Characters.

Lacey Forrest 17

Derrick Forrest 15

Mr. Winthrop 52

Mrs. Winthrop 48

Bradley Winthrop 28

John Winthrop 25

Brett Winthrop 22

Jake Winthrop 17

Alexandra Winthrop 14

Darin Winthrop 12

Chapter 1

John Winthrop, corporate businessman and owner of Winthrop industries, sat in front of a big, cherry business desk with his son, Jake. It had taken him months to get a face to face appointment with his soon to be partner. He figured that if they were going to be partners then they should at least know each others faces.

Lacey Forrest had been fretting over this meeting, she was 16 and one of the most brilliant business mind of the century. She was the owner of rapidly growing Fire and Ice Inc. There was a reason she hadn't revealed her identity to the business world. If they found out there would be a huge upsurge in the media and a digging up of her painful past. Since she was emancipated at 14, she had gained control of a huge corporation, schooled herself and had legal custody of her now 10 year old brother. When she felt ready to go she looked in the mirror one last time, making sure she looked perfect. Her waist length, dark gold hair was wound in a tight business-like bun and she wore no makeup except a little eye stuff to accent her cerulean blue eyes. Her business outfit consisted of a ¾ sleeve blue-green collared shirt and a black no nonsense knee-length skirt. She sighed then headed out, it was now or never.

17 year old Jake Winthrop sat back in his chair looking at the clock. As much as he liked his father, yeah right, he really disliked all the business meetings he was inadvertently dragged to as the heir to the Winthrop industry. Right now, He was missing a party, where there was supposed to be many hot chicks. He really wished he was at that party right now.

Lacey walked in at 7:45, right on time, walked over to her desk and sat down. John Winthrop looked at her skeptically, as if to say 'are you kidding me?'. She looked right back at him with a serious face that said 'I kid you not'. Whereas Jake's gaze raked over her body totally checking her out, and boy, the view was good. Sure she could get rid of that prissy bun and get a more casual outfit, But all in all she was one hot package.

Lacey noticed Jake's gaze and chose to ignore it, maybe the little perve would disappear when ignored. Lacey broke their momentary silence.

"well, why don't we go ahead and get this meeting started, I am Lacey Forrest." She held out her hand for them to shake.

The two men shook hands with her, Jake holding her hand for longer than was necessary.

"Miss Lacey, how old are you?" Mr. Winthrop asked.

"16, why do you ask?"

"Well, I was expecting someone older"

"Why do you think that no one really knows who the owner of fire and ice is? If people found out that this company was owned by a 16 year old then I would get more attention, which is definitely not needed. I figured that I would come out and tell every one when I got older. It would be less of a shock"

"I understand, but-"

"How? Long story, all you need to know is that I am good at what I do, now , since all the niceties are taken care of let's talk business"

Jake just stared at her thinking something along the lines of 'I like a woman with spunk'. Lacey seemed not to care but, he would make her care, eventually.