TV Multiverse 85 (Patreon)

It was morning, and they were at the breakfast table. “So, do you want to explain why you have a huge room filled with women’s clothes?” Georgina teased him while waiting for her food. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, you’ll pull red sequin dress perfectly, so if that’s your jam…”

He chuckled at the visual. “Oh, I definitely would,” he said. “Unfortunately, the truth is more boring. I dabble in fashion photography.”

She hummed. “You don’t mind if I pick stuff from there, right? I have nothing to wear.”

“Not at all,” he said. She nodded. She wasn’t particularly enthusiastic, as to her, those counted as cheap stuff. That was why she also didn’t ask any follow-up questions. To her, fashion was something more upscale, designer-only.

And not the lesser-known boutique houses he and Haley worked. Real upscale ones, the kind that were ruled by people who would have a heart attack at the idea of selling their clothes online.

The business of affordable luxury and real luxury worked very differently.

Georgina would have asked more questions, but then she took a bite of the omelet he served, only to freeze in shock. She looked down, staring at her plate as the eggs had personally betrayed her.

“Is there anything wrong with the food?” he asked teasingly. “I can cook something else if you want—“

“No!” she gasped, pulling the plate toward herself defensively before she realized the intensity of her reaction, her eyes wide. “Why is this that good? I mean, I watched you cook it. It’s even better than what I have back home. I didn’t expect you could cook, let alone cook this!”

A home that she likely had a team of experienced chefs.

“I—“ he started.

“No, you dabble. I know,” she said, defeated. “Fine, be like that. Eventually, I’ll drain those secrets out of you.”

“First, you need to get good enough to keep up with me,” he teased, enjoying her blush, carnal pleasure mixing with her failing the challenge of keeping up. He suspected it was also why she felt the food was that much better. His cooking was already incredible, but a marathon of pure passion had a way of leaving one ravenous.

Especially without the alcohol to blunt things; there was no hangover ruining the following day. Pure physical euphoria and exhaustion were far superior.

“Still, what’s the secret of the eggs?” she said. “I mean. It’s delicious.”

He hummed. “All in timing and control, and a touch of fresh spices. No other secret.”

“Nonsense. It has to be,” she said.

“It’s not,” he said. “But then, piano is all timing and control. Perfection is simple. It just requires effort, discipline … well, maybe also a dash of genius.”

That made her giggle. “Just a dash? So I can learn it as well.”

He smiled. “I don’t think you have any problem with the genius part. Discipline, on the other hand… I have a feeling that you will need help in that part.”

She smirked challengingly. “I will need a firm hand.”

He matched her smirk, curious how she would react to the form of that firm hand. “You do. The interesting part is whether you’ll actually stick to it, or retreat when things get hard.”

“You’re underestimating me,” she said.

He matched her expression. “I’m not underestimating you. I’m challenging you. Starting today, you’ll have three days as your first challenge. You’ll actually shadow another caretaker and follow her directions. You prove that you can actually survive as Georgina, a woman without a family, determined enough to work for three days while learning how to keep a house running.”

Her eyes widened. “When you say caretaker…”

“Yes. I don’t expect you to wear a fluffy French maid outfit while I bend you over every piece of furniture in the house,” he started, then paused. “Well, not just that,” he added with a smirk that made her blush. “I will trust you with my home, and in exchange, you’ll prove that you can maintain it.” She seemed hesitant. “Prove, and I’ll bring you back to New York.”

Her smirk grew at that. It wasn’t that she needed his help to return to New York, but returning alone and returning in his arms meant two very different things in her social strata. It meant that he would allow her to be in his immediate orbit while he’s engaging with the Upper East Side crowd.

Where her friends and her enemies lived … assuming, of course, Georgina ever knew the difference between the two.

He hummed while he prepared a second serving of eggs, as Georgina had demolished the first serving … one that was supposed to feed both of them.

“You want me to cook, clean, and tidy up?”

He smiled. “Well, not cook. That part, I’ll do,” he said. “I can teach you if you want, but that won’t be part of your work.”

She hummed. “Did you ask Blair to do that?”

He didn’t, because he wasn’t trying to rehabilitate Blair from being a social equivalent of a horror movie slasher. But, she earned a fun reward. “Oh, can you imagine Blair trying to work out how to use a washing machine without destroying the house?”

“Oh, the image alone,” she said, giggling.

“You know what. Be a good girl, and I might make a bet with Blair, requiring her to work as a maid next to you for a day. How about it?”

She happily accepted.

They continued to chat while eating until her teacher arrived.

Berta opened the door without ringing and walked in. “So, Charlie Junior, is this the little tramp that needs to learn how to hold a brush?”

Georgina’s shift was immediate. She gave him a challenging smile before she turned to Berta, her face taking a naive, playful tone. “Yes, madam. For the next three days, I’m your enthusiastic helper.”

“Really?” Berta growled, already smelling the bullshit.

“I Yes. have to say, I'm such a quick learner, everyone says so, and I'm sure with someone as experienced as you, I'll have it all down in no time, you won't even have to—“ Georgina continued to spew.

He recognized the practiced charm. Her acting was good.

Just not good enough to trick Berta. Berta was rough, uneducated, and mean, but she was also must sharper than most people gave her credit for, believing her gruff exterior was all she had. She also spent a considerable part of her life working for celebrities, yet she managed to control them with the same ease she lifted an oven to clean under it.

“Stop that,” Berta said, her tone coming out as an order.

Georgina fluttered her eyelashes. “I don’t understand—“

“Cut the glib, girl. Or, act out, and you clean the toilet without a brush.”

Georgina maintained eye contact for another second, saw that Berta was serious, and turned to him. “Nope, I didn’t tell her anything about your, just like I didn’t tell you anything about her. A fair confrontation.”

“A fair confrontation?” Georgina said, dropping the cutesy act.

“Don’t tell me you’re scared,” he said. However, ultimately, Georgina had no chance against Berta, who had dealt with bigger celebrities and more accomplished sociopaths. Evelyn Harper failed to gain an inch on Berta.

He wasn’t optimistic about Georgina’s chances of victory.

“There’s no competition. You’ll be my little gopher for the next three days, and if you do a really good job, I will not make you clean the toilets. Believe me, there’s nothing worse than cleaning after a teenager with a terrible diet.”

Georgina's mouth tightened as she listened. She looked at him. “You have your challenge, evil princess,” he said. “Either prove me that you have another move than escaping at the first sign of difficulty, or run back to Manhattan. There, if you annoy Serena enough, maybe it’ll feel like you’re friends once again.”

“Fine,” she said, growling in protest as she stood up, going upstairs to change.

Berta looked at him. “So, what’s the deal with the kitten with the claws? I would have assumed you would have been trying to bang her, but from the way she looks, you already played her like a drum in a Metallica concert.”

He shrugged. “You’re not wrong.”

“Let me guess, a millionaire who lost her money, and you’re trying to reverse fair-ladying her?”

He chuckled. “Not that far away. Billionaire, and she didn’t actually lose money. She’s just trying to prove that she’s more than her parent’s money.”

Berta paused, nodded. “Well, look at that. I might actually respect her if she manages to survive.”

He laughed. “Just don’t make her clean toilets. She’s determined, but there are limits.”

“Oh, no. That’s a bluff. Jake manages to disgust me. He’ll kill her,” Berta laughed. “Just don’t forget my payment, and we’re golden.”

“Two rare t-bone steaks, cooked to perfection, and a pitcher of the meanest cocktail I could mix, with a kick that would make a mule feel inadequate.”

Berta laughed. “Exactly.” Then, she paused, her tone shifting. “It’s a good thing you introduced those noodle-armed idiots to Charlie. They are good for him.” Then, she paused. “And, if you ever tell anyone I said that, no one will find your body.”

He made a gesture of zipping his mouth shut.

“Tell the sparky that—“ Berta started, which made him explode with laughter. “What’s wrong?”

“Her surname is Sparks, so Sparky is perfect. Continue calling her that,” he said.

Berta’s smile turned vicious. “Good to know.”

Soon, Georgina departed, following Berta, leaving him alone to wonder exactly how his gambit would end. Georgina was a meaner version of Caroline, and Berta was what Max would have become without Caroline, after another thirty years and several children.

Meaning, it would either work, or go down in flames…

He decided to check his fire insurance policy just in case. With Georgina, there was no guarantee that the flames might not be metaphorical.

&&&

However, he didn’t waste much time. He just cobbled together a suitcase, made sure to bring his camera, made some sandwiches and snacks for the road before moving. He didn’t want to be late to his road trip.

Well, not late literally, as even if he drove at a speed that would bore Annie, he would be there an hour before the agreed time. Knowing Annie, she would be ready to go. Well, if not, it wasn’t like he would lack the opportunity to introduce the two.

Though, it was a pity that he couldn’t introduce Annie to Georgina, as that interaction would have been fun. Unfortunately, while Annie was sharp and smart, she was also a big believer in second chances and a sucker for a sad story.

Georgina would eat her alive. Admittedly, even with his skill set, there was a reason he was taking Georgina more seriously than actual spies.

When he arrived, Annie was in the parking lot, looking around with a dazed face. A Pasadena parking lot wasn’t a peak tourism spot, but he understood where she was coming from.

She was wearing a cute sundress, though it was far more stylish than her usual Greendale drab. Improved, but still the same core.

“Don’t worry. I know your shoe size perfectly,” he teased as he stepped out of the car.

“Cinderella, how original,” she said, but that didn’t prevent her from jumping to hug him. “Also, you know all my sizes.”

“I do. I’m an art lover. I find a masterpiece, and I study it,” he kissed her. She kissed back passionately.

“I missed you,” she whispered.

“Only if you took my offer to come with me to New York,” he teased.

“No. While you were gallivanting around, someone has to actually work,” she complained.

He decided to tease her. And his tone shifted to serious. “You know it’s not the job of a mere secretary to lead an operation over a hundred million, right? You’re fired, effective immediately,” he said. It was only due to his incredible acting talent that Annie believed him even for a second before her panic dissipated into more playful furstration. “And, hired as the new COO of the holding company, responsible for the coordination.”

“I … what …” she stammered, the promotion shocking her far more than the joke about firing.

“If you are willing to, of course. I know returning to Greendale feels like closing a chapter. I just want to remind you that there’s a story you can be a part of if you really want.”

“I don’t know—“ she started, but he kissed her again.

“You don’t have to answer right now. Hell, you can wait about a year if you want. I just want you to know that the offer is open.”

That made her pause. She looked at his face, examining for any falsehood. He didn’t act, but she found none. Because there was none to be found. She rose to her tiptoes, and kissed him again. “Thank you. No one else trusted me to draw my own path. Not like this,” she whispered.

He kissed her cheek, which made her blush worse than some of the bedroom activities they had done, one of which included a shockingly intense variety.

“We are still pausing on the way to pick the gifts, right?” she said.

“The ones for Shirley and Abed, right?”

“Yes, I already bought the rest, but a secondhand camera is not something I can pick, and I can’t afford a brand-new one. Same goes for that professional-grade stand-in mixer.” Understandable concerns. A new professional-grade stand-in mixer started around two thousand, and could easily climb to ten thousand, and the scale was even worse for the professional film cameras.

Technically, Annie could have easily afforded if she took the raise he offered, but even after the settlement, she refused it. He respected her decision and didn’t push, especially since he was there as a safety net.

He loaded her suitcases, which were far larger than he had expected. After loading, he also showed her a large box. “Your share of the settlement money,” he said.

“I don’t want. And if that box is filled with cash—“ she started, only to change her tune when he opened the box, and revealed a stuffed animal. A humanoid tiger wearing a suit, carrying a briefcase. “Oh my god. This is perfect. I love him already!” she gasped. “Thank you for buying me a plushie.”

Her hug was tight even by Annie’s standards. But, the reason was not a mystery. Annie’s love for stuffed animals was much deeper than a mere cosmetic choice. It was part of her coping mechanism, a deliberate choice against the darkness that threatened her life.

After that hug, he carried her suitcases down to the car, and there, they visited a few pawnshops. He could have paid the extra for the camera, as money was no longer a concern, but he didn’t.

Believing effort could be replaced by throwing around money was how one transformed into Chuck Bass.

Ordinarily, a crawl through pawn shops should have taken a full day, but not with Annie. She had already called them, shortlisted the workable items, got the pictures from the owners for him to do an initial check.

After visiting four shops, they managed to purchase not only Abed’s professional-grade camera and Shirley’s kitchen equipment, but also a few extra stuff. A signed book from an old feminist icon for Britta, a stylish tie clip for Jeff, and a sound mixer for Troy. She even insisted on buying a nice calligraphy set for Pierce, even though he was technically out of the group, which was a good call.

He hummed, impressed by her choices, merely helping her to pick the best one.

They might have bought some more, but with everything, not only the trunk was full but also the backseat.

“I can’t believe I spent my summer in Los Angeles,” she whispered as she looked back at the city. “I feel like an actress.”

He chuckled. “Technically, you’re one,” he reminded. “Our short film is doing pretty well on the festival circuit. Penny had about a dozen high-quality auditions after that. I’m sure you had been invited to a few as well.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “I was, but I know my performance isn’t really my performance. I might have believed otherwise, but … you directed me like a puppet. Everything I put was something you envisioned. It’s not for me.”

“True,” he said. He did, because that was the only way Annie could put a convincing act even as the straightforward monster role. “That’s the difference between an amateur and a professional. It takes years of training.” He paused. “But it’s not the reason you don’t want to be one, right?”

She turned to him, smiling softly. “I still can’t decide whether it’s comforting or scary that you can see right through me,” she said.

“Definitely comforting,” he said, leaned and stole a quick kiss.

“Road!” she exclaimed when he turned away. He just chuckled. “Bastard,” she muttered, but she was smiling. At this point, she had long realized his driving skills, and an empty road was not dangerous. “The way Penny acted was … harrowing. It took two days, but I have watched her cry in the bathroom so many times. Even after we finished the shoot, she was melancholic for a few days before she bounced back. I don’t think I can handle that process.”

“Being a good actress can be emotionally harrowing. You’re strong enough to handle it, but having the ability doesn’t mean you should,” he said, then laughed. “Also, I know you’ll go crazy on a real movie set.”

“I won’t,” she said.

“Really. What would you do if the lead actor came to the set two hours late, hangover, slurring his lines, ruining the shoot schedule for the next week?”

Her eyes widened. “I can’t be that unlucky, can I?”

He laughed. “Unlucky? You think that’s a rare occasion?” He shared a few stories from the sets and production chaos, from last-minute changes to studio interference, every example more ridiculous. He didn’t need to work in movie sets to know those stories. When he finished, she was holding her stomach from laughing too much.

“Fine, I surrender,” she giggled. “You’re right. Acting is not for me.”

A nice side effect of laughing, that her gloom had disappeared … and after a summer of debauchery, she learned better ways to share her joy. He didn’t even need to tease her for it. Ten minutes in, she unzipped his pants and leaned over, giving him an excellent blowjob.

He noticed that she was showing off, using all the tricks she had learned. Her enthusiasm for making dioramas transferred surprisingly well to spectacular blowjobs.

That would have been the theme of their trip. Two days on the road, constant teasing with a stay planned at a decent B&B on the way that might be extended for another day depending on their mood…

But, that plan was soon derailed by a familiar blonde, currently sitting in one of the roadside gas stations that doubled as a bus stop. “That’s Britta!” Annie said. “We’re stopping for her,” she said, even though her tone carried a hint of sacrifice.

“You’re sure?”

“I can’t leave one of my best friends on the road,” Annie said with a sigh. Then, her eyes widened. “And, no seducing Britta.”

He smiled. “Fine. Unless you take the lead, I won’t make a move on her,” he promised.

That made her eyes widen. “Of course I won’t. Britta is my friend!”

He nodded. Annie was determined not to let her LA habits spread into her group. He understood that she was determined.

It would take an incredibly smart yet weirdly flighty person to change her mind by accident.

Maybe someone whose name used to refer … to small and understandable mistakes. Or maybe something else…