Girl Talk with have_no_mercy

[need2speed]

After school, Mia headed off to Tess' place instead of the Watchtower.  It would be the first time she'd ever really set foot there and she was curious to see what it was like.  Obviously Tess had done well for herself.  The guards at the entrance to the mansion let her inside without a murmur.

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[have_no_mercy]

It's an old Scottish castle and it looks like one. Tess hasn't bothered to modernize the entire place, simply the rooms she uses the most. One of the guards leads Mia up a flight of stairs and then down a large corridor, finally gesturing for her to enter a large, brightly lit room.

Tess herself is seated on the floor of this room, with books of paint colours and wall paper swatches surrounding her. Mia is given a genuine smile in greeting.

"Hi. Just throw your bags in the corner somewhere."

[need2speed]

"Nice digs," Mia says, shifting her backpack off her shoulder and setting it where Tess indicated. "But doesn't it get drafty in the winter?"

She sits cross-legged beside Tess and nosily picks up some swatches.

[have_no_mercy]

Mia can pick up and look at whatever she likes. As far as Tess is concerned, that's why she's here. Well. That's the reason she's here, at any rate.

"I'm sure some of the areas that aren't lived in do, but this section of this wing has been winterized. I'm used to warmer climates, so there was no way I was putting up with drafts where I'm living," Tess replies, sorting through paint samples and piling them according to colour and shade. "My room's just across the hall and George is a few doors down. The nanny will be in the next room, when I get one."

[need2speed]

"Who's George?" Mia asks, automatically leaning towards the red and yellow paints. Red and yellow are neutral colors, right? "And I think you need to pick a theme for the baby's room first."

[have_no_mercy]

"He's married, Mia. He doesn't need to deal with this and I don't need his help." She starts setting the black, white and grey swatches aside and then picks up the theme book, flipping through for more pictures of African animals. "And I send him updates, so he'll know how things are."

[need2speed]

Mia blinks and sets down her paint swatches, absorbing this. She hadn't known Tess was 'the other woman' in this arrangement.

"Oh." She shrugs and busies herself with the color arrangements.

[have_no_mercy]

She usually is the other woman, in all her arrangements.

"He'd probably go if I asked him," she sighs quietly. "But I won't. It's not his problem; it's mine."

[need2speed]

"Is it a problem?" Mia's voice is equally quiet.

[have_no_mercy]

"You know, I wasn't really certain I could dedicate myself to it fully until last year. That was when everything sort of fell into place and the time was right."

She reaches out hesitantly to place a gentle hand on Mia's shoulder. "You don't have to get there right away, especially at your age."

[need2speed]

Mia looks up at the touch, not used to Tess being touchy-feely. "Well I'm still trying to get through high school at the moment," she says, a small grimace on her lips.

[have_no_mercy]

"High school is an admirable goal," Tess agrees, removing her hand after letting it linger, just a little. "How's that going, anyway?"

[need2speed]

Mia shrugs and says, "Classes are fine," which is half an answer but it's usually the one that people are after when they ask.

[have_no_mercy]

"No, I don't expect you would be. And you'll be done school soon enough anyway that you'll likely never see them again if you don't want to." Oh, yeah. Tess is all about the silver linings.

"Any thoughts as to what you'd like to do after?"

[need2speed]

"You mean like a day job? I don't know." She shrugs. "Race cars? Ollie said I could be his driver way back when he first picked me up."

[have_no_mercy]

"How generous of him," Tess replies dryly. "If you could do anything, whether it's feasible or not, what would it be?"

[need2speed]

"It was," Mia insists, not being sarcastic at all. To her mind, Oliver had no reason to offer any kind of job to her, let alone trust her with his car. "And...I don't know. I haven't thought about it."

[have_no_mercy]

"How did you control it?" It's an honest question, no sarcasm, no tricks.

[need2speed]

"I made him look at me. I started it." She's not looking at Tess at all.

[have_no_mercy]

Tess stands but keeps her place, allowing Mia to maintain whatever distance she feels comfortable with. "How old were you?"

[need2speed]

Mia's lips press into a flat, white line. She shakes her head. "I don't know. I can't remember."