Fallen Elements

by Heather McVea

  “What’s our team name?” Kim asked.

  Pam looked perplexed. “We have to come up with a name?”

  Ryan feigned indignation. “Of course we have to come up with a name, Pam. Do you know any other way to flip cup?”

  “You’re clever, Ryan.” Pam teased. “So what’ll it be?”

  Kim raised her hand, and Henry promptly pushed it down. “Good lord, Reynolds, this isn’t third grade. Just chime in.”

  Kim nodded. “Canton Crab Cakes.”

  Ryan, Henry and Pam looked at each other for several seconds. “I don’t hate it.” Pam finally said.

  “Done.” Ryan spun around, the four each took a team mate’s hand, and then raised them up. “Behold, the Canton Crab Cakes.” Ryan’s voice boomed.

  “You’ve got crabs, Myers?” Nathan shouted from the other side of the room.

  “Yeah. Your team had already taken Charm City Syphilis.” The room erupted in laughter.

  “Whoa, now. Let’s keep it clean here, fellas.” Greg chimed in as he winked at Ryan.

  With that, the games were underway as Greg and Nicole’s teams stood across the table from one another. Nicole glared at Greg. “You ready?”

  With an equally steely gaze, Greg nodded. “Born that way.”

  A sudden smile spread across Nicole’s lips before she had time to stop it. A second later, the intense glare returned. She and Greg began chanting as they raised their cups in repeated toasts.

  “Boat races, boat races, let’s drink a cup. Boat races, boat races, let’s get fucked up!”

  Ryan watched as her two best friends threw their heads back, and emptied their cups. Nicole was the first to place her cup upside down on the edge of the table. Greg, beer dripping off his chin, quickly followed suit, and in unison they both flipped the cups over.

  The teams were neck-and-neck until the very end when it came down to Tiffany Crews and Craig Brinkman. Tiffany was a slight woman in her late twenties, and the newest member of the BSSC. She hadn’t said much about herself except that she worked in Washington, D.C. This had triggered a tremendous amount of wild speculation that she worked for the NSA or the CIA.

  Craig nearly retched as he choked on his beer. Tiffany effortlessly emptied her cup, and with a single flick of her index finger set it upside down.

  Greg and team jumped up and down. “That’s how we do it!” A slightly inebriated Greg yelled.

  Ryan stepped up to the table while Corey quickly filled six new cups. This was not a graceful game, but Ryan did have something of a competitive nature; so not giving a hundred percent just wasn’t in the cards.

  She couldn’t help but smile, though, as Leah stepped up opposite her. The beautiful blonde was leading off for the Rip Roaring Ravens, with Nathan anchoring the team.

  “Nervous?” Leah goaded.

  “Steady as a rock. You?” Ryan narrowed her eyes in an effort to be intimidating.

  Leah chuckled. “All business.”

  Ryan smiled as the two women reached for their cups. Nicole counted them down, and Ryan struggled to keep a straight face as she and Leah raised their cups and began chanting the alcohol laden mantra.

  It was over in a matter of seconds as Leah effortlessly emptied the plastic cup, and on her first try flipped it upside down as Ryan was finishing her beer.

  “Damn, Myers! She kicked your ass.” Nathan bellowed from the opposite end of the table.

  Ryan felt a skitter of embarrassment rush through her, but managed to pull herself together, and on her second attempt successfully flip her cup. Kim was next in the order, and managed to make up for Ryan’s fumbling by emptying her cup and flipping it over in less than five seconds.

  The two teams were tied as Pam reached for her cup and Nathan his. Ryan glanced at Leah to see if she was enjoying herself, and was surprised to see the blonde looking intently at her with a faint smile. Ryan felt a rush of heat to her neck and face, and quickly turned her attention back to the game to see Pam raising her arms victoriously as Nathan failed for the second time to get his cup over.

  The room erupted in cheers and high fives. Greg flung his arm over Ryan’s shoulder. “She saved your butt.”

  Ryan nodded. “Yes. I suck. I get it.” She playfully punched Greg in the side, and stepped away from him.

  “The finals will begin momentarily.” Nicole announced as the table was cleared of cups.

  Ryan walked over to the circle of people congratulating Pam, and patted the woman on the back. “Well done. Can you come back next weekend?”

  Pam laughed. “Don’t let my speed and ninja like skills fool you. I’ve got maybe one more drink in me before I’m napping in the corner.”

  Ryan laughed and turned to find Leah standing directly behind her. “Your girl’s got game.” Ryan joked.

  Leah looked over at Pam. “She hates to lose.” The blonde’s eyes narrowed warily. “And she may be a functioning alcoholic.”

  Ryan laughed at Leah’s dry sense of humor. “Both are assets in this situation.”

  Leah nervously rubbed the back of her neck. “So, this is a little awkward.”

  Ryan’s stomach did a quick tumble at Leah’s serious tone. “What’s that?”

  Leah frowned. “You’re really bad at this.”

  Relief washed over Ryan. “Really? Because this is my fallback plan if the whole social policy thing doesn’t work out.”

  “Then I hope for everyone’s sake it does.”

  Ryan puffed up her chest, and presented Leah with as broad a smile as her swollen lip would allow. “You’ll be happy to know then that I got the job.”

  Leah’s eyes widened and she pulled Ryan to her. “That’s wonderful!” Holding Ryan by the upper arms, she leaned back. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier? That’s the biggest news.”

  Ryan stammered, the nearness of Leah making her thoughts swirl nonsensically in her brain. “I - I was busy with that whole concussion followed by heavy drinking thing.” Ryan was both relieved and impressed that she managed to not only put a coherent sentence together, but one that verged on funny.

  The two women’s eyes locked, and a flash of desire crossed Leah’s. For a split second Ryan thought she was going to kiss her. Instead, Leah patted a confused Ryan’s shoulder. “Congratulations. We’ll have to go out and celebrate.”

  Ryan smirked. “Are you asking me out?”

  Before Leah could answer, Greg stood next to them. “You got another round in you?” Greg teased as he handed Ryan a pint of beer.

  Leah smiled, her excitement from earlier more guarded. “Good luck.” She excused herself and joined Pam and several others in their revelry.

  Ryan loved Greg dearly, but at that moment she wanted to punch him in the throat for interrupting her and Leah’s conversation. Looking down at the pint, Ryan handed it back to Greg. “You’re so transparent.”

  “What?” Greg feigned ignorance.

  “Getting me full up and drunk on beer before my team kicks your team’s ass in the finals is low even for you.”

  “I’ve got to take my opportunities where I get them.” He looked over at Pam. “She’s a professional at this shit.”

  Ryan grinned. “They both should start their own league.”

  Greg nodded. “Alright. It’s go time.” He put the full pint glass down on the table, and cracked his knuckles. “Gonna own you, Myers.”

  Ryan shook her head. “This is going to be so uncomfortable for you shortly.”

  The teams lined up at the table. Ryan scanned the room. She was trying not to be too obvious about seeing where Leah was. The blonde was standing near the far end of the table, and Nathan was leaning in whispering something to her. By the amused expression on her face, Leah was clearly enjoying the exchange.

  Wondering what Nathan could be saying that was remotely coherent, much less amusing, Ryan fouled up the timing on the toast, and nearly aspirated on her beer. On the fourth try, she managed to flip her cup, and was relieved when once again Kim was through
her beer and had flipped her cup in record time.

  Henry did his part by finishing his beer in three large swigs, and flipping his cup on the second attempt. It then came down to Pam. Like clockwork, the woman finished her beer in four long gulps and successfully flipped her cup just in time to take the title for the Crab Cakes.

  The room erupted in applause and cheers as Pam was inundated with congratulations, hugs, and slaps on the back. Ryan joined in the celebration as everyone poured themselves a cup of beer, and raised them up.

  “Boom!” Greg shouted, and everyone drank.

  Ryan felt a warm hand on her back, and turned to see a smiling Leah. “This was fun. Your friends are great. Thanks for including us.”

  “Absolutely. It was great getting to hang out with you. Pam is awesome.” Ryan wanted to be cooler than this, but she felt a little off center around Leah. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it was a feeling Ryan wasn’t familiar with.

  “Would you like to have a drink with me sometime?” Leah chewed on the inside of her lower lip, and Ryan wondered why the woman seemed nervous.

  “Now who’s the functioning alcoholic?” Both women laughed. “A drink sounds great, just text me when and where.”

  Leah nodded. “Great.”

  “Great.” Ryan was mortified the awkward ending to their lunch outing was about to repeat itself. Forcing her feet to move, Ryan took a step forward, tentatively wrapping her arms around Leah’s shoulders.

  Leah hesitated, and Ryan thought she might stroke out from embarrassment. Then Leah pulled Ryan to her, and as the entire length of their bodies came into contact, Ryan felt as if she had been enveloped in a warm blanket. Independent of any thought, Ryan turned her head and buried her face in the crook of Leah’s neck.

  Vanilla and the scent of fabric softener wafted over Ryan, inundating her entire body. The patter of the room faded into the background, and all Ryan could hear was Leah’s slow and even breathing against her ear.

  Then Leah’s hands were on Ryan’s waist, gently moving her away. “I’ll see you soon.” The blonde’s green eyes were wide as she stepped away from a still dazed Ryan.

  Managing a slow nod, Ryan smiled. “Sure.”

  Ryan watched as Leah crossed the room and took Pam by the hand. She said something to the woman that caused Pam to quickly look up at Ryan, and then back at Leah. Moments later, the two women were saying their goodbyes and were gone.

  “Want to order some wings?” Nicole was standing next to her, having upgraded her Natty Boh to a Jameson sour.

  “What?” Ryan felt like she was waking up from a too long nap. Her eyes felt heavy and her body disconnected from her brain.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Nicole stepped in front of Ryan, and took her chin in her hand. Tilting her head back and forth, she looked at Ryan’s blue eyes. “Are you drunk, or did that elbow to the mouth knock something loose?”

  Ryan brushed Nicole’s hand away. “Neither. Wings are fine.” The last thing she wanted was spicy buffalo sauce in the cut on her lip. What she did want was to run after Leah and ask her what the hell was going on between them, but since that seemed impossible, she opted for the quicker and less painful burn.

  Chapter 7

  “To summarize, the overall value this new vendor relationship will bring to the existing Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools initiative will ensure the program’s vitality in all Howard County schools. This will be achieved as a result of the existing relationship U.S. Food Services has with the public schools, and the additional grant money the Healthy Kids program will now be eligible for, since U.S. is on the government’s approved contractors’ list.”

  Ryan pressed the button on the wireless presenter’s remote, bringing her hour long slide presentation to an end. Scanning the room she placed the remote on the table in front of her. “What questions do you have for me?”

  Linda Temper spoke first. She was an attractive woman in her mid-thirties, and in spite of the office’s business casual attire policy, she always looked immaculate in tailored business suits. In the two weeks Ryan had been working for the county, she had come to like Linda. She was intelligent and friendly.

  “Ryan, with the initial outlay for contract approval, including our own legal costs, what is the difference between implementation and ongoing operational expenditures?” Linda was originally from South Carolina, and her cadences when she spoke were slower and more relaxed than her northern counterparts.

  “Good question.” Ryan hit several keys on her laptop, and brought the profit and loss statement projections up on the overhead.

  After several minutes of back and forth on cost, and several follow-up questions regarding the program itself, Ryan ended the meeting feeling her colleagues would accept her proposal. “Please stop by my office if you have any questions; otherwise, I need everyone’s decisions by close of business Friday.”

  “Great plan and presentation, Ryan.” Donnie Hammond approached Ryan, a smile on his face. “If your numbers play out, it will save the county a little over three hundred thousand dollars a year.”

  Ryan took the cap off of the bottled water she had sitting next to her laptop, and nodded as she took a drink. Her throat was dry from talking for over an hour. “I’m glad you’re pleased.”

  Donnie tucked a copy of Ryan’s proposal under his arm as he walked toward the door to the conference room. “Very pleased.”

  Ryan was thrilled her first major project was going well. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, she felt confident her proposal would become policy that would allow thousands of Howard County children to benefit from free nutritionally balanced school meals.

  “Great work, Ryan.” Linda had hung back as the rest of the room emptied.

  “Thanks for lobbing me some of those questions. It made for good discussion.” Ryan began packing her laptop up.

  “No trouble.” Linda hesitated as if she had something else to add.

  “Did you have more questions?” Ryan slung her laptop bag over her shoulder.

  “What happened to your lip?” Linda’s grey eyes looked at Ryan’s still swollen lip.

  “Don’t let anyone tell you flag football isn’t a contact sport.” Ryan grinned as she walked toward the door.

  “Oh, do you play on a BSSC team?” Linda walked with Ryan as the two women exited the conference room and headed toward Ryan’s office.

  “I do, but clearly not well.” Ryan pointed toward her lip.

  “When I first moved here in 2008 I joined a team. I’m still friends with some of the folks I met.” Linda leaned against the door frame of Ryan’s office, her eyes following Ryan as she unpacked her laptop and reattached it to its docking station. “I was on a softball team.”

  Ryan walked around the front of her desk and leaned against it. “Super extreme social division?”

  Linda chuckled. “Drunk by noon on a Saturday? You bet.”

  Ryan laughed. This was the first time she had talked with one of her new colleagues about something other than work, and the casual banter was refreshing. She had interned enough over the years to know making casual connections with co-workers was crucial if she was going to have the necessary influence to move her agendas forward.

  “Would you like to have a drink sometime after work?” Linda spoke in a casual enough way, but the nervous expression that fluttered across her face told Ryan she was being asked out.

  Ryan had noticed several other people in the office were either dating or married, but she had never thought it wise to comingle work and pleasure on the all too likely chance things turned sour. “Actually, that would be great. Donnie was just talking about how we should all go to Pub Dog for drinks.” Ryan could see the disappointment on Linda’s face, and felt bad dodging her advances, but not bad enough to risk their working relationship.

  “Oh, great idea. Do you want to set that up for this week?” Linda managed to smile.

  Ryan walked back around her desk and sat down. “I’ll send the email right now.” Smil
ing, Ryan started typing. “Thursday work for you?”

  “Perfect. Chat with you later.” Linda left, and Ryan drafted a short invite and sent it out to her primary working group.

  A faint buzzing sound came from Ryan’s top desk drawer. Pulling her cell phone out, she smiled to see a text from Leah.

  Hi. I know you’re busy with the new job and we’ve been missing each other with that drink outing, but would you like to have drinks this Thursday around 6?

  Ryan frowned. Her timing was not good. Ryan wondered what the odds were of her colleagues declining the invite, and Linda having something come up.

  Just as Ryan was hoping for a slew of “no thanks” from her co-workers, her laptop chimed, and three people, including Donnie, had already accepted.

  Pushing past her disappointment, Ryan responded to Leah. I just scheduled a work outing for drinks. Boo.

  After nearly a minute, Ryan’s phone buzzed. How about dinner after?

  Squelching the urge to cartwheel with glee, Ryan quickly responded. Great! I guess we should try to expand our horizons… no Wegmans?

  Leah responded in kind. LOL. Petit Louis Bistro at 8? Does that give you enough time?

  Ryan wanted to tell Leah she would slip out the back of the Pub Dog if it meant having dinner with her, but opted for a less emphatic response. Perfect. See you there.

  Ryan felt karma had instantly rewarded her, and her principles, for not accepting Linda’s invite. She would spend an hour with her colleagues and then pop over to the bistro to meet Leah.

  ***

  “I’m sure she understood. It’s a new job and you can’t just bail.” Nicole reassured Ryan as the two women strolled through the Butcher’s Hill flea market and craft fair held in Patterson Park. It was a clear Saturday morning, the temperatures hovered around fifty five degrees, and the market was teeming with vendors selling a variety of goods ranging from local arts and crafts, pottery, and clothing to crab cakes.

  “I’m sure she’s fine, but I’m disappointed.” Ryan sighed. She had to call Leah Thursday night when it became apparent her new co-workers were deciding to take the happy hour out for a spin and into a full-on dinner. Donnie, in particular, seemed determined that Ryan should join them and get the chance to meet-and-greet everyone as the newest member of his department.