Playing Favorites
Gloria cast her doubt that Helena meant what she was saying about Irene. "I've never seen such devotion," the woman said candidly. In spite of the truthfulness of that statement, Helena shot her a warning look anyway. "Well, it looks like you won't be needing my services," the nurse said, getting up off the couch. "Thanks to Irene."
"She gets it right…," Helena conceded and quickly added, "…On a rare occasion." Gloria noted how much Helena seemed to derive from these tete a tete's with her HR Director. "…when given explicit directions," the CEO added because she didn't often let go of these things.
"Oh, of course," Gloria said, letting her boss know she didn't buy it for a moment. A sin Helena would forgive because she remembered why she wanted to see the nurse.
"You're invited to dinner tomorrow night. Be there at 8 sharp. Irene will be there, as well. Are you allergic to any foods that we should know about?" Helena asked as they walked together.
"Oh, no, none. And thank you for inviting me. What should I bring?" Gloria asked because she believed it was the polite thing to do.
Helena approached Myka's office door and looked back before entering. "I strongly suggest an open mind, Ms. Brown."
Millie looked at the nurse as she tried to decipher that quip. "You'll be okay with Irene there," the secretary assured her.
"I'm not worried a bit," Gloria laughed.
"Really?" Millie asked in all seriousness. "Well, that's good, I guess," she surmised as there was no sense in being anxious.
"She's not the Big Bad Wolf," the nurse said, amazed that Helena commanded fear.
"Not anymore," Millie said and resumed her duties.
Gloria knew of Helena's reputation long before she even considered taking the job. She knew what the press said and she knew what people said. And she had now spent enough time with the woman to know she may have a tough exterior in certain areas, but she had a heart of gold.
"Hello,you," Helena said as she reentered Myka's office. "I was down here and thought I'd come in and see my favorite employee."
"Ms. Wells, what did we tell you about playing favorites with the staff?" Myka said after she greeted Helena with the same phrase.
"You told me I must not play favorites as it might lower moral and incite claims of preferentialism," Helena repeated verbatim, sitting on the edge of the desk near Myka.
"Yes, good," Myka teased as she feigned a stern demeanor.
"You didn't say I couldn't just …..play," Helena said, leaning down and kissing Myka's waiting lips.
"And do you play like this with all your staff members?" Myka asked in a breathy tone, savoring the smell of Helena's Chanel No. 5 and the sweet taste of her lipstick.
"Just my favorite ones," Helena replied in a sultry voice that dripped with intention. She leaned in and ran her long finger up Myka's leg from her knee to her thigh.
"I think you just went full circle," the lawyer said of Helena's wording.
"Full… circle…. you say?" Helena said, pushing her hand farther up and began making that motion with her finger.
"How do you do …that?" Myka asked, her voice quivering as her arms grabbed the chair and she pushed back to allow Helena access.
"Do what, Darling?" Helena inquired playfully as she made good on her intention.
"Get me…so…excited…..so…damn…OH, GOD, HELENA!...," Myka squealed as her body responded to her wife as quickly as fuel does to fire. Helena bit her lower lip as she continued her deft attention to slowly and agonizingly releasing Myka's tension. Helena loved how good she was at this.
Myka's breathing was labored as she grabbed tissues and gave them to Helena. "I will need a shower," Myka smiled at how vibrantly her body responded.
"I have one in my office," Helena said. "That I let all my favorites use." Myka could hardly talk from the impromptu tryst and gently slapped Helena's leg. She leaned in and kissed Myka gently as she tried to catch her breath.
There was a time when Myka discouraged open displays of affection in the office with Helena. Now, she was completely open for spontaneous rendezvous.
"My parents…..," Myka gasped, grabbing for a sip of water.
"Never the words one likes to hear after deliciously seducing their daughter ….," Helena teasingly said, putting her hand back on Myka's knee.
Myka almost spilled her water and Helena stopped. "Said you agreed to dinner tonight before they leave tomorrow?" Myka finally said, making a full sentence.
"Yes, I did. Wasn't that thoughtful of them…," Helena stated.
"To ask us to dinner?" Myka filled in.
"I was going to say - leave tomorrow, but yes, invite us to dinner is nice, too," Helena said mischievously.
"Yeah, that was nice," Myka said and Helena could tell that she was pleased with the invite.
Now, if they would just behave during dinner.
"And they want to pick the place, is that okay?" Myka asked, looking up at the most beautiful woman in the world.
"As long as you are there," Helena answered sweetly and made her wife utter – 'Ohhh.'
That night, Helena arranged for Steve to drive the four of them in a car to the restaurant that the parents had chosen. They had a whirlwind of an afternoon with their tour guide, but went home and napped before getting ready to take the couple out to dinner.
"This must have set you back a pretty penny," Warren said when he saw the brand new Cadillac ELR outside.
"A little," Helena smiled and didn't dare tell her father-in-law her plan.
"Where did you…" Myka was going to ask, but Helena was directing everyone where to sit. Warren sat in the front passenger seat. "Glad to see you bought American," he said to his daughter-in-law.
"Who wouldn't?" Helena answered and the human lie detector looked right at her. She smiled back.
"Where are we going, Daddy?" Myka asked so Steve would know where to go.
"Well, I thought we'd go someplace where I could treat you to a good steak," Warren answered and Helena prayed he didn't mean a steak house. "So we made reservations at Gotham Bar and Grill because it sounded like a real New York place that would know how to grill a steak."
The fact that Mr. Bering chose his eateries by their name, and not their menu, didn't surprise Myka or Helena, but even Steve knew the three star restaurant was known for its avant-garde dishes that reflected the diversity of the Greenwich Village neighborhood. Variety in Myka's father's diet meant French fries instead of mashed.
"Gee, Mr. Bering," Steve was about to say when he caught the look in the rearview mirror. "That's a great choice," he quickly recovered.
Myka, too, was concerned that her father would be greatly disappointed when he looked at the menu and saw Yellowfin Tuna Tartare and Petrossian Caviar, but no steak. She needn't have concerned herself at all. She looked over at Helena who was in the process of texting the Maître d' announcing they would be dining there and to have four new menus in place with the following items listed.
There were rewards to complying with Helena's requests.
Twenty minutes later, they were greeted by Jaquez who told Mr. Bering his name was John. Patrons turned their heads to look at the easily recognizable couples. Then they were seated at the best table, but because Mrs. Bering read you never accept the first seating, her husband insisted that they move. Jaquez looked at Helena, who nodded so slightly, no one noticed, except the man that complied with the request.
"I read that in AARP magazine," Jeannie whispered, as if sharing a safely guarded tip with her daughter-in-law.
"I'll have to remember that," Helena smiled and Myka squeezed her gently to thank her for going along.
Jeannie said she had to go to the ladies room and Myka got up to accompany her. This gave Helena an opportunity to speak with Warren, who was eyeing the menu with a very satisfied look on his face. "I wonder if these are American cows," he said out loud as he looked at his one of a kind menu of beef selections. "Now, don't look at the price," he said to Helena, "This is our treat, remember." Not only was the menu doctored, so were the prices.
"Will do," Helena assured him and then decided she should share her thoughts. "Mr. Bering," she tried, but that sent Warren into a speech about how he wished she'd call him Dad or whatever English people call their fathers, or at the very least, start calling him Warren on a regular basis.
"Warren," Helena attempted to say nonchalantly, now that they were under the careful gaze of onlookers. "Myka is just thrilled that you asked us to dinner. It's truly the simple things she appreciates," the Brit shared and by simple, she meant even he could do it.
"You know, Helena, I remember the talk you and I had when I visited awhile back. You pointed out how I should appreciate what a great girl Myka is and I do," the man said sincerely. Helena was pleased to hear that he remembered their conversation. The issue Helena had with the couple was that they seemed to only be able to look at things from their own point of view, never their daughter's. And in spite of the man's attempt to comply with Helena's suggestion, his point of view was still somewhat fixated on themselves. "It's been hard for us," he started and Helena all but moaned. "We got through the wedding and people wanting us to sign the magazine's that had your pictures on them," he lamented taking a long drink of water and asking Helena if she thought New York water was safe.
"IS THERE A POINT?" Helena said, grasping her clothe napkin in a death grip, and immediately noticed her tone caught people's attention.
"Sure," Warren said, thinking her question meant she was truly interested in hearing his thoughts.
Helena shook her head from side to side to rid them of the terrible thoughts that kept popping up about what she wanted to do to Warren.
"We're here for you both," Warren said and really believed he was sharing something new.
Helena wished that Irene was there to interpret this illogical stream of consciousness, but she was on her own. "Thank you?" she guessed and Warren smiled broadly.
"Now, before Myka returns, Warren," Helena said softly. "Let's remember that this evening is really about Myka enjoying your company. We will, unfortunately, have to do this the old fashioned way," she explained.
"What does that mean?" Warren inquired.
"Well, if by chance, you venture onto a topic Myka finds displeasing, I will give you a signal; a look. You will stop your train of thought before the wreck," Helena explained.
"Why not just give me an electrical shock?" Warren laughed.
"I asked, but the establishment refused to allow me to wire your chairs with conductors," Helena said seriously. "Would have been so much easier," she mused.
Warren suddenly became aware of the brooding look on Helena's face and considered for a second that she wasn't joking. "You…you're kidding, right?" he asked, figuring it was her British sense of humor he didn't get.
"I want to see her smiling tonight. The way for us to accomplish this, is by thinking of Myka first. Not hard, really," said the woman who spent her day thinking about Myka.
"Sure," he said and wondered if Helena was part mad scientist.
Myka returned to the table with her mother and put her hand on Helena and asked if everything was okay. "We had a lovely chat while you were gone," Helena assured her. The lawyer leaned over and kissed her wife, while the parents looked over the menu.
"I think I'll have steak," Warren finally said of his several selections of beef.
The food was ordered and enjoyed, and for the most part, the parents kept the focus on Myka, just as Helena suggested. Jeannie was aware of how Helena rarely took her gaze off Myka and how she had never seen her daughter happier. Warren only veered off topic once, but caught Helena's glare and immediately got back on course.
Helena had accomplished what she wanted – Myka truly enjoying herself with her parents.
Steve was waiting for them when they emerged from the restaurant, laughing and talking. Warren sat up front and told the driver how good the food was and didn't mind sharing that he left a larger than normal tip because the service was so attentive. Myka listened as her father admired the car and compared it to the cockpit of a plane. "So many things to know," he said, looking at all the instruments.
"Don't worry, Mr. Bering," Steve said when they pulled up outside the Townhouse. "I'll be out to show you how to use it."
Warren's head snapped around to look at his daughter who was now looking at her wife. Had she just bought her father a car?
"It's American," Helena offered as her only explanation.
Her in-laws were so impressed and couldn't thank Helena and Myka enough for the car; even though Myka was just as surprised as they were. As the parents said goodnight and went upstairs, Myka cornered Helena in the hallway by gently pressing into her against the wall, both giggling like school girls that Myka was even farther away now that her stomach was protruding more.
"You bought my father a car?" she whispered as she pushed Helena's hair off her shoulder.
"Well, I thought ….he would like it," the Brit said, losing her thought as she stared into Myka's green eyes. "You don't have to hit me," Helena teased when she felt the light tap.
Then she realized Myka's hands were on her shoulders.
"Was that…?" Helena asked, realizing Myka was leaning on her and she felt the baby kicking.
"Uh huh," Myka said, smiling that now Helena could feel it, too.
Helena shouldn't have been surprised; she knew it was going to happen soon. But the sensation of life – one that was hers and Myka's, brought the Brit to tears. "Myka," she said, her voice cracking as she placed her hand on the exact spot and felt it again.
Hearing the emotion in Helena's voice reduced Myka to tears of joy as she held Helena's hand in place and felt it, too.
"She's a lucky little baby," Myka said as tears streamed down her cheeks. "To have you as her mother."
It was a very poignant moment for the mothers-to-be; one that could have easily be spoiled by Jeannie coming out of her room to tell Myka that they would be coming back as soon as the baby was born.
And she was about to do just that – but she kept getting a shock whenever she put her hand on the bedroom doorknob to come out.