Han throughout the entire meeting, she was no closer to convincing him to pick up her dress. Stubborn man, she jabbed her stylus on the datapad, waiting for her mystery lunch companion to arrive. Han's highly unhelpful response of "just wear the red dress, I really like that one" had only resulted in her becoming annoyed. She couldn't wear the red dress; not with her current nails.

She turned her attention to the pile of flimsies on her her corner of her desk. Endless stacks of colour-coded folders and files added a small amount of life to the white environment surrounding her. Petitions for sovereignty, trade negotiations, border disputes, disaster relief requests; the documents were endless. Taking an orange folder off the top of one of piles, she was about to open it when muffled voices started outside her door.

"Strange," she murmured flipping the comm on her desk. "Najia? Is everything alright?" No answer. "Najia," she called again. Nothing. Leia rose. It wasn't like her aide not to answer a call. The girl had proven herself very efficient. Cycling the office door open and stepping into the receiving area behind Najia's desk. There she found her assistant, leaning forward in her chair, eyes wide and blinking with exaggerated effort at the man leaning casually against the opposite wall, jacket slung over his shoulder, the familiar 'Yes, I really am this attractive' grin creeping across his face. Leia cleared her throat and the girl jumped, flustered and very obviously embarrassed. But Leia's attention was focused on the tall man still leaning against the wall, his eyes dark and teasing.

"Are you just here to bother my staff, General? Or do you need something?"

"Me?" Classic Han, she smirked as his free hand came up to his chest in a very typical fashion.

"Yes, you. I imagine you have better things to do today than stand around causing havoc."

His smile widened and, picking up a white bag from the floor beside him, he stalked towards her slowly. "As a matter of fact..." leaving the rest of the sentence to hang in the air, he slid past her into her office. Najia's face had still not returned to it's original colour, but there wasn't time to deal with that just now. Leia waved a hand in exasperation, stepped back into the office and closed the door behind herself. Standing just inside the doorway, she watched Han watch her, looking marginally more pleased with himself than usual, leaning way back in her office chair, feet propped up on her desk, arms folded behind his head. The white bag sat on the corner, with a pale green leaf inscribed in the centre, which only ever meant one thing.

"You hacked my calendar, didn't you?" she asked, moving around to stand in front of him.

"Hacked?"

"No one else has access but myself and Najia. You must have."

Instead of answering, he sat up and drew her in between his legs, pinning her against expertly against the desk. With a smile, he reached over and switched the comm over, "Najia, why don't you take an extended lunch?" his eyes never leaving hers.

"Umm... Princess?"

"Yes, Najia. That's fine. I'll deal with this." The comm clicked in conformation and Han switched it over to Silent.

"Deal with what?"

"You."

"I don't think I lie being described as a 'this'. And anyway, I wasn't aware of any rule against a guy dropping in on his girl every once and while. I have to make sure you eat, don't I?"

"Nerf."

"I'm right." he stated smugly, arms resuming their arrogant position behind his head.

Leia said nothing, not wanting to concede to his argument. His interruption was quite well timed and very welcome; with Lando's party looming ahead of them tonight and the Trade Summit guaranteed to take up most all of her spare time over the weekend, they were likely not going to spend any time alone for a while.

"You hungry?" he asked, reading the whiff of regret which swept across her face.

"That depends."

"On?"

"Did you bring me fried ice cream and air cake?"

"That depends."

"On?"

"How nice you are to me over the next three hours."

"I can be very nice."

XxX

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"That wasn't very ladylike was it?" She breathed her question into his chest, lightly playing with the damp hair at the nape of his neck.

"Not really, no."

"I blame you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Before you came along I never had lust-filled lunch meetings."

"And for that, I am thankful. You're all mine."

She grinned mischievously and shook her head in mock disgust, raking her fingers across his scalp. "I blame my nails," she whispered heavily.

"I kind of like them."

"I look like a hooker," she stated, leaning back and pouting slightly.

"Well, a very expensive hooker."

"I'm going to assume that was supposed to be a compliment."

He kissed her forehead. "I'll see you at home later."

Nodding and pushing off the desk, she rose to see him out.

"Oh, I almost forgot," He pulled a garment bag from behind his jacket, nearly unnoticeable against the white walls of her office. "I picked this up for you before I got to the office this morning."

"My dress."

"See you at home," he tossed her a wink, a sideways smile and disappeared through the door.

Thanks so much for the submission and thanks to everyone for continuing to contribute to this one.  This may be a record for challenge submissions!