The Ocean On Their Shoulders

Chapter 27

It didn't make her feel any better that she was the only one completely freaking out about her potentially dangerous lie that could affect both her and Fontaine's reputation. Nor did it make the situation any better than Frank actually wanted to continue to utilize the lie as a distraction - that's what he excelled at anyway. And just as he predicted, Ryan also didn't stutter in his chances at spreading the news, hoping to find a sort of profitable gain in it as well.

No one is safe from The Rapture Tribune, as it turns out. 

~*~

"You did what?"

The distant gurgling of bubbles filled the space for the few seconds Jane took to sift through her thoughts. Rather blurting out what had happened at the Industries and clicking her jaw shut after. However, his question only elicited another groan, rolling her head back to look at the ceiling, and scrunching her eyes shut.

"Frank, please don't make me repeat it." She balled her hands into fists by her sides, teeth mercilessly chewed on the inside of her cheek as he said nothing. "I panicked, ok. I didn't know what else to do, or what to say. He was essentially inviting me to join him for a date out at Fort Frolic - alone."

His silence forced her head to swivel back down with blurry eyes focusing on Frank who sat at his desk. Hands were drawn up and folded for him to rest his chin on as Jane watched his brow crease.

"An' you didn't think that maybe sayin' yes meant I could have still gone with you?"

Her stomach sank, cheeks flaring as anger bubbled in her chest, sputtering. "I - I didn't know! I panicked, ok!" Throwing her hands up from her sides, her tongue tripped over her words with each thought leaving far too hastily. "I didn't want to - to offend the man or anything. Didn't want to jeopardize any chance I had - or the plans! I didn't want to say yes! Who knows what else could have happened while I was there in his office alone."

Frank's face twisted in realization. "Reggie wasn't with you?" She could hear it too, that slight edge to his voice that was a borderline growl.

Both their heads immediately turned to Reggie who stood off to the side, already rummaging around in the liquor cabinet Frank had in his office and he paused to shrug.

"Nancy wouldn't let me go in with her. I mean, I trusted Jane 'nough. She was in an' out pretty quick."

Jane raised her hands again to emphasize Reggie's point, wide eyes back on Frank.

"And I did get the plans, mind you." She nodded towards the real blueprints now unrolled along his desk. "It honestly wasn't too hard after - lying to him."

The hum was faint as steel-gray eyes zipped back down to the plans laid out in front of him before turning back to her.

"He just gave 'em to you?"

Standing rather abruptly then, he rounded the desk with hands in his pockets, attention still darting around the plans as if to convince himself these couldn't be real. Ryan had to have some trick up his sleeve, some other bargaining tactic that followed this. The man wasn't that naive.

Jane piped up from her spot, still standing with feet together in the same position in front of his desk. "He did. Said it was an "early wedding present" and he just...gave it to me, nothing else."

His glance was a tad incredulous, but inviting enough for her to step closer to his desk, wanting to get a peek at the plans as well. Too panicked to unroll them at the time, Jane didn't even stop to check if they were real as she almost ran out his office doors. Reggie had to fast walk to keep up with her back through the maze of hallways to the bathysphere station. At one point, she didn't even know where she was going or why she wasn't letting Reggie lead the way back. If anything, she just desperately wanted to get out of there, spitting back towards the man that she'd tell him what was going on once they were in the privacy of the sphere.