Workings of a Happily Ever After, The

by Nona Mae King

  ~*~

  I touched the button for the basement level and then patiently waited for the lift to arrive. I still could hardly believe the conversation that happened in the Training Center with Janine. I smiled. Janine and Seifer. No one else probably even suspected. In fact, Janine confessed that to be one of the thrills of their relationship: trying to keep it a secret. Now I began to wonder if they would actually get married like Zell and I were doing, or if they would pack up and elope just for the added thrill.

  I giggled. Elope. I couldn't see SLC Seifer doing something spontaneous like that, but it was a nice thought. He needed to relax and do something fun. And Janine was nothing but fun. Kind of like Zell.

  The elevator arrived from the top floor and opened to reveal Seifer just taking a drink of his coffee while looking over an open report in his hand. My smile disappeared and I cleared my throat as I debated whether or not to wait for the next one.

  Seifer lifted his gaze from the report. "Regal," he greeted, and then looked back down.

  I sighed, scolded myself for still being such a coward, and then forced myself to step on board. "Sir."

  I pressed the button for the basement level and then clenched my hands behind my back. The desire to say 'Congratulations' to him nearly over-powered the knowledge that it would have been rude to interrupt his reading of the report. So, I just clenched my hands tighter behind my back and began planning my day to keep my mind away from it.

  Then the elevator shuddered and groaned to a halt, sending my stomach down into the soles of my feet as I stared down at the basement level through the bottom portion of the elevator. No. I pressed the basement level button, but the elevator didn't move and the lights flickered off, triggering the red emergency lights. Oh no. Please. Not this. I pressed the button again, but nothing happened.

  "Relax, Regal. Maintenance will fix it in a minute," Seifer said calmly, taking another drink of his coffee as he still perused the report in his hand.

  "Yes, sir," I whispered, and again clenched my hands behind my back.

  But a minute went by and the elevator still hadn't moved.

  Seifer finished reading the report and then dropped it to the floor in front of him with a soft splut, which almost caused a twitch. Then he lifted his mug to his mouth for another drink and checked his watch. "Not exactly the best way to start the day," he observed, lowering his mug again. "I wonder whose ass I get to put in detention for this?"

  As long as it isn't mine or Zell's. I cleared my throat, "I don't know, sir," and dutifully stared at the joining point of the elevator doors.

  Seifer leaned back against the elevator wall and crossed his arm across his chest, still holding his 'Death is answering 'No'' mug in his other hand. To my horror, he focused on me while taking yet another drink. "I guess I'll report to you on the security measures for the wedding, since you have the final say."

  I stammered a "Y-Yes, sir," while trying to get my brain to switch gears to me being in charge of him. It was like trying to back up a car with a marshmallow... or something.

  "As I said--suggested--before, guests will only be allowed within the Training Center for the ceremony and then the Quad for the Reception. Cafeteria will be guarded by two Security Officers with only those on the approved list allowed in or out. Security Officers will also be at the front gates to check invitations with the list you and Dincht provided. Correct?"

  I nodded, unable to look away from his green eyes and stern face. ...Zell... help...

  His smirk twitched. "Ahndra and Marshal will be. . . undercover at the ceremony and the reception, armed of course, while supervising the guests and their activities. Extra surveillance equipment will also be monitoring GF activity. Wouldn't want any uninvited guests to ruin chicken-wuss' fun."

  I blinked and minutely frowned but held my tongue.

  Seifer's expression seemed to briefly change, but he continued his report. "Uniformed Security Officers will perform random checks of your guests to ensure no. . . unnecessary equipment has been. . . acquired. Most of them will be informal searches with a handheld scanner device. Resistance to the search will result in an escort from the Quad for more. . . tender loving care by myself." He took a drink of his coffee before saying, "Is that satisfactory?"

  Any remaining frown disappeared and I cleared my throat and wordlessly nodded.

  He regarded me a moment before looking away and saying, "Good."

  Finished with the duty of being 'in charge', I released a deep breath and moved my focus again to the elevator doors. I didn't like being 'in charge'. Too many expectations. Too much pressure. I didn't li--

  "What are your plans for the honeymoon?"

  I blinked and flushed and dropped my jaw open all at the same moment I focused on Seifer. "...what?"

  "Three weeks," Seifer reminded, "and no travel plan filed yet." He took a slow drink, green eyes seemingly. . . laughing at me. "You're going to be pretty damn sore after three weeks, Regal. You being inexperienced. I'll be sure to tell Dincht to take it easy on you. Hot heads have a tendency of being. . . overzealous."

  My jaw worked, but no sound could make it past the horror and the embarrassment of my boss talking to me about what to expect on my honeymoon.

  "If you want to have a little fun with him, leave a trail of clothes to the bedroom and lock the door. Then make him look for the key, with only the clothes left out as the clue as to where it could be." Seifer chuckled, and it sounded a little evil to me. . . what soaked through my shock and shame, that is. "He'll likely break down the door just to see if you're wearing anything."

  He motioned to me, and I think my face burned as red as the light that continued to flash.

  "Wear something that hugs that tight ass of yours. He'll go wild. Guys like a nice bit of ass."

  He motioned to me again, and I paled this time and began to feel very sick as I pushed back away from him to the other corner of the elevator.

  "You've got a nice rack, too. Black lace would be perfect. I'll ask Larabie if she's got something for you. Seems to me you're about the same size. I guess it doesn't matter if you aren't." He chuckled again. "It won't be on very long. And be sure to let him take it off. Guys like that. Control thing, Larabie says."

  My eyes must have widened to twice their normal size as I stared at him.

  "Showers." Seifer gave a sickly serious nod. "Definitely try it. Hot or cold doesn't matter. They're damn fun... Just be sure to keep the soap handy--"

  I covered my mouth with both hands, and slumped to the floor. "...I'm going to be sick..." I mumbled through my hands.

  Seifer knelt with a muttered "Larabie's going to kill me, damn it," as he rested a hand on my back. "Hell, Regal. Relax. I was having a bit of fun. Damn."

  My head shot up, eyes wide and expression wild. "Fun?!" I repeated in a somewhat hysterical tone, and I couldn't control the words that flew out of my mouth. I pushed him back away from me. "You're talking about sex and showers and--black lace!--and you think that's 'a bit of fun'?!" And I could see the surprise in his green eyes as he now rested on his butt on the far side of the elevator, still sitting where the force of my push had knocked him. Before I could stop myself, I took off one of my slip-on loafers and chucked it at him. He barely deflected it in time with a raised arm.

  And when I heard him laugh, it made me angry.

  "Go ahead and laugh," I fumed, frowning at him with my fists on my hips, "but I'll get you one of these days, and then we'll see who thinks what is 'a bit of fun'!"

  Seifer continued to smile and chuckle, his arms resting now on his bent knees as his green eyes laughed at me. "Hot damn. You are a spit fire, aren't you? I didn't believe him."

  "'Him'? 'Him' who?" I insisted angrily.

  "Your brother." He pushed himself to his feet and offered a hand to me.

  I slapped it away, which caused him to chuckle again, and stood. "It figures." I swiped up my shoe and then angrily waved it at Seifer, who continued to
chuckle and smile as he guarded his face with raised hands. "Well, you tell that brother of mine that he's supposed to protect his baby sister and not put goons like you up to things like this!"

  "Tell him yourself," Seifer said, and the laughter in his voice was all too clear.

  "Don't think I won't," I told him, still shaking my shoe at him. "I still owe him for that other pra--"

  The elevator groaned and clanked and then hummed back down toward the basement, the action bringing me back to reality from the haze of embarrassment and humiliation feeding the irritation with a loud bang. I focused again on Seifer and my eyes widened as I dropped my shoe.

  I backed off while whispering "Oh Hyne," and pressing myself back against the other side of the elevator.

  Seifer chuckled and gathered his report and coffee mug from the floor. "It's okay, Regal. That was a lot of fun. More fun than I thought it'd be."

  The elevator dinged and opened the doors. "Too bad." Seifer stepped forward, but he paused at the exit and turned to give me a wink. "Nice shot, but don't miss next time."

  He stepped off, chuckling as he made his way down the hall toward his office. I slid to the floor of the elevator with a deep breath, trying not to imagine black lace and showers.