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Gwen was feeling restless. The house was warm, but she could sense the memories around her, and many were unpleasant.
Perhaps it had been the plastic cop's badge someone had left in her mailbox. Three guesses who, and the first two don't count when you see the round hols in the center of the badge.
She put on her jacket and grabbed her car keys.
She drove until she got downtown, then pulled up to a bank of phone booths, looking for the cleanest one. Cleanest, not CLEAN.
She found one that smelled the least like cigarettes, closed the door, then dialed the number quickly.
Gidget had probably stayed longer at The Cigar Factory than she should have after the stuff that popped off but she needed to calm her nerves. Sighing, she was in her office returning that portfolio she had brough over to show Luke his designs and the swatches. Humming softly, she would start file his stuff away in that filing cabinet near her desk until she heard the phone ring. Blinking she would look over at her phone before slowly making her way over. After having someone come into the bar she was at and starting to shoot…she was a bit on edge. Taking a deep breath, she would gather herself then picked up that phone as she evened her voice. "Casa di Pucci…Gidget speaking….." It was late as hell and she had no clue who'd be calling her this late.
Gwen took a deep breath.
This was going to be challenging.
"Hi…my name's Gwen. I'm calling on behalf of the…White Widow? Something about having some design work done? She asked me to be a go-between for her and you. She said you could understand…"
Gidget would blink as she heard the voice but just leaned on her phone now. "I-I'm sorry….?" Now this woman was rather….foolish. She was so quick to be loyal and trusting of people but she did have a thing about confidentiality. "I figured she'd not be available but….she never spoke to me at our original consultation about a….go-between." That's where work tone came into play now. She was making a suit for a woman that can grow to the size of Godzilla and the woman who hired her jumps off of buildings willing. "Pardon my crassness but I'll have to talk to her to clear this before I go into any details. Client confidentiality and all that. Don't need dresses coming up on other people…."
Gwen sighs. This was the problem with a secret identity.
"All right…fair enough. If you want to meet her tonight, say where and when. She'll be there."
She did not sound put out by the response. If anything, she had half-expected it.
She'd sigh a bit as she looked around her office then to the clock on her wall. "Um…." Looking around she would then blink as she smiled to herself. "She knows where I work….she dropped me off so just tell her the same spot she left me at work. And give me….I don't know….ten or so minutes?" Gidget would start to lock up her filing cabinet then as she waited for the answer.
Ten minutes. Should be enough time.
She began unbuttoning her blouse, glad the windows of the phone booth were covered with graffiti. "Should be enough time. I'll let her know." She paused to slip her boots off. "Thanks."
She hung up and started removing her clothes in earnest.
She was able to swing over to the building and arrive about 30 seconds shy of the deadline. As she waited, she got curious about how her sense of balance had developed.
By the time Gidget arrived on the roof, White Widow was balancing in a handstand, with her legs split wide to each side. And it was technically a fingertip-stand.
Sighing she would nod…as if she could see it. "Cool. I'll see her soon!" Once that call ended, she would quickly make her way through her office to lock her stuff up before making her way out. Locking that door, she would cut through the salon and into that back studio to get to the stairs. Sighing she would make her way to the roof quickly and opened that door to see….her balancing ont he side. "….you really must love being near death…." She'd shut the door and locked the door so no one could sneak up while she was talking to this person. Gidget would sigh as she shook her head and chuckled a bit. "So what's up? I didn't know you had an assistant or something…I didn't want to go rambling off to someone I don't know."
Widow turned and pushed off and up to turn over, landing on her feet. She smiles wryly under the mask. "She and I have a…personal connection. If things go absurdly well, we may be able to share them with you." She steps forward with that eerie grace, taking a slip of paper out of the backpack she wears on her back, a broad, bulky thing. "Gotta get something more streamlined…here. This is her number. If you need to reach me, call her." The slim fingers place the slip of paper in Gidget's palm, the number and name visible
GWEN STACY.
"So…how have you been?"
Scrunching her nose she would laugh a bit then. "Hey now….don't worry about." Snickering a bit she would tilt her head a bit and nodded. "If you guys have some….thing…..I don't judge. Trust me." Exhaling she would tilt her head and took the piece of paper. STaring down at it, she would memorize that name and number before tearing it up to shreds. "Cool. Done." Smiling she would sigh a bit and shrugged. "I've been working as always. Got a couple of more projects and super stoked about it."
Widow smirked. "How long have you been in town? I like the accent." She steps forward with the kind of hip movements seen more on catwalks than rooftops. "Granted, I'm not a fashion maven."
"Here?" A tilt of her head as she chuckled a bit. "As in…New York?" She'd laugh a bit. "Well….I was born in Syracuse and moved her after I was taken under my mentor's wing so…." Gidget would look to count on her fingers then smiled brightly. "About six years….." Laughing she'd shrug a bit. "I only have this accent because of my father…he's the French one." She'd watch her walk over but thought nothing of it then before snickering. "Fashion maven? Me? Hardly. My mentor just introduced me to a lot of people but it's time for me spread my wings, you know?"
Widow pauses thoughtfully. "Actually, I think I do. I've only recently begun this path I've chosen." She pauses again, then says, "Sorry. Was just trying to imagine you with butterfly wings." She chuckles softly. "I hope i'm not keeping you up late."
She'd blink a bit as she looked at her then chuckled. "With wings? Goodness no…." Gidget let out another giggle before she would run her fingers through her short black hair. "Nah…I was actually working on the last of the concept design for your project. Then I have to cut out a suit at some point. I should go to sleep but…eh…." Those big brown eyes would look over at her then sighed as she leaned against the roof door. "I should try to get this done so I can go to bed at some point."
Widow ohs. "I'm distracting you. I'm sorry." She looks around. "Look, if you want to get back to work, I can get going and let you go."
"Oh no you're fine!" Laughing she would shake her head a bit. "I need to be distracted….it's time for me to let go a little. Besides….I'm way ahead of schedule. I should hopefully be meeting with the person that may have the fabric I need. Then it's just a matter of cutting, fitting, and boom….your girl has her outfit."
Widow looks up, her entire stance suggesting apologetic yet hopeful. "Really? Well, maybe you should dress up that no-account friend I have, Gwen." She sits easily on the edge of the roof near the doorway, legs stretched out in front of her, the New York skyline behind her. "I hoped you liked your little jaunt with me the last time we met. I call it 'webslinging.' It certainly helps in getting around, avoidiing traffic."
"Really. I've been trying to make myself get caught up so I can go out and acutally do stuff outside of work." A tilt of her head then as she laughed. "No-account? Well obviously you trust her if she's gonna be running around doing things for you." A simple shrug then as she looked around then licked her lips a bit. "It was….interesting…." Gidget would blush slightly. "And I can see how that can be helpful. I just walk everywhere…."
Widow chuckles. "Interesting, eh?" She crosses her legs, the fabric seeming to gleam from the city lights. "Well, if you'd like to see Broadway in a way that few others can say, all you have to do is ask. See the city from a different perspective."
"I….I may. It sounds fun." She'd exhale softly then closed her eyes as she leaned against the door, leaning her head back. Licking her lips Gidget would smile as she continued the conversation. "It would probably be a hoot! Maybe once I'm done with your project…." Then she'd stretch her arms above her head then yawned. "I should probably head back so I can pack up downstairs and head home….." STanding up straight now she'd look her over then nodded. "If anything happenes or changes I'll call your friend Gwen."
Widow nods. "Maybe you can clean her up. She dresses like a hoodlum." She leaps lightly onto the edge of the roof, then turns and bows low. "I am sure you will not disappoint. Ta."
And, still bowing, she tilts back and tumbles off the edge of the roof into space.
"Um….okay. Just….I can't force her to….but I'll do what I can." Laughing she would watch her move the edge but walked over to where he was. "I will try to make sure you're pleased!" Snickering she would then squeak as she watched her tumble off. She'd run over and call out to her. "And let's go….webslinging again!" Smooth Gidge…real smooth. She'd turn and go back to that roof door. "You're meeting the strangest people, girl…"
When Gidget looks over the edge, she sees Widow standing on the side of the building, ten feet down, as if standing on pavement. She waves. "Yes, let's!" She jumps off, firing a webline, and just relaxes as she swings through the city.
Then an alarm goes off to her left and she sighs.
No rest for the weary.
And off she went, to the next crime.