The Spider and the Fly (by Mary Howitt)
Myka went to the couch, sat down and pulled Helena so that her head rested on Myka's lap. "What did she do this time?" Myka asked, trying not to giggle.
"I hear that tone," Helena said, trying to look up, but Myka's hand was firmly on her forehead and kept her in place. She was afraid if she looked at Helena squarely in the eye, she'd burst out laughing.
"What happened?" Myka asked, in a more serious tone.
"Did you not notice how nonchalant she was when I returned this morning? Why is it that no one else notices these things?" Helena complained.
Myka knew the answer was – 'Because it matters more to you', but she kept that thought to herself. "I was a little busy, ahem, if you remember," Myka said, trying to explain why she wasn't equally annoyed with Irene.
Helena pulled Myka's hand down to her mouth and kissed her palm. "Well, yes, your eyes were smoldering, so it's no wonder you didn't notice," Helena teased, and smiled for the first time.
Myka played with Helena's dark strands of hair, knowing no matter what she did, they'd fall completely back in place when the Brit stood up. "You spoke to Irene?"
"Of course," Helena said, as if that was a given. "Someone had to. Really, Myka, I think she has the rest of you fooled."
Myka was glad that Helena couldn't see her face as she pulled her lips in and pressed down. It was like trying not to laugh in church. "What did she say?" Myka asked, and tried to think of how Irene got herself out of this one.
Helena lay there while Myka stroked her hair and relaxed. "Oh, I don't know, she didn't want to contradict you, she was appreciative," Helena said in a dismissive tone.
"Helena, I think she was really touched that you would so vehemently defend …," Myka said, and the Brit sat up quickly to face Myka. 'OK, wrong answer', Myka thought to herself.
"Do I thank you for being kindhearted? No, it's what you do. It's a part of you. If I were to acknowledge every kind thing you do - like not firing that woman who guards your office – I wouldn't have time to do my job. Irene was not supposed to thank me for what I do! She had to know that I would go to Ted Grayson's and warn him."
Myka was an experienced lawyer who had cross examined her fair share of difficult witnesses. None of them were as challenging as her wife. "So instead of appreciative, Irene should have been….," Myka said definitely, hoping Helena would supply the answer.
"Irene! She should have been Irene, doing the annoying things she does!" Helena said, exasperated.
"I wonder, you know, why she didn't …wasn't…herself," Myka patched together.
"Because she likes to annoy me. I bet it was to pay me back because I sent Mr. Generis there to babysit," Helena ranted, as she stood up, her frustration renewed.
"Helena," Myka said slowly as she stood in front of Helena and took her hands. "Irene isn't the vindictive sort. Ah, let me finish," Myka said, when Helena went to protest. "I saw the look on her face, Helena. She was truly taken with how you would defend her. I think she was surprised by her own reaction and forgot to ….annoy you," the lawyer surmised. It helped Helena that Myka's hand was now pressed over the Brit's heart and was gently rubbing it in a circular soothing motion. It was something that Myka learned to do to calm Helena.
"Oh," Helena said of the possible, albeit remote, explanation. "Well," Helena said, feeling the sensation of Myka's hand on her chest. "I…told her…never to …do that…again."
"Oh good, you took care of it then," Myka said, her green eyes smiling and pulling Helena in. "You really have had a busy morning." Her warm breath on Helena's ear made Helena melt.
"Yes," was all Helena could manage to say.
"You know," Myka said, pulling back and playing with Helena's necklace, tracing it with her finger, "I was thinking of how…hot…you are when you're off defending your women."
"I won't let anyone….," Helena started to say, but was smothered with Myka's mouth instantly. Myka's lips pressed down hard and her tongue pushed past Helena's swollen lips. The tip of her tongue swept away Helena's words and anger until Myka could feel Helena practically go limp in her arms. "I know, Helena, I know," Myka whispered and soothed the tempest.
And in that moment, Helena traversed the long spectrum from complete frustration with Irene to putty in Myka's hands. There wasn't a ruffled feather that Myka didn't manage to smooth down in that short period of time.
"I am going to miss you," Helena said, as she kissed Myka.
"I'm coming upstairs with you to the Directors' meeting," Myka said. "But I'd like to apologize now because I really won't be paying attention."
"You won't? Why not?" Helena asked, her bottom lip jutting out making it impossible for Myka not to kiss it.
"I will be busy thinking of ways to show you tonight how much I appreciate your badassery," Myka teased and now it was Helena's dark eyes that smoldered.
"Maybe we can cancel the meeting," Helena said in a breathy tone.
"Oh no, you see, this is my way of making sure you don't overdo things," Myka teased.
"I much prefer your sweet torture to that woman's insufferable….," Helena tried one more time.
"Play nice, Helena. It's not Irene's fault she forgot what her job is momentarily," Myka said softly.
"Okay," Helena said, too preoccupied with what Myka had said to care about anything else now.
Helena walked out of Myka's office fifty shades calmer than she had walked in. She went upstairs with Myka and came off the elevator to see what she thought was her next problem to handle.
"Seriously?" she said as she approached the front desk. "I should have known that spending that much time with her would cause you to try and get on my last nerve," Helena wailed as Myka and Irene looked at her.
"Helena," Irene said, but Helena wasn't having any of it. Enough was enough.
"Twice in one day? Is this your idea?" Helena said, looking at Irene.
"Helena, I think…," Irene tried again.
"I am all for freedom of choice, Mr. Generis. And I understand how this woman influenced you. She …does that," Helena said, her frustration renewed.
Irene looked over at Myka for help. "Helena, I think you've mistaken…," Myka tried.
"Change back! Right now!" Helena demanded of the new version of Caucasian behind the desk. "Pick one and stick with it for at least a week. I cannot keep up with all these changes."
Irene put her hand up and shook her head, telling Myka that she was not going to be the messenger on this one.
"Sweetie," Myka whispered behind Helena as she smiled at the man who was motionless at the desk. "That's Mr. Caruso. He works in IT," Myka said and recognized the man who had worked on her computer.
Just then, Sui came out of the conference room and approached his boss and coworkers. "Everything is set for your meeting, Ms. Wells," he informed her. Helena gazed at the familiar looking android and then back at the man she mistook for him.
"You people are really annoying me today," she huffed as she went to the conference room.
"She seems so upset. Do you think I should discuss our idea with her at the meeting?" Sui asked Irene.
"They didn't program you with a warming system, did they?" Irene said dryly. "No, I've incorporated it into my presentation," the HR Director informed him. "No need for her masterpiece to be ripped apart."
When Irene walked into the conference room and noticed people were not in their usual chairs, (they were, after all, unassigned) she stood there and pointed until they returned to their usual spots. She understood Helena had dealt with enough things out of place for one day.
Helena took her place and looked through her notes on her tablet. One after one, she went around the table and asked each Director to update her on the projects. She pressed if she thought they were behind schedule, applauded them if she felt they were on task. Myka watched as the transformation took place; Helena the pouting to Helena the woman in charge. She truly was a leader; raising the bar because she believed in her staff to deliver. Myka watched as Helena listened intently, stealing a glance here and there to look at Myka and smile. Helena was even pleased with the Human Resource's departments spearheading a new positive health campaign with the staff members. Irene suggested revamping the corporate cafeteria to include more healthy choices among its dishes and expanding the gym to include classes on various health conscious topics. The other Directors were especially enthusiastic about the yoga and meditation classes that they were informed were in the testing stage.
Helena approved the ideas wholeheartedly.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Irene leaned over and asked Eileen to make Helena tea, and then asked Myka to stay. "I will need your help with this, but trust me, it's what she asked for," Irene explained and that didn't ease Myka's mind at all.
"Well, Irene, I didn't think you could impress me any more than you usually do, but you did it this time. I am pleased to see that you used your time productively," Helena said of the HR Director's new initiatives.
"I'm glad to hear that, Helena. Your input is going to prove invaluable to this program," Irene explained. Helena, of course, thought she meant her approval.
"I endorsed it, yes. Carry on. Initiate your good deed," Helena said, smiling.
"Helena, before we go through the expense of incorporating these programs, I have arranged to conduct a very stringent trial run," Irene explained.
"Very wise and frugal. Arthur will appreciate that," Helena said.
"Yes, well, Helena, after our discussion this morning, you know the one where you reminded me…," Irene said, but Helena cut her off.
"Yes, I was there. Please do not make me go through that tedium again," Helena said, closing her eyes at the thought.
'No, of course not," Irene said, winking at Myka. "Well, given all of that, I have decided that you are the one who will test out the program."
"I don't need to test it. I approve it," Helena tried.
"No," Irene said calmly and Myka wondered what it was that the woman was up to.
"Irene?" Myka asked.
"Ms. Bering, Ms. Wells made it perfectly clear to me what my job was this morning. I told her I would see to it that I never failed her in that respect again. Therefore, after a careful assessment of the situation, I have decided that Ms. Wells is the perfect candidate to test the benefits of our new programs. If anyone can benefit from using tools of stress management, it is she. She proved that to both of us this morning. Now, Mr. Generis has downloaded some excellent yoga and meditation programs that will suit your needs, Helena," Irene said, gathering her papers.
"You're bloody mad," Helena said, her accent thickening as the anger rose.
"This is exactly why you'll do it," Irene said, putting her papers down. "You were very clear this morning, were you not?"
"Yes, I was, although it took you long enough to catch on," Helena remarked.
"Well, thanks to you, I am back on track. This is what I do. I make careful assessment of our staff's needs and implement action. You start tomorrow," Irene explained. She heard Helena stammering, but didn't wait around for the Brit to actually form a sentence.
"Helena, darling," Myka said, moving in closer. "She is doing what you asked her to do."
To hear the woman whom Helena held in the highest regard point that out, gave Helena pause.
"She wants me to…..," Helena said, pointing to her office, connecting the dots with the mats in her apartment.
"Yes, I know….," Myka said sympathetically. "I could do it with you."
"Those mats were already in there …. You could?" Helena said, suddenly seeing a positive light at the end of the tunnel.
"Sure, Bering and Wells, solving dilemmas, managing stress," Myka teased.
"Plotting revenge?" Helena asked pleadingly.
"I think that defeats the purpose," Myka said, pulling gently on Helena's strand of hair.
"Not if you do it correctly," Helena quipped.