08-04-2019, 04:30 PM
"Oh, the propositions were there, an' I'm sure there's been a couple meth heads too, but most people taking drugs on a plane jes' wanna be knocked out fer the flight. Wha' 'bout the couple wit' ya?"
"Hmm? Oh, Troy & Julie aren't into drugs. I mean, like maybe every few months for fun; special occasions. And who doesn't have a little herb now and then in Washington these days? No, this is just a really bad day for them. Well, you know why we're here; Helen is a very dear old friend of theirs."
"Oh, aye," Colleen replied with a slight blush and a bow of her head. She then looked up at Susan, just catching what she said. "Theirs? She's nae yours?"
"We haven't really met, Colleen, just talked a little. They're old friends of hers, so this whole thing's just had them not themselves, you know?" Susan read the look of concern on Colleen's face.
"They go way back with her, Colleen. They love her, so they're going to her, and I love them, so I'm coming too. Well, I talk to Lady Maria sometimes too; her, I consider a friend. You know Helen personally, though, don't you? I can tell."
She stepped closer to Colleen, who swallowed and nodded.
"Oh, aye. The Countess got me this job. Can't really say how."
"I'm sorry this is happening, I hope she'll be ok. And I think I can figure out that story for myself, Colleen. You see..."
Susan stopped a foot away from the redhead. She reached out with her left hand. Colleen thought she was going to grab her by the waist, but instead, Susan pulled the tablet out of her pocket. She leaned in to whisper in Colleen's ear.
"All of us have got emerald green iPads too, Colleen. Mine was a present, but I know why she usually gives them out. Now Honestly, Colleen, you got yours the same way Troy and Julie got theirs, didn't you?"
Colleen closed her eyes and tilted her head back before answering.
"Aye. I've met The Countess. A few times. Enough to get why I'm telling you this now."
That stopped Susan cold.
"So, you know what I'm doing, Colleen?"
She took a deep breath before replying.
"Aye. Tha' thing where ye keep sayin' my name. I were wearing this uniform tha' first time she did it. 'S why I'm wearin' it now."
It was Susan's turn to cock her head quizzically.
"Huh, do tell."
* * *
A few minutes later, Susan Bailey and Colleen Sullivan sat at the bar in Colleen's suite, sipping cappuccinos and talking. Between Susan's waitressing experience and Colleen's stewardessing experience they'd been able to operate the machine that likely cost more than their first cars.
Susan had bought her first car new the year before. Letting Troy handle the negotiation, naturally.
Colleen continued her story. Her accent had gotten thicker as they spoke, like she was no longer at work and could put away her Stewardessing accent for her home one.
"An' neither of us coul' find them by the time we'd touched down, so we both said fook it an'... I think they call it 'went commando?' D'ya think that'd be offensive to the commandos she had wit' her?"
"I doubt it," Susan responded, taking a drink. "Ultimados don't get offended easily. You should hear some of the stuff I've said to them."
"Well, we never found our... erm... underwear. But one of the cleaning crew did. He tol' his boss, that guy tol' someone else, an' a few days later, I were at 'ead office in London 'explaining myself' to the Vice President of Guest Relations and being told I were fired."
"Fucker. How long were you out of work?"
"Four days. An' then I got a call from The Countess, telling me the airline were under new management and how'd I like the job 'o' the tosser tha' sacked me."
Susan smiled at that.
"Sounds like she really cares about you. So, why the uniform?"
Colleen leaned closer and whispered, despite their being alone in the suite.
"Well, I've since been invited to the castle fer a couple o' weekends, an' we've talked a little..."
Susan stopped herself from doing a spit-take, but inhaled some coffee in the process and had to stop and cough for a few seconds. She assured Colleen that she was ok and caught her breath before speaking.
"I'm ok, sorry, I'm ok. Just... we talk now and then, and what I know of Helen's personal life; coming back, staying the weekend, and 'talking' to her guests are all violations of her Prime Directive."
"I think ever'body thinks tha'," Colleen said, taking a less-choking sip than Susan's. "An' I think The Countess encourages it. But she's lonely, ye know. I mean, she's got Lady Maria an' a castle full of servants, but ever'one else in her life wants something from 'er."
"I don't want anything from her," Susan replied. "I want her to be ok and get through this, but I'm not after anything. I accepted this," she pulled out her new San Finzione passport. "Because it was the only way to get on a flight tonight and..."
Susan bowed her head, holding her face in the hand of the arm resting on the bar and squeezed her forehead as a realization struck her with a groan.
"I just became one of her fucking SUBJECTS, didn't I? And I can't even get pissed off at her, because she meant all this to be an ESCAPE plan!"
When Susan looked up from rubbing her eyes, she saw the look of confusion again on Colleen's face.
"If you talk to her, you know she's always doing that 'think of everything, plan for everything' thing."
"Oh, aye," Colleen said with a lot. "Like Batman."
Susan raised an eyebrow at that, smiled, and continued.
"So, all this: the passport, the plane, the money I didn't take; she meant it in case something so bad happened that we all needed to flee the country and never come back. She said no rescuing her, but she never stopped to consider 'Some fucker just stabbed me and despite my whole Modesty Blaise front, we all need to be together right now.' This was always meant to be a one-way trip. Like 'A NEW LIFE awaits you in SAN FINZIONE! The chance to begin anew...'"
Colleen reached out and put her hand on Susan's.
"If it helps ya, Susan, ya don't come up as often as those two; but when ya do, it's all been good things. I think she meant you too in that 'we.'"
"Hmm? Oh, Troy & Julie aren't into drugs. I mean, like maybe every few months for fun; special occasions. And who doesn't have a little herb now and then in Washington these days? No, this is just a really bad day for them. Well, you know why we're here; Helen is a very dear old friend of theirs."
"Oh, aye," Colleen replied with a slight blush and a bow of her head. She then looked up at Susan, just catching what she said. "Theirs? She's nae yours?"
"We haven't really met, Colleen, just talked a little. They're old friends of hers, so this whole thing's just had them not themselves, you know?" Susan read the look of concern on Colleen's face.
"They go way back with her, Colleen. They love her, so they're going to her, and I love them, so I'm coming too. Well, I talk to Lady Maria sometimes too; her, I consider a friend. You know Helen personally, though, don't you? I can tell."
She stepped closer to Colleen, who swallowed and nodded.
"Oh, aye. The Countess got me this job. Can't really say how."
"I'm sorry this is happening, I hope she'll be ok. And I think I can figure out that story for myself, Colleen. You see..."
Susan stopped a foot away from the redhead. She reached out with her left hand. Colleen thought she was going to grab her by the waist, but instead, Susan pulled the tablet out of her pocket. She leaned in to whisper in Colleen's ear.
"All of us have got emerald green iPads too, Colleen. Mine was a present, but I know why she usually gives them out. Now Honestly, Colleen, you got yours the same way Troy and Julie got theirs, didn't you?"
Colleen closed her eyes and tilted her head back before answering.
"Aye. I've met The Countess. A few times. Enough to get why I'm telling you this now."
That stopped Susan cold.
"So, you know what I'm doing, Colleen?"
She took a deep breath before replying.
"Aye. Tha' thing where ye keep sayin' my name. I were wearing this uniform tha' first time she did it. 'S why I'm wearin' it now."
It was Susan's turn to cock her head quizzically.
"Huh, do tell."
* * *
A few minutes later, Susan Bailey and Colleen Sullivan sat at the bar in Colleen's suite, sipping cappuccinos and talking. Between Susan's waitressing experience and Colleen's stewardessing experience they'd been able to operate the machine that likely cost more than their first cars.
Susan had bought her first car new the year before. Letting Troy handle the negotiation, naturally.
Colleen continued her story. Her accent had gotten thicker as they spoke, like she was no longer at work and could put away her Stewardessing accent for her home one.
"An' neither of us coul' find them by the time we'd touched down, so we both said fook it an'... I think they call it 'went commando?' D'ya think that'd be offensive to the commandos she had wit' her?"
"I doubt it," Susan responded, taking a drink. "Ultimados don't get offended easily. You should hear some of the stuff I've said to them."
"Well, we never found our... erm... underwear. But one of the cleaning crew did. He tol' his boss, that guy tol' someone else, an' a few days later, I were at 'ead office in London 'explaining myself' to the Vice President of Guest Relations and being told I were fired."
"Fucker. How long were you out of work?"
"Four days. An' then I got a call from The Countess, telling me the airline were under new management and how'd I like the job 'o' the tosser tha' sacked me."
Susan smiled at that.
"Sounds like she really cares about you. So, why the uniform?"
Colleen leaned closer and whispered, despite their being alone in the suite.
"Well, I've since been invited to the castle fer a couple o' weekends, an' we've talked a little..."
Susan stopped herself from doing a spit-take, but inhaled some coffee in the process and had to stop and cough for a few seconds. She assured Colleen that she was ok and caught her breath before speaking.
"I'm ok, sorry, I'm ok. Just... we talk now and then, and what I know of Helen's personal life; coming back, staying the weekend, and 'talking' to her guests are all violations of her Prime Directive."
"I think ever'body thinks tha'," Colleen said, taking a less-choking sip than Susan's. "An' I think The Countess encourages it. But she's lonely, ye know. I mean, she's got Lady Maria an' a castle full of servants, but ever'one else in her life wants something from 'er."
"I don't want anything from her," Susan replied. "I want her to be ok and get through this, but I'm not after anything. I accepted this," she pulled out her new San Finzione passport. "Because it was the only way to get on a flight tonight and..."
Susan bowed her head, holding her face in the hand of the arm resting on the bar and squeezed her forehead as a realization struck her with a groan.
"I just became one of her fucking SUBJECTS, didn't I? And I can't even get pissed off at her, because she meant all this to be an ESCAPE plan!"
When Susan looked up from rubbing her eyes, she saw the look of confusion again on Colleen's face.
"If you talk to her, you know she's always doing that 'think of everything, plan for everything' thing."
"Oh, aye," Colleen said with a lot. "Like Batman."
Susan raised an eyebrow at that, smiled, and continued.
"So, all this: the passport, the plane, the money I didn't take; she meant it in case something so bad happened that we all needed to flee the country and never come back. She said no rescuing her, but she never stopped to consider 'Some fucker just stabbed me and despite my whole Modesty Blaise front, we all need to be together right now.' This was always meant to be a one-way trip. Like 'A NEW LIFE awaits you in SAN FINZIONE! The chance to begin anew...'"
Colleen reached out and put her hand on Susan's.
"If it helps ya, Susan, ya don't come up as often as those two; but when ya do, it's all been good things. I think she meant you too in that 'we.'"
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