jeez, this is weird to write. you have no idea. but i actually think joanne is a great character, so even if this story doesn't exactly glorify her, at least it's about her.
"No…shit, that's next Wednesday. Darleen, can I please get those files now?" Joanne spoke hurriedly, her hands a blur as they scooted across her desk. She shuffled three bunches of papers, paperclipped another, and saved a pen from falling to the ground. Darleen, one of her coworkers, nodded sympathetically.
"I'll try. Joanne, you need to relax, this case is not such a huge deal. I know things get a little hectic at this stage, but can't you—"
"Yeah, okay, files please?" Joanne said pointedly, flipping through a binder. Darleen sighed and left for the file room. Joanne ground her teeth in relief. Darleen meant well, but she had the gift of saying exactly the wrong thing at exactly the wrong time. The case was not a huge deal, no; but she had lost a big chunk of work time doing…stuff with Maya, and now she was ages behind. It was beginning to seem like it wasn't worth it; after all, she couldn't afford to—
"Hey." Joanne froze, then looked up very slowly. A woman was leaning in the doorway, her wavy hair falling across one side of her face. She had skin so dark it was almost pitch black, and she wore a stylish suit. The toe of one high heel was tapping slightly on the floor. Joanne felt her throat go dry.
"Missed you during the weekend," Maya said casually, advancing on Joanne slowly. The thin gold bangle on one wrist jingled slightly. Joanne blinked. Maya reached her desk and turned to the side, sliding one leg delicately up on to the desk. She perched there gracefully, looking down with half-lidded eyes at Joanne, who felt like a deer in the headlights.
"Oh…I was, um, busy…with stuff…" Joanne wasn't sure what to say. She had been with the others; Maureen had managed to cajole her into spending the weekend at the loft with everyone else. It was incredible; Joanne could sneak around as much as she wanted behind Maureen's back and she still couldn't refuse the diva a thing. It didn't exactly make life a lot easier.
Maya obviously wasn't very preoccupied with what Joanne said. She reached down and picked up the pen that Joanne had recently retrieved from the edge of the desk, rolling it back and forth between slim fingers. She smiled slightly.
"That's too bad. But you wouldn't happen to be busy tonight, would you?" Joanne's pulse raced. Maya couldn't be saying what she thought she was…could she? And even if she did mean exactly what Joanne knew she did, it was insane. Joanne was drastically behind schedule as it was, and besides, Maureen would wonder where she was…Despite these good, solid reasons in her head, Joanne found herself slowly shaking her head. Maya's smile widened.
"Great. So…my place? We'll leave around five, that should give me time to get my work on track…but I'll be looking forward to it." Maya winked and slid off the desk, hips swinging as she walked out. Joanne's eyes followed her until she was out of sight; then they fell closed in unhappiness. You're an idiot, Joanne, a true idiot…but even as she thought this, Joanne found herself suddenly relaxing. Maybe it was the obnoxious way Maya commanded her, made it about her own work instead of Joanne's, that relaxed her, since it was so reminiscent of Maureen; or maybe it was the thrill from last time. But either way, Joanne was almost psyched. Joanne Jefferson wasn't done breaking her own rules. She was just beginning.
Four hours later…
"Maureen, are you sure Joanne's okay? I mean, it's not normal to be this late, especially for her." Maureen rolled her eyes. Roger took a drag on his cigarette and blew out a cloud of smoke. He leaned back against the wall of the apartment building, glancing down the street.
"Yeah. Come to think of it, can anyone remember her being this late? Ever?" Mimi shook her head and turned to Maureen, who groaned.
"Guys, let it go! I know she's got some case going and she's got a lot of work. She's just staying after to catch up. C'mon, we gotta go or the Life is going to close!" Angel raised an eyebrow.
"How would you like it if we left without you? And anyway, the Life hardly ever closes. It's a certainty of life." Maureen shook her head firmly.
"Move your asses, guys. Joanne is fine, I promise!" Mark sighed and held up his camera, focusing on Maureen.
"State it for the camera, Maureen. In a week, when she's still gone and we're all searching for her, you eat those words." Maureen knocked the camera away from her. Mark winced as it banged against Mimi's arm, the owner of which squealed.
"The only thing I'm going to eat is some miso soup, and to do that we need to go! C'mon." She grabbed Collins by the arm and started to pull him along. He let himself be dragged away, shaking his head and laughing. Angel and Mimi glanced at each other, then followed. Roger stamped out his cigarette and started off. He looked over his shoulder at Mark.
"You coming, man?" Mark nodded and hurried after him.
dum de dum...
