OFF-TANGENT(A Lesbian Story)

Chapter Nine

The City Council met as scheduled on Tuesday, argued for the better part of the day, and adjourned without a decision on the issue of Galang Confectioners. Mika considered their refusal to act as a moral victory for her. She did not hesitate to say so at the end of that day's On Point, when she reminded her listeners that the next day Vic Galang herself would be their guest.

Wensh was waiting for her in the reception room where she had listened to the show over the speaker mounted high on the wall.

"Good grief, Mika", the godsister said without even a hello. "Don't you have any more sense than to call the woman a liar on air? That is slander to start with, and..."

"I did not call her anything."

"I won't be surprised if you would get beaten up some night in a dark alley," Wensh said fatalistically. "And don't come crying to me when that happens."

"It won't happen, Wensh."

"Why are you so sure? Because you think Vic to be better than that?"

"No. Because she has got much more effective ways of dealing with opposition than that," Mika said without stopping to think about what she was saying.

"Would you listen to yourself. You are daring her. Are you aware of that Mika? And Vic isn't the type to turn down a dare. She is going to retaliate."

"She can't possibly do anything until the shouting about the plant is over. And then she'll probably slink quietly back to Pampanga and that is the last we will see of Miss Vic Galang." Funny, she thought, that it was not an inviting idea.

"Do you really think she'll vanish that easily? Good luck to you then."

"Wensh, did you come downtown to help me plan a wedding, or to lecture me about Vic?"

Wensh grinned. "Actually, I came because it was a wonderful excuse to hire a babysitter and get away from the kids for a few hours."

"Had too much of hand-on mothering, eh."

A bellboy from the hotel across the square came in with a gift-wrapped box. "Package for Miss Mika Reyes," he told the office secretary. Cienne pointed to Mika, and the bellboy came across the room to her. "I was told to hand this to you personally," he said.

Mika frowned. "Said who?"

"Miss Vic Galang. She said to be sure you and nobody else got it."

She took the box, half afraid of the content. "Well thank you... I think."

"Oh, it was my pleasure, Miss." The bellboy grinned, and confided, "The gent... I meant lady tips real nice."

"I am not surprised," she murmured and started to strip the off the wrapper. "Is it a bomb, do you suppose?"

"I should not think so," Wensh said cheerfully. "She will have a hard time to assemble one. Vic is not into thinkering gadgets. Nah! That is not her thing. She loves technology though."

"You seem to know this Vic really well. Tell me, were you two intimate?"

"Mika! Of course, not!... Not that it did not cross my mind. C'mon! Vic Galang is hot! It was just that we were not that into each other. And like what I said before. Vic is safe."

The paper slipped off, revealing a gold foil box of chocolates with an embossed label "Sweets for the sweet," Mika read out loud. "Do you think that is what she meant?"

"I doubt it, considering what you just said about her. Is there a note?"

Mika inspected the wrapping and box. "Nothing."