Rocket to the Moon

Chapter Fifteen

Business Travel Part Three

…

He looked around the washroom decoration with critical eye. It was excessive. The fabrics, colors, designs, every single detail was suggestive, tried to put you in the mood; as if the pure sight of the girls wasn't enough.

After drying his hands in a towel Arnold drew out his cellphone. Whatsapp showed a tiny nineteen in a red circle. Greg, Claire and Helga's names were in bold letters at the top of the list. He got Greg first; he wished him a nice weekend. Arnold used to keep in contact with Greg; at least twice a day they talked to each other, work related or not. Arnold wrote back similar wishes to the Legal vicepresident and went on.

Claire… she sent a snap of a big fat burger and a caption. 'Remember the Memphis? - It's back! - Only for a while…. And they aren't gonna bring it back in a million years!' Arnold smiled. The Memphis was like an urban legend. Carl's Jr. had it once about three years ago and was never seen again. 'I'm sure they are,' he wrote back but stopped before sending it. When she read it she'd realize he was awake and it was past midnight. He thought twice. But then again she'd know he read it because those damn blue checkmarks. He sent it anyway. Then added: 'I'm going to bed. See you tomorrow.' To make sure she got the desired impression. He should keep in mind do not read any more Claire messages tonight. But rereading it he felt something was missing and added a "Miss u" for good measure.

Without dwelling too much upon it or why he left Helga's message at the end, he finally breathed deeply. His forefinger touched Helga's name. He reread his last messages.

… How do you do to keep your stomach settled when you travel?

… I'm feeling really ill…

… I'm not that bad,

… Don't worry.

… But eating is becoming a pain in the ass."

'What a dumb' he grumbled inwardly. It was so obvious he was making small talk.

- "Poor, poor Football Head!" she started, adding a big grin.

- "At least it's not the head. It'd be a huge problem!

- "Just kidding :P

- "So, travel advice, huh?

- "Try water,"

- "Commercial bread,

- "And canned fruits.

- "Not the best, but we're in surviving mode, right?

- "When you're back you can treat yourself, oh yeah!

- "But you know?

- "You still can have almost everything,

- "Just take tiny bit portions.

- "I mean itsy bitsy teenie weenie…

- "Hope you get better."

There had been a pause, and a last message added five minutes later. She'd written back only twenty minutes ago.

- "Have a nice evening, Arnold.

- "See you on the 23rd."

Arnold touched the screen and the keyboard appeared. He typed "Are you coming?" and sent back without hesitation. Their departure was scheduled on the 24th. That meant she was going to meet them here? The simple thought brought a smile to his lips. It'd be nice to see Miss Pataki in here. He raised his sight and stared at the Kama Sutra's pictures on the walls. Well, not precisely in here.

Although…

He knew then the exact kind of thoughts that would keep him tossing and turning in bed tonight.

. . .

Expectation was in the air on the morning of Tuesday 23rd of September when he went downstairs to have breakfast. At first he thought it was only him, when he met the guys at their usual table they weren't talking about the shitty hotel, the malfunctioning air conditioning, or the damn bugs that run free all over the place for once. Instead, they all talked about their upcoming leaving, the visit of Government functionaries this afternoon, and the arriving of 'the bitch'.

Arnold listened in silence. He'd already realized they actually talked shit about Helga when the bosses weren't present. He really couldn't understand their infantile behavior because if you observed with attention you could see that they actually kind of anticipated her presence. Still, as the nice guy he always was he remained quiet, talking to Marty about the labor of the day when Stan and Mike arrived. Mike was already freshly bathed and shaved, like Arnold himself and most of the guys, but Stan was another story. Looking at his face Arnold could tell he had had a girl over again. He was still grumbling when he took the seat in front of him.

"You think you'll be ready on time?" Ben asked, throwing him an admonishing look

"The car can wait." Stan spoke with his booming voice. He was talking about the van who should be taking them to the plant at eight sharp. "By the way," the big tall blond directed his blue sight to Arnold "I don't know what are you doing today but Helga will need you. You better hurry."

"Alright." Arnold nodded casually, taking a bit of his toast. "What time is she arriving?" he asked him. Helga never replied his question of Friday's night.

"Before noon." The big blond continued eating "On that line," he added "she might be asking you to stay too."

"What?" Arnold choked on his coffee when he heard him.

Stan let out a strident laugh. He wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"She's staying until Thursday," he informed "She might need someone else besides Dick and I'm afraid it'd be you, Legal. Lucky boy!" He wriggled his brows and laughed again.

"Dick is remaining behind?" Kyle asked, surprised. Stan nodded and let the fork on the side.

"Yeah, he was swearing like a sailor last night when I went to see him." Stan chuckled "Left him alone. I'm glad he went out to get some release afterwards."

"What?"

"Boss got laid?!"

"Can you blame him?" he retorted.

"All that noise… It was him then?" Mike chuckled. "I thought it was you."

"What you heard it was me!" Stan cracked another laugh "Dick is quieter. But what about him, huh?" he whistled "I'm happy he's back."

And he went back to his pancakes.

"I guess that's what happens when you're said you're gonna stay in a lousy place like this longer than you expected." Ben pondered.

"Maybe you should go out tonight to get a girl for yourself, Arnold." Woody elbowed him. Arnold snorted.

"Maybe I do." He uttered. Marty patted his back. Arnold smirked and then turned to his own plate, shaking his head. As if his mind needed any more incentive. It had been reeling back to those brass dancing poles, the damn pictures and all the paraphernalia from that whorehouse disguised as a bar. He grumbled "Or better don't".

. . . . . . .

Helga arrived earlier than expected and by eleven o'clock he was called to the meeting room that served her as office. He knocked the door and opened it. She was leaning behind a guy who was seated at the table, looking over his shoulder as he was working on some papers. She turned to see him. A frown was perched on her forehead.

"Hey, Shortman," she greeted him curtly. "Come in."

'So, last-name terms, huh?' he thought as he closed the door behind him.

Arnold's eyes followed her tall feminine figure as she straightened and rounded the table. He took her in, her fairness, her blonde hair wrapped in a loose bun at the top of her head. She was stunning in her simple grey dress and red shoes. He found himself missing her warm hugs but he'd already supposed she kept her distance in here. As she approached, smirking, he realized he'd also missed her presence, her smiles, her smell. She met him halfway and handed him a bunch of papers.

"The particularities of the agreement just for you to see and…" she informed and then she gave him a single separate sheet "-my speech." She patted his shoulder with discretion. "Can you check it out for… you know… politic incorrectness and stuff of the kind?"

"Sure." Arnold nodded. He didn't know why he felt so nervous all of a sudden. It couldn't be that the dreams he'd been having lately had just been brought back by her closeness, could it?

"Great," she smirked and walked away and towards the man she'd been by when he arrived. There was another young man seated on the other side of the table. As Arnold took a seat and read the papers he kept an eye on her all of the time as she came and went around the room. She seemed worried, upset or tired… or it all together. After a while he realized that the second man was also raising continually his sight to steal glances at her too. He smirked and shook his head.

The agreement had already been checked by Deb, that's for sure; and Helga's speech was flawless. There wasn't even a synonym he'd change. It was short and concise. Didn't talk about the past but focused in the present and future saying that they were now part of a family and that everyone was an important member of it. That she herself felt honored and proud to be in here too. And finally she talked about Henry Mueller, the patriarch, whose philosophy was present in the actions of every one of the visitors, and overall, on his nephew who was going to continue the discourse.

Arnold told her so once she finished talking to the other guy.

"I couldn't have done it any better." He said.

"Thank you" she smirked. "Dick already showed you his part?"

"Huh," Arnold vacillated.

"Where's that son of a bitch that I haven't seen yet?" she grunted. She turned to place the papers in a folder and took her cellphone. A minute later she turned to the man she had been talking to. "So, do you get it now, Shankar?"

The man stood and showed her a paper filled with corrections.

"Yes." He said "I'm going change this and get it photocopied."

"Good…" she nodded after giving it an once-over. The man left the room. Then she turned to the youngster.

"Lalit," the young man juddered at the sound of her voice. Arnold hid his smile. He'd seen this kind of bashfulness only in girls so far. Many of the girls they greeted in their way through the aisles lowered their sights and blushed madly at they went through, but guys used to be open and friendlier. Possibly it has something to do with the fact that Helga was a woman. Arnold smiled when the boy let out a timid and barely audible sound:

"You could ask Shankar." He grumbled.

"But Shankar is a northerner." She exclaimed "You were born in here, right?" the guy nodded. Helga puffed, then turned to him and rolled her eyes. "Alright, you can go. But don't get lost. I don't want to be looking for you when I need you, capisci?" the boy nodded meekly and literally ran to the door.

Arnold walked to Helga who was shaking her head in an exasperated fashion.

"Can you believe it?!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air "I thought Raj Koothrappali was a fictional character!" she huffed, and a lock of blonde hair floated around her face. Arnold smirked.

"Have you thought that it might be your fault?"

"My fault?!" She looked at him with annoyance. "Are you going to say that I'm way too aggressive too?"

He smirked.

"No. I was actually going to say that you are way too 'attractive'." He got close; he could feel this strange boldness filling his being again; so challenging and so welcomed at the same time. "I've known you all my life and the solely sight of you still renders me speechless." He added in low husky voice.

"Oh, really?" she giggled and in a sudden movement she'd closed the distance between them until her lips got dangerously close "My dear Football Head," her fingers tunneled through his hair, brushing oh so slightly his earlobe. He fought back a shiver "Don't play with fire." She breathed slowly. "You won't like getting burnt."

Her lips fluttered on his and her breath warmed his face. It was so intoxicating; he closed his eyes and leaned forward; his breathe hitched; he could even feel her taste. Coffee. But when he was about to take her by the waist she laughed softly and got away. "The crappy tricks of those guys are rubbing off on you, it seems. Did you enjoy the visit to the brothel too? Found it useful?"

He opened his eyes to see she was by the table again; looking at the papers. She was having fun at his expense; that was sure.

"I… no… I…" he stuttered, trying to regain control. "Wait a second!" he shook his head "How do you know about … the bar?"

"It was a bar? Awwww!" she put on a tender face "How cute! Bad Helga! Look how evil-minded you are!"

"You really…"

"Don't give me that shit!" her attitude went through a sudden change "For God's sake, Arnold. Do you think I don't know those guys?"

Arnold smirked. It was weird how the old days rushed to his mind at the sudden display of all that latent aggressiveness; it brought back the old Helga; the girl who obtained information pretending she already knew everything. He shook his head showing skepticism.

"Come on Helga," he snorted "You and I both know you're not gonna make me talk about them."

"That's what you think? That I want some gossip?" She shrugged her shoulders. "What for? There's nothing you can tell me about them that I don't know already."

"Yeah, sure!" he laughed.

"You don't believe me? Alright, so please tell me, amigo, if only for the sake of keeping my database updated- Does… Stan still fancy multitudinous…hmm… 'deeds'? And Mike the womanizer; how many he did this time? Four, five? He counted them aloud?"

He blinked deliberately "Alright. What else?"

"Woody is a nice guy, though I have my own theories about his… niceness. Who else? …. Oh, the new kid, Ben, is he still trying too hard to fit? " she hummed "You know? Most of them start like him… and they actually ended like that, so watch out," she pointed to Stan who was passing by out of the window. "I'm not judging by the way." She faced him. "You guys can do whatever you want. It's none of my business." Then she turned to the table and opened her folder "Just don't come to me pretending…"

"And Dick… What about him?" Arnold asked.

"What about him?" She countered right away, leaving the papers alone.

"Don't you also know…him?" he insisted. She was looking at him right in the face.

"You sure you want to talk about Dick?" She asked almost in a warning fashion.

"Why not? People say he's different, and he still plays around. He went out last night. Everyone was oh-so surprised but…"

"Arnold, the guy is your boss. You should keep to yourself the things you learn about him."

"Does that mean that you don't know a thing about him?" Arnold felt the urge to tell her despite her warnings.

"'You shouldn't judge a book by its cover'" she uttered "That serves you?"

"You knew it?"

She dismissed him.

"You know Arnold," A stern expression appeared on her face as she turned to see the time in her cellphone "-that this all sounds like gossip to me? The kind of gossip that I hate because spread stuff that shouldn't concern anybody." She talked from the other side of the table "What if Dick Mueller like this or that? He has every right in the world to do what he wants and expect respect to his privacy from his close ones the same way you and I would expect."

"You started…"

"I know, I'm not scolding you, I was okay with this talking. I guess you're my friend and it was somewhat easy and funny to expose the guys," she paused "but when is about Dick that we talk I'd like to know you're keeping this to yourself. God knows we don't need any more tales about us." When she stopped her voice wasn't that severe.

"Why you always protect him?"

"It's the second time you say that, you know"

"It's curious…"

She chuckled "Why? He's not reciprocate?"

"Actually, he isn't."

She shrugged tiredly

"We're partners, Arnold. He's my friend. And I actually like him."

"Really?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" her mouth drew a slanted smile.

"I…" He thought for a while. Her phone buzzed and she took care of it.

"And what with this… animadversion… against Dick, can I know?" she turned to see him when she was done. "I thought you had become one of his faithful followers?"

"That's why you're so curt when he is around?"

"Look that you're sharp!" she didn't miss a beat; her brows high in an amused expression. "If that's another trait the guys rubbed off on you then I'm not complaining." She took a seat and crossed her legs. "Regarding your question I daresay that if I am kind of curt it's actually for your own good." She paused "Sorry didn't make it clear beforehand but I thought you'd understand. I mean, those guys, it's not a secret that they don't like me, which is totally fair, I like it this way. But if they ever know we're friends and we've known each other since childhood…" she shook her head "they're not gonna like it."

"Are you sure?"

"As sure as hell" she bowed her head.

"So what? Do you care? I mean, what they can do to me, after all?" he asked with skepticism.

"Well, Ar-nuld" she rolled her eyes, looking exasperated "As much as you see them as a bunch of horny out-phased teenagers, they are actually the Board of Directors. And you're just a guy from Legal whose boss still can't find him a private space." She gave him a cautious look. "Talking about your boss, it also happens that I don't want complicate things for her. She wants you working with Dick; she needs you there after Ralph withdrawal, so please, help me to keep this from them, wouldya?" he realized she addressed him with forced patience.

Arnold nodded. All of a sudden he wondered if she saw him as a stubborn and problematic employee. She turned to see her papers again.

"So we're still friends?" he asked. Probably it wasn't the most appropriate question giving that she snorted as she crossed her legs again; but for some strange and unknown reason he loved to taste her patience. He had already admitted to himself he liked to be close to her; liked to make an impression even if it only made her think he was immature and needed direction. He just couldn't let her go her merry way just saying hi as she did to any of the members of the staff she happens to run into. He looked to her for a long moment, and then walked on and took a seat at her side.

"So this is it?" He asked.

"It?" she was looking at the set of papers in front of her, her mind was somewhere else.

"I mean, everything?" he supplemented. She'd continued reading. Arnold took a look at the papers; they were some kind of official communication. "Do you still need me?" she finally raised her sight and looked at him, but her eyes were still absent.

Maybe that's why he wanted so dearly to make an impression. Those eyes, they were the same eyes that used to look at him with adoration; the eyes that examined him thoroughly trying to extract every single detail from him. Now she looked at him with indifference. He was an old acquaintance who she liked to keep close and that was it. The awareness was excruciating.

"Sorry Arnold. You were saying…?" She asked again.

"Do you still need me?"

"No, no. Sorry. I guess you still have things to do." She paused "Today is your last day in here, right?" He nodded.

"But Stan told me that you're gonna stay and you might need me," he didn't mind staying an extra couple of days.

"Hmmm…" She frowned. "No. I actually…" she set the papers aside "I actually need to fly to New Delhi because… other reasons." She looked at him in the eye. "Did Stan say something else?"

"No" he shrugged "Only that you asked Dick to stay… and you might need me too."

"Dick is gonna stay because it's something that also interests him, but he already knew it. Are you telling me that he…" she stopped abruptly "Never mind." She ended.

"Alright." He stood "So this is it?"

She nodded, in a paused uncertain way. He waved goodbye and walked to the door.

"Do you still are into poetry?" he asked from the door; surprising himself by the sudden question.

"Oh," she also seemed surprised but reacted quickly "Only with figures…" she wriggled the sheets in her hands. "You said you didn't check Dick speech, right?" she asked again, changing the subject. He turned and shook his head. "It'd be a good idea if you did."

"Maybe you should do it yourself." He replied from the door "Yours is perfect." Her face showed a lopsided grin "I guess I'll see you…"

"Wait!" she slapped her forehead "I remember now something I wanted to tell you!" she stood and walked towards him "Rhonda and I were thinking it'd be nice to meet one of these days. Our next reunion is on October 17th. What do you think? Do you think you could make it?" Her face changed. She was smiling again.

"I…"

"I understand if you need to give it a thought; to talk to your girlfriend since I'm asking only you to come. I mean, it's a not girlfriend stuff." She blinked, giving a step back.

"No girlfriend, huh?"

"Well, it's nothing against her, but since we want to go back in time and catch up it'd be nice to be only the three of us. If you bring her then Rhonda and I had to bring a date too and it wouldn't be the same."

"I guess you're right…"

"You don't have to ask for permission, do you?" she quipped, nudging his arm.

"No!" he exclaimed "Of course not! I…"

There was a knock in the door and instantly it was pushed open.

"Hey!" Dick stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at him, and then Helga and a furrow appeared in his forehead. For a moment Arnold feared the worst, but what was the worst, he wondered as Dick noticed the papers in Helga's hands. "Are you ready?" he asked her then. "It's getting late and we need you to go see to the second plant."

"Almost," Helga walked away to leave the papers on the table "You already saw it?"

"We got the keys on Friday," he nodded "By the way, this is Nirav Boparai, our new General Manager. Nirav, meet Helga Pataki, CFO…" Arnold stayed behind, looking at their interaction. Seemingly Dick had forgotten about him. The new manager had arrived on their second week; Arnold already met him, he was an okay guy. Still, he couldn't help but notice that he was also caught off guard by the attractive blonde who was shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you."

Before leaving Helga turned to Arnold and let him know she'd be waiting for his response. Then the three of them headed to the exit. Arnold followed them for a while, until it was time for him to take a different aisle. As they walked away he noticed that Dick and Helga's clothes were exactly the same color; oxford grey. Her dark red shoes were the same shade of his tie too. His white shirt was a nice change from the blue he'd been using lately. He wondered if it all was casual.

Hours later he found the answer to his question. It was no casual. They were standing outside, in the middle of the two warehouses for the official presentation of the new administration in a ceremony that was honored by the presence of political and bureaucratic authorities, other businessmen, the media and hundreds of employees. It was a clouded day. The couple of blonds stood out on the dais wearing the colors of the restored plants; the same colors of the emblem that undulating in the central pole between the Indian and the American flags. Working together, giving their speeches, interacting with the rest of people, posing for the pictures, acting like friends, like family….

Henry must be so proud of them.

.

I know it looks like a lot of work-related padding, but believe me, it's necessary. 'The devil is in the detail', they say, don't they? This story explores all the surroundings and relations between the OC and not only H&A and is still being settled. Next chapter we will be moving forward, I think. There's a short paragraph in there that includes a, let's say, suggestive scene though for now I'm still keeping this as T rated.

If you are having problems to tell one character from the others I remember you that there is a list of characters in chapter 7 that is being updated.

I don't own Hey Arnold! I don't own any of the TM mentioned here. They're only here to help the story. I own the plot and the OC. See you soon. Thanks you to Nep2uune, PresleyRox, Acosta Perez Jose Ramiro, CarlinJ83 and Guest for your reviews.

W. March 28th, 2015.

P. April 2nd , 2015.