Chapter Text
He really, really did not want to be here, but filling in for his father (who had come down with a ‘bout of something’ and was confined to bed) as the main representative of Tracy Industries, he really had no choice in the matter. At least he wasn’t alone though. He’d got Virgil and Gordon to support him on the business front, and Josie on his arm as female companion to keep unwanted attention from him, as once again she had dropped everything to accompany him and he owed her BIG time. But it was worth it, because so far it appeared to be working.
He had presented his father’s prepared slide show on business processes within Tracy Industries which had been well received; listened to other representatives give theirs, had lunch, taken part in a question and answer session and they were now about to break before the evening dinner and award ceremony.
Virgil and Gordon had been networking and obtained some useful contact details that could be of value to TI and now they were relaxing in their suite before the dinner, awards and dance. Josie had spent most of the day either listening or reading a book. Most of what had gone on so far was over her head, not being involved in the corporate world.
Scott was currently in the shower trying to ease the stiff muscles that these kind of events always gave him. They’d got two hours before they had to be back downstairs again, so Josie had volunteered to give him a massage.
“Wait, you do massage?” Gordon asked, his eyebrows rising.
“I need some test cases for my final assessment. Scott’s kindly volunteered.”
“Test cases?”
“Yes. I’m studying Swedish and sports massage, help people with muscular injuries, or joint injuries, and assist athletes to recover faster in between races. Something I can do when I’ve had enough in the field, running from volcanoes and the like.”
“Do you need any more test cases?” Gordon asked. “I mean… well… you know my history, I reckon I’d be perfect as a study… wouldn’t I?”
“Actually, yes you would, Gordon. I didn’t like to ask you because of… you know.”
“Josie, never be afraid to ask me, okay? You can ask me anything.”
“Thanks Gordon.” She glanced at Virgil. “What about you, Virgil? Would you like to be one of my ‘patients’? You often wear that exosuit, that must give you some aches and pains, right? You’d be doing me a huge favour. I’ve done three test cases, but I need another three. It’s all anonymous; no names, just some medical history, what I find, what I do to alleviate that, the improvements observed. Gordon, we don’t need to actually mention the hydrofoil, we can just say a serious accident. No one will know I’m treating members of International Rescue.”
“I guess I could… sometimes a massage would be most welcome,” he responded thoughtfully.
“Just so you are aware,” Josie continued, “Sometimes, it’s going to hurt, especially if I’ve got knots and other lumps and bumps to address, but I’ll always finish with something soothing, I promise.”
“Okay, count me in!”
“Thanks guys! You’ve saved me a lot of bother finding other volunteers. Right, excuse me… time to sort your brother out. If you hear screaming, don’t worry about it,” she said grinning mischievously as she headed for Scott’s bedroom.
Then grinned back at her wickedly, waited until she’d closed the door, then turned to face one another.
“Fifty bucks says he screams like a girl,” Virgil said.
“One hundred says he not only screams like a girl, but finishes up crying and turning the air blue,” Gordon came back with.
“Done!” Virgil was confident there was no way his big brother was going to finish up crying. Screaming, yes; swearing, yes, but not crying.
They shook hands.
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