Bering and Wells.
It will stay a one shot. I have absolutely no plans of extending it.
I spend half of my time at work sitting in a booth next to a skate park, making sure the skaters follow the rules. It was bound to turn into a fic eventually.
I own nothing
"I just cannot believe that MacPherson stuck us with this article," HG grumbled.
Leena smirked and snapped a few more pictures of the skater in the bowl.
"We should be working on pieces about intellectuals and world movers, not punks on wheels," HG continued.
"Just make sure you don't act like this around the punks," Leena said with a laugh.
"I shall be at my utmost best, but I will not enjoy it."
"Of course you won't."
A new skater dropped into the bowl. Leena followed her descent with her camera.
"That one's rather good," HG commented after the skater took a few runs.
A voice behind them responded. "She is, isn't she?"
They turned to see a curly haired woman. HG's eyes flicked down her body, taking in her skinny jeans, tank top, and blazer with pushed up sleeves.
The woman returned HG's scrutiny, then turned to Leena.
"I have to ask that you don't publish any pictures of Claudia without permission."
"And who are you to set that stipulation?" HG challenged her.
"Myka Bering, Claudia's agent."
"The Myka Bering?" Leena questioned. "The one who made Pete Lattimer?"
Myka blushed. "He would have gotten their eventually, I just got him in touch with the right people at the right time."
"And now you plan on doing the same with Claudia?" HG pushed. "Why so few clients?"
Myka smirked. "I only answer questions like that in an official interview or while on a date." She pulled something from her back pocket. She stepped closer the HG, and slipped it into the pocket on her vest. "Call me, Wells, when you decide which one you'd prefer."
With that, she turned around and stalked away. HG and Leena watched her until she vanished into the crowd. Leena turned to HG as the journalist pulled out what Myka had given her. Leena laughed as they looked at the business card.
"I can't take you anywhere."
"What exactly does that mean?" HG objected.
"You're going to take her up on that date, aren't you?"
"It would be rather foolish of me not to, wouldn't it?"
Leena laughed.
-oOo-
"So, who'dya meet in the crowd?" Claudia asked once she and Myka walked into their tent after Claudia had finished her run.
"What?" Myka said through a laugh. "No one."
Claudia just threw her a pointed look.
A blush rose up Myka's neck. "HG Wells," she admitted.
"That journalist you fangirl over?"
"I do not fangirl over her."
"Sure you don't."
"I don't. I just appreciate her work."
"Her work. Her voice. Her body. Her face. I'm sure you appreciate it all."
"Claudia!" Myka threw a wet towel at the girl. Claudia just caught it and wrapped it around her neck.
"Hey, hey, hey. Flying fabrics are not necessary," Pete said as he walked into the tent.
Myka just threw a wet towel at him as well. He caught it, and tossed it to Claudia who laid it over her head, letting the water cool her down.
"Nice job out there, kiddo," Pete said to Claudia.
Her face lit up. "Thanks."
"So," he drawled. "What are you girls talking about?"
"Nothing," Myka instantly replied.
Pete wheeled around to Claudia and raised an eyebrow.
"She met Wells."
Pete turned and grinned at Myka. "Oohoo, how did it go?"
"I'm not telling you."
"Aww, c'mon," Pete whined.
"No."
He glanced at Claudia. She nodded. They both advanced on Myka and started to pester her. She tried to push past them, but they kept at her.
"Fine," she said through a laugh. "I'll tell as long as you two get away from me. You both stink."
They took a synchronized step away from her.
"Spill," Claudia said.
"I gave her my card, and told her to call me for an interview, or, well, something more if she wanted."
"Alright, Myka," Pete exclaimed. "Look at you go."
"Has she called yet?" Claudia asked.
"It hasn't even been thirty minutes," Myka replied.
"How'd you give her the card?" Pete questioned.
Myka blushed even more.
"Oh. My. God. How?" Claudia exclaimed.
"I may have put it in her pocket, told her to call, then left."
They both stared at her, surprised but excited looks on their faces.
"You didn't," Claudia gasped.
Myka shrugged. "I don't know what came over me, I just acted without thinking."
Pete slung his arm around her shoulders. "Way to go, Myka. You get your girl."
-oOo-
HG flipped the business card between her fingers, her mind on the woman who had given it to her.
Myka Bering. A sports agent who had only had a handful of clients in her career, but each client became notably successful and rose to the top in their field. Bering herself was known by journalists for expertly evading personal questions.
HG looked at the card again, debating with herself if she should dial the number.
Professionally, getting Bering to talk would give HG another major article under her belt. True, she did not typically write about pop culture, but that article would be worth it.
Personally, however, HG truly wanted to get to know the woman. There was something about her that intrigued HG as a person, not a journalist.
The fact that she couldn't get the way Myka's jeans had hung from her hips out of her head had very little to do with it. Very little.
She made up her mind. She grabbed her phone and dialed the number.
"Bering," Myka answered after two rings.
"Hello, Myka."
"Can I help you?" Confusion was evident in Myka's voice, even through the phone.
"Well, I had assumed that when you told me to call, you had been serious."
There was a slight commotion from the other end. "Wells," Myka choked out.
"Call me HG, darling, everyone does."
"Okay, HG."
HG chuckled at the obviously flustered tone.
"I called you to let you know that I have made my decision regarding your proposition this morning."
"You have?"
"I have, and I would love to take you up on that date."
There was an audible hitch in Myka's breath. "Really?"
"Yes, really. How does tomorrow at eight sound?"
"Let me just – yeah, that's perfect. There's a small place in town that's pretty good; Ted's Diner."
"That sounds marvelous. Casual dress?"
"Yeah, it's the nicest place this town has, but it's still just a diner."
"Well, I shall see you there."
"Yeah. I'm…I'm looking forward to it."
"Me too, darling. Have a good night."
"You too."
HG pulled the phone away from her ear, and hung up, a grin on her face.
-oOo-
Pete and Claudia stared at the dazed look on Myka's face as she walked back into the room.
"Was it-" Pete pressed.
Myka nodded. "We have a date tomorrow," she grinned. The grin dropped after a moment. "Oh my God, I have a date with HG Wells tomorrow." An alarmed look crossed her face. "What am I going to do? What if I make a fool of myself? What am I going to wear?"
"Hey, hey, hey, calm down," Pete told her. He walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders. "There is no way you will make a fool of yourself. You have a date, and it's going to be great."
She smiled slightly and rolled her eyes at his rhyme.
"Where are you two going?" Claudia asked.
"Ted's," Myka replied.
"So wear something like what you wore today."
Myka grinned as she thought of how HG had looked at her.
"There you go," Pete said. "Be happy. At least act like you have a hot date."
Myka laughed and shoved him.
-oOo-
HG threw another outfit on the reject pile and let out a groan.
Leena smirked from her bed.
"You already care about her," Leena said.
"No, I care about getting a story from her."
"If that was what you cared about, you would be going to Cecilia's two towns over not some small town diner. You would be dressed to the nines, not in jeans. And, you would have already booked another hotel room. Face it, you care about her."
"I am just doing this in a way that makes her comfortable."
"You never do that, HG. You normally control every aspect you can."
HG shot a look at her. "Well, I still can't figure out what to wear."
Leena stood up and started to look through HG's clothes. After a few minutes, she handed a pile to HG.
"Wear these."
HG raised an eyebrow and looked through the pile. Her best jeans. A tight, white button up. A black vest. Not that different from what she had worn to the games.
"She kept eyeing you today," Leena offered as explanation.
-oOo-
Myka took a deep breath. She was parked in front of Ted's and working up the nerve to go inside.
She could barely believe she had an actual date with the HG Wells. She had been a fan of the journalist's work since she had first been published nearly a decade ago. To be interviewed by her would make Myka's year, to have a date with her might just make her life.
A light knock at the window made her jump. She looked up to see HG smiling at her.
Myka blushed slightly. She pulled her keys out of the ignition, grabbed her purse, and slid out of the car. She leaned against the door. HG stood just inches from her.
"Not planning on standing me up, were you, darling?" HG drawled.
"No, never. I was just…"
"I don't make you nervous, do I?"
"Of course not." She then betrayed herself by letting out a nervous laugh.
"I would have thought that the woman who put her number in my pocket would be nervous about nothing."
"Plenty of things make me nervous; watching Claudia drop in; leaving Pete in charge of dinner plans; layovers long enough for the two of them to get lost in the airport." She trailed off when she noticed HG's smile grow. "What?"
"You are adorable."
Myka blushed and dropped her head forward, letting her hide behind her hair. HG chuckled, and held an arm out for her. Myka raised her head, eyed HG for a moment, then hooked her arm around HG's.
They drew a few glances as they walked into the diner, HG holding the door open for Myka, but they ignored them.
A smiling blonde walked to them once they were inside.
"Myka, long time, no see," she said.
"Hey, Ted. We've been too busy to visit. Sorry."
"No worries. Just tell those two to stop by before you leave again."
"I'll even give you a head up before Pete's visit."
"You're a doll," Ted laughed. "And who's this?"
"Ted, this is HG. HG, this is Ted, she owns the diner."
The women shook hands.
"It's a pleasure," HG said.
Ted raised an eyebrow at the accent. "It truly is." She turned to Myka. "The booth in the back is open. I'm assuming you know the way."
Myka nodded with a smile, and led HG further into the diner.
"You bring dates here often?" HG teased her as they approached the booth.
"That would assume that not only am I here often, but that I date often," Myka replied.
"Then how does Ted know you so well?" HG asked as they sat down.
Myka's smile dropped, and she looked down at her hands. After a few moments, she looked back up. "Listen, HG, I need to know right now how you see this. Does it actually mean anything, or is it just another interview?"
HG leaned forward, her forearms resting on the table. A part of her wanted to say yes, of course this was just another interview. Another part, however, knew that was a lie.
Something about the way Myka smiled at her warmed her very being. The memory of Myka's fingers pushing the card into her pocket sent shivers through her body. She truly wanted to get to know Myka, a feeling she hadn't had for anyone in years.
She made up her mind in a matter of seconds.
"Nothing said at this table will be printed."