File this under - 'the best laid plans'. I should never venture to use sports terminology given the void of athletic experience, knowledge, and interest I possess. AND YET - the phrase came to me mid chapter and I wrote it in. THEN I tried to back up and use the scoring that applied to that term. Not good.
So to all those who play tennis, are interested in it, watch it or can spell it, I apologize for what you're about to read. Try not to take it seriously.
Introductions
"Ms. Sullivan, before you leave, would you bring this to the lab and tell them I want it processed immediately," Helena said, taking the oddly shaped plastic bag from her Prada pocketbook.
Eileen took it and Irene could tell from its shape and the way the girl held it, it was fragile. Irene waited until Eileen was outside before she asked – "What are you doing?"
"Pardon?" Helena asked as she texted the lab and asked them to compare the DNA on the glass …and then realized she needed to provide them a sample of Myka's DNA.
"What – are – you – doing?" Irene repeated. She may not have been her One anymore, but Irene would always have a keen sense of what the Brit was up to.
"I am having that glass tested," Helena said plainly.
"And why are you doing that?" Irene asked. Even brilliant scientists don't have their glassware tested unless there's a good reason. She doubted Helena had one.
"Do you know that you're considered baggage?" Helena said, putting her phone down.
"Excuse me?" Irene said, knowing she was being distracted, but wasn't about to let this one go without addressing it. The banter was about to begin.
"You are…my baggage. You are what Myka has to accept because she loves me," Helena said and the more she said, the wider her smile got. Somehow it pleased her that Myka would share in putting up with this woman's banter. 15 – Love.
"Who the hell put that thought in your head?" Irene asked, knowing fully well someone had to.
"Oh it doesn't matter. What is important is that Ms. Bering has to accept that," Helena said, thinking she could hand off the HR Director when she was annoying.
"OK, well I'm going to Ms. Bering now – to make sure that we are covered if we test someone's DNA without them knowing it," Irene said, getting up and smiling directly at her boss.
"What? No, do not involve her," Helena said, giving herself away. 15 - All.
"Don't check with our Chief Counsel about our liability if we're sued? Now that just does not make sense to me," Irene said, her head tilted to the side.
"You really are annoying when you're coy," Helena harrumphed. Frederic leads 15 – 30.
"You're really annoying when you think someone with only above average intelligence does not catch on to the fact that you took a glass from home to have Ms. Bering's sister's DNA tested because in your mind ….what, Helena? They're too different so they must not be related?" Irene guessed correctly. 15 -40.
Helena hated one thing more than being predictable. And that was - Irene Frederic being the predictor. "Spend five minutes with her now and tell me my suspicions aren't founded," Helena said annoyed.
"Is this because you somehow don't find her charming enough?" Irene asked, thinking more of how Myka would feel about this.
"You have more charm than that woman," Helena said, in an attempt to explain how void she was. 30 - 40
"Helena, you give new meaning to the phrase backhanded compliment," Irene smiled. Advantage Frederic. "Now, allow me to repay the favor." Helena stopped drinking her tea long enough to look up at the woman. "No one is going to enjoy your first departmental lunch more than I will, and I'm not even going to be there."
Game. Set. Match Frederic.
Tracy was walking into Myka's office with a very confused look on her face. Her father had said her office was big, but she had no idea he meant as large as Burke & Sons first floor. "Myka, don't people find this a little suspicious?" was her first question. Millie was placing the mail and messages on Myka's desk, having stepped in uninvited. She had to get a sense of the woman whom Myka never got a call from and never sent flowers to.
"Find what?" Myka asked, already too busy to pay attention as she scrolled down her list of people to call. Millie moved papers around on Myka's desk like her life depended on it.
"Look at this view!" Tracy said, looking out the large window that looked down on Times Square. "You know – what do they think - this big office with you being her…" is what Millie heard just as Helena appeared in the opened doorway. For a minute, Millie swore Helena filled the doorway even though there was no way that could happen.
"Are we so lax around here that we now leave it up to visitors to announce themselves? Shall I just open any door of my executive staff because their assistants are not at their desks?" Helena asked curtly.
"I apologize," Millie said, scampering past Helena.
There was no question - Helena had heard Tracy's remark. Myka looked up, surprised not only to see Helena, but even more surprised to hear her tone.
"Let me make something perfectly clear to you, Ms. Bering-Benson," Helena started as she walked closer. Myka shot up from her desk. "Don't question my Chief Counsel." If she was going to accept that Myka had to fight her own battles, Helena wasn't going to let it happen on her territory.
Wells leads 15- Love.
"This is what I'm talking about, Myka," Tracy said, raising her hand up at Helena, but moving closer to her sister. The steely stare in Helena's eyes were enough to make the younger sibling nervous.
"Come with me," Helena said and it wasn't a pleasant tone. 30 – Love.
"The hell I will," Tracy said, knowing danger when she saw it. 30 -15.
"Tracy, stop it," Myka said hoping to defuse the situation that had just escalated to DEFCON 3. This wasn't Helena - her lover accepting her baggage, this was Helena - the CEO and she was capable of disposing the body.
"I want to show you something," Helena said and her tone was no more inviting. Wells leading 40 – 15.
"Yeah, Helena I think Tracy …," Myka was trying to say when Helena interjected with-
–- "…..Is a spoiled, oblivious, misguided, self-centered, egotistical, irritating, and pompous bore.." and then she stopped and looked at Myka, "Whom I accept by the way, but who seems to me to be the kind of person who learns life's lessons the hard way. Allow me to assist her."
Game. Set. Match Wells.
Helena stood with her hand on one hip, her arm stretched out to the door – pointing the way.
"Helena?" Myka asked, unsure of what she was going to do.
"Trust me?" Helena asked and won that point.
"Of course," Myka conceded, and Helena had two fingers up, waving for Tracy to hurry up.
"Do you trust me?" Myka asked back. Helena stopped and looked at her.
"Of course," she said.
"Then leave the glass alone," Myka said. Helena put her arm down, but only to place her hand on her hip.
"How did you…fine!" Helena conceded and texted the lab to stop testing. "I won't need this then," Helena said putting the cotton tip swab stick and container on Myka's desk.
Wells forfeits game.
There was no doubt in Myka's mind that she trusted Helena, but she didn't trust that Tracy would know when to shut up and that could be the problem.
"Listen to what she has to say," was the only advice Myka gave her only sister.
"I will return her safely," Helena said through clenched teeth.
Helena didn't need the lab to process the DNA results. She had something more conclusive in mind. Tracy took one last look at Myka and walked out with Helena. "Ms. Barone, would you please inform Ms. Sullivan that I will be giving Ms. Bering's sister the grand tour, should anyone need me," Helena said as she passed the desk.
"I'll put the morgue on alert," slipped out of the woman's mouth.
"Hmmm," Helena responded as she directed the younger woman down the hallway.
The grand tour included a stop at Irene's office, where Helena directed a pleasant conversation about what a wonderful job Irene does and how she was responsible for hiring Myka. "She is so successful, you see, because she possesses such a keen eye about people, don't you, Irene?" Helena said and was eyeing the guest. She looked at Tracy from toe to head, giving Irene time to do her own assessing.
"Ms. Bering is a very talented lawyer and skilled negotiator. And trust me, your sister's skills have been tested since the minute she walked in here," Irene assured the younger sibling. Helena wasn't paying attention, she was making sure Irene was engaging the woman so that she could see for herself – they were simply not related.
The next stop was a tour of the IT Department, where Claudia immediately caught on to Helena's change in demeanor. "You…are….giving…a….tour?" she asked when Helena explained what she was doing.
"Yes, to Ms. Bering's blood sister," Helena slipped and smiled.
"Nice to meet you," Claudia said. "I've…" and was about to say 'heard so much about you' as the obligatory response, but it wasn't true. "….always wanted to meet Ms. Bering's sister."
"That is why I brought her here," Helena said, trying to convey to her young IT Director that something was amiss.
"You run this whole department? You're so young. That's very impressive," Tracy said - impressed.
"Well, I don't know about that," Claudia was saying embarrassed when she caught the look on her boss' face that told her she was off track. Other than that, Claudia was in the dark. "OK, ok….," she said catching on. "What about you?" and she directed the question more to Helena to see if that was what she wanted. It was. 15 – Love.
"Oh, I am in marketing, but I just got laid off," Tracy said
"That sucks, dude?" Claudia guessed wondering if Helena wanted her to be sympathetic. She did not. 15 – 15.
"Yes, well I have a degree in marketing from University of Chicago and good references, so I'm sure something will come along," Tracy said.
"Yes…yes…I'm…sure …it …will?" Claudia tried and bit her lower lip when Helena scowled. 15 – 30. "How long are you here?" the techie fumbled, wondering if Helena wanted her to get information out of the woman. Helena rolled her eyes. 15 – 40.
It was painfully obvious that in spite of Tracy answering Claudia's questions, this was not the information Helena was trying to get at. Tracy told Claudia she was going to stay the week she thought, as she and Myka had a lot of catching up to do. The techie's mind raced – did Helena want her phone bugged? She searched Helena's face, even though the look was getting pretty scary. Claudia wished Eileen would step off the elevator. Where was the Helena whisperer when she needed her?
Finally, she realized that every time Helena mentioned Tracy, she called her Myka's sister. Over and over.
"You know, Myka….," Claudia said and saw the look of 'finally' in her boss' eyes. 30 – 40. "Yes, your sister, Myka Bering….," she continued. 40 - All. "….. has been an unbelievable asset to our firm." Advantage Donovan.
"….In IT alone, she's helped us broker many deals by facilitating the process with insight into the client's needs, while still having a keen sense of what it is that we're trying to do right here," Claudia said with the admiration she really have for Myka. Helena was all smiles.
Game – Ms. Donovan.
"Wow that sounds really complicated. I had no idea," Tracy said truthfully.
"Yes, hence the purpose of the tour," Helena said, and smiled her gratitude to Claudia.
As soon as Helena entered an area, there was a noticeable change in the demeanor – people paid attention. It wasn't out of fear like in the PMS – PreMyka Syndrome - days – but out of respect. People wanted to see Helena. This is exactly why her luncheon schedule was booked for weeks. But Helena wanted them to discuss Myka, so she steered the conversations to that very topic.
"Tell Ms. Bering-Benson how Ms. Bering has assisted your area," she would ask team after team and each one answered without hesitancy. Steve talked about what a pleasure it was to work with Myka, and how she was always friendly to him. There wasn't one person who didn't have something wonderful to say about her sister.
Finally, Helena was in the elevator alone with Tracy. "I had no idea..," she confessed, feeling a little overwhelmed by all the accolades. Myka was truly prized and admired here.
"Yes, I know," Helena said, pressing the 17th floor.
"Now where am I going?" Tracy asked, but there was no response. They got off on the 17th floor and Helena walked over to Eileen's desk.
"Ms. Sullivan, this is Tracy Bering-Benson, Ms. Bering's sister," Helena said. "This is Eileen Sullivan."
"I don't think there's anything you can tell me about my sister that I haven't already heard," Tracy said, feeling intimidated. "Everyone just thinks the world of her."
"Oh she's not going to tell you anything about Myka," Helena said, picking up her messages. "She's going to explain to you why I deserve to be with that wonderful, talented sister of yours," Helena said, walking to her office and closing her door.
Tracy looked over at Eileen who was now standing, ready to perform her duties.