We can't expect the engagement to go without a few hiccups. Helena used to be a player. It's not like she didn't leave a trail of broken hearts.
The only thing coming out of the woodwork faster than the press was Helena's old flames.
Many thanks to 69reggaetongirl for Giselle's French. Merci.
One Plus One Can Be Eleven and Other Misgivings
It had been a very long, exhilarating weekend for Helena and Myka, and both slept soundly the night of the big announcement. Wrapped in each other's arms, the lovers enjoyed the quiet and calmness of their bedroom.
The morning light appeared in their windows as Leena made her way through the crowd of reporters still camped outside the townhouse. Helena did her best to prepare Myka for what being in the spotlight was like after a big story and Myka listened attentively.
"Remember Myka, no one is to annoy you," Helena said – her verbal shield offering Myka the courage she needed.
Myka made a mental list of what she needed to do that day. The only loose end, it seemed, was that she hadn't yet talked with Tracy – they kept missing each other's calls. She had an early morning meeting and would call her right after that.
Myka dressed in an Alexander McQueen red dress with cap sleeves and v-neckline. She waited for Helena who was wearing a Roland Mouret nepa cap sleeve, asymmetric draped dress in royal blue on the front panel, black on the back and over it, a matching blue coat.
Helena's phone had not stopped ringing all morning. It was either people who wanted to congratulate her, or inquire why they had to find out via the news or people who wanted her to look at their designs. All of it added up to Helena being very distracted.
Leena collected the newspapers and made sure they were out of sight. "Double Engagement" was the tamest of the headlines. "Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow?" was aimed at dethroning Eileen. "The Ring Heard Round the World," and "Pre-Nup Nightmare."
Both women were discussing their schedules as they came down the stairs where Leena was waiting for them. Myka noticed the look on her face first. She was getting better at reading Leena and this look said something unpleasant happened. Helena was busy talking via her earpiece and looking at her phone when Myka said good morning and asked if everything was okay.
Leena hesitated and said - "She said she was an old friend …..," - and jerked her head towards the living room. "Her name is on the Penthouse List."
"What list?" Myka asked and realized Helena wasn't paying attention.
Leena couldn't imagine that Helena had not told Myka about the 'List'. In fact, Helena had tried, but Myka dismissed it as part of Helena's past and deemed it unnecessary to see. It was enough for Myka that Helena wanted to tell her about it. Simply put, it was a list of people who had shared an intimate moment or two with Helena at the Penthouse. She had, of course, broken up with every one of them. This list was the names of individuals whom Helena had no ill feelings toward, and who could still call on her for a favor - a platonic favor. It did not gain them access to see her. It meant - if they called - Helena would return their call.
Leena had tried to ask Helena the specifics about it, but was summarily dismissed and told not to worry about it.
Now both she and Helena had to worry. The woman's name was on the list and she did say she needed to speak to Helena. Leena asked her to wait in the living room until she had time to check this out with Helena.
"I have a meeting first thing, but I don't know who it is with….," Helena rambled.
Leena tried to get Helena's attention, but she was busy on the phone.
"Cheri? Is that you?" came a woman's voice from the living room.
Then Myka watched as a tall, short haired blonde woman in a pale pink Chanel suit with matching shoes emerged from the inner room. The woman threw her arms out as she rushed at a rather stunned Helena, who hadn't been paying attention. The heavily perfumed woman completely ignored Myka as she hurried toward Helena. Myka watched as Helena opened her mouth, but it was quickly swallowed in a kiss.
Myka watched something else, too.
She observed that her kempo-trained lover didn't move a muscle against the assault. Helena's arms shot down to her side and she stiffened up as the kiss was planted on her parted lips. Perhaps Helena didn't want to injure the person? Myka thought.
But where were those cat-like reflexes now?
"Excuse me?" Myka said, taking things – and the guest-into her own hands as she placed her hand on the woman's sleeve. The guest seemed not to notice. The blonde let go of Helena's mouth, but not her arms.
"Chérie ! Où étais-tu passée ? Tu ne m'as pas appelée ni envoyé de message. On a échangé un baiser passionné et ensuite tu m'a laissée partir en me promettant d'appeler. Vilaine fille va. Et maintenant tu viens de te fiancer sans même m'avoir laissé ma chance," she said annoyed waving a finger at Helena.
(Darling! Where have you been? You didn't call or text me. We shared one passionate kiss and you sent me on my way with a promise to call. You naughty girl. Now you have gotten engaged before giving me a chance.)
It took Helena a few seconds to put all of this together. How did this woman get here? How did she get in? How long had it been? In those few seconds, Helena figure it out. It took Myka the same amount of time to cross her arms, shift her weight to her back leg, and stare – hard – at Helena.
"Leena?" Helena said and looked at the woman.
"Helena, her name ...it is on the ...list," Leena tried.
"Giselle!" Helena said in a tone that was mostly surprise, but she quickly tried to change it to sound annoyed. "This is my fiancée, Myka Bering," the Brit said, stepping quickly to Myka's side and entwining her arm in Myka's. In what sounded like total dead silence to Helena, she finally added quickly, "And she is fluent in your native tongue."
"Myka Bering, but of course," the woman said, the words wrapped perfectly in her French accent. She stuck her hand out quickly to Myka who was busy eyeing her up and down. "Congratulations," Giselle said, smiling so sincerely that it was hard for Myka to keep the frown on her face.
Myka finally put her arm out and shook the waiting hand. "Thank you," Myka said, trying to sound friendly and fooling no one. "And you are…..?" Myka asked, but there was suddenly a noise at the front door.
As if sent by the angels as the answer to Helena's silent prayer, the door opened and Irene walked straight in - causing the perfectly timed distraction. Helena would have kissed the woman, had she not been so busy greeting her – in an over the top manner that not even Irene missed.
"Irene! It is so kind of you to come back this morning," Helena said – and went and grabbed the woman's arm.
Irene stared at her, not noticing the cause of the unusual behavior, but when she did – she let out an uncontrollable – "Oh oh, what is she doing here?" to which Helena responded with an unpleasant squeeze. "Ouch!" Irene said and tried to pull away from the death grip on her arm.
It had been some time since Irene Frederic had to be Helena's wingman in reverse – a term Pete explained to them. Unlike the typical wingman – whose job it was to help you get the girl, the reverse wingman or 'nam-gani-we' as he pronounced it, was to clean up your messes.
Giselle was one of Helena's more - tenacious messes.
When Helena broke up or didn't want to see someone – she was very forthright in telling them – once. If they didn't get it – it became Irene's job to make it clearer. In any terms possible. It was a job Irene detested and fought Helena on every time it happened – which is to say, they fought often. And it hadn't happened in a long time – certainly not since Myka came and had to deal with Walter Sykes.
"Cheri! How are you?" the uninvited guest said to Irene and kissed her on both cheeks. Helena immediately returned to Myka's side and her expression was nothing short of 'see, she does that to everyone' - but even Helena knew it wasn't going to work.
"I can explain," Helena said to which Myka replied flatly, "I should hope so."
"It has been so long. See, you let her run around and she gets engaged," Giselle said to Irene and Irene took her by the arm and walked her into the kitchen. "I am not done with you," the French woman yelled back to Helena.
"Funny, she took the words right out of my mouth," Myka said.
Helena frowned and pulled Myka into the library and shut the door.
"Darling, Giselle and I were friends when I came to New York," Helena started.
"Friends?" the expert lawyer asked her and Helena was reminded in that one question who she was up against.
"We kissed, that was it. One kiss. And it never became anything, but she stayed the weekend...at the Penthouse. I don't even know how she got here….," Helena started.
Myka was remembering how she assured Helena that her past didn't matter to her. She was struggling to keep that thought in her head.
"She stayed the weekend...at the Penthouse..…and all you shared was a kiss?" Myka asked.
"And a bath," came the additional information from the French woman who entered the room. She had given Irene the slip on the way to the ladies room.
"That's not entirely true," Helena said, but her nervous laughter gave her away.
"You know what, Helena?" Myka said, unable to get her jealousy under control. "I'm going to give you two time to catch up. Then later, when you're free, we'll talk about what definition of 'not entirely true' you're using here." Myka never took her eyes off of Helena as she spoke. Her tone was a mixture of anger and frustration.
She wanted to take Giselle by the collar and escort her out, much the same way that Helena had handled the intruder last night. But something inside of her said not to do that – something said Helena was not fighting this woman's intrusion – and that worried Myka. Myka didn't clean up Helena's messes, and she wasn't about to start. She walked out of the room and left Helena alone with her guest.
Giselle was a smart woman and she was very aware of the trouble she was causing. She believed if Helena was truly with the woman she loved, she could do no harm by showing up. And if her presence did upset Helena's fiancée, then perhaps she would still have a chance with the most exciting woman she had ever been with.
As Helena began her diatribe against the French woman's decision to barge in to her home - laced with her steadfast conviction that Myka was her true One, Myka was pacing the tiled entryway outside. She had every intention of storming off to work – calm herself down – and then deal with the situation when Helena got to work. She had her hand on the door when Irene came into the hallway.
"Are you leaving?" Irene asked. Myka's embarrassment started to push her towards leaving.
"Yes, I have to get to work," Myka said, but didn't move.
"Without Helena?" Irene asked nonchalantly.
"She's apparently busy," Myka snapped and then tried to smile to cover it up.
"Did you kiss her goodbye?" Irene asked, as if she were inquiring about the weather.
"Excuse me?" Myka asked annoyed.
"Myka, stop being so rational. Stop being the mature one all the time, the one who keeps her cool. That's your woman in there – go get her," Irene said and pointed towards the room.
Irene saw the look on Myka's face. "Do not process this. Go," Irene reiterated.
Myka stared at the woman. Irene was right!
Myka marched to the entryway of the room. "Helena!" she said firmly. "We are leaving now," she said and waved a crooked finger at the Brit. Myka's expression wasn't mean, or angry. It was definite.
Helena was surprised, but more than that, she liked it. She didn't have to reiterate everything she had just said to Giselle. Now she looked at Myka, smiled, and said, "I have to go."
Helena walked towards Myka who took her hand when she got there. "I hope this will make things perfectly clear to you, Giselle dear," Myka said. "Helena is no longer available," Myka said firmly. She walked out of the room, Helena in tow, back to the hallway.
"I was telling her…," Helena started to say.
"I told you, Helena, that was never to happen again," Myka referring to what she said after inebriated actress kissed the Brit.
Helena felt awful. Myka was right. "I...didn't expect...she should never have been here...," Helena said pointing aimlessly to indicate 'their home'.
"You didn't handle that very well at all," Myka chastised her and then quickly added, "But neither did I, so I guess we both have to get better at this."
Helena watched as Myka's expression softened as she thought out what had to be done. Myka was being logical – and territorial.
What was it about Myka being in charge that was such a turn on for Helena?
"I am so sorry, darling. Can you forgive me?" Helena asked sincerely.
Myka pulled Helena in and kissed her. There would be time to talk about the other feelings. Myka looked over at Irene who was smiling directly at her, as she gave Myka an approving nod.
Myka got her coat for the unseasonably cool day and the women went outside into the waiting crowd of reporters. Questions went unanswered, as they smiled but made their way to the waiting car.
"Giselle, you should never have come to Helena's home," Irene chastised the woman.
"So it is true then?" Giselle asked Irene as she gathered her things to leave.
"Oui," Irene said in the woman's native tongue.
"I am the first to return?" the guest guessed based on how poorly Helena handled the situation.
"Yes," Irene confirmed, as she opened the door.
The woman kissed Irene on both cheeks fondly. "Au revoir, Irene," she said as she made her way down into the crowd. Unlike the engaged couple, she was willing to answer a few questions.
"The first …of too many," Irene said, closing the door.
Irene had talked to Helena when it was clear that she was getting serious with Myka. She urged Helena to talk to Myka openly about her past. There was so much that was fabricated in the news, that often Irene worried what Myka had read or heard. Helena assured her that when she tried to tell Myka about her past indiscretions, Myka assured her they were in the past and she didn't need to know about them. Since Helena's trysts were always at the Penthouse, she felt sure that none would violate the boundary of her home.
She was wrong.
Pete made sure that Helena and Myka got into the back of the car without any hassle. People were still shouting questions at them, but the women politely waved and didn't say a word.
"Mr. Lattimer, we need to tighten security up at the entry way of our home," Helena said as a show of displeasure at what happened.
"She was on ...the list," Pete said - not as a defense, but as an explanation. It wasn't helping Helena's cause.
"I'm so glad we don't have to answer any inquiries this morning," Helena said, grateful to be in the quiet car with Myka.
"Oh, you're going to answer questions, Ms. Wells. Just not from the press," Myka said seriously, looking down and scribbling on her legal pad. "Starting with…that list."
Suddenly, Helena realized there was something even more uncomfortable than the swarm of people outside trying to get at her.
And she was sitting right next to Helena – making a very long list – of questions.