Serendipity By Rocky

CHAPTER 12

'The Lemon Garden' was just starting to fill with the early lunch rush. Wait and bus people scurried about checking tablecloths and place settings. Heidi watched the activity around her and reached for a bread stick. She had arrived early for her lunch date with Greta. Steeling herself for the arrival of the large admin exec, she found the quiet clatter of dishware somehow comforting.

Heidi used the time to go over in her mind all the things that led up to where she was sitting now. She and Linda had spent the morning going over the file that Rory had given them. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was the same fabrication of lies and half-truths that they remembered. Laura was a nobody who had started by filling in over the Christmas holidays. Neither one of them could remember anything special about the girl; why she had been in the office after hours was an even larger mystery.

That had been an awful day. For some reason she had come in early and had found Rory asleep at her desk. At first she had been shocked to find the empty bottle but as she had moved around the desk to wake her, she had seen the divorce papers. Heidi knew that most of the staff in the Sales office didn't like the tall dark woman, but unlike them she had grown to respect Rory, finding her driven but fair. By the time she had discreetly disposed of the bottle and the heaping ashtray, Linda, the other senior secretary had arrived. So they took the groggy woman home to shower and change. When they returned to the office, the day went from bad to worse.

Rory had been the corporate golden child, destined to ride the express elevator to the top. However after the senior staff meeting that morning she looked pale and withdrawn, like she had lost her best friend. "Heidi could you and Linda come into my office for a moment?" Those words had signaled the beginning of the end.

Rumors had been flying, most of them about one of the interns quitting over some kind of sexual harassment. No one knew anything for sure except that Laura hadn't come in to work that day. The one thing that was certain… something big had gone down behind the closed doors of the meeting, and it centered directly on Rory.

When Heidi and Linda came into the office they found Rory cleaning out her desk. Their shocked expressions must have registered because she smiled sadly and indicated that she wanted the door closed. Breathing a heavy sigh, Rory sat on the on the edge of the desk and looked down at her clasped hands for a moment. "You both know that I did something very stupid last night." She started. Glancing back up at the two seated women, her face was calm but a glimmer in the corner of her eye betrayed how close she was to breaking down. "It would seem that drinking myself into a stupor wasn't the only thing I did last night." The blue eyes shifted from side to side as if looking for an answer and finding nothing there. "Laura says that last night I tried to molest her here in my office."

For the next few seconds the three women listened to the sounds that carried in from the outer office. Linda leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Do you mind if I speak frankly Mrs. Winters?" She asked.

"Please call me Rory, after hauling my sorry ass home first thing this morning I think you both should call me by my name." Her voice was weary and apologetic. "…And yes please say what's on your mind."

The short little secretary leaned forward in her chair and then looked up at Rory. "This whole thing sounds like Bullshit!" The angry word hovered in room. "I've been working in this office for five years now and I think I'm a pretty good judge of character. You are a tough lady, Rory, but you've always been fair to me. This whole business stinks of a set-up."

Heidi was thankful that Linda had spoken up, her sentiment reflected what she had been thinking. Everyone in the office knew that Rory was due to step into the next VP position. More than one person had been vocal in their opposition. "Mrs. Winters… I mean, Rory, what really happened last night?"

"Does it really matter?" The tall woman replied bitterly. "Sorry, you didn't deserve that." She recanted. " I vaguely remember Laura being in my office last night…" She sighed. "I honestly don't know. …But the damage is done… and I guess that's where you two come in." The dirty blonde and the redhead looked at each in surprise, and then back up to Rory, who had returned to packing up the last few items from her desk. "I've been promoted sideways to the go-nowhere position of 'Western Sales Manager'. I get an executive suite in the main office and I'm allowed two staff… Interested?"

Heidi looked at her watch with irritation; Greta was now more than fashionably late. She battled with herself and then gave in, taking the last breadstick from the basket. Greta had to be the key to this whole debacle; before the boom had fallen she had been the most vocal of Rory's opponents. However the big admin exec was suspiciously quiet when they made the move upstairs. Two things kept plaguing Heidi's mind, 'What was with the investigation? …And why NOW?'

Biting down on her anger, Heidi signaled to the waiter that had been hovering to bring her a menu. Scanning down the list of lunch specials, she decided to hell with her diet and ordered the 'Fettuccini Alfredo'. The young man smiled and picked up the breadbasket, returning quickly with another filled with warm fresh breadsticks. 'How the hell am I supposed to make nice and pick her brains if she doesn't show up?' Heidi wondered, eyeing the now full basket. 'Down girl!' she admonished herself and played with the linen napkin in her lap instead.

The jokes started a few days after Heidi and Linda had moved into their new positions. While the new office meant that Rory no longer held anything but a remote chance at advancement, both of the secretaries had actually been given a good opportunity to shine. Snide comments were made about what 'Rory's Girls' had done to get the plumb positions. It was a testament to their loyalty that they did their jobs and let the remarks wash over them. Like all things, time and the fact that their boss was sent out of town more and more, let the gossip pass on to juicier topics. Still the transition was still a sore spot with Heidi, something she was only willing to admit to husband, and of course to Linda.

Deep in her bones the little secretary knew that Ajax, as Rory was so fond of calling Greta, was behind all this somehow. She fought to smile sweetly rather than curl her lip when she saw Greta come floating up to the table like an ocean liner pulling up to the dock, at the same time that her pasta arrived. "Why hello Greta. What kept you?" Heidi greeted her politely. "I was beginning to worry." At the back of her mind a little voice was grumbling. 'Yeah right!'

The big woman settled herself at the table with a surprising grace for someone with an over sized girth. "Hello Heidi, I trust you haven't been waiting long." A smarmy smile on her face as a she signaled the waiter with a little half wave a la the Queen of England. "I swear, my staff are becoming more inept everyday and I can never get away in time." Leaning forward she sniffed appreciatively at Heidi's lunch and turned to the waiter who was now at her elbow. "I'll have the same." She said indicating Heidi's lunch and dismissed him with the same half-hearted wave.

Heidi toyed politely with her meal until the waiter returned, not wanting to really start eating until Greta had been served. She didn't have to wait long as another plate of the creamy pasta arrived at the table with surprising speed. "So, Greta…" She asked over a forkful of noodles. "How are things going over in admin?"

"Well I spent the morning going over your boss' expense report." Greta sipped thoughtfully at her water glass. "I approved it and sent it over to accounting. Unfortunately those liquor receipts you pointed out to me were all within the guidelines, but it was good that you were concerned."

Heidi tilted her head to one side and widened her eyes hoping it made her appear innocent and trustworthy. "Thank you, I thought you should know. Linda is always saying we should keep quiet about stuff like that."

A pair of brows that were obviously penciled on a half an inch too high moved up, giving Ajax a startled look. "Did she now." She reached over and patted Heidi's hand. "Don't worry dear, you did the right thing."

"Oh good, that's nice to know." Heidi leaned in and said in a low voice. "I wouldn't want what happened to Laura to happen to me."

Greta looked quickly around them, scanning to see if anyone else from Intercorp was in the restaurant. Satisfied that there were no big ears around she returned to her meal. "What do you think happened to Laura?" She asked twirling a strand of noodles on her plate.

Heidi looked askance at Greta. "Come on you know… One day she worked there the next day she didn't. I don't buy all the rumors about some kind of sexual harassment. For one thing they say that Mrs. Winters attacked her after hours. I mean, what would an intern be doing in the office late at night?" She paused for a breath carefully gauging Ajax's reaction. "…I think she was investigating Mrs. Winter's files for misconduct and got caught. This whole sex scandal is a smoke screen and anyone else who steps out of line will be conveniently dismissed as well. Greta, I like my job and the paycheque that comes with it."

Without saying anything at first, Greta fastidiously daubed at the corners of her mouth with her napkin. "Heidi… You surprise me. You are much brighter than you let people think. I'm impressed, but you don't have to worry about losing your position. Rory Winters is where she belongs and I'm proud to say that I put her there."

"I beg your pardon?!" Heidi sputtered, not believing her own ears.

"It's simple really. I know when to take advantage if opportunity presents itself." A smug smile crossed Ajax's face that simply dripped with canary feathers. "It's true. Rochelle Winters 'did' attack our little Laura."

All Heidi could do was blink.

"Oh come now. I'm sure you've heard all the stories. Don't look so surprised. Laura's mother is a very dear friend of mine and she called me as soon as it happened." Ajax waved her fork in the air; the little secretary's eyes followed it as if hypnotized. "Laura had dumped hot coffee down the front of her white dress. Such a shy nervous thing that she was, she washed it out and waited in the restroom for it to dry. It was late when she came back to get her purse and jacket. She heard a noise coming from Mrs. Winter's office. Apparently your boss was roaring drunk and muttering obscenities about Harland. When Laura asked her if she was okay, she patted her hand and kissed her on the cheek."

Breaking from her trance, Heidi felt the slow burn of anger begin to heat her ears. "…She patted her hand and kissed 'her cheek'?" Heidi said in disbelief, searching the big woman's eyes; she had to be joking! No, the hard look was deadly earnest.

"Of course I took Laura's testimony myself and made sure it was the first item on the agenda the next morning. She didn't even try to deny it."

Heidi's jaw clenched and her vision tunneled down to the large woman seated across the table from her. My God, she was bragging about way she had ruined Rory's career; proud of it even. A usually long fused temper burned away in a heartbeat. "You… you… YOU BITCH!" She grabbed her glass of water and fired it directly into Greta's face.

Greta jumped back as if she'd been shot, her chair flying back into an empty table that tumbled over with a crash. Her dripping jowls turned from horror to shock as she reached into her cleavage to free several cubes of ice that had lodged there. "Why you…" She grabbed her own water and launched it back at Heidi who deftly stepped out of the way. The wet projectile seemed to move in slow motion, neatly removing the toupee of a gentleman seated behind her, and depositing it in his mock turtle soup.

By this time the rest of the patrons were aware of the battle that ensued. They dived out of the way as the smaller woman who had scooped up the breadbasket was pitching rolls and bread sticks, all while screaming "How could you!"

As the last breadstick went twirling over her head Ajax leaned across the table and narrowed her eyes, water still dripping down from her hair causing her mascara to run as if she'd been crying. "I did what needed doing." She thrust out her jaw. "…And I'd do it again. I'm just sorry she wasn't fired for it!"

A wide circle had been vacated around the two combatants and the waiter looked on in fear, lost as to what to do. Surprisingly some people far enough from the fray continued with their meals, glancing up occasionally in amusement like it was performance art or dinner theater.

"Only cold, ruthless, windy old bag like yourself would brag about lousing up another person's life like that!" Heidi raged. Splat! Greta was left with the rest Heidi's lunch dripping down from her head and shoulders.

The combination of ice water and cream sauce made the big woman's features seem to melt. Lacking real eyebrows the mess dripped down into her eyes and Greta grabbed up a napkin off of the table. As she wiped the goo away, her stenciled brows went with it, adding to her alien appearance.

"Madam… Madam, please!" The waiter begged Greta. Unfortunately for him he stepped too close. She placed a meaty hand in the middle of his chest and gave him a hearty shove. The poor little man staggered back several steps sending a dessert cart rolling back towards the big dripping woman.

Looking down in irritation at the cart when it hit her in the hip; Greta's eyes took on an evil glow. Picking up a bearclaw fairly bursting with filling and whipped cream, paper doily and all; she brought back her arm and hurled it in the general direction of Heidi's head. Because Heidi was so short and Ajax was so tall, the high calorie projectile sailed over it's intended victim's head, bouncing several times off of the fake lemon trees and leaving blobs of custard and cream everywhere. It was amazing! The pastry seemed to bounce on forever before finally hitting the back wall, sliding down to float in the lobster tank.

A volley of eclairs followed. Heidi's luck ran out in the form of chocolate and cream right in the nose. An angry rumble rose up from behind her as the other people took offence at being pummeled with deserts. Ducking down to avoid the crossfire when food started coming from both directions, Heidi scooted under the table and used a corner of the table cloth to remove the brown sticky mess.

Getting most of the cream and chocolate from her forehead and nose, Heidi ventured a peek beyond her haven. It was surreal. The patrons were firing at will; all aiming at the big woman who was gamely firing back at all comers. Food fell like rain, peppered with the occasional roll or bread stick.

Using the table like an umbrella, The small secretary started creeping over to the wall closer to the kitchen. She was standing in a doorway with the staff watching the bedlam when the police arrived, and made a hasty retreat out the back door.

"Honey we have to get out of bed some time today." Rory said softly, shifting her leg with the cast to a more comfortable position. The damn thing was itching and she wanted to get up and find something to scratch with.

"No we don't." A muffled voice came from under the blankets where a warm body was cuddled up against her. "In fact I don't ever want to get up again."

Rory lifted up a corner of the covers exposing a curly blonde head. "Yes we do. You have an appointment to get those stitches out and judging from the way you are wiggling your leg if you don't get up soon this is going to be a waterbed."

"Nervous tic. And I like the stitches, I think I'll keep them."

"Uh huh, sure you do." Rory ran her hand down to the soft skin just under Amy's rib cage and started tickling, sending the smaller woman into a writhing heap of giggles.

"Stop! Stop… I give. All right I'm up." Amy struggled away from the tickling fingers and climbed out the bed heading for the bathroom. "You realize that now that you've got me up, you have to feed me."

"And where might her majesty care to dine?" The exec called through the doorway. "…'The Imperial Home of Flapjacks', or the regal 'Kenny's'? She said, trying to keep the mood light. They had been up most of the night talking, discussing the possible outcome of tomorrow's reading of the will. Amy had been moody, swinging from gallows humour to crying jags, and now that she had woken in a fairly good mood, Rory wanted to keep it that way.

Amy wanted to finish her degree and if her Aunt hadn't left her anything that may well mean adding yet another couple of years of a course here and a course there while holding down a job. Plus she had sold almost all of her meager belongings to pay for her airfare. Her usually optimistic demeanor was depressed by the discovery of her parentage and her ego was buckling under its heavy weight.

Once during the long night Rory had offered to pay for her lover's education, and wound up doing some heroic back pedaling to save herself. Now she resolved to quietly aid in the young woman's education if the consequence of Christen's will was not enough. Lying there with her hands behind her head, listening to the small blonde putter about in the bathroom, Rory realized that she was prepared to move heaven and earth for Amy, without qualm or reservation.

"Hmm…" Amy wondered out loud, as she pulled on a clean pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. "I think a short stack is just the ticket. …BUT you have to let me get the tab this time."

"Fine, so long as I can leave the tip." Rory stepped in behind Amy, setting aside her crutches to gather her into a tight hug, speaking into her hair. "And tomorrow night I'm wining and dining you, no matter what the outcome."

After feeding the growling beast in Amy's belly, Rory found herself sitting in the clinic waiting room flipping through a ten-year-old magazine. She wished for the hundredth time, that she had a knitting needle, or an unbent coat hanger, anything to relieve that constant itch that was driving her slowly insane. Her eyes traveled over to the corner of the room had been set up to amuse small children. 'I wonder…" She thought to herself as scooted to the end of the bench to peek into the toy box.

"Ahhhh!" The tall woman groaned as silently as possible when the long slim piece of plastic found a home at the center of her discomfort. 'God this is nearly as good as sex!' She mused to herself and slumped gratified into the seat. When she heard Amy returning with the doctor she guiltily dropped the plastic wand back into the place she found it. "Hey there, Dr. Smee." She said smiling and stood bringing her crutches up with her. "How's her hand?"

"Good as new!" Amy brought the hand up for her partner to see that the angry row of black stitches was now a puckered pink line on the back of her hand.

The doctor pulled the top page off of the pad in his hand. "This is vitamin e cream, follow the directions and it should decrease the scarring." He handed her the paper and gave her shoulder a little squeeze. "No more fist fights with poor defenseless cupboards." He said with a wink and headed back down the hall.

"He seems nice" Rory noted as they turned and left the clinic. Her voice held just the slightest hint of jealousy at his familiarity.

Amy laughed and held the door open. "Who Barry? We go way back. In fact we dated the same girl in highschool."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, no broken hearts though. Carrie and Barry were meant for each other, they got married a few years ago."

"Wait a minute… 'Carrie Smee and Barry Smee'…" Rory was still chuckling when they made it to the car.

The cell phone sitting on the seat was ringing. Rory scooped it up and answered it while Amy went around to get in behind the wheel. "Hello?"

"Hi boss, how's things at 'Betty Ford'?" Linda asked with a little snicker.

"Um fine… I think?" Rory said looking over at Amy and shrugging her shoulders. Then it dawned on her and she laughed. "Oh yeah, I told you I was going there, didn't I? …So what's up?"

"Well it's for sure, Heidi found out that it was Ajax that set you up, but she wasn't the one that's been investigating you this time."

Rory suddenly felt the rampant urge for a cigarette. She always seemed to smoke whenever she was angry, it suited her mood. "I guess I always knew that bitch had in for me." She growled digging around with her free hand in her bag for the pack she knew had to be in there.

"Sorry but I won't have more until I go get Heidi. She couldn't tell me much with her one phone call."

"Huh? What do you mean 'one phone call'?" Rory asked suddenly concerned.

The redhead laughed on the other end of the line. "She's being held for inciting to riot and assault, down town. Don't worry boss I'm on my way now to bail her out. But I wanted to call you first."

"WHAT!"

"Seems Heidi came unglued at Ajax and started a food fight in the restaurant down stairs. …Oh and she said to tell you that you only patted her hand and kissed her on the cheek. Whatever that means."

Rory sat there in shock. Quiet little Heidi who rarely raised her voice. It was too hard to believe. "Yeah thanks Linda. You go get her out and make sure she's okay. Call me when you know more."

"'Kay boss, talk to you later."

Setting down the phone, Rory looked at the pack in her hand and tossed it back in her bag. "Well I'll be damned!" She explained the call to Amy and laughed all the way back to the house.

(c) 1999 S. Day

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