Enterprise models 4

Jenna and Carol (and Chris)

Jenna had spent a busy Friday morning wearing various white gowns, posing like a bride and keeping her eyes peeled for evidence of any ties to Nero. Her inner girlish princess was thoroughly enjoying the myriad styles she was Modeling-from mermaid to ball gown. She'd even been been given veils to wear with some of the designs which fired up her romantic imagination. Carol was currently being photographed in a vintage lace number and Jenna's hair was being piled on top of her head for the next shoot for which she'd just put on a glorious strapless satin A line, glittering with crystal beadwork, when Ashley the assistant got her attention.

"Ms. Kirk, there's a man outside who says he needs to talk to you."

"Is it urgent?" She asked, wondering if Bones had some instructions from the director for her.

"I'm not sure. He said he had a message to deliver in person."

"Ask him if he can wait fifteen minutes while I finish getting this ensemble ready. I'll have a bit of a wait after that to talk."

She nodded and after a minute, returned to say the visitor would wait.

Jenna returned to her dressing with alacrity and after her hair was done, glittery tiara in place and long white gloves painstakingly inched on, she picked up her train and slipped out the door, hoping to lure Bones inside to get a Good long look at Carol in her borrowed finery.

She stopped dead in the doorway when the man in question was inot/i Bones, but Chris. He was clearly as taken aback

as she was, given the way his jaw dropped and he stared at her for a full twenty seconds before saying "Wow" weakly and looking away nervously.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Jenna preened. "I think this is my favorite one of the seven I've worn today.

"It's...quite a stunner," he agreed. "Having fun?"

"Oh, you know it." She whirled around to show off the beautiful glittery skirt. "I get to be a fairy tale princess for the day. How convenient that you just happened to drop by." She batted her eyelashes.

Chris's mouth was dry and he was seriously wondering why he'd decided to carry the message himself rather than send it with someone else.

"This is for you." He said bluntly. "It was labeled important so I thought you should have it right away."

He could feel himself going red. Ugh, could he possibly be any more of a dirty old man? This was embarrassing.

Jenna just smiled and reached out a white gloved hand to take the envelope he held out.

"Thank you, Chris. That's really nice of you to come all the way down here. I'd ask you to come in, but it's kind of a madhouse in there."

"Yeah, I know. Don't want to get in anybody's way, just thought you should see this right away."

His excuses felt really really lame, but Jenna didn't seem to notice. She looked at him at him like he was the best thing since sliced bread, nearly finishing him.

"New suit?" She asked.

"Yes," he said. "Got tired of the same old black day after day."

"I like it. Gray is definitely your color." She winked at him and he was a goner.

"Dang it, Jenna," he muttered. "What have you done to me?"

"Nothing...yet," she replied innocently. "But I'll be good. I promise. I've got to get back in there before they put out an APB on me. Let me know if you'd like to have dinner sometime. You have my number."

She picked up her skirts and swished through the door he'd opened for her. "See ya!"

"Uh. Yeah. Bye, Jen," he managed through his haze, kicking himself all the way back to his office for being a fool. The image of Jenna he now had in his head refused to be banished, no matter what he tried. Ugh. George would skin him alive for even thinking about his daughter like that.

Meanwhile, Jenna was covertly ripping open the envelope and scanning the brief sentence it contained.

iPrepare for Paris. Two weeks./i

In Archer's lingo this meant that they were closing in on Nero and were going to wrap up at Fashion Week. Jenna cheered inwardly that she'd get to be part of the team going to Europe. She wondered who else was getting assigned to the job and wondered how Archer would pull strings to get them in the show. However he did it, he'd make sure Pike remained in the dark.

"Ms. Kirk, they're ready for you."

"Okay, Ashley." She called and crumpled the note up for destruction later.

Another hour of posing later and Jenna and Carol were done for the day, the latter breathing a sigh of relief.

"I thought they would never be done with us," Carol groaned. "I mean, the gowns were pretty, but I'm starting to go stir crazy without any attempted kidnappings to thwart or villains to bring down."

"I know what you mean," Jenna sympathized. "But I think things are coming to a head soon. I heard from Archer."

This made her friend and fellow agent perk up. "Oh? What did he say?"

"They're planning on the final bust happening in Paris in two weeks," Jenna informed her.

"Fashion week?"

"Yep."

"Glorious!" Carol exulted. "I'm itching to get away from McCoy's insufferable grumpiness."

"Don't get too excited," Jenna warned her. "He's technically my partner, so there's a strong chance he'll be going too. What is it with you two, anyway?"

"He aggravates me with his grouchy "the sky is falling" mentality and he's so ridiculously overprotective and acts like I'm stupidly naive about the world," Carol said.

"And there's also the fact that he's ridiculously good looking and you're annoyed by it?" Jenna suggested.

"Yes! I just want to wring his infuriatingly muscular, tan neck!"

"Perfectly understandable," Jenna sympathized. "Bones brings out strong reactions in people, especially the ladies. I've developed an immunity to it, otherwise we couldn't possibly work together."

"Do you think you can give me some tips for developing said immunity?" Her friend asked pleadingly.

"Maybe," Jenna hedged, loading her bag into the car. "I'm not sure I want to just yet." She winked at Carol slyly, causing her fellow agent to throw her head back in frustration at aggravating, matchmaking-minded, blondes.