Lace Ravine

Chap. 4: Lace Meets Her Match - pt. 4

Second door, on the left- the human walked carefully to it, took a deep breath, and knocked. There was no answer. She knocked again, slightly louder, and still nothing. The handle was tried, and the door drifted open, unlocked. There was just a room with a desk, and two chairs opposing each other. Leanna took her seat.

She waited, thinking back to Marc. Was she late? Had he really taken up that much of her time? Or was she somehow still early? Her slowly onsetting panic disappeared as the door opened behind her.

In came a Fortan woman holding a tablet. 

So this was Yoanda Bankks... 

Leanna had never seen her likeness before, and hid shock at her beauty. Maybe this wouldn't be such a dreadful ordeal after all. Yoanda began speaking, though her eyes hadn't left her handheld yet.

"Good morning, I'm Chief-"

"Yoanda Bankks." Leanna sprung into action, a smile in her now high voice. The Fortan's eyes found hers, not quite sure what to make of the outburst. Leanna became bashful, an emotion Lace hadn't experienced in years. "Sorry, I'm just very excited to meet you." Yoanda's face couldn't settle on an expression, as the human continued, adorably nervous. "It really is an honor, I'm sure you hear this all the time- and I promise I'm not trying to be a suck-up- I just really admire you and, well, all you've done for the IAC."

Yoanda finally seemed pleased at the total whopper. "Thank you." She glanced down at the tablet. "I see you're applying for the receptionist position." Her focus returned to the human as she sat. "Why don't you tell me a bit about yourself to start off."

Every lie had a seed of truth, and Leanna decided she'd just embellish her life story. She started with a grin. "Well, I grew up on the Hub, which I suppose is not surprising." Her instincts had been correct, the small add-on took away some of Yoanda's severity. "I never really thought I'd go anywhere, until I received an IAC scholarship to go to school on Fortas, which entirely changed how I viewed life."

Now this was accurate, though the implication of a happy outcome was far from it. As a teenager, Leanna was incredibly smart in exactly one thing: Earth and human history. She was a sponge for information most had forgotten or ignored. Even in her all-human school, her knowledge was far above her classmates, only on par with the most experienced teachers. This did not go unnoticed, and for her excellence she was awarded a full scholarship to further her learning with the best education in the galaxy- on the Fortan home planet.

However, something that was definitely not appreciated on Fortas were the humans and their history. The only thing anyone knew or cared about was that they had destroyed their home planet, were forced to flee, and wander through the cosmos before coming under the mercy of the IAC. Knowing any more than that only made someone seem less intelligent.

Entirely changed how I viewed life. That was correct. After completing her education on Fortas, Leanna had learned a few things. Nobody gives a shit about what makes you special. Don't bother being good when everyone hates you anyway. The only person you can count on is yourself- and finally, there's only one way to stay safe: trust no one, love no one, lie about both, and never let anyone in.

Yoanda was Fortan, so she couldn't imagine such a narrative. Lace's story had only made her more relaxed, and she nearly looked happy as she gave her response. "I've found that education on Fortas can do that for a person." The Fortan checked her notes before asking. "Now, there seems to be a lot of time unaccounted for since you graduated, can you tell me what that is about?"

Leanna offered another safe, honest answer. "I moved back to the Hub."

"And why is that?"

"My mother was very sick and had no one to care for her. I had been watching over her for the past decade, but recently she passed." Half of that was real. Leanna had graduated, and despite her qualifications, was unable to find work on Fortas. Her mother had always been frail, and when it seemed the time was coming, Leanna moved back home for the final months. After the funeral, she was desperate to escape stagnation on the Hub. So Leanna left for Kyron, and never looked back.

Yoanda was touched by the story. "I'm very sorry to hear that."

The human showed her a small sincere smile, then lied through her teeth. "Thank you. I just figured now was the time to repay the IAC for all it's done for me, and I can't think of any better way to do that than to work on making sure everyone within it is safe."

Yoanda was satisfied. "You certainly seem like a qualified candidate." The story, the attitude, they had done their work as she added. "And a good person." The Chief stood. "I think I've heard enough, someone will call you soon to let you know the decision that was made." She stopped and looked at Leanna for a moment, then gave a peace offering in the human custom of a 'handshake'. "It was a pleasure meeting you."

This is what Leanna had hoped for. The amphibious skin of a Fortan was highly sensitive. One touch, and a woman like Leanna was home free. The human grasped the Fortan's hand gently, giving only a small squeeze. "The pleasure was all mine." Leanna's undeniably strong pheromones had now seeped into the other woman's skin, and she took her chance as they both exited into the hallway. "Chief Bankks-"

The chief smiled, already affected. "You can call me Yoanda."

Leanna grinned back. "Yoanda. If I don't get the job, would you be willing to have drinks with me sometime?"

The Fortan had most likely already decided she would hire the human, so she agreed without hesitation. "If you don't get the job, I promise we will."

There was a definite moment growing between them, when a familiar, annoyingly handsome voice came from behind Leanna's back.

"Leanna?" Lace spun around to see Marc absolutely astounded by her presence.

She responded with instinctive despise. "Cadillac."

Yoanda seemed confused at the human standoff. "You two know each other?"

Lace tried to regain composure. "We've met."

Marc wasn't having it, and spoke like his words were sour in his mouth. "Unfortunately." He turned to his boss. "What is she doing here?"

"Interviewing for the new receptionist position." Lace explained.

Marc shook his head violently. "No way. I am not working with her."

The Chief chastised him sharply, in a tone fit for use on a child. "Marc. She is a guest here. You can't speak that way to her."

"But-!" His protest was cut off by Leanna, who was struggling to remain chipper.

"Maybe we got off on the wrong foot. I was having a difficult morning."

"Sure, that explains it." The man scoffed, and Leanna turned to Yoanda, trying to salvage the situation.

"I'm sorry Chief Bankks, I have to be going." She gave her one last perfect smile. "I hope to see you soon."

Yoanda's mood had completely changed since the start of the meeting, and she replied blissfully. "Me as well. Goodbye."

Lace ran from the crash as fast as she could in the precarious heels. Her interactions with Yoanda had gone even better than she expected, but Marc could be a problem. Ideally, the results of the skin contact would override the other human's suspicions. The goal now would be to hide in her hotel room waiting for Silas' people to show up, and thus she quested back to Baimok.

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Next Update: Wed, July 22, 2020