LITTLE EM

A Valentine Story

by B. Soiree

C 2003 SRE

Mysterious, unsigned valentines keep appearing on Evin’s desk. What they say is driving her crazy! The third in a series: 1. A Million Dollar Lady, 2. Evin’s Revenge, 3. Little Em

Disclaimers: These characters are entirely fictional and are not based on any real person’s life, living or not.

Violence: No.

Language: Very, very mild.

Subtext: Yes, between two adult women. If you’re not old enough or if this type of fiction is illegal where you live, read no further.

Acknowledgements: For She who’s smile illuminates each day.

bsoiree@comcast.net

"That’s it!" blue eyes blazed! She slammed the card on her desk and jumped to her feet. This had gone far enough! She could take some teasing,... well, all right, she wasn’t very good at taking teasing...but this was beyond the brink! That woman had gone too far this time!

Jamming the card in the top drawer of her desk with the others, throwing open the door to her office, giving her secretary--who had to be in on the whole ridiculously juvenile charade--a glance of defiance, Evin marched herself to the open office door of the one and only adversary worth having in this whole miserable business...Elizabeth Montigeau.

"Lit..tle Em," Evin said with a silky sweet voice. She could almost see the thoughts racing behind those sharp, rebellious emerald eyes that had not yet lifted her way. The short blonde woman shot a portentous gaze. She had clients and had been busy explaining the trials and tribulations about to befall them with their, well, their trial. It was a law office, after all. The blonde did not speak but merely cast a dark haze of sedition the tall woman’s way.

"I need to see you in my office," Evin spouted a syrupy smile and spun from the door, her long black hair flowing in the breeze she had created. "Immediately!" she added and headed back to her own office like a dark and portentous cloud. The others in the office rolled their eyes and quietly vowed to stay as far away from Evin today as they could. Valentine’s Day or not, tall, dark and dangerous was on the rampage... again!

Evin was a full partner and a brilliant legal mind. She, however, could be a royal pain in the derriere to her partners, who just knew her ego would never allow them to outbid everyone else and snatch up the highly vaulted and much sought after litigator when she became available ... Elizabeth Montigeau.

There was bound to be a war, therefore, between the two women from the moment the other two partners had hired Ms. Montigeau without consulting Evin...at a million dollar a year salary, no less. Further, they had guaranteed the petite blonde that Evin had no say in her firing or hiring. It was two to one. They would back Ms. Montigeau all the way.

Thus despite all Evin’s bluster, the small blonde had yet to back down. Not one iota. Not one teeny, tiny step. She matched the tall brunette word for word in verbal arguments and act for act in dirty tricks and job for job in performance. And Evin was fit to be tied.

"Did you want me to pencil in Ms. Montigeau for a conference?" Evin’s secretary asked pleasantly, noting her boss’ last actions.

"Little Em?" Evin asked scurrilously. She had taken to calling the small woman by that name, noting that the blonde seemed particularly aggravated by the moniker.

"I can put E.M. there if you like," her secretary said, pretending to have an affectionate and guileless nature. She had worked for Evin for years, and her boss had never thought of her as anything but a malicious and treacherous charlatan. Of course, that was why she particularly liked the woman.

"Yes, by all means put it down. Don’t let the fact that I have REAL work to attend to throw off your socializing of my daily schedule in the least."

"Socializing?" the secretary batted her eyes. "Well, well. I won’t," she diplomatically agreed, "if you won’t."

Evin huffed, went into her office and slammed the door. She moved to her desk, sat and drew out the cards, looking carefully at the last card again.

"Oh joy divine, Oh gentle bliss,

Your dainty bud, your tender kiss;

A litigator, little maid,

Should not make you so afraid,

Unless you know, oh pal o’ mine,

You’re clueless as a Valentine."

"It had to be her, that vile and underhanded little trollop! Dainty little blonde-haired vixen with the crimson lips and tremulous voice all designed to make the masses think she’s earnest, innocent and harmless, the whole time secretly harboring a malignant and sinister spirit!"

She snorted, then the tall woman got up and paced. "Little Em," she said with a strangled voice, "Daring to spit in the face of..." here Evin smiled deprecatingly to herself, "...alright, greatness." There was no other way to describe her own legal abilities, she decided in her typical manner. Then she looked back at the three cards, her eyes ablaze with fury.

She had definitely had enough! She had received two other cards already today, one on her desk when she first arrived. And oh, yes, the blonde had been in her own office at the time. She had seen her there with her supercilious little smile on her face, wooing and cooing to the others in the office like she always did! Little hussy!

The first had read:

"Roses are red,

Violets are blue,

A brand new employee

Can outperform you!"

"Fat chance!" she yelled, rereading the card. That card she had found and read before her weekly meeting with the partners first thing this morning. Well, she wasn’t getting brownie points from them as being this year’s Valentine of the Year after that little meeting! They were the ones who hired the blasted woman!! Of course, she went into the meeting thinking one of them had sent the card. Okay, so after she ripped them into pieces, she decided they didn’t. "They’ll get over it," she murmured to herself.

The next one had been on her desk when she returned from the meeting. None of them, of course, had been signed. The blonde bimbo had been sashaying around the outer office, smiling and chatting with all the employees, passing out little candy kisses, getting ready for her clients, she told her faithful. Like she’s the only one with important clients. She saw the look of unadulterated animosity the little blonde flashed her.

"Sure," blue eyes flashed. "She’s the culprit all right. No one else would dare!"

There it had been. It read:

"I don’t envy your heart,

I don’t envy your kisses,

I don’t think there’s a chance,

You’ll find out what bliss is,

For haven’t you heard, the latest news?

You’re missing the charisma, that others would choose."

"Charisma, huh?" she grimaced. "I’ll show them charisma!" She opened her door and looked out. Where was the blasted woman?! The blonde was still in with her clients and was purposely ignoring her. She shut her door again. "She’d better get her ass in here pretty darn soon, or she’ll find more than colorless hot pepper juice in the bottom of her teapot next time," she muttered.

Now she comes back from lunch and here’s this one! The one about her dainty nub and the litigator. She grabbed them and glanced at all three.

"My dainty nub! How dare she?! She’d just better leave my nub out of this, if she knows what’s good for her!" Her thoughts went to the woman she had dated the last weekend and a sly grin pulled at the corner of her mouth. "No complaints about my nub there," she preened. "Or my charisma, either. SHE didn’t find me clueless as a Valentine!"

Then thinking about that, she wondered if she had remembered to send the woman anything for Valentine’s Day. She never had been big on this particular holiday. No, this one had a husband that could reappear without notice. No point having a Valentine’s gift lying around that might tip him off. And there were plenty of women like her out there, single and married. And they were all willing to fall prostrate at Evin’s feet.

She took the cards and sat on the leather couch in her office, looking them all over. "All right, let’s see what the common themes are here. Let’s see what she’s saying that she isn’t really aware that she’s saying." She looked at them all. "Well, she’s saying she’s better than I am, but we can toss that idea! It’s absurd!"

She looked again then keen blue eyes bent eagerly over them yet once more. "There it is!" She saw it and a flash of pure enjoyment raced through her veins, leaving a foxy grin edging its way across her lips. "Dang, I’m so blasted good!" she laughed. "My kisses...she mentioned them twice. Of course she’s heard about them. Women have swooned over them. They are all but world-renowned. And she yearns...no aches, to feel my warm lips on hers."

"HA!"

She looked with surprise toward the door that was opening without the obligatory knock. Even her secretary knew enough to knock. The blonde stepped in. "What do you want, Evin? I don’t have all day." The short woman’s demand was exceedingly rude.

"Please," Evin said politely, swallowing her annoyance at the woman’s unknocked entrance, "Come and sit down for a minute. I have something I need to run past you." I’ll show you charisma, you blonde haired hussy.

The blonde looked over, first perplexed then suspicious. This was not like Evin. What is she up to? the blonde wondered, this gorgeous, blue-eyed, devious rascal.

"Come, please," Evin patted the seat on the couch next to her. She made her blue eyes as soft and inviting as she could.

Ms. Montigeau did not move. "What are you up to?" she asked questioningly.

"Up to?" Evin pointed to herself. "Here I am, trying to be nice for once and you accuse me of subterfuge?"

"Yes," Elizabeth answered. "Exactly. What are you up to?"

"Now, that hurts," Evin said, pouting just a little. "Of all people, I thought you might appreciate a little amiability for a change."

You present yourself as Miss Merry Sunshine to the rest of the office. Put your money where your mouth is, blondie, Evin reasoned to herself, but she kept the puppy dog look on her face.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, not really buying the supposition, but slowly moved to the couch where she stood towering over the six-foot beautiful law partner for once. She made no move to sit down.

"Here, sit," Evin moved over a little to allow more room. "I need your opinion on something."

The blonde struck a pose. "What did you do, get a brain transplant over lunch? This isn’t like you. "Nice" isn’t something you do well."

"That’s not what my lady friends say," Evin batted her eyes. Her preference and the masses of lady friends that fell into that category were legend around the office.

The blonde snorted a laugh. "Do you even remember any of their names?"

"Of course I do," although Evin couldn’t off hand, but she was not telling this woman that. Besides, she gave them all nicknames. She was sure Little Em didn’t want to hear about Boobalicious, Thunder Cries, or Moan of Arc. She glanced at the blonde package of derision scowling before her. She needed to stay on track. A deprecating look emanated from the tall brunette. "Don’t I even get points for trying?"

"Are you going to quit calling me "Little Em"?" the blonde asked.

"Have you heard me use it once since you came in the door?" Evin asked.

"Palming off the question doesn’t answer it," the blonde answered with a raised brow.

"C’mon," Evin patted the seat again. "I’m doing my best here and all you can do is attack. Ease up and please...have a seat."

Now the ball was in the blonde’s court and she debated. Evin could see the activity going on behind the green eyes and she struck one of her endearing poses, the one that always worked on women when she was picking them up.

"All right," Elizabeth sat down and moved as far from Evin as she could.

Yes, I’ve still got it! But then, I never really doubted it! Evin grinned inwardly but carefully kept her face serious and concerned.

Evin purposely reached, stretching herself across the small blonde, smelling the soft, powdery scent of the woman’s perfume. It was very pleasant. She hadn’t noticed that before. She dropped the three cards on the end table at the blonde’s elbow. She heard the quiet intake of breath as she all but pressed her body across the other woman. The small woman pressed herself back into the cushion to try and give some distance.

"I’ve received these," Evin breathed in the ear of the small woman before slowly sitting back upright. The blonde gave her a perplexed look then reached for the cards. Evin watched as the blonde began to read each one as though she had never seen them before.

She turned enticing green eyes to Evin and laughed. Laughed! She looked at the cards again and laughed heartily.

That’s when Evin struck. She kissed the woman. Not a tiny little peck, but a full mouthed, insistent and unremitting kiss. At first the blonde was extremely startled and gave a moment of protest. Evin paused and the protest abated so the tall brunette pinned her with her body and pushed her further back into the cushions, continuing her lip’s assault. A small moan was heard.

When Evin broke the contact, the blonde opened her eyes which she had closed and blinked. "You know I could sue," she said plainly. "Sexual harassment."

"Then let’s make it a worthwhile suit," Evin said and pressed her lips once more over the warm, soft lips of the smaller woman. Something happened then that Evin had not expected in the least. The small blonde nipped her lip and it set her afire. Flames all but shot from her nose and ears and lightning bolted through every cell in her body. She felt the blonde put one arm around her. Evin halfway feared internal combustion might occur.

"Whoa," Evin breathed softly when she backed off. She ran her tongue over the softly swelling lip. There was no way this woman could know that bites like that triggered Evin’s passion so. Could she? Could she? No, how could she find out? No. She looked at the small woman whose green eyes were looking back at her, first almost warmly and seductively then they steeled.

"Are you finished?" the blonde asked.

"Uh, I dunno," the tall brunette muttered.

"Well," the blonde pushed her way past the brunette’s arm to stand up. "I don’t have all day." She adjusted her suit as she stood. Without another word she headed toward the office door.

"Wait!" Evin called.

The blonde turned and raised a brow. "What?"

"Can, uh, can I take you to dinner tonight or something?"

"We’ll see," the blonde smiled and walked out the door. She walked past the secretary who glanced up with a conspiratorial smile.

"Did it work?" the secretary whispered. "I want to know everything."

"Like a charm," the blonde worded as she smiled. "We’ll talk later."

"What happened?" Evin asked herself as she sat on the couch. "What just happened here?" She shook her head and rose from the couch. She saw the candy kiss left on the end table, and without thinking, peeled it and popped it in her mouth. She opened the door and looked toward the blonde’s office gently sucking, but the smaller woman did not cast one glance back her way.

The secretary saw the slightly swollen lip and swallowed a smug grin. "Did you need something else from Ms. Montigeau?" the secretary asked innocently.

"Little Em?" Evin asked, almost as in a trance.

"If you wish," the secretary remarked. "But since it does stand for Elizabeth Montigeau, you might just want to call her Elizabeth."

She looked at her secretary with a laugh. "Who said it stands for Elizabeth Montigeau? Maybe it stands for Emotional Maelstrom or Entirely Muddled or Exhaustive Mental-case."

Her secretary added, "Or Emerald Memories."

"Humpf," Evin snorted. Emerald Memories? The kiss still burned on her lips and the rest of her anatomy was definitely a’buzz. She ran her tongue over the swollen lip area again. And the look in the blonde’s eyes... "When my afternoon clients come, seat them in Conference Room C," she directed. She shut the door. Emerald Memories? Perhaps.

"Yes, ma’am," the secretary replied, getting back to her computer with a touch of disappointment. It had worked, but not as much as the small blonde had predicted.

The door opened again. "Oh, and make me a reservation tonight, about seven, for that new French restaurant. For two. Tell them it’s for me and make sure it’s the best table in the house," Evin turned and closed her door.

Bingo! The secretary glanced down to the small blonde’s office and discreetly held up her thumb. Step one. Now she’ll be made to beg. That’s what the blonde had explained. That reservation would not be used for Elizabeth Montigeau until Evin had asked her more than politely and used her proper name. Then there’d be enchanting conversation but no good-night kiss. Well, maybe one, she’d said. To grow on, she’d said. "And to ponder."

The secretary chortled to herself. Gods, she loved how this little blonde played her boss. Elizabeth had already turned and walked away twice from "the look" Evin used to turn others into supplicants. She wouldn’t be surprised if the little imp didn’t end up snagging the tall beauty. Nobody, but nobody played her like this. They all just fell at her feet and let her walk all over them. Course, giving her the list of things she’d learned over the years about her boss’ particular sexual penchants didn’t hurt either.

The tiniest, smug grin tweaked the amber lips of the small blonde. "We’ll see," she hummed, smiling and nodding sunnily to the others in the office as she passed. These are such dear people, she smiled to herself.

The passionate kiss was still firmly in her mind, however, so she used the old attorney’s trick of jamming her hands in her skirt pockets as she walked to hide the trembling.

She got into her office and sat to catch her breath. Oh, she definitely had her work cut out for her, but her game plan was right on track so far. If the tall brunette refused to beg for tonight or use her correct name, she’d turn her down flat. Then she’d get her cousin Gia to go to dinner with her at the very same restaurant with just as good a table. Gia was taking acting classes. She could play the part of Elizabeth’s besotted lover in full view of tall, dark and dangerous. She’d even have her make up her lip to look a little swollen. Her cousin’s husband was out of town, she was a gorgeous model and she was quite sure Evin didn’t know her.

She sighed happily. Thank goodness she had the brunette’s secretary on her side to run interference in case the tall woman checked backgrounds.

She laughed when she thought of the list Evin’s secretary had given her. The first item read, "Lip bites make her horny." My, that secretary was cunning and downright devious! And a fabulous help in this assault. "I wonder where I can get a secretary like that," she mused.

She twiddled the pencil in her hands, thinking then of Evin. "I knew when I saw that tall beauty, I had to work here," she told herself. "This place is such a lot of fun." She glanced toward Evin’s office. "Happy Valentines’ Day, Ms. Gorgeous, Blue-Eyed Challenge of the Year," she smiled confidently. "And I do so love a good, old-fashioned challenge, Sugar!"

She peeled then popped a candy kiss in her mouth and softly sang and hummed around it as she worked on her upcoming court case: "Roses are red, Violets are blue, A brand new employee, Can outperform you!"

More to come? Perhaps.