Chapter Two: Checking Out The Contestants
I stare at the screen as a picture of my self flashes on the screen. This is going to be embarrassing. The computer techie whose name I can never remember dresses me up in a rather ugly evening gown. The crowd that has gathered makes an ooooooh noise and as predicted I'm supremely embarrassed. I take it with as much dignity as possible though and stand to give a bow. However, I'm upset at the fact that I was embarrassed. So I deflect the embarrassment onto someone who's not in the room and everyone will enjoy seeing in a girlie outfit.
I type furiously as I remember what Grace said about half a minute ago. Something that suggested I got what I deserved. How can she possibly think that about me? Doesn't she know I respect her more than most of the agents? She's extremely smart and I would never degrade her the way I was degrading the women prancing around on the screen. In fact, if it weren't for her I'd still be sitting on my ass trying to figure out how to start my very first op.
Agent MacDonald's picture comes up on the computer and I select a bathing suit from the Dress Up Sally web page to put him in. I stop thinking about Grace's comment. As I make an ooooooh noise when the picture downloads I realize everyone has grown quite. "He's right behind me isn't he?"
"Not really my color is it?" MacDonald's baritone voice questions.
" Uh, sir, we were just looking for an agent to go undercover at the beauty pageant." I quickly reply hoping to spare myself another embarrassing moment in front of Grace.
"And I'm the best we've got? Doesn't inspire much hope does it? Get back to work and Heart shouldn't you be behind a desk?" MacDonald leaves in the same quiet manner he had entered in. His words and tone had made an impact on everyone still there.
"Yes, sir." Grace tells him before he leaves. I walk over to her. Standing close I ask "What's the matter with you people he's standing right behind me and you don't say anything?"
"What? I got eyes in the back of my head?" Grace's eyes bore into mine and I get the feeling she's mad at me. And I think I know why. Last night I had approached her before a date. She had congratulated me on getting my own op and invited me to join her. Once again to the untrained eye this seemed like a totally normal exchange between two close friends. It wasn't, there was something behind Grace's eyes that you had to search to see. She wanted to spend time alone with me and I knew that but it scared me. I was glad my little, blonde, college student was there to distract me. I know Grace doesn't think I heard her making fun of my date but I did and the disdain for the younger, curvier, woman was written plainly on her face for the whole world to see when she talked to my date.
"He was right behind me." I plead with her trying to get her mind off Bev and back to the current crisis.
"What were you gonna say?" She challenges me right back. I should have known. Grace Heart does not back down from a fight.
"What about this one?" the computer techie asked pulling Grace and I from out staring contest.
"You kiddin' that's Heart." I tell him. NO WAY am I letting Grace take this position. She's too special to me and this is one dangerous mission with the Citizen involved. I look at the screen again.
"Turn it off." Grace complains obviously perturbed that the lab techie had the balls to put her picture on the screen.
"Hold on a second, that's not bad." I say a little stunned as I continue looking at the screen.
"You better hit the save button 'cause your never seein' that again." Grace answers immediately as my mind entertains the possibility of letting her go. I don't want her to but DAMN she looked good in that bathing suit. For the first time since I met Grace I got to see the curves she hid underneath those baggy clothes. She was the right height and weight and she definitely had the body type to do this. I look at her pleadingly.
"No, turn it off." She walks out of the room and I'm still staring at her on the computer screen. Suddenly the kind of thoughts I used to have about agent Heart are beginning to come back. I notice the other guys in the room are giving her appreciative stares, especially the computer techie. A new type of feeling floods over me and I make the guys leave and stay until the lab techie turns the program off. I don't want anyone staring at Grace like that but me. It was normal to feel that way about your best girl friend, right? Except, I hadn't really been thinking of Grace like a friend lately, not since that last op.
I stare at the screen as a picture of my self flashes on the screen. This is going to be embarrassing. The computer techie whose name I can never remember dresses me up in a rather ugly evening gown. The crowd that has gathered makes an ooooooh noise and as predicted I'm supremely embarrassed. I take it with as much dignity as possible though and stand to give a bow. However, I'm upset at the fact that I was embarrassed. So I deflect the embarrassment onto someone who's not in the room and everyone will enjoy seeing in a girlie outfit.
I type furiously as I remember what Grace said about half a minute ago. Something that suggested I got what I deserved. How can she possibly think that about me? Doesn't she know I respect her more than most of the agents? She's extremely smart and I would never degrade her the way I was degrading the women prancing around on the screen. In fact, if it weren't for her I'd still be sitting on my ass trying to figure out how to start my very first op.
Agent MacDonald's picture comes up on the computer and I select a bathing suit from the Dress Up Sally web page to put him in. I stop thinking about Grace's comment. As I make an ooooooh noise when the picture downloads I realize everyone has grown quite. "He's right behind me isn't he?"
"Not really my color is it?" MacDonald's baritone voice questions.
" Uh, sir, we were just looking for an agent to go undercover at the beauty pageant." I quickly reply hoping to spare myself another embarrassing moment in front of Grace.
"And I'm the best we've got? Doesn't inspire much hope does it? Get back to work and Heart shouldn't you be behind a desk?" MacDonald leaves in the same quiet manner he had entered in. His words and tone had made an impact on everyone still there.
"Yes, sir." Grace tells him before he leaves. I walk over to her. Standing close I ask "What's the matter with you people he's standing right behind me and you don't say anything?"
"What? I got eyes in the back of my head?" Grace's eyes bore into mine and I get the feeling she's mad at me. And I think I know why. Last night I had approached her before a date. She had congratulated me on getting my own op and invited me to join her. Once again to the untrained eye this seemed like a totally normal exchange between two close friends. It wasn't, there was something behind Grace's eyes that you had to search to see. She wanted to spend time alone with me and I knew that but it scared me. I was glad my little, blonde, college student was there to distract me. I know Grace doesn't think I heard her making fun of my date but I did and the disdain for the younger, curvier, woman was written plainly on her face for the whole world to see when she talked to my date.
"He was right behind me." I plead with her trying to get her mind off Bev and back to the current crisis.
"What were you gonna say?" She challenges me right back. I should have known. Grace Heart does not back down from a fight.
"What about this one?" the computer techie asked pulling Grace and I from out staring contest.
"You kiddin' that's Heart." I tell him. NO WAY am I letting Grace take this position. She's too special to me and this is one dangerous mission with the Citizen involved. I look at the screen again.
"Turn it off." Grace complains obviously perturbed that the lab techie had the balls to put her picture on the screen.
"Hold on a second, that's not bad." I say a little stunned as I continue looking at the screen.
"You better hit the save button 'cause your never seein' that again." Grace answers immediately as my mind entertains the possibility of letting her go. I don't want her to but DAMN she looked good in that bathing suit. For the first time since I met Grace I got to see the curves she hid underneath those baggy clothes. She was the right height and weight and she definitely had the body type to do this. I look at her pleadingly.
"No, turn it off." She walks out of the room and I'm still staring at her on the computer screen. Suddenly the kind of thoughts I used to have about agent Heart are beginning to come back. I notice the other guys in the room are giving her appreciative stares, especially the computer techie. A new type of feeling floods over me and I make the guys leave and stay until the lab techie turns the program off. I don't want anyone staring at Grace like that but me. It was normal to feel that way about your best girl friend, right? Except, I hadn't really been thinking of Grace like a friend lately, not since that last op.