Log: Sue and Warren

[x-invisiblegirl.livejournal.com]

Sue stops by Warren's office to pay him back for lunch

"Oh for goodness sake," Warren muttered to himself, getting up from behind his desk. In the last half hour, he'd sent no less than three emails, four text messages and two phone calls to Jolene, and had received absolutely nothing back. This was very unlike his assistant, who was generally incredibly prompt and almost prescient about things.

In the five years she'd been his personal assistant, she'd proven herself to be without compare. He'd taken a chance when hiring her directly out of the internship program, but he'd seen a cunning, fiercly loyal personality in her. Ignoring everyone else's advice, he'd hired her on, and had been fully satisfied ever since.

It didn't hurt that she was beyond gorgeous, and rocked a pair of Louboutin's better than anyone else he knew.

They had their relationship go back and forth, ending up in bed at least two or three times a year, but that hadn't impacted their working relationship. The fact that she was currently engaged to a friend of his from university hadn't bothered him. It was between those two how their relationship worked.

Walking out of his office towards Jolene's desk, his annoyed look turned into one of surprise. Casually perched on Jolene's desk was Sue Storm, laughing and giggling with his assistant.

Jolene. Giggling. This was bad. Very bad.

"Sue-sue," he said casually, walking towards the ladies. "To what do I owe this surprise?"

Both blonde's turned to look over at Warren before their eyes traded looks one another and both women helplessly collapsed in a mutual fit of giggles...again. They traded knowing looks again before Jolene pushed herself back to her computer giving Warren a knowing smile as Sue hopped off the edge of the table and straightened her skirt. "Oh you know how it is, I was just in the neighbourhood and thought I'd drop by and rescue you from the droll drudgery of the corporate machine but," the young woman looked over at Jolene before giving Warren an innocent smile, "I got...distracted.

Definitely not good. He gave a disapproving look to Jolene, and felt a litle vindicated when she hurried to try to wipe the smile off her face. "Yes, I can see that. Jolene, I need that cost analysis from Maintenance, and I needed it a half hour ago." His assistant nodded and reached for her phone, but he could tell she was still laughing at what the girls had discussed.

"If you'd like to come into my office, Sue, we can visit there rather than in the hallway."

Sue held up a finger shooting an apologetic glance at Jolene, it was her fault that the other woman had been distracted from her job. "Or we could go out to lunch," she offered checking her watch, just gone one. "My treat this time."

Warren gave her a wary look but he nodded. "Alright. I'll grab my coat. Give me five minutes. Jolene, I'll have my phone. Email me the figures so I can pass them on."

He did his best to be quick, but the phone rang, and he cursed Jolene. He knew she was doing this on purpose to spend more time with Sue. Fifteen minutes later, he was finally out of his office, and was not surprised to see the two girls talking again.

"I've rebooked your 2:00 for 5:00," Jolene said quickly. "And I've finished compiling the information you needed."

Warren nodded. "Fine. Have Jerome bring my car to the front. Shall we, Sue?"

"Excellent, I swear you take longer than me to get ready," she teased Warren flashing a quick smile at Jolene, "So, where would you like to go today? I saw what looked like a really good hot dog stand on the corner or I'm sure there was a McDonald somewhere around here," she asked with a completely straight face.

He hated feeling blindsided like this. Was the smile to Jolene because she mentioned to Sue how long it takes him to get ready in the mornings? Did Jolene talk to Sue about his routine? Or was Sue just commenting that he said he'd be five minutes, and he was fifteen instead?

This was driving him crazy.

"Neither," he responded bluntly. "If you're buying, I'm picking. We're going to the club. Come on, the car is probably waiting already." He gave a stern look at Jolene, and proceeded down the hallway to the elevator.

The club, which club? It's not like there were a shortage of them in New York from your night clubs to more up-scale ones, pretty much every club you could think of. She gave Warren a side-long glance, Jolene's stories still echoing around her head, she wouldn't put it to pull something designed to shock her out of his hat. "Which club in particular are you thinking?" she asked off-handedly.

Warren gave her a curious look. "The Manhattan Country Club? Would that do or is there a different one you'd rather attend?"

"No, no the Country Club sounds fine," Sue allowed hastily, "although I really really wanted one of those hotdogs," she teased with an exaggerated mock pout.

He shook his head. Sue was a fascinating person, and he was enjoying her company, but he really couldn't get it out of his mind that Jolene must've said something for Sue to be acting this way.

Did he have a hotdog story? He couldn't remember. He needed to keep better notes.

"No hot dogs. Do you have any idea what actually goes into those? Wouldn't you rather a nice Kobe steak?"

"Well I guess if you put it like that," the blonde allowed, as she let Warren guide her out of the elevator towards the car waiting outside, "the country club does sound a lot better." She gave her friend a sidelong glance, "this is gonna cost me isn't it?" she asked him with a grin.

Warren chuckled as he opened the door for her. "As if I really would let you pay." She should know that he would only pretend to go along with that idea.

Once in the driver's seat, he eased into traffic, and gave her a look. "Are you going to tell me what's really going on? I can't imagine you have nothing better to do than to show up and have lunch with me unexpectedly."

"Oh no, I said it was my treat so it's my treat," she argued, "I'm pretty sure that I can find the funds for this one. Although the next one is all yours if you want," she told Warren with a grin.

"A girl can't come by and meet an old childhood friend who she just found out about?" she asked rhetorically before sighing, "honestly, I wanted to say thank you, and find out more about the mysterious Mr Worthington, but mainly thank you. You might just have saved my life back there and I don't think I ever really told you how grateful I am you stepped in."

Warren nodded slowly. The intent on those men's faces...well, it wasn't pleasant. He'd noticed a huge fear mongering amongst people since the disaster, although to be honest, he didn't blame them. Mutants were being blamed for everything these days, and 'mutant lovers' had very little ground to stand on. There would have to be an event -- a POSITIVE one - on the same scale to at least balance things out.

"It might be wise to keep those opinions to yourself," he responded brusquely. "Ever since that incident , people are looking for reasons to attack those with mutant sympathies. I don't even know how that presenter was able to frame her conversation the way she did without being attacked." And then he said nothing, eyes forward, staring into traffic for a few minutes before he added, "But I want you to know that I feel the same you do. I don't believe it's right to play with genetics. Mutants are human too."

"I know," Sue agreed quietly, "It's just, this is what I do, my life so to speak. And to hear people up there talking about it in that way just made me so mad. It's not even what they're trying to do with the technology, Anyone could see that coming, and it's not like I have a lot of room to talk; I make weapons for a living. But it's a room full of smart people and they just seize on the easiest answer without even trying to think it through and see what it means and what could happen." Sue gave Warren an apologetic look, "Sorry, you know, it really just grinds my gears, besides I did warn you; my mouth has a habit of getting me in trouble."

"Better to be passionate and knowledgable, than loud with nothing behind it," Warren pointed out. "That being said, there's something to picking your battles and recognizing when a comment is appropriate and when not." He glanced at her and sighed.

"I'm not trying to put you down. I do appreciate what you said, and I think you did it in a respectful manner. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"Don't worry about that," Sue replied confidently giving Warren a comforting grin and striking the best muscle flexing pose she could manage in the car's confined space, "I'm stronger than I look." the blonde laughed at herself and let her face fall into a more serious look, "Besides, I don't they would have done anything worse than name calling while we were at the convention centre, and that crowd has nothing on the socialite scene in the city."

Warren laughed. "You're too cute to be threatening, but I agree with those muscles -- you can take care of yourself. Remind me to had you any tough to open jars."

And because she brought it up, he found himself wanting to know a bit more. "What is the socialite scene with regards to mutants? I've basically kept myself out of all those petty squabbles, but now, it seems that's the first topic on everyone's mind." With millions, dead, it was all anyone wanted to talk about these days.

"It kinda flips back and forth," Sue allowed waggling her hand back and forth to illustrate her point. "Shock, outrage of course, and well fear too. I don't think any of them know quite what to make of it." Sue sighed, "To be honest, a lot of people are sticking their heads in the sand, trying to keeps things as close to business as usual as possible."

Warren had to laugh. "Sounds about right for our scene. It's ridiculous, isn't it? "

"A little bit," Sue agreed with a laugh, "They'll be on to the next cause or piece of gossip in no time," the blonde stared out of the window pensively, "you know in it's own way it's pretty amazing how they all amange to keep up on all the gossip flying around."

"I hear there's a flowchart that gets sent around the families," Warren teased. "It highlights who is supposed to shunned and why, and the reasons they'd be allowed back in. As well, there's a special heading for 'mutants'. That's in a black leather book. Rumours say it's bound in human skin."

"And written in the blood of virgins under the light of a full moon," Sue added as she nodded sagely warming up to the discussion, "But a flow chart would explain so much. But no-one ever showed it to me," she complained putting on a mock sulk.

"Stick with me, Sunshine," he said, reaching over and pinching her cheek. "I'll tell you all the secrets." Risking a glance at her, he saw an unimpressed face. "Don't worry. You get the handbook with your grown-up card. Although, I have to say, I'm not surprised you don't have it yet." He reached over and patted her knee. "Don't worry. One day you'll be an adult."

"Oh gee, thanks Unca Warren, what would I do if you were there to tell me all about all the things, there is just one question that no-one ever told me before, but I'd be ever so grateful if you did," the girl told him giving him an innocent wide-eyed look. "Where do babies come from?"

Warren couldn't help the laugh that erupted from him. "Well, Sue-sue, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much...."

He'd have to keep on his toes with this one.