Chapter 3: The Invitation

Dastun came over that night with the information we needed. All three of us worked late into the night, reviewing footage, evidence reports, maps, and comparing it with Dorothy's observations and the information Big Ear had given us. We ended up narrowing down a potential suspect that was possibly behind the rallies, a former Lt. Davidson, who resigned from the force for personal reasons, though his record had indicated he had been reprimanded for views that were considered extreme by the Paradigm Home Office.

Dastun, Dorothy, and myself then spent the next few nights watching different warehouses in the fishing district, looking for any suspicious activity. On the third night, we were successful in locating the warehouse in question. One of the personnel armor carriers was within sight. The men were armed and training in tactics used by the MPs. I felt a small twinge of anger observing this, but I saw Dastun's vein pulse on the side of his head, a usual indicator he was furious. But Dastun had an invested career in the Military Police, so the anger was understandable.

After discovering the warehouse, Dorothy and I spent the following days planning a sting operation with the Military Police. Dastun threw himself into it, in part because the footage we had reviewed had shown that the garage boy we found that day, had been murdered by the thieves as he tried to stop them and did not make it out of the way in time before carrier drove over him. For Dastun, it became not only a matter of integrity and justice for the fallen MP, but a matter of honor. Even Dorothy commented she had never seen Dastun so invested in a case.

The night the MPs hit the warehouse, Dorothy and I received a call during dinner from Dastun, telling us the hit had been successful. They had recovered both armored personnel carriers, and were still cataloging the stolen gear from the MP, which would take some time, but it appeared everything was there. The concern was they hadn't arrested everyone involved, including former Lt. Davidson. But with the weapons back in MP hands, it would be much harder to execute their plans. I asked Big Ear to keep his ear low to the ground in case they started gaining strength again. For the time being, this case could be put on the back burner, until the cataloging and the remaining culprits were caught.

Now, there was something I needed to take care of.

Dorothy was playing the piano, the "Merry Go Round of Life" melody echoing throughout the living room. Norman had brought Roger and Dorothy their tea for the night. Roger poured himself and Dorothy a cup from the teapot. He took Dorothy's cup over to her. She stopped playing the piano to take the cup from Roger.

"Here's some tea. It's been a while since we had some down time. May I sit next to you?"

Dorothy nodded, blowing on her tea before sipping it. "The piano missed me. Has Dastun finished with that case yet?"

"Still totaling everything in evidence. It's gonna take a while. But, enough about that. Dorothy, there's been something I've been wanting to ask."

Dorothy set her cup down on the piano and looked at Roger.

"What's going on, Roger?"

"Uh…umm.. would you…" Roger gripped his cup tightly. "WOULD YOU… like to go out on a date with me?"

Dorothy blinked. "Sorry?"

Oh help me.

"Well, we've been doing good lately and we seem to have some down time, and I… well…"

Roger hung his head. She's not making this easy.

"Yes."

Roger snapped his head up, looking at her. "Yeah?" He broke into a wide grin.

Dorothy nodded cheerfully. "It's kinda cute, watching you struggle with your words sometimes."

Roger's face went from happy, to confusion, to mildly annoyed. "Very funny. You like seeing me squirm?"

"It's mildly entertaining."

Roger smirked and took a sip of his tea. He stood from the bench, pressing a key on the piano, before sitting back down on the couch. Dorothy narrowed her eyes.

"Leave my piano alone."

"Watching you go off key with the kids was mildly entertaining. Just wanted to give you a reminder," he chuckled.

"So, Roger Smith thinks he has a funny bone? Hmmm…"

Dorothy began to play the first few notes of Rundown. Roger cringed.

"Dorothy, it's late. Are you going to torture me night and day with that song?"

"I thought you could take a joke."

"Ha ha."

Dorothy stopped playing. She grabbed her cup of tea, shutting the cover for the piano, and sitting next to Roger.

"So, where and when is the date?"

"There's this fancy place with a rotating platform. You can see the entire city from the harbor. I can make reservations for this Saturday, if that's okay."

"What time?"

"7:00?"

"Okay." Dorothy smiled and sipped her tea. "Thank you, Roger. This is especially sweet of you. Any dress requirements I should be aware of?"

"It's where everyone who's important in the city goes, so it's formal attire. Do you need anything?"

"No, I think I can manage," she laughed nervously, as the reality of Roger asking her out officially began to set in.

Roger returned her nervous laugh with an equal one of his own. "So, it's official then?"

"Yes, yes. Um… I guess it is. I think, I'm gonna turn in for the night. I have a day for me tomorrow, and I would like to get up early look for a dress."

Dorothy finished her tea, setting her cup on the tray. "Have a good night, Roger." Dorothy walked to her bedroom, her heart feeling light, but full at the same time. Roger leaned back into the couch, sipping his tea, a smile of content across his face. Norman arrived a short time later, to gather the tea.

"I see she said yes, sir?" Norman asked quietly.

"Spying on me now, Norman?" Roger set his empty teacup on the tray.

"Heaven forbid, sir. However, the look on your face did give you away."

Roger closed his eyes, the smile on his face still evident as he chuckled. "She did, Norman. She did."

"Excellent, sir. When is the date?"

"Saturday. Norman, could you…"

"Say nothing more sir, I would be more than happy to dress the part, and give you and Miss Dorothy a lift. Also, your tuxedo, shoes, and other attire will be cleaned and ready to go. If there's nothing else, sir?"

"No, that will be all, Norman. Have a good night."

"You as well, sir." Norman bowed his head and took the tray back to the kitchen.

Roger stretched for a moment, putting his arms behind his head, savoring the moment. Dorothy said yes. He felt… amazing. He was nervous, but at this moment, that feeling was small compared to the butterflies in his stomach. He felt lighter, happier.

Roger got up from the couch, with a spring in his step, as he headed for bed.

**********************************************

Dorothy the following morning left early to go shopping for her dress, wearing her normal work attire, but opted for the skirt instead of slacks. Before going, she had telephoned Angel, asking if she would accompany her. Angel responded by confirming with her secretary to clear her day.

Dorothy reached the food court where Roger had asked her to become his partner in his firm. She smiled at the thought. Roger trusted her, and had faith and confidence in her abilities. For some reason, she felt independent, yet empowered by the thought of this. Now, he was asking her on a date.

I guess all the dinners at the mansion counted as miniature dates I suppose, but this… it feels like we're taking another big step. I hope… I hope I made the right decision by calling Angel.

Angel pulled up in a Military Police vehicle and stepped out, wearing a white overcoat with fur collar. One officer escorted Angel to Dorothy, as a crowd of onlookers clapped and cheered for her. Angel paused, smiling at her admirers, before continuing on to meet Dorothy.

"They seem happy to see you," said Dorothy, observing the crowd.

"I hope it won't be a distraction. My kids first agenda is getting followers by the day. And of course…" Angel pointed at the security detail. "Now Dan's doubled my detail." They set off, walking, while the detail kept a close distance.

Dorothy nodded. "Thank you for coming. I do appreciate it."

"Certainly. I'm glad to help. So, what's the occasion?"

"Roger's taking me on a date."

Angel felt herself internally pause, but summoned the strength to move past it. "That's good! So, you need a dress? Do you know where he's taking you?"

"That restaurant where all the rich go."

"The one in the resort dome, with the rotating floor?"

"Yes, I believe that's the one he told me about."

"That is fancy."

"Yeah, so I need a dress and a haircut. My hair, it's getting too long."

"Hmmm… I know of someone who might be able to help with that. Being President has its perks. And actually, he's not that far from us. He could get your hair straighten out. His name is Rolf Weberg. He's German, but the man speaks the language of hair."

"Okay, lead the way."

Dorothy followed Angel down a few blocks, stopping in front of an art nouveau store front. The outlines were painted in red, the windows covered in frosted etched arches and vines, the lettering in gold reading, Kosmetikerin.

"If you're going to the fanciest place in Paradigm, you need the best beautician. Everyone sees him. He made his way up from outside the domes to inside the domes. He has an established clientele, but he also does not forget his roots. To work for his place, you got to pass series of tests. He doesn't accept just anyone. You'll be in good hands here."

Dorothy followed Angel inside, her security detail remaining outside. The place didn't seem large from the outside, but the inside was magnificent with black and white marble flooring and alabaster columns adorning the room. Twenty or so stalls were filled with men and women, getting their hair done. All the beauticians wore the same uniform of sorts, white collared shirt, gray pinstripe pants, and a black apron. A skinny man in his early forties, with short gray hair, gelled back, was sitting at a desk in the center. He looked up when he heard the ring from the bell when the door closed.

"Frau Präsidentin! To vat do I owe the pleasure?"

"Ah, Rolf! It's been ages. You look magnificent."

"Ah, Deine Schönheit hört nie auf zu strahlen. How can I help?"

"Well, I have a friend here with me today, and she has a big date on Saturday. I was wondering…"

"Ah, wahre Liebe blüht. Vhere's the girl?"

Dorothy stepped out and curtsied before Rolf. Rolf responded kissing Dorothy on the side of the cheek.

"Ein Freund von Angel ist ein Freund von mir. Vhat is it you need?"

"I would like to keep my current hairstyle, if that's okay. I would like it short to medium length."

"Nur die Spitzen schneiden? Vould you allow me to vork my magic?"

"I suppose. I like my style. It's functional for me."

Rolf nodded. "Kommen Sie! Let us begin!"

Rolf took Dorothy's coat and hung it up for her. Angel sat in the waiting area, looking over magazines.

I'm not sure how I feel about them going on a date. I guess I feel happy for Roger and Dorothy, but sad it's not me in the chair getting my hair done.

Angel's comm link began beeping. She looked around and stepped into a hallway with a lack of people.

"Madam President."

"Dan?"

Dastun coughed, not used to being referred to his first name in uniform by a superior. "I got a lead on one of those buildings. Make plans to be elsewhere soon with that second detail of yours and let me know once you're done. I'm still wrapping up this theft case, but I'll make some time."

"Okay, sounds good. Talk to you soon."

Angel clicked off the comm and went back to her seat, reading her magazine. So far, Dastun and her had ruled out an additional three locations on her list. From the way it sounded, the lead seemed strong and interesting. Dastun had never called her at work before, so she took it as a good sign.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Angel had been trying to tap into her power as of late, with some minor success. However, without someone watching her, she had been afraid to push herself and her limits. At times, as she focused on her power, she felt afraid she would be alerting the enemy of what she was trying to do. And of course, she had been practicing in the bunker of the presidential suite, which virtually impenetrable without an access code that she only knew. She figured the thick walls encased in lead would be enough to block out from any signal of her power getting out. However, she felt like she was missing something. She didn't know what it was, only that it felt off balanced, not finely tuned. She hated figuring this out on her own.

Angel turned the pages absentmindedly in her magazine, lost in thought about her power and how she could control it, when Dorothy came back with Rolf a little while later. Dorothy's hair was back to its normal self, but Rolf had given her hair a complex conditioning treatment. The auburn hair now shined, trimmed to its normal length, but straightened, accentuating the sharp angular features of her pageboy hairstyle.

"Ah, Frau Präsidentin. Here ve are! Miss Dorothy is very pleased. Vhat do you think?"

Angel smiled. "You do a great job as always. How much?"

Rolf shook his head. "No, it vas my pleasure! Frau Dorothy, please come back Saturday so that I may dress your hair up nice for your big date. Ve must take care of those split ends."

Dorothy smiled at Rolf and politely curtsied once more. Rolf handed Dorothy's coat back to her. "Thank you, Rolf. I feel like a new woman."

Rolf waved goodbye as Angel and Dorothy walked out, with Angel's MP detail following a short distance behind them.

"You really look good, Dorothy," complimented Angel.

"Thank you. It feels light and airy. It's a strange, but nice feeling."

They reached a crosswalk, waiting for the signal to change.

"Dorothy, I have something to ask you." Angel lowered her voice. "I've been trying to learn how to control my power, but I'm at a loss. I've been trying some basic techniques, but, I feel like I'm not progressing. This may seem weird, but do you have any idea on what to do?"

Dorothy looked at Angel, puzzled by her question. "Are you referring to when I was used a power regulatory circuit by multiple people or are you referring to the time I shorted out the disk Beck placed on me?"

"I guess both. This is somewhat new for me and I've been trying stuff like mindfulness, breathing exercises, but I don't feel like it's strong enough."

"You have to understand the activation of your power first and you can only do that by being aware. If you try to just focus on it, you will lose sight on what you're trying to accomplish. When I shorted out the circuits on Beck's disk control, I became aware that Roger was in trouble and the feeling of wanting to help, it just poured from me. I don't remember much from the encounter. But I do remember that feeling. I'm not sure if I'm making any sense."

"So, I have to be aware of what triggers it and controls it? That seems… hard."

"I think it is too in many ways. I still revert back sometimes, to my heighten awareness as an android. Roger calls it intuition, but as an android, it's different. Then again, my father, he had a vast knowledge of android mechanics and programming. Perhaps he was trying something with me. I'll never know though."

The signal changed and they began walking across the crosswalk. Angel lowered her head, feeling at ease.

"Thank you, I'll try what you said. I'm just trying to…"

"I get it. You don't want to be used as key. You just want to be free."

Angel nodded. Dorothy smiled at Angel.

"So, I need some help with a dress…"