Chapter Text
Lena crossed her legs for a third time while looking at the sad excuse for a ‘resume’ in her hands. Finally, she asked, “How do you spell your name, exactly?”
“M-x-y-z-p-t-l-k. But my friends, enemies and fans call me Mxy.”
The handsome man smirked while lounging on the leather divan across her. Lena didn’t give him the satisfaction of returning the flirtatious gesture. Nothing was more repulsive to her than cockiness.
She said, “I think there must be some mistake, Mxy. I am the CEO of a billion dollar organization that primarily specializes in developing electronic innovations, not a modeling agency. You have the wrong address.”
Mxy mirrored her pose as he leaned back. He didn’t answer, sipping from the teacup in his hand and examining her spacious office.
Lena snapped, tired of his playful dismissiveness. She turned the paper in her hands and accused, “This is a close-up photo of you. Why would I hire an infuriating narcissist?”
Mxy pointed his index finger lazily at her and asked, “Is that pea coat Burberry? It is divine. Blue truly suits you.”
“If you continue avoiding questions, I will have security escort you off my property.”
“Funny! I was under the impression your security guards were dead after Cadmus purged this entire building during their last raid. And then your assistant kidnapped you and there was this whole hostage situation involving a nuclear bomb and a radioactive scented candle. To be honest, it made for great television on a Wednesday night.”
Lena stood and straightened the wrinkles on her pencil skirt. “You can leave through the door you came in.”
“But I have all the qualifications for this job,” Mxy insisted, draping an arm over the top of the divan. “I make perfect arm-candy at social events you don’t want to attend. I can take you anywhere in half a second. I’m physically invincible. I don’t know anything about filing but I’m sure it’s not difficult. And this thing—” His fingers wiggled toward the phone on the desk behind her. “—A telephone, correct? I just pick it up and press buttons. Any being with opposable thumbs can do that.”
Lena let out a half-laugh, half-snort. “You are, by far, the most egotistical man I have ever met.”
“I’m not a man. I’m a god.”
He was definitely charming despite his scruff. He had thick, black hair and bushy eyebrows and the most infectious smile. I could see him playing a Greek god on television, Lena admitted internally. Despite his appearance, she said, “Are you deaf as well? I ordered you to leave.”
He set the teacup and saucer on the coffee table between them and stood. He didn’t button up his blazer or even glance at the door. He has no intention of leaving. Lena considered going back to her desk and retrieving the Taser in the top drawer.
“Miss Luthor, I’m trying to be a good citizen. Earth is a mystery to me.” He grabbed her hand in a lightning-fast move and kissed her palm. His lips brushed her knuckles as his eyes sought hers. “I am sorry if I have offended you.”
Lena shuddered, inexplicably captivated by his gaze. There was an otherworldly aura to this man. She took a step back and snatched her hand away. She accused, “You’re an alien.”
“Yes, yes, yes, let’s go with that.” He nodded his head and clasped his hands in front of his chest. “To win the love of my life, I must learn to be human – like in the Disney films!”
Oh god, I have a brain-damaged puppy batting his eyelashes at me. This was dangerous. Lena had a weakness for conflicted souls committed to a fresh start: Her mother… every time she lied about wanting to be a family again. Supergirl and her commitment to saving the human race after crash-landing on Earth. All the Luthor Corp employees she kept after they swore to remain faithful to her new business plans and corporate vision.
“I’m sorry but I must decline. L-Corp isn’t a Starbucks where I can spend an entire afternoon teaching you how to work the espresso machine. I run a fast-paced business and need an assistant with extensive experience in everything, from marketing to intimidating a Japanese affiliate to not retract funding due to budget concerns.”
“Not a problem. I’ve intimidated whole planets all my life.”
Lena laughed. “You are funny. I’ll give you that.”
“Yes, that was a joke.” Mxy looked around her office awkwardly, averting eye contact. “Please, it has to be you. I must work for you.”
Lena tilted her head, suspicious. “Why?”
“You’re a magnet for trouble and at the heart of many Cadmus schemes. By helping you, I would be inadvertently helping Supergirl.”
Lena sat down again, mostly due to shock. “You’re in love with Supergirl.”
“But she does not share my affection.” Mxy put his hands inside his pant pockets and turned to the floor-to-ceiling glass wall in front of her balcony. “I must show her through my actions that I wish to save the human race and fellow aliens. Perhaps, then, she will open her heart to me.”
And here’s my mid-morning migraine. Lena massaged her temple and considered her options. “You can’t win contracts with selfies.”
He appeared beside her in the blink of an eye. She jumped, startled, and attempted to put some space between them. He stopped her by smoothly resting his hands on her shoulders. He leaned forward and promised, “Give me a day and I will speak every language on this planet. I will memorize the best business strategies to become the perfect assistant. All you will need to do is show up to meetings so men and women can bow at your feet.”
“I prefer it when they hear my proposals with an open mind.”
“I can do that too.”
Lena squirmed in his embrace. “Only 24 hours?”
Mxy pouted. “I’m under the impression that if I do things with a snap of a finger it freaks mortals out. A day gives humans time to adjust.”
I’m going to regret this. Lena sighed and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she said, “We will have a trial period of two weeks. But don’t think I won’t fire you on the spot if provoked.”
Mxy put a hand over his heart. “I only provoke if asked, Miss Luthor.”
_______________
“No, no, no and no.”
“Think of the possibilities.”
“Don’t you have some proposals to photocopy?”
“Have you heard of digital presentations and the wonders of the internet?”
Lena narrowed her eyes and swiveled her leather chair around to face Mxy. “Don’t forget who signs your check every month, dearest assistant.”
Mxy inspected his immaculate fingernails while halfheartedly pleading, “Please, don’t fire me. How will I afford my penthouse suite downtown otherwise?”
Lena raised a brow. “I don’t pay you enough right now to afford that.”
“I have a side business harvesting planets to create a regenerating syrup that keeps the intergalactic elite youthful.”
“That’s the plot to the film Jupiter Ascending.”
“Oh, is it?”
Lena snapped her fingers and pointed to the door. “Get out.”
“You are being very unreasonable. Deals are sealed with marriage in the fifth dimension.”
“I’m not marrying my biggest competitor. Besides, he’s already married!”
“An accident can be arranged for his wife. No problem.”
“I’m not hearing this. OUT!”
There was a light tap on her door.
“Excuse me?” Kara Danvers entered her office while fidgeting with her glasses and a brown satchel draped over right shoulder. “Am I interrupting? There was no one sitting at your…” Her eyes fell on Mxy and she immediately fell silent.
Mxy smiled widely. “Super—”
“Super nice to meet you!” Kara practically screamed, hurrying to him and shaking his hand avidly with a firm grip. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Kara Danvers. Kara. Danvers.”
Lena glanced between the two warily, sensing an unspoken hostility despite the parallel smiles. Before she could comment on it, Mxy exclaimed, “It’s s-s-s-super to see you too!” He even pumped his fist in the air for added affect.
Kara looked like she’d just eaten a spoiled pear. She asked, “Who is this?”
Lena walked around her desk and waved dismissively in Mxy’s direction. “Someone useless. Don’t worry about him. Mxy, check with Solange to see how the Russian deal is going.”
Mxy kept his eyes on Kara. “It’s not going well.”
Lena pursed her lips, annoyed. “How would you know?”
“I know these things.”
“Well, go know things somewhere else.”
He pouted all the way to the door like a spoiled child before closing it daintily. Lena urged Kara to the couch with a wave of her palm and they sat together over an array of decorative cushions.
In typical business fashion, she broke the silence first. “Now, what can I do for my favorite reporter?”
“Independent reporter,” Kara corrected.
“I still can’t believe that irate editor at CatCo Magazine fired you. I would have hired you myself if you hadn’t decided to go rogue.”
Kara laughed nervously. “Thanks, maybe I can write for that new fashion magazine you’re apparently planning to launch.” She pointed toward the closed door. “Whose the supermodel?”
“A giant mistake,” Lena admitted, grabbing Kara’s right hand to examine a sterling silver bracelet with a heart pendant. “How lovely. It suits you.”
Kara blushed, slipping a lock of hair behind her hair with her other hand. “Thanks. It was a gift from my boyfriend.”
Lena immediately let go. She managed to keep the smile on her face despite the pang of jealousy in her chest. “Mike, is it?”
Kara nodded and then reached for her hand as well. Lena grew stiff as Kara squeezed it and leaned close to ask, “Pray tell, who is this mysterious Mxy?”
I’m mistaking girl talk for something else, she thought, squeezing Kara’s hand back instinctively.
Lena rolled her eyes at the mere mention of Mxy. “I still haven’t decided whether he’s the worst assistant I’ve ever had or simply insufferable. Do you want coffee?” She didn’t wait for Kara to answer before looking at the door and screaming, “Mxy! Since you have your ear to the door, why not make yourself useful by getting us cappuccinos?”
_______________
Mxy was painting her toenails a glittery sapphire and she had, miraculously, not strangled him yet. He sang some disastrous pop song under his breath while completely smearing the color on her big toe. His shamelessness was almost as bad as his taste in music.
Lena took another drink from her flute. She would need a refill soon to avoid spending the rest of the night in a cell after committing first-degree murder—most likely with the 19th century candelabra on her fireplace.
She tried to raise her knee but Mxy’s left hand was firm around her ankle. He’s the squealing sister I never wanted.
Her assistant sat at her feet over a threadbare rug she bought at an auction in Morocco. He was grossly out of place in his ridiculous Supergirl insignia pajamas while lying down on his chest and rocking his feet back and forth. If he asks to do my hair next, I will hurl him out a window.
Lena shifted awkwardly on the espresso accent armchair in the center of her living room. After clearing her throat, she asked, “Mxy, do you get most of your education about human experiences from movies?”
He gave her a radiant smile and blurted, “This is so fetch!”
“Aha… okay.” She reached for the bottle of Dom Perignon quickly. “Well, let me explain something to you. Sneaking into someone’s house via balcony is called ‘breaking and entering.’ Do I need to explain the concept or have you seen one half-sensible crime drama?”
“I prefer ‘making a fashionable entrance.’”
“I don’t care what you prefer. How did you even make it? I’m on the sixtieth floor and there are no fire escape stairs.”
“Blue suits you.” Mxy said, ignoring her question and blowing on her wet toes.
Lena let her head fall back over the top rail in exasperation. Her fingers played with the sash of her bathrobe. “Why am I like this? I could have hired an eager recent grad too afraid to even glance in my direction.”
“Are you going to the National City Alien Welcoming Ball?”
“You aren’t even going to pretend you weren’t eavesdropping. Unbelievable.” Lena ran a hand through her mussed up hair. Her early night plans had been rudely interrupted by an overeager assistant wearing hair curlers. “Yes, I will attend. Kara invited me, personally. She’s very passionate about Supergirl and protecting innocent aliens from Cadmus.” Lena’s eyes strayed to the panoramic view visible through her all-glass living room. “It’s just… it will be the first time I see her with him… now that they’re a couple.”
Mxy’s head shot up with interest. “Him? Her boyfriend? Blandy McBlandsome?”
“Don’t call him that. You’ve never met him.” Lena cleared her throat and wiggled her toes, eager to change the subject. “Are you legally blind or have you never painted nails?”
Mxy took a dramatic intake of breath. He whispered in a pitchy tone, “You like her.”
“Don’t be absurd. Of course I like her, as a friend.” Lena downed the entire flute nervously.
Mxy wasn’t listening, too busy with a highly convincing reenactment of a melting T-Rex clawing at the air with tiny, tiny arms. The revelation seemed to have caused a mini mental breakdown. He talked to himself, eyes frantically moving from side to side. “This is a conflict of interest… what to do… we can unite to defeat a common foe… stronger together… anyone is better than that jean-loving nobody…”
Lena was not amused. “Watching too much television kills brain cells. ”
Mxy punched a hand into an awaiting palm. He stood suddenly and announced with conviction, “Let’s pretend to be together and make her jealous!”
Lena let out a dry laugh. “Yes, because we’re just oozing with unresolved sexual tension.”
Mxy put a hand under his chin and nodded several times. “Wear the leather-tight Versace number with the feathers over your breasts to the ball.”
The flute slipped from her hand and shattered on the marble. She paid it no mind, equal parts stunned and horrified. “How do you know I own that?”
Mxy started removing the curlers in his hair. “You pay me to know things.”
“But not to stalk me.”
“Oh please, you bought that three years ago in Paris. I didn’t even know Supergirl back then. But as they say in reality television, receipts don’t lie.”
Lena stood as well and pointed to her front door. “GET OUT!”
_______________
Mxy was breathlessly charming in his double-breasted Armani suit. Navy. Tailored. Accessorized with a lion patterned silk tie. The whole look made Lena relieved he was on her side.
He shook the investor’s hand one last time at the helipad and said in rapid-fire Spanish, “Muchas gracias por su tiempo. Este acuerdo comercial causará un gran cambio en su país.”
Lena also shook the hand of the President of the Republic of Peru. He was enthusiastic about the new trade agreement she brokered with the Latin American country. Or rather, the one Mxy had bedazzled and flirted his way through while completely disregarding her presentation. When he winked at a cabinet member mid-speech she considered stabbing him with a pen. Luckily, the woman only laughed and blushed for the rest of the meeting.
I can’t believe we’re matching again. Lena wore a Chanel suit with a navy trim collar. He hasn’t installed any cameras in my apartment. How the does he keep doing this? Mxy had either figured out her daily aura color or was taking his ridiculous “matching couple” idea to the extreme.
As they walked toward the helicopter arm-in-arm, Lena accused, “You speak Spanish.”
She had been impressed by his flawless introduction and dismissed her translator. She regretted the decision five minutes into Mxy’s proposal fiasco. But somehow, like always, he managed a miracle.
“I speak whatever you need me to speak.” Mxy answered, pulling on the collar of her coat in a teasing fashion. “No color looks more dashing on you than blue.”
“What did you say in that meeting?”
Mxy faked a Sicilian accent. “I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.”
Lena rolled her eyes. “Did you watch the whole movie or gave up halfway?”
“The Godfather is way too long.”
They sat in the passenger seats and buckled up. Lena immediately took out her iPhone and skimmed through the morning’s emails. “I don’t want another PR nightmare like when the president of South Korea was arrested over a corruption scandal three hours after our meeting. We keep this in-house until all the paperwork has been signed and I’ve relocated the machinery factories from Colombia.”
Mxy nodded, seemingly enjoying the sights Lima had to offer from his window. “By the way, I might have said L-Corp was going to speak with the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations so they can pressure a couple of conglomerates to minimize deforestation in the Amazon. We should get pollo a la brasa once we land.”
Lena looked up slowly from her screen. Her head throbbed. “What did you just say?”
“Pollo a la brasa, it’s like a staple dish with red peppers.”
“You promised the president of Peru that we’re going to save the Amazon?”
“Only a fourth of it.”
For a moment, Lena thought she was fainting, the world leaning sideways in a violent hurl. Then she realized that, in fact, the helicopter had lost control and was careening toward a skyscraper. She fell into Mxy’s lap as the tail hit the rooftop in an unsuccessful landing. The helicopter skid scrapped through the concrete and a wave of turbulence careened her backward, audibly cracking her neck.
Mxy kicked out his door effortlessly. He grabbed the pilot’s seat by the headrest, ripped it out of the floor and threw the man out the missing-door hole.
Lena screamed, hair thrashing over her face. She watched the pilot disappear in a flash and accused, “He’s going to be injured!”
“At least he won’t be dead!” Mxy screamed back, ripping her seat out and holding it tightly in his arms before jumping out of the helicopter.
They landed on the rooftop just as the helicopter reached the skyscraper’s edge and dipped over it. It headed for Punta Hermosa beach in a nauseating whirl.
“¿Estás bien?” Mxy asked the pilot lying prone on the roof. The man gave him a shaky nod despite his bloody forehead.
Lena wiped the hair out of her face and saw the helicopter crash into the water with a loud splash. Swimming tourists swarmed it to gawk instead of swimming away. Typical Americans…
“Oh great, attack us in a foreign country Cadmus,” Mxy grumbled under his breath, stomping his foot.
Lena tried to control her shallow breathing. She was still buckled to the seat Mxy held in his arms like a weightless baby. She asked in a shaky whisper, “You have superhuman strength?”
Mxy shrugged his shoulders sheepishly. He watched the waves sweep the helicopter further into the ocean. “How frustrating. This is a lot more romantic than when Edward saved Bella from that skidding truck and we have no audience to jealously gasp over our amazing bonding experience.”
She slapped him in the back of the head. “Put me down this instant.”
_______________
“Do we look too amazing or does no one in this city know how to dress?”
“You’re horrible!” Despite her chiding tone, a giggle escaped Lena in a rush of nerves. Damn it. Mxy’s knowing wink made her stomach flip-flop.
They sat in the backseats of her favorite town car: a Mercedes Benz S Class with bulletproof windows and sleek black paintjob. She could have sent an employee’s child to college with the amount of money she spent on customizing the vehicle. But no amount of champagne, soundproof windows or massage-giving seats could make this drive even remotely bearable. And it wasn’t even Mxy’s fault… entirely.
The whole day she’d been on edge. She was late to her meeting with the National City Ethics Committee, accidently stabbed a French dignitary with her fork during business lunch, emailed L-Corp’s new year business plan to the IT team instead of her PR firm, and threw the “congratulations on not dying” flower bouquet from her jailed mother at Mxy’s head in a thoughtless fit of rage.
Mxy’s nose touched his window’s glass after something outside caught his attention. “Is that woman wearing sling back heels to a gala? And they say Cadmus is full of criminals. You deserve to be shot, lady!”
“Mxy, I really can’t handle you today.” Lena fiddled with the dragonfly broach on her elegant chignon. “If you could tone it down tonight, I would appreciate it.”
He looked at her as if he had no idea what she meant, utterly oblivious to his erratic behavior. He said, “So what’s our story? I’m thinking we met during a rainstorm after I offered you my coat outside your favorite bookstore.”
Lena sighed. “We’re not pretending to be a couple.”
“Then, I walked you to your car and you offered me a ride. And on the way to my apartment, we talked about all my favorite movies.”
“A cross-country road trip wouldn’t be long enough to talk about all your favorite movies.”
The car came to a stop in front of a red carpet. On the sidelines, journalists took photos and screamed questions at attendees of the National City Alien Welcoming Ball. Lena’s eyes immediately went to the long stairs leading to the Luthor Metropolitan Museum illuminated by pink strobe lights. She wanted to reach those stairs as quickly as possible. Her day didn’t need to end with some inappropriate question being hurled her way by some seedy journalists, followed by a headline that included “Lena Luthor Had No Comment.”
Mxy sensed her apprehension and grabbed her hand. When the driver opened his door, he led her down the carpet, doing enough smiling and waving for the two of them. She leaned into him instinctively, her desire to disappear overwhelming her apprehension. Lena had no problem dealing with red carpets or journalists. But the idea of having to survive an evening next to Kara and her boyfriend had her tipping over the edge of an unfamiliar abyss.
“Miss Luthor, over here!”
“Who are you wearing?”
“Is it true Cadmus is planning a chemical attack for next week?”
I am fine, thank you for asking. It took all of her self-control to not roll her eyes. She didn’t miss a step in her Marchesa embellished column fringe gown of silver-tone silk. It was embellished with crystals so she shined brighter than a star under the camera flashes. The dress’s low-cut collar and nude lining would also distract the media and lead to unsavory articles about her “inappropriate” choice of wardrobe rather than her “terrorist” family. Lena knew which she preferred and she couldn’t care less what some third-rate blogger thought about her breasts.
They reached the museum entrance in less than five minutes and soon found their way to the introductory dinosaur exhibit. They walked under a T-Rex suspended by wires.
“I like your T-Rex, Lena.” Mxy commented breezily, as though he’d just complimented her blue diamond earrings—which he had already done that night.
“This isn’t my T-Rex,” Lena answered. “I gave my brother’s collections to the city.”
“They weren’t as terrifying in real life,” Mxy said, motioning to the bones with a dismissive wave of his fingers. “And I’ve met smarter garden lizards.”
Lena stopped at the entrance of the ocean exhibition, next to an aquarium of colorful coral reefs. A terrifying thought made her fingers instinctively flex in Mxy’s grip. “Are you saying you saw the dinosaurs before the big bad asteroid wiped them out?”
A flash of fear crossed Mxy’s features, and then he ushered her into the exhibition, a hand on the small of her back. “Nonsense, Lena! You know me! Always saying crazy things!”
Lena was ready to continue her questioning, his evasive behavior making her suspicions skyrocket. However, a familiar voice called her name from a nearby dessert table and her mind went blank. Kara wore a strapless flared dress in a sophisticated champagne color. It was short, simple and beautiful, just like her. Her hair was down in sweet curls. She waved happily, put down her cake dish and grabbed the hand of a man standing beside her.
Lena’s hold on Mxy’s hand became iron tight. She knew whom Kara was bringing over to introduce.
Kara stopped at arm’s length in front of her and said, “Thank you so much for coming. The museum director said you called so we could get access to the exhibition three days in advance to set up. You didn’t have to do that.”
“What good is influence if I can’t use it for important causes?”
“I’ve been meaning to call but I’ve been so busy!”
“Don’t worry, setting up nonprofit balls to increase awareness is hard work. I’ve carried out enough to know.”
Kara nodded and nudged Mike’s right shoulder with her left. “This is my boyfriend, Mike. Mike, do you remember Lena Luthor?”
Lena put on her fakest smile, the one that almost reached her ears. “It’s nice to see you again.”
But Mike didn’t pay her any attention. His furious eyes were on Mxy. His hostile vibe confessed that he wanted to jump her assistant and punch him repeatedly. If Mxy had already opened his big mouth and said something insensitive she wouldn’t have been confused. For his part, Mxy had become unrealistically fascinated with the chandelier on the ceiling shaped like a giant killer whale.
Kara looked uncomfortable, as if she held a ten-tier cake and didn’t want anyone to know it was on the brink of collapsing. She cleared her throat and shook Mike’s forearm slightly. He broke out of his stupor and smiled at Lena. He said, “It’s very nice to see you too. Kara has told me about the wonderful things you’ve done for National City. It’s great to hear that you’re nothing like your brother.”
Lena’s smile slipped instantly.
Kara smacked Mike’s forearm.
Lena moved on with expert grace. “And you know my date for the evening, Mister Mxy.”
Her introduction made Mxy’s eyes settle on the couple. He chuckled in a theatrical fashion and said, “Oh sweetheart, I think we both know I am more than your date for the evening.”
“Yes, you also pick up my dry cleaning. Don’t forget it’s tomorrow. Five A.M. sharp.” Lena slipped out of his grasp and looped her elbow through Kara’s arm, leading her toward the dessert table again. “So I read your latest article on de-manufacturing and primarization in Latin America. It was fantastic.”
“Thank you!” Kara said, throwing a worried glance over her shoulder at Mxy and Mike. “It wasn’t my usual subject matter but the topic is quickly becoming a global issue.”
Once out of earshot from the men, Lena got straight to the point. “What’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“Mike is acting exactly how you acted when I first introduced Mxy. Do you know him?”
“Of course not!” Kara fidgeted with her glasses. “Mike just takes a long time to warm up to people. He had a troubled childhood.”
Lena couldn’t believe how horrible the event had started. Kara was lying to her, very badly at that. She knew her chance to learn the truth would require some old-fashioned Luthor cunning. Mxy was a slippery fish, Mike was an unknown, and Kara was unwilling to cooperate.
“I need to use the bathroom,” She told Kara and rounded the table before the older woman responded. Lena disappeared into a crowd in front of a dolphin water tank. She circled back to Mxy and Mike, who stood side by side like statues created by competing artists. She hid behind a hammerhead shark model a couple of feet from their location. She pretended to examine its features while eavesdropping on their conversation.
Mike sipped his drink. “The sight of you always makes me sick.”
Mxy scowled, inspecting Mike from head to toe. “Why don’t you do something useful with your life, like move to Thailand to film jean commercials?”
“If you’re here for Kara let me give you a warning,” Mike pointed menacingly at Mxy’s face. “I will send you back to the fifth dimension in a heartbeat.”
“First, your cologne smells repulsive. Did you want to smell like an infested pool that hasn’t been drained in three months? Second, get your finger out of my face before I turn it into a lion that will eat your face.” Mxy mirrored Mike’s aggressive pose, leaning into his personal space. “Third, you didn’t send me anywhere. Supergirl did.” He smiled, but it was more menacing than sardonic. “Shouldn’t you be behind the counter making drinks for the guests?”
“She despises you.”
“I’ve got a Plan B. And she’s pretty spectacular.”
“Good to know Kara means so little to you that you already have a replacement in mind.”
“Oh, you pompous idiot. My Plan B is going to steal your girlfriend right in front of your eyes.” Mxy winked and walked away, leaving a confused Mike pointing at the air.
Lena couldn’t breathe. Her gown was suddenly unbearably tight. Her lungs froze in a cold downpour of embarrassment and hurt and utter betrayal.
Betrayal.
That was a word she knew well.
Her feet moved without volition. She ran out of the exhibition, past the corals, past the T-Rex and then stopped at the foyer. She couldn’t go outside, where the parasitic media waited to eat and dissect her. She turned toward the Japanese art exhibition in the right wing, hoping to disappear in the shadows of ceramics, textiles and sculptures. She couldn’t be seen right now. An old childish instinct flooded her mind: Hide. Hide. Hide.
Lena grabbed the hem of her gown and began climbing the steps to the torii style entrance in bright orange. She slipped in her haste and her glittery Jimmy Choo heel tumbled down the steps. Once she regained her balance, Lena glanced over her shoulder… just as Mxy kneeled down and picked up the shoe from the marble floor.
He cradled it in his hands, jerked up his chin and asked, “Where are you going, Cinderella?”
Lena sobbed loudly. The sound startled them both and she clamped a hand over her mouth to smother the rest, but it was physically painful to hold in her frustration. The tears rushed out like a broken dam and she curled into herself, her other hand wrapping around her torso and pushing down on her stomach harshly. Nothing helped. She couldn’t stop shaking. She couldn’t stop crying.
Mxy climbed the steps slowly, almost cautiously. His eyes softened, no longer playfully derisive or indecently straightforward. He stopped three steps under her, kneeled again and grabbed her naked foot without a word. He slipped the shoe back on and glanced up at her through his gleaming curls.
She kept his gaze and, after a few seconds, let her hand slide off her lips. She didn’t wipe her cheeks or tried to hide the angry scratches on the underside of her jaw, scars from a moment of bitterness and weakness.
She swallowed her next wave of tears and said, “I should fire you.”
He understood. He saw the realization in her eyes, the resignation of her posture.
Mxy catered her to one of his crooked smiles. “I wouldn’t suggest it. I know your social security number, and where you keep your vibrator.”
Lena snorted. It soon became a chuckle, and then a breathless laugh. She gripped her stomach not in pain, but in awe of his sheer brazenness. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her shaky palms and said, “I hate you.” For the first time in a while, there was no fervor behind the words.
He shrugged, stood and put his hands in his pant pockets. “Want to get out of here? My magic carpet is parked in the Japanese art exhibition.”
“Truly?”
“No. But I’ve had my eye on a calligraphy carpet for a while and I can enchant it with a snap of my fingers.”
Mxy extended his right hand toward her. Lena hesitated for a second, and then took it.
_______________
