Ch 4: earlier preview

(Here's a short scene I added, just prior to Jen's confrontation with Theo in the other previews. Still working on the rest of that confrontation, so stay tuned)

An hour or so later, Alice strode into the coffee shop – and there was no missing Jen.  A small crowd was around her: excited fans, picture-takers, autograph-seekers.  And Jen already seemed to handle it like a natural.

"Not the first time you've been mobbed, is it?" Alice commented, once the hometown hero had extricated herself from the group and joined Alice at a table.

"No," Jen laughed. "Guess it'll be a thing from now on."

"Mmmhmm."  Alice couldn't help but smile at Jen’s rough-cut leather vest and the easy swagger that accompanied it.   “Bet you draw all sorts of attention wearing that.”

“Uhh, yeah.  All sorts.”  The young woman told her about a scuffle that morning – an actual fist fight in a park!  She referred frequently to her guy friend and how her actions ‘defended’, ‘guarded’, and ‘protected’ him.  Alluded to keeping a close eye on him afterwards, and a side comment how he was ‘fine with her taking charge’…

“Ah.”  A smile spread on Alice’s lips.  “So it sounds like things worked out very nicely between you.”

Jen exhaled.  “Oh gosh yeah.  He even let me—”  She stopped and held something back.  “It went great,” she said instead.  “Perfect.”

The young woman was certainly entitled to keep details to herself.  But it did seem to set up a nice segue.  “Well, I hope your next encounter will go as smoothly.”

Jen quickly realized who she meant.  “Oh.  Yeah.”  She seemed to hesitate as she probed, “How is Dad?”

“Much improved,” Alice reported honestly.

“He is?  Like, he’s not just gonna run away from me when I get home?”

Alice sensed the same undernote of bitterness in Jen’s voice as she’d had on Saturday after her Mouse had taken off abruptly and fled the studio.  As Jen had put it: ‘He should’ve been happy; we should’ve been celebrating!  Or at the very least he should’ve confided in me!’  Which, Alice thought, had nicely hit things on the head.

Alice answered truthfully.  “Is he a hundred percent comfortable with what went down Saturday and with what’s ahead?  Pah!  No.  This is your father we’re talking about here!  But I’d say he’s certainly accepted things well enough to at least listen and reflect on your instructions.”  She chuckled.  “And maybe even follow them.”

Jen’s breath caught.  She looked searchingly into Alice’s eyes.  “So I’m allowed to …”  Leaned forward, lowered her voice.  “… to keep being a Mighty, at home?”

“Allowed?”  Alice shook with amusement.  “It’s encouraged; expected!  Some would even say necessary.  Especially for him.  Give that man an inch of leeway, and he’ll go right back to forgetting who he is.”

Jen held her gaze steady.  “A Mouse.”

“Precisely.”

The young redhead exhaled as if a heavy weight had been lifted.  “Thank god.  That’s what I was thinking too, but I thought you or others would judge me for … like …”

“For keeping his head in the game?  Keeping him primed?  Maximizing your team’s chance of success next round?”  Alice laughed.  “We’d only judge you if you didn’t.  This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Jen.  Hell, once in several lifetimes.  So to hell with typical family conventions and household norms.”

“Yes,” Jen echoed, gaining steam.  “This is bigger than that.  Much bigger.  I shouldn’t let that baggage interfere at all.  Shouldn’t even be a consideration!”

“Damned right, it shouldn’t!”  Alice clinked her coffee cup against Jen’s in solidarity before taking a sip and hunching forward.  “So … how’re you gonna play this?”

Jen bit her lip, her eyes darting around.  But in a blink, her hesitation resolved into a surety sharper than Alice’s most well laid out designs.  “My plan … is no plan.  I’ll use my instincts.”

What a compelling case she made, to back it up.  How her instincts had come through for her so well during the show.  How she’d nailed almost every snap decision using the best information in the moment.  How her gut instinct was often better than when she overthought and second-guessed herself.  Normally Alice would’ve called such a brash, seat-of-your-pants philosophy foolish.  But somehow, when Jen spoke about it, Alice actually believed that it could work.  That it might actually be better than anything else.

A text had buzzed her phone, partway through.  It was from Theo.  She didn’t read it yet, prioritizing the Mighty’s attention over that of the Mouse – but it meant he must’ve slipped out of his ‘workout’ device at last.  Ha … good for him.

“Just promise me one thing,” Alice asked Jen, after her spiel.

“Yeah?  What?”

“Call me afterwards and fill me in?”

Jen flashed her teeth in confidence.  “I sure will.”

Alice slipped a bill onto the table and rose.  “Now, is that the outfit you’re going with, Jen?”  Her brows pulsed.  “Or are you looking to upgrade…”