Participants:
| Scene Title | The Cowboy And The Lady |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Seems a lady is being blackmailed, and it'll take a cowboy's touch to fix. |
| Date | May 24, 1009 |
The Office of Len Denton
It's probably a good thing that Len had Kayla start on Monday. It's almost a sure-fire thing that fate intervened on be behalf of the cowboy, despite his sins, by having the chain of events that led to this moment start one day earlier. The mere cosmic explosion at having Nalani and Kayla in the same room, would no doubt be catastrophic.
Yet, Len's phone rings as as he hits the 'speaker' button and hollers a "yup?" as he tosses a football into the air while he watches the game on his big screen. It's actually been a pretty dull game, so he picks up the remote and punches the 'mute' button. "Nalani Hollingwood is asking to see 'someone important'. Would that be you?" No secretaries work on Sunday, so it's security at the front.
This, of course, catches Len off guard. Hollingwood? He's obviously not the type to read Pause or catch the Gossip channel. He punches up her name and searches the database and gets a hit. He scans it briefly and hrms. Well, she's not officially an agent, but she has helped out on a couple of occasions. Her brother is an agent. Rami Hollingwood. Wonder what she wants?
"Send her on up." As always, his door is wide open.
Famous last words. Send her on up. Len can hear her a mile away as there's someone escorting her through. She's not cleared to go through on her own. Not normally. It's Gaultier today. Teetering heels with that distinctive red sole that indicates it's Laboutin, and not some rip off imitation brand. Wool suit, strange knitted collar, fluted sleeves, seams everywhere. The glossy black hair up and pin tucked here and there, the very image of put together and perfect. Except for the intense anger on her face and the sharp slap of each heel as it smacks down on the floor of the hallway. That Spa she uses as a cover? Yeah, she actually stayed for a little bit before doing her slipping out the back door and heading here. Because who knows, the bastard might be having her followed. How is she to know?
"Why is Director Dalton not available? Who exactly am I being shunted off on?" She's not used to not seeing the heads of any given business. To her, this is important. Maybe not to others. The impossibly large purse at her side, red in contrast to all the black that she's wearing probably costs as much as a car - Quite literally actually, but she didn't have to pay. it was a present - is pressed to her side, a phone of some kind, thumbs tapping away on it.
Reconsideration is always an option right?
Hell, Len may have to try and tame this little filly right here. Towering at nearly seven foot tall, the cowboy stands as she approaches his doorway. And, yes — he heard her from down the hall.
"Miss Hollingwood, come on in and have a seat. /Senior/ Field Agent Len Denton at your service." he offers with a charming smile. At least, he thinks it's charming. And a few older ladies back in Texas who he helped cross the street. "You seem to be a little out of sorts on this fine Sabbath day so how about you just set yourself down there and I'll be more than happy to talk to you about whatever it is that's put a splinter in your beeehind."
Note that he doesn't offer to shake hands with 'her highness'.
Nothing right now is charming to her. "Mr. Denton. Thanks to going out and about with the Company on their little excursion into Brooklyn, I've been blackmailed. I thought it was cute at first, har har, go away. But now Mr. Monroe is back and he's demanding that I write a scathing political piece and teach him Arabic, or he'll go screaming on the rooftops about what it is that I can do. Now tell me Mr. Denton, what the Company is going to do about that" Muddied English accent and all, nearly bellowing at him from across the room. He's only a foot taller than her, but she doesn't seem to notice, or outright care that he is. Her shoes put her at nearly 6'5. "Because I struck a deal with them, that I would have access to the suppressant pills in exchange for the gratuitous use of my ability. Only because of using it at the discretion of the Company, I now find myself having no choice but to either degrade my magazine and destroy it through writing an editorial that has no place in it and will cost me advertisers or through telling this man to go sod off and have him tell the world what I can do and thereby destroy my company"
Sinking back down into his chair and leaning back, Len watches her as she spouts off about this and that, though at the mention of Mr. Monroe he lifts an eyebrow. "Monroe, as in Adam Monroe?"
Well, this could be a fruitful visit after all. At least for him.
"A Mr. Adam Monroe, yes" Nalani digs into the huge purse, producing a large manila envelope and tossing it down onto his desk. pictures from security camera's, good ones, of the man are inside. She doesn't hire crappy people to do important jobs. After that, the persuasionist - on her suppressant pill - take a seat opposite him, looking every inch still a stately queen.
"Well, that is very interesting. You see, /Ms./ Hollingwood, Adam Monroe is wanted by this agency for murder. So, perhaps we can assist each other and get what we both want. Because I want Adam Monroe. You want to remain in the closet." He pulls over his keyboard and begins to type up some stuff. "Did he say what particular evidence he might have to prove that you have your ability?"
Wanted for murder. Fabulous. great. Lets add that to the list of shit he could do to her. "No he did not Agent Denton. Just that he could prove to the world that I Nalani Hollingwood could make people do what I want them to do. Combine that with a positive result on an evolved test and the public and most of my business partners and investors would jump to conclusions and pull everything. Would you still want to do business with a woman where you don't know whether you did what you did because you wanted to do it, or because she made you do it?"
"So, here's what we will do to help you out, Ms. Hollingwood. I can call you Nalani, can't I? Of course, I can." he grins over at her as he types away at the keyboard. He orders documents printed up that plainly state that Nalani Hollingwood has tested negative as being evolved. He also orders additional historical data that also would clear her in the event Monroe decided to actually make his claim public. He explains this all to her as he types so that she understands exactly what he's planning.
"Now before we use this data, which we will not unless the snake decides to go through on this threat, is to continue to agree to his demands. Offer to allow him to look over the editorial when you are finished and you'll send over a courier with it. If it meets his approval, then tell him you'll have it printed in the next issue." Of course, his plans are something different, to which he explains briefly to her then tugs out a Primatech business card, labeling himself as the head of security for the plant and slides it across the table.
"You could contact me immediately if you have any further contact with this man."
"And if he decides to not agree to having a courier send it over Agent Denton? If he insists on coming in, what then? Will you apprehend him in my office? Have a shoot out in the halls of my company?" her full lips pressed together.
The cowboy grins as she asks that. He goes into some detail on what he plans to do, and how this will work into his advantage. He reaches over and presses the button on his intercom that goes to security and feeds them some instructions.
"Yes, sir," comes the response.
"Don't you worry, Nalani. We'll take care of this." He gives her further instructions, then asks her if she can pull this off.
Of course she can pull that off. She is that. "Ms. Hollingwood" She corrects him. Belatedly, not realizing that he had asked to go to her given name. "You will call me Ms. Hollingwood" The chin is up. "Please. I can do those things. But I'm very displeased that this has even occurred in the first place." There's a pause. "If the Company is looking for him… What is it that Mr. Monroe can do?"
"It seems that Mr. Monroe is.. immortal." Len says nothing more than that as he stands, ready to dismiss Nalani — as if — and walks towards the door. "And I'll be more than happy to call you Ms. Hollingwood, as long as you remember that you are working for us because we have something you need. So, next time you come to see me or anyone else under my employ, you'll act a little more professional — you are a professional, are you not?" Of course, as he says all this, his grin is brighter than sunshine, as if noting 'no offense intended.'
Tight jaw, almost a case of lock jaw. More blackmail. But it's blackmail that she can live with. It's a minor annoyance in her life. "I assure you Agent Denton. You haven't seen me unprofessional yet" Sabra's seen her humble though. "I thank you for your time and your attention this matter and with this, immortal" Oh. joy. Immortal. Great. Gathering herself up, the British woman rises from the seat, able to take a hint that the 'meeting' is over. "I'll notify you when it's appropriate" a non-plussed and slightly bored look settling onto her face.
And being the gentleman that he is, Len tips his hat to her as she walks by and out of his office. He lowers his grin and walks over and takes a seat at his desk. He starts to make a few phone calls. There are things to be handled before this all goes down now. He plops back down in his chair, once she's out of sight and grins. "I think she likes me."