Charity Work
Deep in the fall, when red and orange leaves littered the streets, things at Wells Corp were humming along. Myka had found a satisfactory balance between her private life and work. Helena was kept quite busy these days with new biomedical advances that she was rolling out to the medical industry, both for profit and philanthropic purposes. She was invited to speak before the UN Assembly on the importance of sharing medical advances in the global community. Eileen Sullivan, the quintessential executive assistant, had her hands full with keeping Helena's work and social calendars straight. All of this meant Myka could concentrate on the legal issues for Wells Corp during the day and then focus on her boss when they would finally meet up after hours. The only problem for both of them was that it was becoming later and later.
"We have the court date on Monday," Myka reminded Helena while she tried to eat a bagel.
"Court date for ..?" Helena asked envying the food.
"Grayson's complaint against you," Myka said about the businessman who taunted Helena on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and was promptly punched in response. He filed charges against his assailant.
"Do I have to go to that? Can't you say – I'm busy?" Helena asked bothered.
"As the defendant, you're mandated to be there. Besides, I've check on this judge and he's a stickler," Myka said.
"What is his name?" Helena asked.
"Matthews?" Myka reported.
"Paul?" Helena asked.
"Yes, do you know him?" Myka asked.
"Yes, very sweet. We'll be out of there in no time," Helena said confidently.
It wasn't as quickly as Helena hoped, and it didn't go as smoothly as Myka had imagined. Ted was suing for damages and costs, but Myka was able to prove there was taunting and that he pulled back even before Helena made contact, thereby causing himself to fall. The case was dismissed as no substantial damages or injuries were sustained. Helena did receive a stiff warning about public displays of aggression. Myka was pleased it was just a warning. Helena was not. Which is why she continued to argue after the judge banged the gavel …three times. He implored Myka as counsel to 'control your client', but Helena was being stubborn as usual. Finally, the look in Myka's eyes was warning enough and Helena apologized to the court. It was too late – and he sentenced her to 20 hours of community service.
The press was all over it.
As they came down the steps outside the courthouse, the media was waiting for Helena. Myka knew this was a disaster in the making so she begged Helena to remain silent and issued a statement on her behalf. Myka spoke briefly, but confidently for her client. Suddenly, the media spotlight was on Myka Bering – and they liked her.
She became the Angel to Helena's Devilish ways.
'Saved by Her Legal Angel Again' the headline read the next day. Helena didn't pay any attention, but suddenly the spotlight was slowly creeping up on Myka.
Helena asked Eileen – the kindest person she knew – to find a charity that she could possible donate to that would satisfy her court ordered community service. Helena's philanthropic activities were well documented and she had hoped that would count. Apparently, rubbing elbows with the rich and famous to donate to worthy choices was not what the judge had in mind.
Eileen reported back the she had three cousins that were members of the New York Police Department and they were trying to raise money for the children of police men and women who had been killed in the line of duty. Helena hosted a charity function in Central Park and raised more than they could have hoped for. The judge counted it as half her community service.
The police took a great liking to Helena – as if that wasn't an easy thing to do already. Now they approached her on the streets when she and Myka would walk in Central Park. "Hey Ms. Wells, howzitgoin?" they would call out to her. They stopped and shook her hand and thanked her for helping their fellow officers'' families. Helena was touched by their appreciation.
The Mayor nominated Helena for Woman of the Year for her charity works and she won. The presentation was taking place one night after work and it was the last thing Helena wanted to do, but Myka told her it was an honor and they should go.
Myka rushed to the townhouse to wait for Helena as she dressed. "How is this?" Helena said of the Stella McCartney sheath dress in a sinewy wave of black and red. It was a tight jersey material that fitted Helena to a T.
"Beautiful," Myka said because anything Helena wore looked good.
"Thank you," Helena said bending down to kiss Myka and then disappeared into the large closet to find shoes.
A trace of Helena's Chanel No. 5 entered the room before Helena reappeared. Myka loved that smell. She sat in the oversized chair waiting for Helena to brush out her silken ebony locks that simply was never out-of-place.
"Helena, do you think I'm…. boring?" Myka asked and she meant because she usually just wanted to be at home with Helena on their days off.
"Well, not boring darling. I think it's more a lack of spontaneity," Helena said because she always spoke what was in her head.
"Wait, I'm spontaneous," Myka said defensively. "I'm the one who suggested that jazz club in the Village last week."
"Oh that spontaneous. Sorry I thought you were talking about sex," Helena said.
"Excuse me?" Myka said getting insulted.
"I thought you were …," Helena started to repeat.
"No, I heard that. You think I lack spontaneity?" Myka said with her hands on her hips. She was slighted even though Helena was right.
"It's not a bad thing, Myka. I like what you do just fine," Helena shared.
"What I do? Just fine?" Myka asked as their communication unraveled.
"Are you okay?" Helena asked as she reached out to Myka and held her.
"Yes, I'm sorry. Just tired," Myka said. The lawyer in Myka knew she should never ask a question that she didn't already know the answer to or wasn't prepared to hear.
"Do you want me to cancel? We can stay home?" Helena offered.
"No, you have to go. This is a big honor and I want to be there when you accept your award," Myka said calming down.
"OK, we'll get the plaque, say thank you and come back here," Helena smiled. "We can work on being spontaneous."
Myka smiled, but didn't mean it. 'You can't work at being impulsive,' she thought. 'You just have to do it.'
They arrived on time for the affair. The Mayor gave a short speech and then the award was presented. The event was attended by many of the city's agencies as the beneficiaries of much of the charity work. The police in particular were so grateful for Helena's efforts, that they presented her with a gift of their own. It was a small shield medallion on a chain. "On behalf of all the men and women in blue, we would like to present this to you," the Police Chief said. Helena was truly touched. Having been a Warehouse Agent, she had an appreciation for the work the men and women did.
Myka sometimes enjoyed escorting Helena to these benefits, but lately as their time together never seemed enough, she resented it. She felt torn – wanting to be with Helena, but not in a crowd of people who also wanted to be with her.
Helena was not only devoted, she was attentive, and there was rarely a time she didn't hold onto Myka closely so that they would not be separated. Sometimes it only gave Myka a closer view of what was going on.
Some nights, Myka didn't want to share Helena with the rest of Manhattan. Tonight was one of them. Myka felt particular antsy when people put their hands on Helena or moved in to kiss her hello. Tonight it seemed to be a constant stream of people wanting the woman she wanted. Finally, the event was over.
They were about to leave when three of cops who worked the beat approached her. "Ms. Wells," they said as she and Myka were making their exit. "Jimmy here has something for you," they said as they pushed the youngest member of the group forward. It was obvious to Myka he was shy and very nervous.
"I don't know if you remember me Ms. Wells, but I was the cop on duty….," …and the rest of the story was not what either woman expected.
Myka was smiling at how sweet Helena was being with the young officer. Helena was smiling and wishing he would hurry up because she hadn't really seen Myka all day and was anxious to get back to the townhouse on Central Park West.
"…on duty at One Beacon Court..," he said and Helena's head shot up. This was not good.
"…the night the naked guy….," he said laughing nervously and Helena started to back away, but suddenly Myka was moving towards him.
"Let's go, Myka," Helena turned and said, but Myka had her by the arm.
"I don't believe Officer…," and Myka looked at his badge, "Officer Alexander is done. Go on," Myka said encouraging the young man. She could sense the tension emanating from Helena.
"Yeah, well it was that English guy who was yelling and anyways – I was the cop who arrested him for indecent exposure you know, cause you can't run around the City without your clothes," the young cop explained.
"Well thank you for your heroic duty, Officer," Helena said forcing a smile and extending her hand to shake his. She had to get him to shut up!
He took her hand and shoved something it in. "So yeah, these are the cuffs I used. He was my first arrest and that's a big deal on the force and all, so I wanted you to have these. It was in all the papers and the only time I was on the front of the Daily News," said the shy cop who suddenly found his voice and wouldn't shut up said.
"Isn't that sweet, Helena?" Myka said and Helena knew there wasn't an ounce of sincerity in that voice.
"Oh I can't take them," and Helena meant it literally, but the officer insisted.
"Yes, now I really must be going," Helena said and thought how crazy an idea that was because she was leaving men that would protect her…. and going with a woman to whom she might have to answer to about this.
Myka had driven them to the event and now that they were back in the car, there was dead silence – icy cold silence.
"Did you know the naked guy, Helena?" Myka finally asked.
It was not how Helena planned on telling Myka any of this. Yes, she knew the idiotic crazy man, but that was a long time ago.
"It was …a long time ago," Helena said and the quickly added, "They do the silliest things sometimes, giving me …ahem…..gifts….," Helena's voice trailed off.
"I don't care what you did before me, Helena, you know that. I get that you were ….it doesn't matter to me," Myka said and Helena finally breathed easy. God this woman was so accepting.
When Helena relocated to Manhattan, she bought two prime real estates. One at 1866 Central Park West because it was one of the few single family homes left in Manhattan and it faced the park - and a penthouse closer to work on 58th Street and Lexington Avenue. It wasn't a particularly nice building and it was residence to mostly boring billionaire business people. What it did offer was floor to ceiling windows on the top floor with magnificent views of the City. It gave Helena the feeling of being out in the open, and after being cooped up for so long, that was just what she wanted. It also became the place she returned with her dates when she was interested in them – for a short period. The more social Helena became, the more her societal calendar included dates at this residence. So much so that the press deemed the address the Den of Inequality – because men didn't stand a chance. Helena tried to be discrete, but after being locked up for decades, she had a lot of time to make up for.
All of that changed when Wells Corp hired a new Chief Counsel and Helena did something she thought would never happen – she fell in love. She planned on telling Myka everything about her past, but when you're technically 147 years old, that's a lot of history to cover. The other thing was Helena was very good at blocking things in her mind that she simply did not want to deal with. Myka didn't ask, so Helena didn't press herself to tell. It just never seemed like the right time in spite of the fact; she wanted Myka to know everything.
This is why that night was going to go from bad to worse for her.
Myka truly didn't care about Helena's rendezvous'. The society pages were not the ones Myka read while she was in Washington, DC working pro bono. She rarely watched television and when she did, it was PBS or the History Channel. So she didn't really know about Helena's reputation until she started to work at Wells Corp. The Helena that was portrayed in the press was not the woman she knew and that's all that mattered to Myka.
Perhaps if Helena hadn't been so reticent about the Penthouse, Myka wouldn't have cared. She rarely pushed any topic that Helena didn't want to discuss. It was Helena's reaction to it whenever it came up in conversation that piqued Myka's interest. What was up there that Helena didn't want her to see?
What was the big deal- really? Helena pondered. Helena never asked herself a question she didn't have the answer to. Myka was wonderful and wholesome and good. She didn't want Myka in a place that wasn't Helena's home. The townhouse was her home – it housed all her treasures and writings. It was where she lived and where Myka spent days at a time with her.
All this talk was making Helena uncomfortable, which is why she started playing with the handcuffs. "Look Myka, this is what the investment bankers want to do to me," she joked about their restrictive nature and she clamped down the cuffs on her hands. In her best faux American accent she said: "No, Ms. Wells, you cannot go public with the company at this time," Helena mocked them and started to laugh.
Myka heard the metal cuffs click shut. "Uhm, Helena?"
"Yes, darling," Helena asked through her giggles.
"They didn't give us the key for them," Myka pointed out.
"Oh Myka, not to worry, I am actually an expert at …," and she heard Helena pulling at them. "Thank goodness these things haven't changed much ….," Helena said and she could see Helena pulling harder now. "I think they changed these things," Helena said unable to release herself.
"Oh Helena," Myka said wondering if they stopped and asked a cop on the beat would he allow them to use his key?
"Not to worry, I actually have a key," Helena said triumphantly.
"I'm not even going to ask why," Myka said at the stop light.
Then Helena remembered where the key was. "Or I could just try to pick it or wear them to work ..," and it was obvious to Myka that they very cool Brit was suddenly nervous.
"Where is the key?" Myka asked and Helena looked out the window and pointed up. They were on 58th Street near …One Beacon Court.
"Let's just get it, OK?" Myka asked and now she was tired and annoyed. They parked the car and Myka put the coat over Helena's clamped hands so as to avoid attention.
Myka held back for as long as she could. "You just had to play with them," she said rubbing the back of her neck as they walked into the black and gold parquet floor lobby will the thick columns.
"It's not my fault they gave them to me as a bloody gift," Helena said defensively.
"No, it's never your fault is it?" Myka said and she could hear how unreasonable she was.
"I beg your pardon? Oh this is about what I said before isn't it?" Helena the shrink said because she had seen the expression on Myka's face. "You really held onto that anger, didn't you?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Myka said unable to look Helena in the eye. Get the key and leave. Get the key and leave.
"If you had a bobby pin, I am sure I could pick it," Helena said when they were in the private elevator.
"Fresh out," Myka said.
The doors opened and they stepped into the Penthouse. Myka was stunned by the massive size of the room they were in. The floor to ceiling glass windows were on two walls ahead of them and it presented the twinkling lights of Manhattan in a breathtaking view. The living room that lay out before them was – not at all what Myka expected. In her worst moments, she thought it might just be one big bedroom with a bed from wall to wall. This place had art on the walls, and all the furniture was white – the carpet was white, the couches, chairs, and the grand piano in the corner. The only light came from dimly lit sconces on the wall placed throughout the room. It was beautiful.
"Wow," Myka said and Helena was surprised.
"I think it's in here," Helena said and retrieved a box from a small table by the wall.
"This is striking, Helena," Myka said looking around.
Myka was calm and seemed okay and that's all that mattered to Helena and she wanted to apologize.
"I'm sorry I said you weren't spontaneous," Helena said and her pouting lips were so inviting. She leaned in on Myka and the annoyance at the remark melted like sugar in water – hot water. After watching all those people touch Helena and leer at her, Myka wanted to reclaim her as her own.
"Spontaneous," Myka said leaning in to kiss those lips. "Unplanned, unpremeditated, unrehearsed, impulsive," she said in a breathy voice near Helena's ear.
"Yes," Helena swallowed hard. Was Myka? Now? OK!
Myka threw the coat that was hiding Helena's shackled hands on the floor and pushed Helena against the wall. Her hands moved up the side of Helena's dress and squeezed her hips. Myka kissed Helena with force and it set Helena ablaze. She initiated a trail of kisses down Helena's neck and Helena longed to return the touching in kind.
"Myka, I am still ….(deep breath)…. Uhm," Helena said forgetting words now, but showing Myka her hands.
"Yes, I know you are," Myka smiled and the light shined off her white teeth as her lips curled up. She leaned into Helena's ear and said in a throaty voice - "And you've been a very…. bad… girl."
Helena had never heard Myka talk like this and it made her knees weak. Literally. "Oh….God," was all she could utter as Myka pushed her arms up above her head and held them there.
"You can't get me…..out of this dress….if you don't take these off," Helena gasped.
"I don't need you out of this dress to do what I'm going to do," Myka said – and heard Helena whimper. She was making this up as she went along and it seemed to be working.
Helena was having trouble thinking. Myka was being so …..so…..spontaneous and Helena didn't want it to stop.
"Myka, I never …..took….anyone to my bedroom here," Helena said in case Myka was worried.
It begged the question – then where, Helena? – but Myka didn't care. She was set on proving to Helena…..and herself that she could be impulsive. She just kept taking the lines Helena fed her and responded back.
"You're not going to make it up to the bedroom," Myka said of the second story landing that the spiral staircase led to.
Myka pushed Helena back and slid down the length of her body and knelt in front of her. Helena took her restrained hands and ran her fingers through Myka's hair. Myka pushed the jersey material up, tucking it Helena's garter belt to hold it.
Helena could feel the difference in Myka's touch. It wasn't rough, but it was determined.
"Please release me, Myka," Helena said of her hands - longing to touch Myka back.
"Oh I intend to," Myka said salaciously as she removed anything that got in her way of bringing Helena to the brink.
Helena screamed and pulled Myka's head into her and thought for sure, her legs were going to give out before the eruption was over. She was completely and utterly weak.
Myka kissed her thighs before gently putting everything back in place and standing up to support Helena. She looked at Helena who was breathless, smiling and had her eyes closed, still savoring the moment.
"That was …," Helena tried to say, but couldn't yet.
"Spontaneous?" Myka filled in the blank and smiled back.
"In….deed," Helena said gasping. Myka liked it.
"Now where is that key?" Myka said looking at the box Helena had opened. She removed what looked like a small skeleton key and placed it in the lock and unlatched the cuffs. Myka immediately began rubbing Helena's wrists and kissing them.
"I can't believe you handcuffed yourself," Myka said smiling shaking her head.
"It was a first," Helena said and somehow, Myka was very pleased to hear that.
"If you will excuse me, just a minute," Helena said walking slowly down the long hallway to the bathroom. Helena ran the cold water loudly and wet a facecloth to put on her neck. She couldn't wait to get back to the townhouse with Myka.
Myka walked into the large room and gazed at her surroundings. In spite of its ambiance, there was nothing personal about the room. None of Helena's belongings seemed to be there. There were vases with fresh flowers and Myka wondered who kept up this place in Helena's absence. Myka heard a noise upstairs and wondered how Helena got up there. Was there an elevator in the bathroom? She wouldn't be surprised.
"Can I help you?" a man's voice said and startled Myka. She jerked her head up to see a man clad in only a towel, his hair slicked back with water beading off his tanned muscular shoulders.
"Ex…cuse me?" Myka said wondering who this was and where was Helena.
"I asked – can I help you? Are you a friend of my fiancée?" he asked.
"No, I am a friend of the woman whose apartment you are in," Myka said up to him.
"My fiancée does own this apartment," he said.
"I don't know who you are, but my friend is here, and she is most definitely the owner," Myka said backing up a little when he started down the spiral steps.
And then simultaneously they said:
"My friend is .."
"My fiancée is…"
"Helena Wells".
And on cue, the woman whose name was spoken twice, came back into the room and stopped in her tracks.
Myka had seen the look of surprise on Helena's face before, but never like this. She was waiting for Helena to scream who the bloody hell are you and what are you doing in my penthouse, but instead she heard;
"Jeffrey?" and he said "Hello darling," back...in an English accent.
Helena must have sold the apartment to Jeffrey's fiancé? Myka tried to reason in the recesses of her mind.
"Myka," Helena said, but nothing followed. "Jeffrey," Helena uttered, but that was it.
"I know this is a bit awkward..," Helena said.
What can I say? I missed you guys. (blink blink).
