She's A Lady

11

They were waiting for me outside of the office when I finished work, Damien was driving me home on his way. It was a good arrangement that allowed me to return to my desk much faster than if I didn't have a ride in to work. My doctor said it was fine as long as I don't get behind the wheel myself until the cast could be removed. I didn't know that word would get out so quickly or that people would care. But then Bill apparently liked shooting his mouth off, and not with the truth.

"Miss Burns! Is it true you framed your old boss for assault?" One reporter asked me. I was too surprised to answer before another was firing the gun at me.

"Is it true you came on to him but lied about the fact that you're a man?" Another piped up. I was shocked by how rude these people were being. Without knowing anything, they spouted garbage outside my work.

"Is it true you are now dating your new boss after getting the old one fired?" Flash!

"Why didn't you fight back when you were allegedly attacked?" Flash!

"Is it true your injuries are only because you let him beat you up for show?" Flash!

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am afraid I will have to ask you to leave the premises. This is private property and you are all trespassing. Our company would be happy to issue a statement on the matter if you contact our Human Resources department. We support Miss Burns due to the facts of the case and request that you kindly refrain from harassing her at work or we will be forced to inform the authorities. Thank you, you have five minutes to get out." John was irritated but kept cool and blocked any further photographs by using himself and Damien as a shield.

It didn't matter. I had heard it all and it made me feel like crap. As if my sore body and aching head weren't enough, now I felt like it was me against the media and not just Bill. I had been made out to be the bad guy. I knew there was a chance it might happen, but it was so disappointing when it actually did. By the time I crawled into his car, Damien was sure to see the tears running down my face. My makeup was probably ruined.

"Are you okay?" he asked me quietly on the ride home.

"What do you think?" I replied. I watched the world going by and wondered how it could look so normal when it was so fucked up for me. There was a group of the vultures waiting outside the apartment for me too. We both swore.

"Do you want to go somewhere else? I can take you to Max's place or mine?" He really was the sweetest man alive. I nodded to keep going before they saw us. We drove past my safe haven that was under siege and my heart sank. I wanted to go home. I wanted to get in my pajamas and get some sleep. I wanted to eat ice cream from the bucket and have hot chocolate with so many marshmallows you couldn't get to the chocolate.

"Where are we?" I asked as I looked around an unfamiliar neighbourhood. He cleared his throat.

"My place. You didn't say anything back there and I don't know where Max lives. Besides, this is probably too far out to bother. If they skulk around the neighbourhood then people here will get pissed off and ask them to leave to their faces or call the cops on them for us. I... hope it's okay...?" He smiled hesitantly. I nodded and shrugged. He helped me get out of the car and walked me inside a cute little bungalow with bright red shutters on grey siding.

His home was just that. A home. Clean wooden floors and cheery blue walls that framed overstuffed couches that you immediately wanted to sink into. The front hall was a sunken platform of tiles and a closet that led immediately into the sitting room. I could see a dining room through one door and a hallway branched off the other side of a long wall of family photographs. I stepped forward to look at them in fascination.