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Chapter 10 Lasting Impressions
Leena should have been a little more explicit when she told Myka that they asked HG to take it outside. It was the waitress who asked them allto take it outside because they were making too much noise and the customers were complaining.
"If this is what happens when you drink the whole cup of tea, I mean your beverage honey, I'd rather you went back to finishing just half," the waitress said to Helena.
It took a few minutes before the bills were calculated and the guys paid and HG asked Leena if she 'wouldn't mind settling the bill while she taught these boys about football' is how she put it.
Myka felt that Pete purposely took that day to finally follow the speed limit but he was actually going above the posted number. She was just anxious to get there but so was Pete. Seeing HG take down four guys was not something he wanted to miss out on – and of course - offer help should she need it. His money was on her not needing it. The SUV came to an abrupt halt outside the diner where Leena was standing there waiting for them.
"I think they took her to the parking lot!" she yelled to them.
"You better take care of this, Lattimer," Myka warned him as he got out of the car.
"So even though HG is back to herself, I'm still getting the blame when she's in a fight?" he asked.
"She wouldn't be in a fight if you hadn't taught her about stupid football," Myka retorted.
"Oh yeah - cause she's never been in a fight before, that's right. How about when the lacrosse coach threatened to have security escort her off the field because she was fighting with him over his plays? Or when the museum curator at the steampunk exhibition put Jules Verne's name before HG Wells in the display? Hmmm?" Pete said -pointing out that public displays of emotion were second nature to the Brit.
Myka turned to answer him as they were making the way around to the parking lot but nothing came out.
"I thought so," Pete said smugly and if there had been time, Myka might have expressed her retort physically to him.
They rounded the building to see the four young well-built men in a row facing HG. She had her back to her fellow agents but it seemed obvious from her stance that she was about to kempo them.
"Here she goes," Pete thought he said only to himself but caught the expression on Myka's face.
"Helena, no!" they both yelled and drew her attention.
"HG, what do you think you're doing, young lady? Alright fellas, let's take it easy here," Pete said to the young men. Myka instinctively had her hand on the Tesla in case she needed to deter one of these big guys. But no one was moving including HG who stared curiously.
"Wow your mother is hot!" the youngest on the four said to Helena about Myka because from his experience, only parents yelled at you like that.
"And that would make you…." she said smiling at Pete.
"OK listen Helena. We've talked about picking fights and it's - you know, not cool. Even if you can take them," Pete said unsure of what he was walking into. Helena figured it out immediately and decided to have fun.
"You thought … oh right-e-o then, yes, well you told me that we always stick up for our team, didn't you Pete? And you said that the Navy fans were, how did you put it, wusses? Is that the word? Well something like that. Anyway, you told me that if any of those wusses ever tried to say their team was better than the Fighting Irish that we were to, well fight. Isn't that right?" she asked Pete her words dripping with innocence.
Pete backed up in defense of her words. He had never called the fans anything. OK, maybe he had but he was certain that Helena knew he meant no-to-their-faces.
Now the Navy men turned their attention to Pete and all four pairs of eyes held him in their stare. "Wusses?" one of them said. Pete realized that HG had just lobbed the spotlight over to him now.
"Hey I never said wusses. I said ….ah…..midshipmen..eses….You know cause your team is called the Midshipmen," Pete said trying to think quickly on his feet. Unfortunately, one of them was already in his mouth.
"Are you okay, Helena?" Myka asked with great concern.
"Perfectly fine, darling," HG answered, chesire grin decorating her face. Myka noticed the napkin had been holding against her chest. On it was x's and o's.
"What is that?" Myka asked.
"Oh this?" HG said showing Myka the drawing. "I like to call this the Wells fake to the right offense and score a touchdown play. You see these x's? They represent the defense team and the o's are the offensive players. The one's these gentlemen's team is so sorely lacking talent in," HG shouted over to them.
"Not helping here, HG," Pete yelled back as he was trying to explain that his friend is British and therefore, does not really understand sports. After spending just a few minutes with HG, they all thought she had a great handle on football and were not buying Pete's line.
"Maybe you taught her to have a big mouth so you wouldn't get in trouble," one of them said moving toward Pete.
"Oh no, I assure you big guy, she came like that," Pete said trying to figure out where his back up in all of this was. She was busy telling Myka ….
"And the only offensive player who is not an 'o' is the center and he's represented by the square with an x in it, here. See?" HG said pointing to her drawing.
"So they didn't take you back here to fight you?" Leena asked embarrassed that she had misinterpreted what had happened.
"Fight me?" Helena said laughing out the words. "You must be joking, darling."
"So you feel ok? Nothing strange going on?" Myka asked realizing that HG in a parking lot with four guys drawing football plays on napkins did not actually constitute strange.
"A little help here, HG?" Pete called back as the guys were getting more defensive about their offense after he had just admitted that he had taught Helena football. And then Pete figured out what he had to do. He was after all, a trained agent with highly technical skills in weaponry and defense. He was a master of getting out of difficult situations when the odds were stacked against him. The way he saw it he had only a couple of options; he could flash his badge and show his weapon but that would be too testosterone-y he thought. He could take them all on but this was HG's fight not his - or he could play his ace card – the deadliest choice of all. He went with that.
"What do you mean I wasted my time teaching her all of that? You're saying because she's a girl, she can't understand football. Come on guys, come into the 21st century!" Pete shouted loud enough for his companions to hear. The four men looked at each other because they weren't sure who the hell he was talking to. They hadn't said a word about that.
"You guys do know they gave them the vote, right? I mean, come on -I thought men your age were a little more open minded," Pete yelled and the he saw it. He didn't even have to turn around to see if Helena was looking at them. He could see it in their eyes. Pete had broken out the wrath of Wells and it was about to be served on a silver platter to these four. Pete was tempted to yell out – 'two for flinching' because each of them had actually taken the smallest step backwards in response to the look on HG's face. It was the perfect exit strategy and Pete turned around.
"Neanderthals," he said in disgust to Myka and HG as he walked passed them, his ears trained on the sound of any possible footsteps rushing toward him. There were none.
"Hey, we didn't say that, ok?" one of the guys said to Helena. She wasn't sure what anyone said. She could tell from Pete's tone that he was pleased with himself but she wasn't sure why just yet. She handed the napkin over to the leader of the group. "Study that. There'll be a quiz next time our paths cross," HG said smiling and yet none of them felt at ease. "Sure thing," he said and they all said goodbye and got into their truck.
Myka stood there shaking her head. "So you feel fine, yes?" she asked HG again.
"Perfectly," HG replied.
"But you were talking football trash. We thought you were still under Pete's influence," Myka explained.
"Oh well I dare say the things he taught me are still in here," HG said tapping her temple.
"Oh," Myka said - the disappointment evident.
"But you finished your tea?" Leena reminded her and then quickly changed it to 'beverage'. HG smiled a broad grin.
"Is that what made you call for backup?" HG said laughing. Leena didn't think it was funny.
"That is something I learned from Myka, " HG said truthfully.
"To finish your tea?" Myka said and then seeing HG's raised eyebrow added, " I mean beverage."
"I learned that when someone goes to all the trouble of doing something you want even if they fail miserably at it, you should appreciate their efforts. I drank the tea … beverage because I know they are trying their damnedest to make it. They simply have not succeeded," HG said explaining it.
"You learned that from me?" Myka asked confused.
"I have learned a great many things from you, Myka Bering. Politeness is simply one of them," HG said as they returned to the car. "You seem surprised," HG said when she saw Myka's expression.
"Well, yeah I guess I am. I mean, I'm glad … I just…," Myka said not being able to put her thoughts into words. She needn't to with Helena.
"Myka, what happened with Pete was an artifact at work. I had no choice. The things he taught me are imprinted in a very small region of my brain. And I will probably spend weeks cleaning up the mess he made in here. But you, Myka. You have impressed me from the moment I met you. I learn from you every day; how to act, how to express my feelings, how to love someone again. The things I learn from you are imprinted in my heart, Myka – for all eternity," HG said and Myka stopped and grabbed her. "Oh, Helena," Myka said, tears welling in her eyes.
"Now let's go see Pete. I've got a few things I'd like to impress upon him," HG said holding Myka's hand.
Myka looked at HG as they drove back to the B&B. She was right – she had never really left Myka – not even for a second.
"We don't know where our first impressions come from or precisely what they mean, so we don't always appreciate their fragility."
Malcolm Gladwell
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