An Elementary Lesson: An extra scene for Elementary Steele. (Part 1 of 1)
Date: Sunday, February 17, 2008

From: Helen

 

An Elementary Lesson

 

Mildred tried to placate Laura with coffee and a sympathetic smile, but she
was far, far too angry. Mildred understood that he had been reckless with the
agency's money, but it was his agency and, in the end, it seemed quite a
sweet gesture to her.

 

The games made no sense to her and she had no idea why he needed an excuse
to tell Laura how he felt when it was frankly obvious to anyone who ever saw
them together. Well, anyone who looked at them and saw the light in his eyes
when she smiled and heard the edge of panic in his voice when they argued. No
man had ever covered her desk with flowers. No man had ever played such games
for her benefit. Yes, he was sometimes a spendthrift, but the money he had
wasted this time, he had wasted on her. To see Laura's response, anyone would
think he'd spent her money on the flowers.

 

Laura had begun another list of his faults. He didn't have as many as she
would have liked him to have and she was now at the point of repeating herself.
"He's always late. Has he ever been the first through that door?"

 

"Well ... " Mildred began.

 

"And the whole world has to grind to a halt if his tie isn't straight."

 

"Well, the image of the ... "

 

"I never know where he is or what he's doing!" She waved the piece of paper,
the evidence of his folly. "And now this!"

 

"At least it means he's trying." said Mildred.

 

"Only my patience, Mildred. Is it too much to ask that he should try to be
professional?"

 

"Being fair, he has managed to build quite a reputation."

 

To Mildred's surprise, Laura let out an exasperated growl. "That man! That
... " She looked at the paper again. "Do you know what the agency could have
done with this money!"

 

"But in a way,it is quite a compliment."

 

"To be manipulated, deceived,controlled?"

 

Mildred could see her point, and it did seem a little insulting of him to
assume that Laura wouldn't discover his little ploy. But perhaps he'd intended
her to. Who could tell what was part of the game and what wasn't?

 

She knew what came next. When he was in his office, Laura would go in,
snapping and snarling and he would try to charm his way out of it and they would
end up going off in opposite directions, each swearing that the other was
utterly unreasonable. It seemed such a waste, when they made such a gorgeous
couple and were clearly very attracted to each other. She didn't want to see
either of them hurt and she knew of only one thing that would calm things down
and, at the same time, tell him exactly how bad a mistake he had made. She
waited for Laura to go back into her office and then quickly called a florist.
"How fast can you deliver? I have an emergency here."

 

The End

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