Author's Notes: Woo hoo, I'm back! And,
more importantly, Buttercup and Andra are back (for all of you who sent
me pestering e-mails wondering when they'd return, lol). There's gonna
be lots of twists and turns in this fic, so sit back and read the first
chapter of (hopefully) many!
Challenging Fate
By: Forlay
Chapter One - New Adventures
"Miss Bellum?"
Miss Bellum sighed and took off her glasses to massage the bridge of her nose. All this paper work the Mayor had her doing was beginning to take its effect on her eyes. "What is it, Mayor?"
The Mayor entered her office with a woman trailing behind him. "The intern is here!"
The woman stepped out from behind the Mayor and approached Miss Bellum's desk. "Hi, I'm Kandy Kane." She put out a hand for Miss Bellum to shake.
Miss Bellum took the offered hand, though internally she was wincing at the chipperness of this girl. Her name, Miss Bellum already figured, fit her all too well. Kandy had the chipper voice of a cheerleader, and with her brown-sugar colored skin, she looked like she was almost made of candy. "Hi, Kandy. I'm Sara Bellum."
"I'll be working with you, right?"
Unfortunately. . . "Yes." Miss Bellum was usually slow to judge people, but Kandy seemed to be one of those people you either instantly liked or disliked. Miss Bellum had known too many people with similar demeanors in her life to have a desire to like this one.
"I'll leave you two to get acquainted," the Mayor said cheerfully. "It's my lunch time. Bye-bye!" he left through the same door he had just entered.
Kandy took a seat on the edge of Miss Bellum's cluttered desk. "So, why did you decide to work for the Mayor?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Miss Bellum asked absently, actually wanting to go back to her paper work.
"Well, this is supposed to be an educational experience, isn't it?" Miss Bellum glanced up at the new intern, who was now leaning closer to Miss Bellum, revealing a generous ammount of cleavage. "I'm supposed to be deciding if I really want to work in the government."
"That's fair enough," Miss Bellum admitted. She leaned back in her chair and began telling Kandy about her history with the Mayor.***
Gradually, Kandy's energy
caught on in City Hall. Despite Miss Bellum's first impression of her,
Kandy was indeed a likable person. She efficiently carried out all the
tasks given to her, from making copies, to filing, to getting coffee, and
she never complained about any of it. She apparently had a strong desire
to work in a law or government office. So before Kandy had been working
with her for two weeks, Miss Bellum had developed a casual friendship with
the girl. Still, Miss Bellum was surprised when Kandy invited her out one
Friday night.
"Why on Earth would you want to be seen out with me? I'm practically old enough to be your mother." Miss Bellum said.
Kandy laughed. "You can't be 15 years older than I am. Come on, it's not like a date or anything, just going over to Citysville and getting a drink."
Kandy's choice of words seemed odd to Miss Bellum, but the status of their excursion mattered less to her than the the destination. "Why do we have to go all the way to Citysville?"
"'Cause they have the best bars."
"I really don't think -"
"That's good," Kandy interrupted. "Don't think. Just go out for one night of fun. It's not like you have a husband to go home to."
I have something better, Miss Bellum thought. She tried to figure out the evening quickly. If she could get through all her paper work by the time Kandy left, she could go out without having to call Sandra. Miss Bellum often stayed late to work on Friday nights, her partner wouldn't miss her. . . .
"If I finish my paperwork, I go," Miss Bellum said.
"Yea!" Kandy said, clapping her hands like the cheerleader MIss Bellum now knew she used to be. "Hope you're ready to party!" Miss Bellum wanted to protest; if she was going to get a drink after work, she wanted a quiet one. But Kandy had already scurried off to her next job.
"This is going to be a long night."***
Miss Bellum did get all
her work done by five, when Kandy's workday ended. Kandy was waiting out
front by an older, but still fashionable, sports car. She wasn't dressed
in the sensible suit she'd worn to work. Now she was dressed in black leather
pants and a daringly low red, glittery top.
"Ready to go, Miss Bellum?" Kandy called.
Miss Bellum suddenly felt apprehensive about going anywhere with Kandy, especially when Kandy was obviously dressed for a party while Miss Bellum, still in her red suit, wasn't dressed for anywhere besides the office.
Kandy seemed to sense Miss Bellum's hesitation. "You look fine. C'mon, I want to get to Citysville before rush hour."
Despite her better judgment, Miss Bellum took the steps down to Kandy's car two at a time. She slid into the passenger seat and buckled up while Kandy went around to the driver's seat.
They left just before rush hour hit, making the trip to the darker, grittier Citysville in under half an hour.
The bar was on the outskirts of Citysville, meaning the neighborhood was slightly better than that of downtown Citysville.
Kandy expertly parallel parked in front of a red brick building. "Here we are!"
Miss Bellum looked out her window at the building, hoping to see a sign with the name of the bar on it. She didn't find it, as she was too preoccupied with the large rainbow gay-pride flag over the door.
"You took me to a gay bar?" Miss Bellum hissed at Kandy when the girl came over to Miss Bellum's door.
Kandy suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Um, yeah. Isn't that, I mean, aren't you -"
"That is besides the point," Miss Bellum said. "I really don't think it'd be appropriate -"
"This is the most relaxed bar I've ever been in. You don't hook up with a one night stand here. You meet people, talk, dance, flirt. Nothing serious." Kandy gave Miss Bellum a pleading look. "Please?"
Miss Bellum sighed. "all right. But not for long, right? Just to get a drink or two."
"Yea!" Kandy opened Miss Bellum's door and offered an arm to the older woman. Kandy was back to acting like a carefree college kid.
Miss Bellum hesitated, but did take Kandy's arm and allowed herself to be escorted into Citysville's gay bar.***
Miss Bellum quietly opened
the front door of the home she shared with Ms. Keane. The lights in the
house were all off, which was what prompted Miss Bellum to take extra care
to be quiet. She'd already slipped off her red pumps outside to be sure
she didn't click on the hardwood kitchen floor.
Her efforts were in vain, however. As soon as the front door shut, the living room lights flicked on.
"Where have you been?" Ms. Keane demanded. She was sitting on the couch, dressed in her pajamas and wrapped in a quilt, but obviously had been awake, waiting for Miss Bellum.
"I'm sorry for not calling," Miss Bellum apologized. "I went out after work to get a drink with someone."
"And you stayed until 11:30?"
"We lost track of time." Miss Bellum sat next to Ms. Keane. "Sandra, I'm sorry. I really am. I only meant to stay for an hour, at most, but we were having fun -"
"We?"
"Kandy and I," Miss Bellum admitted.
"Getting awfully friendly with that girl, aren't you?"
"She's not as bad as she first seemed to be, so I am trying to be friends. She's easier to work with that way."
"And does being friends require you to become drinking buddies as well?" Ms. Keane coughed. "Ugh, where did you go? You reek of smoke."
Miss Bellum sniffed the sleeve of her jacket, then made a face. "Ugh, I do. I'm going to go take a shower." She stood up.
"Sara?" Miss Bellum looked down at Ms. Keane. "I - I'm sorry if I seem paranoid. I was just worried."
"I'm sorry for making you worry." Miss Bellum leaned down and kissed the top of Ms. Keane's head. "I won't do it again. I promise."
Miss Bellum sighed and took off her glasses to massage the bridge of her nose. All this paper work the Mayor had her doing was beginning to take its effect on her eyes. "What is it, Mayor?"
The Mayor entered her office with a woman trailing behind him. "The intern is here!"
The woman stepped out from behind the Mayor and approached Miss Bellum's desk. "Hi, I'm Kandy Kane." She put out a hand for Miss Bellum to shake.
Miss Bellum took the offered hand, though internally she was wincing at the chipperness of this girl. Her name, Miss Bellum already figured, fit her all too well. Kandy had the chipper voice of a cheerleader, and with her brown-sugar colored skin, she looked like she was almost made of candy. "Hi, Kandy. I'm Sara Bellum."
"I'll be working with you, right?"
Unfortunately. . . "Yes." Miss Bellum was usually slow to judge people, but Kandy seemed to be one of those people you either instantly liked or disliked. Miss Bellum had known too many people with similar demeanors in her life to have a desire to like this one.
"I'll leave you two to get acquainted," the Mayor said cheerfully. "It's my lunch time. Bye-bye!" he left through the same door he had just entered.
Kandy took a seat on the edge of Miss Bellum's cluttered desk. "So, why did you decide to work for the Mayor?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Miss Bellum asked absently, actually wanting to go back to her paper work.
"Well, this is supposed to be an educational experience, isn't it?" Miss Bellum glanced up at the new intern, who was now leaning closer to Miss Bellum, revealing a generous ammount of cleavage. "I'm supposed to be deciding if I really want to work in the government."
"That's fair enough," Miss Bellum admitted. She leaned back in her chair and began telling Kandy about her history with the Mayor.
"Why on Earth would you want to be seen out with me? I'm practically old enough to be your mother." Miss Bellum said.
Kandy laughed. "You can't be 15 years older than I am. Come on, it's not like a date or anything, just going over to Citysville and getting a drink."
Kandy's choice of words seemed odd to Miss Bellum, but the status of their excursion mattered less to her than the the destination. "Why do we have to go all the way to Citysville?"
"'Cause they have the best bars."
"I really don't think -"
"That's good," Kandy interrupted. "Don't think. Just go out for one night of fun. It's not like you have a husband to go home to."
I have something better, Miss Bellum thought. She tried to figure out the evening quickly. If she could get through all her paper work by the time Kandy left, she could go out without having to call Sandra. Miss Bellum often stayed late to work on Friday nights, her partner wouldn't miss her. . . .
"If I finish my paperwork, I go," Miss Bellum said.
"Yea!" Kandy said, clapping her hands like the cheerleader MIss Bellum now knew she used to be. "Hope you're ready to party!" Miss Bellum wanted to protest; if she was going to get a drink after work, she wanted a quiet one. But Kandy had already scurried off to her next job.
"This is going to be a long night."
"Ready to go, Miss Bellum?" Kandy called.
Miss Bellum suddenly felt apprehensive about going anywhere with Kandy, especially when Kandy was obviously dressed for a party while Miss Bellum, still in her red suit, wasn't dressed for anywhere besides the office.
Kandy seemed to sense Miss Bellum's hesitation. "You look fine. C'mon, I want to get to Citysville before rush hour."
Despite her better judgment, Miss Bellum took the steps down to Kandy's car two at a time. She slid into the passenger seat and buckled up while Kandy went around to the driver's seat.
They left just before rush hour hit, making the trip to the darker, grittier Citysville in under half an hour.
The bar was on the outskirts of Citysville, meaning the neighborhood was slightly better than that of downtown Citysville.
Kandy expertly parallel parked in front of a red brick building. "Here we are!"
Miss Bellum looked out her window at the building, hoping to see a sign with the name of the bar on it. She didn't find it, as she was too preoccupied with the large rainbow gay-pride flag over the door.
"You took me to a gay bar?" Miss Bellum hissed at Kandy when the girl came over to Miss Bellum's door.
Kandy suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Um, yeah. Isn't that, I mean, aren't you -"
"That is besides the point," Miss Bellum said. "I really don't think it'd be appropriate -"
"This is the most relaxed bar I've ever been in. You don't hook up with a one night stand here. You meet people, talk, dance, flirt. Nothing serious." Kandy gave Miss Bellum a pleading look. "Please?"
Miss Bellum sighed. "all right. But not for long, right? Just to get a drink or two."
"Yea!" Kandy opened Miss Bellum's door and offered an arm to the older woman. Kandy was back to acting like a carefree college kid.
Miss Bellum hesitated, but did take Kandy's arm and allowed herself to be escorted into Citysville's gay bar.
Her efforts were in vain, however. As soon as the front door shut, the living room lights flicked on.
"Where have you been?" Ms. Keane demanded. She was sitting on the couch, dressed in her pajamas and wrapped in a quilt, but obviously had been awake, waiting for Miss Bellum.
"I'm sorry for not calling," Miss Bellum apologized. "I went out after work to get a drink with someone."
"And you stayed until 11:30?"
"We lost track of time." Miss Bellum sat next to Ms. Keane. "Sandra, I'm sorry. I really am. I only meant to stay for an hour, at most, but we were having fun -"
"We?"
"Kandy and I," Miss Bellum admitted.
"Getting awfully friendly with that girl, aren't you?"
"She's not as bad as she first seemed to be, so I am trying to be friends. She's easier to work with that way."
"And does being friends require you to become drinking buddies as well?" Ms. Keane coughed. "Ugh, where did you go? You reek of smoke."
Miss Bellum sniffed the sleeve of her jacket, then made a face. "Ugh, I do. I'm going to go take a shower." She stood up.
"Sara?" Miss Bellum looked down at Ms. Keane. "I - I'm sorry if I seem paranoid. I was just worried."
"I'm sorry for making you worry." Miss Bellum leaned down and kissed the top of Ms. Keane's head. "I won't do it again. I promise."