Want some good advice?

"I saw you with her last night."

Shego looked up from her breakfast to see Cindy Winters standing before her. She was dressed in a thin, white silk blouse that was translucent enough to show the white bra supporting her generous breasts, and a dark gray pencil skirt that left a good deal of her shapely thighs on display. Her legs were covered in shiny, sheer hose, and from her posture Shego concluded she was wearing her customary heels.

"Excuse me?"

"Kim. You were having dinner with her."

"Uh, yes?"

"You told me to stay away from her. Do you think it's appropriate for you to take her on a date?"

"It was not a date. I told you, she's an old acquaintance. We were catching up."

"You told me you were enemies."

"Yeah, well, that's in the past now. She doesn't hold a grudge."

"No, it didn't look like she did. Did you sleep with her?"

"No! I'm not romantically interested in her." Shego felt it was important to set the record straight, even if it wasn't really any of her business.

"You could have fooled me."

"Look, we were just talking, that's all." Why was she so defensive? She didn't owe Cindy any answers.

"Do you think our employer would approve of you getting too close to her?"

"My client has instructed me to keep her under surveillance at all times and, if possible, keep her away from Future Ways employees. Our dinner... engagement accomplished both of those tasks."

"Must be convenient, having that excuse."

"Did Kimmie put you up to this?"

"I haven't talked to her since you revealed her game. I'm not sure you should be talking to her, either."

"I can handle her."

"I bet." Cindy paused and took a deep breath, visibly calming herself down.

"You told me you suspected she was using me to get close to some other employee. Have you considered the possibility that that was you? As the head of security you must have access to sensitive information."

It had not, in fact, occurred to Shego. She briefly thought it over. "No, that doesn't make sense. You don't have any reason to interact with me in the normal course of our duties, and given our past history Kimmie doesn't need any excuse to come talk to me."

"Maybe she wanted to make you jealous."

"What is it with you? I'm not jealous over Kimmie, and I'm not interested in her. Why would you even think that?"

"I saw how you looked at your 'Kimmie'. You just gave me a once over, too. In case you didn't catch it, I'm a lesbian. You don't need to act coy around me."

Shego nearly shouted out loud that she wasn't a lesbian, but remembered at the last second she was in a half full cafeteria. "I'm. Not. Into. Women. I'm straight," she hissed, eliciting a little snort of laughter from Cindy.

"Wow. You know, I thought you were just trying to hide it, but could you really be so deep in the closet you don't even know it yourself?" Cindy shook her head theatrically, causing her carefully arranged hair to dance about her head like a golden halo, then smiled at Shego.

"If you ever decide you want to explore your sexuality a little, come talk to me. It's a much better idea than getting into bed with a government investigator. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go stand around in an empty exhibition hall. You're welcome to come keep me company."

Cindy turned on her heel and walked away, her heels clicking on the floor and her hips swaying hypnotically. She paused at the entrance to give Shego a wink over her shoulder. Shego finally noticed her mouth was hanging open and she closed it.

"Kimmie put her up to this. She must have." Shego realized she was talking to herself, and shut up.

"Johnson, how do things look in the hall?"

"Quiet, but there's a couple of suspicious characters. I think they're Feds, but I haven't seen their faces before. Do you think they might be bringing in more people?"

"Maybe. Keep an eye on them."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Shego ended the call and dialed the next contact on her list. She knew she really ought to go check out the new faces herself, but she didn't want to enter the exhibition hall right now. If Miss Winters saw her so soon after their talk, she might get the wrong idea. She wasn't interested in Cindy. She had no interest in any woman whatsoever.

"Where is Kim right now?"

"She's sitting at a presentation in Salon 3, Ma'am. The title of the presentation is..." There was a pause as Reynolds obviously looked it up. "Uh, Possibilities of Surface Plasmon Interference Nanolithography." The last three words were delivered slowly and carefully.

"You stay on her. I'm just going to pop in to confirm the situation for myself." Shego disconnected the call. She made her way towards Salon 3, one of the larger meeting spaces at the hotel, currently arranged for lectures and presentations.

She didn't understand why Kim was sitting in for the presentation. It didn't advance the investigation in any way; quite the opposite. There was no way the topic could be related to her work, and she didn't think she was taking notes for her brothers. It might be related to the nano-whatever techniques Kim had reportedly discussed with Miss Winters, but she was currently twiddling her thumbs at the company booth, probably being hit on by a man who apparently had no idea she was gay.

None of Kim's actions made a whole lot of sense. She'd had Kim under surveillance practically all the time, often personally. At no point had Kim done anything that seemed to advance whatever investigation Future Ways was under. All of her actions were consistent with her cover as a Possible Solutions representative.

Yet her contact had been sure Kim was hired as part of this investigation. Kim herself had all but confirmed it during their conversations. There was no need for her to maintain a cover that was thoroughly blown, so she'd probably been telling the truth about actually working for her brothers. How much was she expected to contribute?

Shego reached her destination and stepped through the door. The large space was filled with cheap chairs to make up an impromptu lecture hall. The room wasn't ideal for the purpose; those in the back strained to see the lecturer at the raised podium, and those who wanted to take notes had to hold their laptops or notepads on their laps.

People closest to the door turned briefly to look at her as she entered. One head further in also turned, the movement catching her eye. Kim smiled at her before turning her attention back to the presentation. Shego wasn't quite sure how she'd noticed her entrance. Reynolds was leaning against the wall at the back. There were plenty of empty seats, but he'd probably wanted a better view at Kim. Shego nodded to him and stepped back out.

According to the information at the door, the presentation would run for two hours. That was two more hours that Kim would be a non-threat. Why would anyone hire Kim Possible of all people and then have her hang around doing nothing related to the assignment? The most she had achieved so far was to tie up some of Shego's time and distract her with her outrageous behavior.

Shego could feel the hairs standing up at the back of her neck and her stomach drop suddenly as a thought occurred to her: what if that was all Kim was supposed to achieve? What if she was nothing more than a decoy? What if one of Kim's no doubt many government friends had heard she'd be present here and asked her to pretend to be a part of the investigation—without outright claiming to be so—while spreading a rumor that she had been hired? Kim hadn't really interacted with any of the other government personnel present. If she was a decoy then Shego had wasted valuable time on a wild goose chase.

Did that really matter? Shego was sure she had identified all the investigators present, with the possible exception of the newcomers. None of them had done anything the company really needed to worry about. She wasn't sure if they even had the authority to do anything but ask questions, and she had been able to keep them away from the people who mattered. Concentrating on Kim hadn't opened up any gaps for anyone else to exploit. In the end, Shego didn't think anyone would waste Kim's talents just for a distraction, and even if someone would be so foolish, she couldn't afford to ignore a threat as potent as Kim. In either case, her best move was to continue the current policy. Which probably meant spending a lot more time with Kim.

Shego needed a drink.

Shego hadn't really expected the hotel bar to be open at this hour, but it was. A young man was stacking glasses behind the counter, and she counted three patrons scattered around the mostly empty tables, all of them middle-aged men. She walked up to the counter and ordered a Scotch. Thankfully, the bartender was either too young and nervous or too professional to attempt to chat her up. Shego took a gulp of the drink, then held the glass against her forehead.

She didn't usually feel she needed a drink before noon to deal with her problems. Then again, for the past five years those problems hadn't been Kim Possible. She wished she knew what Kim wanted. Sure, she'd told her, but the very openness was suspicious in itself. Was Kim part of the investigation? Was she after the laptop? How did she know about the laptop? What was on the laptop in the first place that was so sensitive?

Was Kim really interested in her?

Shego felt her cheeks warming. She knocked back the rest of the drink and ordered another.

Why did the idea bother her so much? It's not like she was interested in Kim, no matter what she and Cindy implied. In fact, if Kim really was getting infatuated, she should be able to use it to her advantage. She just wasn't sure how. Pretend to flirt back to distract Kim from the mission? That sounded like a plot for a romantic comedy, and she doubted it would work.

There was no reason for her to be this uncomfortable with Kim's preferences. It was the twenty first century. Okay, so she liked to... do things with other women sometimes; she was hardly the only one. Shego had never known an openly lesbian or bisexual girl, personally, but it really shouldn't make that much of a difference. It didn't, until things got personal. She just didn't know how to react to Kim hitting on her.

She'd probably see Kim later today, maybe for lunch. Her insides experienced strange and contradictory sensations at the thought. Would Kim continue to maintain they were dating or would she switch gears again? Both possibilities were troubling, for different reasons. Shego was glad for her drink.

A man sat down on the stool next to her. Given the bar was almost completely empty, that could be nothing but deliberate.

"It's a sin that a beautiful woman like you has to sit alone." Well, at least he was articulate.

Shego gave the man a distasteful glance. He was in his thirties or early forties. He was wearing a suit not quite immaculately pressed, an untidy stubble, and his eyes were slightly bloodshot. Shego suspected he hadn't made it to a room last night, his or anyone else's.

"I can find my own company when I want it. Right now, I want to be alone."

"No, no, being alone is no good. Trust me, I've been there. Tell you what, why don't we keep each other company?"

"Why don't you get up and stop bothering me?" Honestly, this was how she was going to fall off the wagon. One day some moron was going to push her too far, and she was going to snap.

"Don't be like that, babe. I'm just trying to be friendly."

"Yeah, well, I'm not. Unless you walk away right now, I'll get downright unfriendly. You wouldn't like me when I'm unfriendly."

"I think we got off on the wrong foot. There's clearly something bothering you. Why don't you tell me what it is?"

"The only thing bothering me right now is you." Shego lit up one hand, her patience having run out. Odd, she wasn't usually on so short a fuse these days. "Back. Off."

"Fine, be that way." The man stood up and turned to walk away. "Fucking dyke."

This time Shego didn't feel the need to protest her heterosexuality. Maybe she should have just told him she was waiting for her girlfriend. The thought conjured up an image of Kim. Even in her mind's eye, she was smirking.

"Bartender." Shego waved her glass at him. "Another."

Shego collected her portion from the lunch buffet and sat down at an empty table. She looked at her plate. She didn't really have an appetite. She felt distinctly unstable; perhaps knocking back that many drinks before lunch hadn't been the brightest idea. She felt mostly alert, though. Certainly alert enough to realize this kind of behavior wasn't very professional. She didn't think any of her underlings would report her even if they noticed. She'd probably be okay as long as she avoided anyone who'd have cause to sabotage her position until she recovered.

"Hi, Shego." Kim sat down opposite from her with her own tray, and Shego felt a dark foreboding.

"I really wished you'd come and keep me company. The floor was boo-ring." Kim shoveled a few forkfuls of food into her mouth. "Okay, you want to combine a more consumer-oriented show with your trade conference, I get it. But honestly, the weekend would have been plenty for the public expo."

Shego searched for something intelligent to say. "Uh, this was the first time they ran this thing, right? I'm sure they'll think things over for the next one."

"If there's going to be a next one." Kim wolfed down some more of her lunch. "But I suppose you're right." Kim washed down her food with a long gulp of milk. Then she focused on Shego. "Are you all right?"

"Huh?"

"You've barely touched your food. And you don't look so well."

Shego didn't feel so well, either. "Yeah, I guess I'm not that hungry."

"Wait, have you been drinking?" Kim's eyes were wide.

"Can you keep your voice down? It's not like I've been getting wasted, I just felt like I needed a drink. Or two."

"It seems like more than two." Kim looked at her for a long moment, unusually seriously. "It wasn't on account of me, was it?"

"No, of course not. Sometimes you just need a little break, you know?"

"I'm sorry, Shego. I didn't realize I was getting you that stressed out. I didn't really mean to come on that strong, I just found your reactions so funny I didn't want to stop."

"I already said it wasn't you, Kimmie."

"So you did. I just don't believe you. I'm the most obvious disrupting factor here."

"Cindy told me she thinks I'm closeted." Shego wasn't sure why she just blurted that out. Maybe she was a little drunk. "Did you get her to do that?"

"I haven't talked to her since she walked out on me."

"She was practically echoing you."

"Have you considered that maybe we both see the same thing in you."

"And what is that?"

"You're curious."

"I'm not."

"Oh, come on, Shego. You're not fooling me, and it's no good lying to yourself."

"I'm not... it's just that you keep talking about it so it's on my mind. You've got me so self-conscious about it I'm overtly sensitive about everything and second-guessing myself."

"Well, the good news is that there's an easy way to resolve your uncertainty. You just need to perform a little experiment."

"I don't want to."

"Afraid you might like it?"

Shego was silent for a while, uncertain of herself, even though she realized Kim might take her silence as a confirmation. "What if I can't tell?"

"You think you can't tell whether you like being with another woman or not? Seriously?"

"I just... it's been a while, okay? Maybe I'm just getting so desperate I'm willing to... uh."

"Yes?"

"I've noticed guys for, what, fifteen years. I haven't ever looked at girls like that."

"Or you never realized it before. I mean, we all just assume that we are straight. Sometimes it needs pointing out. Or maybe it's a new thing; that can happen, too. You never experimented in high school or college?"

"No."

"Well, you're due. It's not a big deal, you know. Lots of people try it; most of them decide it's not their thing. Of course, personally I suspect it's just easier for people to play it straight if they're near enough that end of the Kinsey scale."

"You know, your experience doesn't necessarily translate to everyone."

"Hey, I have more than personal experience to go on; there's a body of research out there. But seriously Shego, if you think you might like it, give it a go. What do you have to lose?"

"What if I don't like it?"

"Then you don't like it. It's not going to be so nightmarish it'll leave you scarred for life; if it was, you wouldn't even entertain the thought. Anyway, it's much better to regret things you did than the things you didn't."

"I kinda used to live by that credo."

"Do you regret your criminal career?"

Shego had to think about that one. She had been so enamored with the lifestyle when she started. She had been only too happy to move on, at the end. "No. I don't think so. It wasn't everything I hoped it would be, but I'm happy to have the memories. It was a wild ride."

Kim just looked at Shego with a subtle smile until she got the point. Shego felt flustered and wanted to move the focus away from herself.

"What about you? Any experiments that weren't all you hoped they'd be?"

"God, yes. I don't regret trying them, but I can wish things would have been better. My first threesome comes to mind."

Shego was happy her mouth was empty when she had a coughing fit.

"And yet you claim to not be a prude."

"You can't just drop something like that on a person!"

"You asked me about sexual experiments. What did you expect them to be? Something as daring as me on top with the lights on?"

"I didn't expect you to..." Shego paused to glance around the room and deliberately lowered her voice. "I didn't expect you to start talking about threesomes at the lunch table. You seriously have... you have actually... stop giggling at me!"

"I'm sorry, it's just..." Kim tried to get herself under control. "You were like the baddest bad girl I knew, and then it turns out you're a prude. I can't help but find that funny."

"I'm not a prude. And just because I was evil doesn't mean I was a crazy sex maniac."

"You think I'm a crazy sex maniac?"

"That's not what I meant. I just meant being bad doesn't mean being..." Shego was left searching for an unoffensive way to say 'slutty'.

"Sexually promiscuous?"

"That works."

"Fair enough. And just for the record: being good doesn't mean being a nun. Of course, I'm bi, and everyone knows bi girls are all slutty nymphos, anyway."

"Well, the way you talk..."

"I've kinda sexed it up for your benefit. You have the best reactions."

"Did you make up the threesome?"

"I haven't made anything up, I've just dwelt on my sexual history a little more than usual. It was in college, of course. I knew these two really hot, smart guys, I thought things were clicking, and I've always been adventurous. It's not like I'd never thought about it." Kim gave Shego a look. "It's not like you've never thought about it."

"I've thought about a lot of things."

"So try some of them out."

"You said you didn't like it."

"The sex was good. No, the sex was great, although some might say it wasn't a true threesome, since the guys didn't do anything to each other, as much as I tried to get them to."

Shego pictured two shirtless, fit college boys making out. There were worse things.

"It was pretty overwhelming; being pressed between two bodies, two pairs of hands on me, two co..."

"Okay! I got the picture." Kim gave Shego a quick amused smile, which then turned into a frown.

"Then, once we were done, they started high fiving each other like I wasn't even in the room. Going from being the center of attention to being treated like furniture kinda sucked."

"Sorry."

"Eh, it was a learning experience. Nowadays I try to make sure not to get involved with people who are going to ruin it by being jerks about it afterwards. I do have pretty high standards."

"I thought you were happy to hook up with strangers."

"If I think I'm going to enjoy it, yeah. I told you it's a high bar."

Shego thought about it for a while. Then something else occurred to her.

"You said your first threesome." Kim grinned at her.

"Yeah, the second one was much better. It was just last year. I'd finished a mission in Paris and was hanging out, talking to people and giving autographs, when these astonishingly gorgeous, identical twin sisters walked up to me."

"Threesome with twins." Shego's voice was flat. "Isn't that a male fantasy?"

"Don't be sexist, Shego. It certainly became my fantasy right at that second. And then it stopped being a fantasy twenty minutes later."

"You move fast."

"They knew what they were after. I don't usually do groupies, but, you know, incredibly hot twins. I'm not sure a straight woman could have turned them down. Obviously, it wasn't a true threesome either, because, well, sisters, but it clearly wasn't the first time they double-teamed a girl. I think it was the most amazing sexual experience of my life." Kim stared into the distance for a while, distracted, then snapped her focus back on Shego. "Oh, you probably want details, seeing how you're newly curious."

"No! I'm fine, thanks."

"Aww. Anyway, the point is, you've got nothing to lose in trying new things. If it sucks, it sucks, but at least you won't be left wondering. And there's a good chance you're going to be happy you gave it a shot."

"You're just trying to get into my pants."

"I'm not just trying to get into your pants. I'm also looking out for you, because I like you."

"Why? I mean, we haven't seen each other in years, and the last time we did we were enemies."

"Well, that hasn't stopped you from hanging out with me, has it? I'm just as happy to see you."

"That's not why I... I mean, I wouldn't say happy... It's probably just nostalgia."

"It's not just nostalgia. We have so much in common, Shego. We can relate to each other in a way we really can't to anyone else. I don't know about you, but there's been a Shego-shaped hole in my life."

"I haven't exactly been pining for you, Kimmie."

"It would explain your lackluster love-life."

"There's nothing wrong with my... okay, yeah, there's a lot wrong with my love-life, but you're not the problem."

"Of course not. I'm the solution."

"Kimmie, can you give it a rest for a moment?"

"What I mean is, I like helping people, and I'm going to help you get on your game again. Tonight, we're going clubbing."

"Are we now?"

"Yes. Trust me, I know what's good for you."

"And is that you?"

"You ask me to give it a rest and then you bring it up? Talk about mixed messages. No, we're going to go out and see if we can't find someone who catches your interest. I won't complain if it's me."

"I'm not really big on hook-ups these days."

"No? It might be good for you, but if it's not your thing then it's not your thing. We can just have some fun, dance a little, flirt with some people, maybe find a good conversation. It doesn't have to lead to anything."

"If you just want me to socialize with people, I can do it right here. They have some parties lined up."

"Yeah, full of tech heads and business types. I'm not sure that's exactly our scene."

"I don't have anything to wear." The anticipatory gleam in Kim's eyes suggested to Shego she was about to deliver the predictable joke. "To a club, that is. All I have is this stuff." She vaguely gestured at her outfit.

"I can lend you some clothes. We're the same size." Kim's gaze briefly dropped to Shego's chest. "Mostly."

"How much clothing did you bring? I thought you lived out of your suitcase."

"I'm a very efficient packer?"

A vague suspicion arose somewhere at the back of Shego's mind, but she couldn't pin it down. Kim's story didn't quite check out, but she was not in the best state of mind to work out the implications. Besides, there were more pressing concerns. "It's not like I've agreed to go with you, anyway."

"It's a forgone conclusion by now. If you'd really objected, you'd have said 'no' right away. You're just feigning resistance so you can blame me for dragging you out. I'm cool with that."

Shego shook her head. "What am I going to do with you?"

"I have a wish list, but you didn't want details, earlier."

Shego surprised herself by reacting with a short bark of laughter. Yup, she was definitely a little drunk. "Fine, lets go have a night out." She'd never admit how nice it felt to see Kim's answering smile.

Shego stepped out of the bathroom clad in a towel, her carefully blow-dried hair hanging down her back. She walked up to her bed and the articles of clothing laid onto it. True to her word, Kim had loaned her some clothes. That still left the problem of underwear. Unlike Kim, Shego hadn't come to the hotel looking for an affair, and hadn't thought to pack any sexy lingerie. She dropped the towel and pulled on the most appealing pair of panties she had with her. Just in case.

When she'd first seen the clothes upon returning to her room, she had for a paranoid moment suspected Kim had somehow sneaked in to bring them. It was possible she had, but after the initial shock she'd realized Kim could have just arranged for them to be delivered by the staff. She had thoughtfully provided Shego with an assortment to choose from.

The first item in the row was a scandalously short skirt made of black artificial leather. If she'd been a decade younger, she probably would have picked the skirt without hesitation: it was guaranteed to grab attention while still projecting a certain bad girl vibe. At her age, however, she wasn't quite as anxious to appear like a piece of meat on display. For the same reason she dismissed the hot pants Kim had provided, no matter how well they would show off her ass and legs. She wasn't an exhibition.

From the selection the only realistic choice were the black faux leather pants. She sat on the bed and started maneuvering them on her. They would display her legs well enough without leaving too much skin on display. Of course, tight as they were, they weren't exactly modest. That was not an aesthetic Kim had catered for.

For tops, her alternatives appeared to be a crop top corset and an even racier zippered leather bustier. Most suspiciously they were both in her size; only unbridled optimism could have caused Kim to buy them for herself. Just when had she found time to pick those up? Or did she regularly travel with sexy clothing intended to be worn by other women? Shego abruptly abandoned that line of thought. She didn't really want to speculate on Kim's sex life, and it certainly wasn't turning her on, not even a little bit.

Shego decided on the corset top. It was a little more decent, and it also had enough support that she didn't need a bra. She wouldn't have been entirely comfortable wearing only it, but luckily Kim had also supplied a short faux leather jacket. It was black, with green stripes down the sides and underside of sleeves. It reminded Shego of a racing jacket, though those weren't generally cropped short enough to leave a bare midriff. Apparently Kim was dead set on seeing Shego's waist. Well, there was nothing wrong with her waist, even if her flat stomach didn't have quite the muscle definition of her younger, more active days. The jacket was a little too tight to comfortably zip up, suggesting it, at least, was Kim's, but that was okay; she could wear it open.

Kim had loaned her over-the-knee boots that rather had Shego salivating, but she thought they might be a bit much with the leather pants. She elected to wear the black stiletto booties instead.

Shego inspected herself in a mirror. She liked the way she looked. She thought she looked damn hot, without looking cheap. Admittedly, even with all the leather, the overall impression was more playful than dangerous, but she was okay with that. A flirtatious look was only appropriate for a girls' night out. She still looked more of a bad girl than she had since getting out of the villain game. Was this how Kim saw her? Or was this maybe what Kim wanted her to be?

Shego stepped out of her room to find Kim waiting, posed with one hand on her hip. At first Shego thought Kim was wearing the little black dress from their first meeting, but soon realized she wasn't. This dress was shorter and tighter, a black sheath that covered Kim from the top of her breasts to little past her hips. While it covered, it didn't conceal; it clung to Kim's skin revealing her every curve. Her long legs were bare, and she wore black peep-toe high heels. She wore her red hair in a carefully arranged up-do, and on her face she wore the expression of a woman who knows she's made an impression. It was only then Shego realized she was frozen in her tracks and staring.

Kim gave her a little smirk and turned to walk towards the elevators at the end of the corridor. She walked with a model's gait, her hips swaying enticingly and the tight fabric of her dress straining over her shapely backside. She didn't have a model's legs, however, but the smoothly muscled legs of a gymnast or a dancer. It was a physique Shego had always found appealing. She was hypnotized by the triangle of air defined by Kim's inner thighs and the hem of her dress, and her mind turned to what was hidden mere inches above it. Shego swallowed and admitted to herself that perhaps, under certain circumstances, she could maybe possibly find some women, to some degree, sexually attractive.

Kim summoned the elevator and turned to look at Shego over her shoulder, one bang hanging over her eye and smiling coquettishly. Shego finally managed to shake herself in motion and hurried after Kim. She suspected this was going to be a long night.