You Were Always Mine

A Win Is A Win

The cheers echoed across the sports grounds long before the final event officially began.

Employees from both companies crowded around the arena, company banners waving high above their heads while phones were already held up to record what everyone insisted would become the highlight of the day.

"Pearl!"

"Pearl!"

"Pearl!"

The chant rolled through one side of the field.

"Onyx!"

"Onyx!"

"Onyx!"

The response came back just as loudly.

The announcer stepped into the middle of the field, tapping the microphone twice until the feedback disappeared.

"Ladies and gentlemen..."

He paused dramatically, earning several impatient groans.

"The score currently stands at..."

He looked toward the giant electronic scoreboard. "Seven points each!"

The crowd cheered.

"So our final event..." he continued, extending one arm toward the obstacle course stretching across the park, "...will decide today's winner!"

More applause followed.

Inflatable walls, climbing nets, rope bridges, foam pits and narrow balance beams covered almost half the field.

"Our final game is Capture the Flag! Eight members from Pearl. Eight members from Onyx. We have two flags and one winner!”

"The rules are simple," the announcer continued. "Capture your opponent's flag and return it to your base before time runs out. If you're tagged while carrying a flag, you return it immediately."

He smiled. "And please..."

His gaze drifted toward Oscar and Vivian. "...no unnecessary roughness."

Charles snorted. "Good luck enforcing that." He muttered.

He glanced at his Oscar who was doing some sort of warm up as he stared Vivian down just as Vivian was staring him down.

Charles exhaled almost at the same time as Cassandra did.

“I might just resign after this.” She muttered.

Charles nodded. “If one of them wins..” he glances at his distant cousin. “One of us suffers.”

Cassabdra exhales again. “Why did we choose this career path?”

Charles shook his head slowly in exhaustion. “No idea.”

The announcer continued.

"If you're tagged while carrying the flag, you return to your base."

He pointed toward the maze of inflatable barriers, climbing nets, suspended bridges and foam pits scattered across the course.

"Anything goes within the rules."

Oscar quietly muttered, "We'll see."

Vivian heard him and her lips curved ever so slightly.

"I hope you're stretched."

Oscar looked at her. "Worried about me?"

"I'm worried about your knees."

Charles immediately covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing.

Oscar glanced at his assistant whose laugh turned into a cough all of a sudden.

Pearl employees soon gathered around Vivian. She looked over each face.

"We've made it this far."

Everyone nodded.

"No unnecessary heroics. Watch each other's backs."

A chorus of agreement followed.

"And..." Her eyes swept across the team. "We're not losing today."

The entire Pearl side chorused. "YES, MS V!"

Across the field, Oscar looked at his own team.

"Any questions?"

One employee raised a hand. "What if Ms. V steals our flag?"

Oscar nodded in thought, knowing Vivian was sure to pull one trick or another.

“Leave that to me.” He glanced back at her. “I'll handle it.”

A whistle shrieked. "Positions!"

Everyone ran.

Bibi nearly tripped over her own shoelaces trying to reach Pearl's side. She finally planted herself beside Vivian.

"I'm ready!"

Vivian glanced sideways and nodded firmly.

Hell, she didn't even ask what her name was but she's been relentless all morning.

The whistle blew again and the game began.

Everyone scattered into all directions and the course dissolved into chaos. Employees sprinted toward opposite ends of the arena.

Someone climbed the wrong wall. Another landed face-first inside a foam pit.

The crowd roared with laughter.

Bibi darted beneath one of the climbing nets before immediately stopping to fix the loose strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail.

"This humidity," she complained dramatically. "It is personally attacking me."

An Onyx employee almost ran into her. "Sorry!"

Bibi pointed dramatically. "Eyes on the competition!"

Halfway across the course, Vivian slipped behind one inflatable barrier before peeking around the corner to ensure she wasnt being followed.

Hell, she tried to convince herself she wasn’t looking for Oscar.

Where was he? Normally he'd already be trying to get under her skin.

She pushed the thought aside.

If he isn't following her, the less drama she had to deal with.

She continued forward.

Oscar watched from behind another obstacle.

‘There you are.’

He made no move to stop her.

At least not yet.

His eyes watched her go from one obstacle to another, knowing that if she finds a flag, or her team mate does, they are to hand it over to her.

All he had to so was wait for her to be alone and capture her flag.

One of his team mate already had the flag for Pearl and he’s just waiting for her to find the one for his team while the ret protect the flag they had.

Charles watched the entire thing unfold from the sidelines with a look of confusion in his eyes.

What is his boss doing simply watching Ms. Vivian? Is now the right time to ‘catch feelings’ or win a competition?

He swallowed, trying his best to trust Oscar knew what he was doing.

Vivian spotted the Onyx flag with a member of Onyx standing guard clearly waiting for reinforcement.

She smiled, finally.

She feinted left and the defender followed. She immediately spun right, ducked beneath his outstretched arm and reached the flag first.

Pearl exploded into cheers.

"YES!"

"GO, MS. V!"

Bibi jumped so high she almost lost one of her trainers.

"THAT'S MY…." She cleared her throat loudly. "...Captain!"

Vivian grinned as she lifted the flag and waved it.

She dashed for the woods where the rest of her team mates were waiting for her.

She turned a corner just as rain slicked the forest floor suddenly.

The sun was still up but rain had chosen now as the best time to drizzle down the field.

Vivian sprinted between the trees, flag clutched tight against her chest.

It didn't matter that rain was starting to fall, or that most of the staff by the bleachers were now running for shelter.

She is going to win this!

The drizzle turned heavier, soaking through her top until it clung to every curve.

Oscar appeared from nowhere, cutting across her path. She staggered backward, eyes wide in shock.

His eyes remained on hers with an intensity she hasn't seen in years.

Her grip on the flag tightened. “I will have to break a bone before I let you have this flag.”

Oscar said nothing, taking one step after the other in her direction and leaving her trapped.

“Move.” She warned.

“This is a game Vivian.”

“What's your end game here?”

He stepped closer, trapping her against the tree behind her with his hand leaning on the space beside her head, trapping her between the tree and his body.

Her back hit the trunk as her gaze flickered up to meet his.

“What…what are you doing?”

“You asked what my end game was..” he asked, his voice low as he leaned even closer, breath warm against her wet lips, eyes locked on hers.

“You.” He said.

The space between them shrank until she could feel the heat radiating off him despite the cold rain.

Her heart pounded hard in her chest.

“You…we’re in a game right now…”

His finger lifted her chin up, running down the length if it slolwy.

“Do I make you nervous Monique?” He asked, his breath brush over her ears slightly.

Hell. When was the last time he called her by her middle name?

Her knees softened as he tilted her chin up, lips parting.

She mirrored his movement, waiting for the kiss that never came.

Instead his free hand slid down, fingers brushing her waist before snatching the flag from her loosened grip.

He pulled back with a grin, already turning to run.

Vivian’s eyes snapped open suddenly, staring at the man who had just taken advantage of her.

"...You cheating bastard!" She shrieked as he started running.

Vivian took off after him without another word.

The chase cut through the obstacle course.

Oscar vaulted over a barrier, Vivian followed. He ducked beneath a suspended beam. She stayed right behind him.

The timer flashed with forty five seconds on the clock.

Employees from both companies now watched while cheering and screaming.

Oscar glanced back once to see Vivian was still very much right behind him.

Vivian lunged at him, her fingers caught the back of his jersey and for a second she almost got him until he slipped out of her reach.

"Seriously?" she shouted.

He laughed. "You'll have to do better than that."

She picked up speed. "Oh, I'm going to make you regret today."

"Promise?”

Bibi cupped both hands around her mouth.

"MS. VIVIAN! TAKE HIM DOWN!"

Twenty seconds on the clock and Oscar is getting closer to his base where the other flag already was.

Oscar cleared the final wall. Vivian followed and landed awkwardly. Pain shot through her ankle, making her stumble.

Oscar heard it, his steps slowed for the briefest moment.

The finish line stood ahead but Vivian was behind him, wincing in pain.

They had ten seconds left on the clock.

Oscar made a stance to toss the flag across the field, his eyes fixed on his team mates.

The whistle pierced the air as soon as one of Onyx staff caught the flag in their base.

"ONYX WINS!"

Cheers exploded around the grounds. Employees rushed toward Oscar's team while Pearl's staff applauded despite their disappointment.

Vivian tried to stand but Oscar offered his hand, making her glance up at him in surprise as rain drizzled down her face.

“Come on.”

She took his hand, standing on her feet slowly and painfully. “Thanks.”

She hesitated for a second. "Congratulations."

Oscar tried not laugh, he could tell she was upset. "Good game."

She released his hand before turning toward her team.

"Come on. We'll get him next year."

Pearl employees laughed and thankfully, nobody looked particularly upset. It had been too much fun.

Vivian took one step and winced in pain. Her knee buckled instantly and before she reached the ground, Oscar caught her, his arm wrapping around her waist to steady her.

“Ms V!”

“Are you hurt?”

“My, it looks bad.”

Without another word, he slipped one arm beneath her knees and the other behind her back.

Then lifted her, bridal style and off her feet.

Charles slowly closed his notebook. "...Well."

Cassandra rubbed both temples. "There goes the company's professionalism."

Her eyes went wide as she stared up at him.

“I'm fine. Put me down. I can walk.”

He adjusted his grip slightly, forcing her to wrap her arms around his neck to steady herself.

His lips twitched as he continued toward the waiting cars.

Employees openly whispered now, all admiring the duo.

“Aren’t they the cutest?!”

"They're definitely in love."

Bibi placed both hands on her hips proudly. “Well, he sure adores her.”

She leans closer to Tina. “You need to see how he treats her behind closed doors. Swoon worthy.”

Tina gasped with a smile. “Really?”

Bibi shoved her hair across one shoulder, screaming internally; Vivian Pearl acknowledged her.

Life is good.