Someone asked where Artie was - and so I thought I'd take this chapter to have him come back.
In only the way that Artie can. Fluff.
Please excuse my lack of legal verbiage especially if I have used it incorrectly. You'll get the point.
14th Floor – Ladies Lingerie
Myka was giving a brief overview of some legal issues that face corporate council when she decided to give her guests a live demonstration of the legal process in action. She had them gather around as she called the publisher of the supposed tell-all book that was flashing across the news that morning.
"Yes, Myka Bering as Legal counsel for Helena Wells to speak to Mr. Sutton, please," Myka said after procuring the law office for the author.
The man finally got on, even after he was informed that he would be on speaker phone.
"Ms. Bering, you feel confident enough to have me on speaker phone in front of all of your students? Tsk, tsk. OK, well you know my client has called this biography 'unauthorized' and she's done very careful research, as well as her own personal experience with your client. Surely, you're not going to claim that anything in this book will harm you client's reputation as a ladies'… lady," he said, hoping to get a rise out of Myka.
Myka had hoped to teach the students a lesson in this exchange, but she was learning a very important one herself. She wanted nothing more than to reach through the phone and slap this guy because of his innuendos, but right now her job was to protect Helena, not defend her honor. That would come later.
"Mr. Sutton, the author says she last met with Helena Wells on January 15th at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel for what was to be their last tryst of a four-month relationship," Myka said into the speaker phone.
"Yes, she has the hotel receipt to prove it," the man said quickly and smugly.
"Oh I have no doubt your client was there, Mr. Sutton, but you see, we have solid evidence that Ms. Wells was not there. We have Ms. Wells on camera at a private function that night," Myka said and the other lawyer heard the quiet oohs of the law students.
The next sound they heard was Mr. Sutton snapping his fingers at his paralegal to get something. There was some soft whispering when the clerk advised her boss that they had nothing to substantiate that claim – other than the hotel receipt.
"Furthermore, Mr. Sutton," Myka said, going in for the kill, "We are prepared to serve legal papers for libel if there is not a cease and desist placed immediately on the distribution of this book."
On the other end of that conversation, Mr. Sutton was discovering for the first time, that the book that was done in great haste – had very few solid facts in it. In fact, he was starting to doubt his client had done much more than Google Helena's reputation.
"Ms. Bering, let me get back to you, please," the lawyer said, not wanting to commit to anything on speaker phone.
"Of course," Myka said graciously. She then explained to the group, who insisted on applauding, that she was doing her job. "Your first job is to protect your client and your client's interests. You cannot let personal feelings get in the way of doing that job."
Myka talked with the group past the allotted time because she appreciated their enthusiasm for the law. She was walking back to her office with a sense of great satisfaction when she saw Artie outside her office. "I just need her for a minute," he yelled as he started to turn the doorknob. He was so intent on seeing Myka that he never noticed Millie wasn't even at her post.
"ARTIE!" Myka called out and stopped him from opening the door.
"Myka!" the newly appointed Chief Financial Officer said, turning and walking towards her to give her a hug. "Congratulations, really, Vanessa and I couldn't be happier for you."
"Oh thank you, Artie. How is Vanessa? She's working days….at the hospital….right?" Myka said, slowing her words down so she could get between Artie and her door.
"Yes, working days has done wonders for us. Listen, do you have a minute. I really need to discuss these bills that I received from NASA. They said that most of them went to Helena's personal banker, but that the rocket was Wells Corp property and they needed to send that invoice here. I just want to make sure that Legal signs off seeing how it's the government and all," Artie said, standing there, waiting to be invited inside.
"Oh yes, well I'm sure if Helena said it was okay, it's okay," Myka said, laughing nervously. She didn't want any visitor walking into her office. Myka simply hadn't had time to pick up anything other than clothing in her haste.
Truth be told, Myka wasn't sure what state of disarray her office was in.
"New sweater?" she asked Artie who took to wearing them because he found his new office too cold.
"What? Yes, do you like it?" he asked, temporarily distracted.
"Oh very nice," Myka said. "So yes, if you want to just pay …those…invoices," she coughed.
Artie looked oddly at Myka. She was not one to sign off on things without looking at them. "And the contracts for the actresses? Do you want me to just write them checks, too? Or the NYPD for overtime? Just whip that off to them?" Artie asked – pointing out that he needed Myka's help.
"S..u..r…e," Myka said, knowing she had little choice but to deal with Artie now. Perhaps she could get him to walk back to the conference room, but then remembered the students were still in there talking to other Legal staff members.
Millie came out of the ladies room just in time to see her boss hesitating at her door. "Ms. Bering, I hope you don't mind, but I put the afternoon mail on your desk already."
"What?" Myka said, thinking the assistant would know exactly what had happened in there and would be naming her next sensuous dish after them. Myka wasn't far off – as the woman was already concocting a little dessert dish she would call "Midmorning Delight" – which promised to –hit- the- spot.
"I….put….the …..mail….on…. your….desk….next….to…your….law…books?" Millie said, her eyes wide, her plump cheeks pushed up with the forced smile on her face.
Myka stood there with her hand on the doorknob as she read Millie's expression and heard Artie huff as he waited. He was wondering if in fact it wouldn't have been easier to just deal with Helena on these issues.
"Oh, my desk! The mail is on my desk?" Myka all but giggled out, finally getting it.
"Yes!" Millie said so enthusiastically that Artie was left wondering what could be in the mail.
"Thank you, Millie," Myka said. "What are we standing here for, come on in," she said to Artie who didn't cross the doorway, but looked at the assistant for a long minute.
"Coffee?" Millie said without blinking.
"Yes," Artie said. Then he walked into Myka's office that was, as usual, impeccably in order.
"This won't take long. I just want to make sure we see what unusual debits are occurring this month," the man who obsessed over numbers said, as he sat down in front of Myka's desk.
"Of course," Myka said as Millie came back and placed a cup of coffee down in front of Artie. Myka mouthed – thank you – to her assistant who smiled in return. Millie was very diligent in her efforts to help her boss, but in her haste to put everything back in order, she overlooked one thing.
Artie pushed some papers Myka's way as he sipped his coffee and asked her to look over the payment request. Myka's cell phone beeped and it was Helena. Myka smiled apologetically at Artie as she took the call.
"Darling," Helena said in her sweetest voice. "I was just about to leave for a meeting with Morgan Styles when I discovered, quite by accident, that I may have left something in your office."
Myka forced a smile on her face as Artie watched her, waiting for her to finish.
"Really? Could you narrow it down for me?" Myka asked, clearing her throat. She didn't want to be obvious as her eyes slowly scanned the floor for anything that might appear out-of-place.
Helena could tell from the way Myka spoke, that someone was in her office. "Are you still with those bloody students?" Helena teased.
"No, Artie is (cough) in my office and we're (ahem) going over some paper….work," Myka said in a monotone voice as she slowly pulled out the wastepaper basket.
"Arthur is there? Well, perhaps he could help you look...for my bra," Helena said and the phone fell right out of Myka's hand.
Now Artie glared at her because she was just being – obvious.
Myka fumbled to get her phone, and scanned the floor. "Helena? How could you leave here without your …..," Myka said, sitting back up in her chair and meeting Artie's stare. "Notes?"
"My notes? Darling, I didn't come in with notes. If you remember correctly, I hardly came in with anything. The truth is I left with even less. So could you look around for it? I believe in your haste, you may have tossed the item aside. It was getting in your way," Helena said wantonly and then hung up the phone.
Myka thought back to what her office looked like before she and Helena left it. Her eidetic memory was glitching only because Artie was asking all kinds of questions. "So technically, the rocket was a Wells Corp design because Helena patented some of the systems….," Artie said, leaning forward and showing Myka a paper to explain what he meant.
And then her memory came back online and she remembered. Helena's bra had been draped across...that chair. Myka shot up from her seat and tried to peer over Artie's shoulder.
"Are you ….okay?" he asked at the very odd behavior.
"Where did it go?" Myka asked when she saw it wasn't on the chair.
"Where did what go?" Artie asked.
"What?" Myka asked startled that those words came out of her mouth.
"You just asked 'where did it go'. Where did what go?" Artie asked, sitting back.
There was silence as Myka's eyes scanned the room for the missing object and a plausible explanation. She found neither.
"The rocket. Where…did the….rocket go?" Myka asked weakly.
"Well, according to Helena's report – the rocket was contained in the spacecraft that took off last week and was returned after it circled the moon. This is just a guess here, but I think it contained your ring. I mean, several sources got it wrong in the press, but I just assumed Helena explained all of this to you?" Artie said.
"Oh yes! Yes, she did," Myka said and realized she was causing the CFO concern with her behavior. "Of course," she said, and composed herself again. Millie probably found the article of clothing and put it away somewhere for safe keeping. Yes, that's what happened, Myka decided.
"OK, well now that I've taken you through all this, are we good to release payment?" Artie said, standing up.
"Yes, we're good to go," Myka said, emphasizing the last word a little too much. She remained seated and held the phone in her hand to buzz Millie as Artie left.
"Millie, I was wondering if you put anything away …in here?" Myka asked, her throat getting very dry.
And then she saw it.
The item that she was looking for, that Millie completely missed in her clean-up, and that Helena was on her way to retrieve – was attached to Artie's sweater in the back. The little clasp was now hooked into the threads of his bulky sweater, having attached itself when he leaned back into the chair. Myka watched in horror as time slowed down and the black demi cup French lace bra, that had done an excellent job of revealing so much, was now dangling behind Artie as he walked. He closed the door behind him. Myka jumped up and ran to the door and swung it open again, but her mind was completely void of a plan.
Myka watched as Artie continued to walk, as Millie stood up and covered her mouth and as the elevator doors opened and Helena appeared. Myka had never prayed so hard for a fire drill in all her life.
"Helena!" Artie said when he caught her coming off the elevator and walking toward Myka's office. She turned to face him, her back now to Myka. Millie's head kept sweeping back and forth – waiting for Myka to tell her what to do. In spite of her size, Millie was set to literally jump into action – if she only knew what to do.
"Thank you, Arthur. We would love to have dinner," Helena was saying, as Artie and she broke the embrace and he continued his walk down the hallway.
Myka couldn't look. Millie couldn't watch. Both put their heads down, imagining what the middle aged man would do when someone pointed out that he had lingerie hanging from his sweater.
"Got it," Helena said and both women looked up at her. The Brit stood there with the biggest grin …and her missing article of clothing dangling off her finger.
"Oh my God," Myka said, as Millie literally flopped back into her chair and put her head down.
When Helena embraced Artie, she felt the lace with her hand and deftly unhitched the item.
"Thank God," Myka let out, feeling faint and leaning against her door frame.
Just then – as luck would have it – the HR Director was coming out of a conference room on the 16th floor, having just conducted a New Employee Orientation meeting - in which she covered what was appropriate corporate behavior. Now, as the group of new staff members followed behind her, she eyed the CEO standing there, with the undergarment practically swinging in the air.
"YOU!" Irene said, marching towards Helena, in the sternest voice Myka ever heard her use.
Myka stood up straight and Millie shot up from behind her desk as if someone had just stuck her with a hot poker. The new employees stood still. Irene turned to her assistant who immediately took the group back into the meeting room.
"In my office, now," Irene said firmly, practically taking Helena there by the elbow.
"But….I…Artie had this dangling. I didn't …..," Helena tried as the middle-aged woman seemed to move Helena into her office with her body.
"Should ….I …go….in there?" Myka asked.
"I'm going to get ice," Millie said. "I think she finally pushed Irene over the edge."
"You don't think …?" Myka asked in horror. "She wouldn't …..?"
"Ms. Bering, I know it's your job to protect her, but this time, I don't think it's safe," Millie said as she went off to get the ice – just in case Helena needed it.
Myka walked slowly down the hallway. She would just explain that Helena was not – doing anything – corporately inappropriate?