"Scarlett in the City" fic by Scarlett Hauser
Chapter 1: "The First Ladies"
Summary: This is the prequel to the "Joe-ettes in the City" fic, taking place six months after the Joe team has disbanded. On a personal note, it's the road to fabulous!
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to GIJOE, Devil's Due, Hasbro, and Marvel and all the usual disclaimers. I do not own any of the G.I. Joe or Cobra characters, blah blah blah. The only things I own are the figments of my demented imagination.
Rated R - mainly for my profuse foul language.
****************
ATLANTA, GA
Like most of the other former Joe team members, Scarlett was spending quality time with her family and trying to get settled back into a "normal" civilian life. What is that anyway? She wondered. And how do you go back to that? Time off hadn't helped with the adjustment. On the contrary, it just made life feel like it was standing still, going nowhere. The months passed but the situation remained the same. It was discontenting to watch her life seemingly pass before her. Six months of my life down the shitter, she thought resentfully. I could have been DOING something!
Minus the extended vacation she took with Duke to Grand Cayman. It was the only piece of her previous six months that was worth mentioning or remembering. Long lazy days of sunbathing on the softest sand so white it was blinding, scuba diving with the stingrays in warm ocean water so crystal clear you could see right through it for miles, sampling world famous rum cakes, and of course duty free shopping. And those were just the daytime activities. Sigh.
Duke was back home in St. Louis with his family. She often wondered if their relationship would actually survive outside the small tight-knit world of GIJOE. Or would it die of exposure in the so-called Real World? And more importantly, would they still need each other? They wanted to be sure of all these factors before moving forward. She just came home from visiting Duke and his family, another pleasant trip. She missed him already. That was a good sign. The phone rang.
"Scarlett where the hell have you been! I've been trying to get a hold of you for weeks!"
"Hello, Cover Girl. I'm fine, thanks for asking," said Scarlett, mocking her greeting.
"No time for jokes, Scarlett!" said Cover Girl anxiously, "You're never going to BE-LIEVE this! The magazine wants to do a cover story on you, Lady Jaye and me because of the Joe team!" Cover Girl already had her own fashion report section in one of the nation's leading fashion magazines.
"Why would they want to do that?" Scarlett asked skeptically. "We weren't even in command." The Joe leaders had already been featured in Time magazine among other prestigious publications. Hawk, Duke, Flint and Beach Head were much admired as war heroes.
"Because, silly! Out of the entire team there were maybe a handful of women that were exceptional enough to make it on there," Cover Girl explained enthusiastically, "and the women readers will APPRECIATE that we had to work twice as hard to be half as good blah-blah-blah. Honey, we're role models."
"Role models? I don't think so. Too much peroxide on your brain," Scarlett told her. Though it certainly would be nice to be appreciated for fighting and risking my life as a woman doing work most men would be too scared of, she thought. Hmm.
"Why just us three? Why not the others?" Scarlett inquired.
"Because three's a magical number and they wanted the highest ranking females that had served the longest on the team," Cover Girl explained. "They want to show that women can be beautiful and sexy and still kick major ass! It's very "In" right now."
"Of course it is," Scarlett mocked.
"Lady Jaye's already agreed to do it. You'll come up to New York for the photo shoot with us then afterwards we can tear up Manhattan. Come on it'll be SO much fun!" Cover Girl coaxed her. Scarlett did miss her friends, especially Lady Jaye, who like Cover Girl had relocated to Manhattan. Lady Jaye had just landed a role in a play. Not the lead, but a major character and it was a start back in the game. Scarlett could also see her play while she was there. And what was going on here in Atlanta anyway?
"I'll do it," Scarlett declared.
*******************
MANHATTAN, NY
The magazine wanted to portray the former Joe ladies as a modern-day Charlie's Angels: sleek, glamorous and beautiful with just a hint of edginess as opposed to a more realistic combat-ready and lackluster. After all, realistic doesn't sell magazines. Makeovers were in order the day before the shoot; Scarlett's being the most dramatic. Cover Girl had made her over before in the Pitt days but this was different. It had a certain upscale quality to it, like she was being taken to the next level in glamour, complete with an up-to-the-minute haircut and style, eyebrows tweezed almost to nonexistence, and a glycolic acid peel - 40% strength. It made her skin even more dewy and flawless once the redness disappeared. No more trademark ponytail, but at least she got to keep most of her hair length. That was NOT negotiable. It was now halfway down her back in long layers. She could live with that, and actually didn't even mind. Cutting off the excess length gave her hair even more fullness and body. Their designer threads they were dressed in for the photo shoot were so binding they could barely breathe. When Scarlett started to complain Cover Girl told her, "In this business, breathing is for amateurs." The purpose was to draw attention to every curve on their bodies and accentuate cleavage. Sex sells everything, and magazines were no exception.
After the exhausting photo shoot Scarlett went with Lady Jaye as she got ready for her next performance. Lady Jaye gave her a tour of the theater and introduced her to everyone. Scarlett watched from all angles as everything came together to put on this production. It was utterly fascinating. Even mesmerizing.
"You know if you ever want to move out here you always have a place to stay at my loft. There's plenty of room and I could use the company," Lady Jaye told Scarlett as they said their goodbyes. "You should really think about it."
"I'll think about it. I promise. And thank you," said Scarlett as she hugged her best friend back. She was just starting to get used to this fast-paced city and her time with her best friend. She couldn't believe it was already time to go back home. Especially since she felt like she was already there. With dread, she boarded her plane destined for Atlanta.
*******************
ATLANTA, GA
The issue was soon released and Scarlett picked up her copy. "The First Ladies of GIJOE: Real American Heroines" read the cover story. There they were, all three on the glossy cover posed very similar to Charlie's Angels with Scarlett in the middle for being the highest ranked. Scarlett couldn't believe her eyes. She barely recognized the sexy glamorous redhead on the cover looking back at her. She decided immediately that it was a look that she wanted to keep. Her reinvention had begun.
Scarlett wasn't the only one awe-struck by the image on the cover. The media couldn't get enough of them. The striking threesome were all the buzz and everyone wanted to know all about them and see more of them. More magazines were begging for them and they were invited to every gala imaginable. Playboy was offering $100,000 for a layout to any "Joe First Lady." Thanks, but no thanks. "I already have $100,000," Scarlett told them. But it's nice to be so highly sought-after, and quite a natural high. As she admired the cover and article the phone rang.
"Hello gorgeous." It was Duke. Speaking of natural highs! Scarlett's face lit up at the sound of his voice. "I saw your magazine story."
"Really?" She wondered in anticipation what he thought of it.
"So, what are you wearing?" he asked. Not exactly the reaction she was expecting - from any man for that matter.
"Uh, well, on the cover those are Gucci low-rise beige pants with a black lace-up leather corset-," she started to explain.
"Nooooo," Duke laughed at her. "I can see that on the magazine! I mean, what are you wearing right NOW," he explained as his tone turned sultry. That big flirt, I should know better by now, she told herself.
"Ohhhh, well nothing actually," she lied. Two could play that game. "So do you like what you see?" she seductively asked, referring to both the magazine and the mental image she just put in his head.
"Abso-fucking-lutely," he declared in his deep sexy tone as he added, "Baby, I love you so bad." He always said "bad" in such a naughty tone. It gave her goose bumps. Those two lines always got her going and he knew it.
"Don't start something you can't finish, Hauser."
"Who says I can't finish?" he asked flirtatiously. Damn he's good. "So, did they let you keep the outfits?"
"Actually they did. Why do you ask?" She was curious, as well as relieved that the pieces actually fit decent once they weren't pinned up to death for the photo shoot.
"Good. Wear the one on the cover for me when I come see you." Yup, he liked it!
"Oh, are you coming to see me?" she asked coyly.
"I miss you and I can't wait to peel that naughty outfit off of your sexy body," he declared. Smile. Again, it's nice to be so highly sought-after! Mr. Man of Action indeed. They made their plans then hung up. The phone soon rang again.
"Miss me already?" Scarlett asked.
"No, but apparently it didn't take long for that cover to get to your head." Shit! It wasn't Duke, it was her brother Frank!
"Jealous?"
"Of what? That you're Flavor of the Month?" Frank mocked.
"Fuck you Frank," she retorted, "my month is going to last FOREVER."
And it would.
Chapter 1: "The First Ladies"
Summary: This is the prequel to the "Joe-ettes in the City" fic, taking place six months after the Joe team has disbanded. On a personal note, it's the road to fabulous!
Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to GIJOE, Devil's Due, Hasbro, and Marvel and all the usual disclaimers. I do not own any of the G.I. Joe or Cobra characters, blah blah blah. The only things I own are the figments of my demented imagination.
Rated R - mainly for my profuse foul language.
****************
ATLANTA, GA
Like most of the other former Joe team members, Scarlett was spending quality time with her family and trying to get settled back into a "normal" civilian life. What is that anyway? She wondered. And how do you go back to that? Time off hadn't helped with the adjustment. On the contrary, it just made life feel like it was standing still, going nowhere. The months passed but the situation remained the same. It was discontenting to watch her life seemingly pass before her. Six months of my life down the shitter, she thought resentfully. I could have been DOING something!
Minus the extended vacation she took with Duke to Grand Cayman. It was the only piece of her previous six months that was worth mentioning or remembering. Long lazy days of sunbathing on the softest sand so white it was blinding, scuba diving with the stingrays in warm ocean water so crystal clear you could see right through it for miles, sampling world famous rum cakes, and of course duty free shopping. And those were just the daytime activities. Sigh.
Duke was back home in St. Louis with his family. She often wondered if their relationship would actually survive outside the small tight-knit world of GIJOE. Or would it die of exposure in the so-called Real World? And more importantly, would they still need each other? They wanted to be sure of all these factors before moving forward. She just came home from visiting Duke and his family, another pleasant trip. She missed him already. That was a good sign. The phone rang.
"Scarlett where the hell have you been! I've been trying to get a hold of you for weeks!"
"Hello, Cover Girl. I'm fine, thanks for asking," said Scarlett, mocking her greeting.
"No time for jokes, Scarlett!" said Cover Girl anxiously, "You're never going to BE-LIEVE this! The magazine wants to do a cover story on you, Lady Jaye and me because of the Joe team!" Cover Girl already had her own fashion report section in one of the nation's leading fashion magazines.
"Why would they want to do that?" Scarlett asked skeptically. "We weren't even in command." The Joe leaders had already been featured in Time magazine among other prestigious publications. Hawk, Duke, Flint and Beach Head were much admired as war heroes.
"Because, silly! Out of the entire team there were maybe a handful of women that were exceptional enough to make it on there," Cover Girl explained enthusiastically, "and the women readers will APPRECIATE that we had to work twice as hard to be half as good blah-blah-blah. Honey, we're role models."
"Role models? I don't think so. Too much peroxide on your brain," Scarlett told her. Though it certainly would be nice to be appreciated for fighting and risking my life as a woman doing work most men would be too scared of, she thought. Hmm.
"Why just us three? Why not the others?" Scarlett inquired.
"Because three's a magical number and they wanted the highest ranking females that had served the longest on the team," Cover Girl explained. "They want to show that women can be beautiful and sexy and still kick major ass! It's very "In" right now."
"Of course it is," Scarlett mocked.
"Lady Jaye's already agreed to do it. You'll come up to New York for the photo shoot with us then afterwards we can tear up Manhattan. Come on it'll be SO much fun!" Cover Girl coaxed her. Scarlett did miss her friends, especially Lady Jaye, who like Cover Girl had relocated to Manhattan. Lady Jaye had just landed a role in a play. Not the lead, but a major character and it was a start back in the game. Scarlett could also see her play while she was there. And what was going on here in Atlanta anyway?
"I'll do it," Scarlett declared.
*******************
MANHATTAN, NY
The magazine wanted to portray the former Joe ladies as a modern-day Charlie's Angels: sleek, glamorous and beautiful with just a hint of edginess as opposed to a more realistic combat-ready and lackluster. After all, realistic doesn't sell magazines. Makeovers were in order the day before the shoot; Scarlett's being the most dramatic. Cover Girl had made her over before in the Pitt days but this was different. It had a certain upscale quality to it, like she was being taken to the next level in glamour, complete with an up-to-the-minute haircut and style, eyebrows tweezed almost to nonexistence, and a glycolic acid peel - 40% strength. It made her skin even more dewy and flawless once the redness disappeared. No more trademark ponytail, but at least she got to keep most of her hair length. That was NOT negotiable. It was now halfway down her back in long layers. She could live with that, and actually didn't even mind. Cutting off the excess length gave her hair even more fullness and body. Their designer threads they were dressed in for the photo shoot were so binding they could barely breathe. When Scarlett started to complain Cover Girl told her, "In this business, breathing is for amateurs." The purpose was to draw attention to every curve on their bodies and accentuate cleavage. Sex sells everything, and magazines were no exception.
After the exhausting photo shoot Scarlett went with Lady Jaye as she got ready for her next performance. Lady Jaye gave her a tour of the theater and introduced her to everyone. Scarlett watched from all angles as everything came together to put on this production. It was utterly fascinating. Even mesmerizing.
"You know if you ever want to move out here you always have a place to stay at my loft. There's plenty of room and I could use the company," Lady Jaye told Scarlett as they said their goodbyes. "You should really think about it."
"I'll think about it. I promise. And thank you," said Scarlett as she hugged her best friend back. She was just starting to get used to this fast-paced city and her time with her best friend. She couldn't believe it was already time to go back home. Especially since she felt like she was already there. With dread, she boarded her plane destined for Atlanta.
*******************
ATLANTA, GA
The issue was soon released and Scarlett picked up her copy. "The First Ladies of GIJOE: Real American Heroines" read the cover story. There they were, all three on the glossy cover posed very similar to Charlie's Angels with Scarlett in the middle for being the highest ranked. Scarlett couldn't believe her eyes. She barely recognized the sexy glamorous redhead on the cover looking back at her. She decided immediately that it was a look that she wanted to keep. Her reinvention had begun.
Scarlett wasn't the only one awe-struck by the image on the cover. The media couldn't get enough of them. The striking threesome were all the buzz and everyone wanted to know all about them and see more of them. More magazines were begging for them and they were invited to every gala imaginable. Playboy was offering $100,000 for a layout to any "Joe First Lady." Thanks, but no thanks. "I already have $100,000," Scarlett told them. But it's nice to be so highly sought-after, and quite a natural high. As she admired the cover and article the phone rang.
"Hello gorgeous." It was Duke. Speaking of natural highs! Scarlett's face lit up at the sound of his voice. "I saw your magazine story."
"Really?" She wondered in anticipation what he thought of it.
"So, what are you wearing?" he asked. Not exactly the reaction she was expecting - from any man for that matter.
"Uh, well, on the cover those are Gucci low-rise beige pants with a black lace-up leather corset-," she started to explain.
"Nooooo," Duke laughed at her. "I can see that on the magazine! I mean, what are you wearing right NOW," he explained as his tone turned sultry. That big flirt, I should know better by now, she told herself.
"Ohhhh, well nothing actually," she lied. Two could play that game. "So do you like what you see?" she seductively asked, referring to both the magazine and the mental image she just put in his head.
"Abso-fucking-lutely," he declared in his deep sexy tone as he added, "Baby, I love you so bad." He always said "bad" in such a naughty tone. It gave her goose bumps. Those two lines always got her going and he knew it.
"Don't start something you can't finish, Hauser."
"Who says I can't finish?" he asked flirtatiously. Damn he's good. "So, did they let you keep the outfits?"
"Actually they did. Why do you ask?" She was curious, as well as relieved that the pieces actually fit decent once they weren't pinned up to death for the photo shoot.
"Good. Wear the one on the cover for me when I come see you." Yup, he liked it!
"Oh, are you coming to see me?" she asked coyly.
"I miss you and I can't wait to peel that naughty outfit off of your sexy body," he declared. Smile. Again, it's nice to be so highly sought-after! Mr. Man of Action indeed. They made their plans then hung up. The phone soon rang again.
"Miss me already?" Scarlett asked.
"No, but apparently it didn't take long for that cover to get to your head." Shit! It wasn't Duke, it was her brother Frank!
"Jealous?"
"Of what? That you're Flavor of the Month?" Frank mocked.
"Fuck you Frank," she retorted, "my month is going to last FOREVER."
And it would.