<div class="floatleft">(http://i548.photobucket.com/albums/ii331/Nolifeking_photos/blonde-phone.jpg)</div><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: impact;">Glamorous</span></span><br/><em>Blonde Fashionista, Petite Titan</em><br/><strong>STR:</strong>8<strong>SPE:</strong>0<strong>INT:</strong>2<br/><strong>DUR:</strong>4<strong>AGL:</strong>0<strong>PER:</strong>2<br/><br/><em>~At the Hooters Bar and Grill~</em><br/><br/>"That's twelve plates of food and six drinks spilled<em>tonight</em>alone.  One drink actually being on a customer."  An empathetic pause was given to let the comment sink in as the middle-aged man eyed the fidgeting blond before him.  It was moments like this when being a manager simply was miserable.  Even as he watched her with a stern gaze, her right sneaker squeaked back and forth across the highly-polished linoleum floor, her head lowered with her pale green eyes fixed on the floor.  Her fingers with their nails polished a bright, candy pink twisted the bottom of her Hooters tank top back and forth, occasionally pulling it tight against her chest.  When no response was forthcoming, a heavy sigh of frustration escaped his lips as he leaned forward to place his elbows on the front of his desk, buried partially by stacks of paperwork, and rubbed the temples of his forehead.  "Nicole, what am I supposed to do with you?"<br/><br/>"I'm sorry, Mr. Wilkins.  It's just that I've got a lot on my mind..."  The girl in question, Nicole Hitchens began, as her lower lip began to quiver.  And it was true.  She hadn't meant to drop all those things on purpose.  It's was just that the floor tiles were sometimes slick and she had trouble keeping her balance in the more hectic moments.  And although she did not voice her opinion, she remembered that the customer that had gotten the beer spilled on his lap had not minded having her kneel at his crotch as she patted him off with napkins and apologized profusely, much to the envy of all his peers and drinking buddies.<br/><br/>"No. I will not accept that as an answer for my employees."  Torrance Wilkins' voice raised a notch with heat as his left hand slapped the table with a loud thump, causing the blonde in question to shrink even more.  His expression was now foreboding.  "You're being written up for this.  In fact, I might even have to let you go.  This isn't the first time that something like this has happened and you've been working here for close to four months now.  You're a veteran and a role model for the other incoming girls.  We can't lower our standards and let them think that this type of work and behavior is acceptable in this establishment."<br/><br/>At those words, Nicole licked her lips as she wet the pale rose lip gloss that she had chosen for the night.  They both knew that he wasn't serious; this wasn't the first time that they had played out this little game.  Mr. Wilkins didn't have any plans to fire her or letting her go.  In fact, Nicole was the most popular girl at the location even with all her shortcomings because of her cute, blond bombshell appearance.  The amount of business she brought when she was working was staggering.  But she knew what she had to do in order to stay on his good side and restore his temper.  "Please, Mr. Wilkins.  Don't let me go."  Her hands, which had been previously occupied with her tank top, clasped themselves together in a begging manner.  For the first time in the conversation, she lifted her head to meet his gaze and made a cute, pouting look that had melted the hearts of several men before him.   "I'll do whatever it takes to stay on.  I really, really<em>need </em>this job."  And she really did.  The amount she cleared in tips per night was easily three hundred dollars on average and she could make almost two times the amount on a good night.  And the money she earned at the restaurant was the only thing that kept her from choking down an extra creamy, protein shake every morning from her landlord, Mr. Thompson.  She had already been late on the rent twice and he had indicated that if she had trouble paying, he'd have no choice but to evict her from her condo.  Unless, of course, they would be able to work out some form of alternative payment...<br/><br/>It was a fate worse than death in her mind.  And honestly, if she had to pick between the two men who held her life in the balance, she'd much rather pick Mr. Wilkins to work on her apple polishing skills.  At least he was a reasonably handsome man in his mid-thirities with his close-cut crew and square jaw.  On some of his better days, Nicole could even imagine or at least pretend being reasonably attracted to him.  Mr. Thompson, on the other hand, was as old as her father with his receding hairline, graying hair that he desparately tried to dye every month, and his sagging pot-belly that hung over his belt along with his beady black eyes that undressed her a layer at a time whenever she showed up to drop off the rent check.<br/><br/>Of course, the logical, dispassionate side of her brain that enabled her to be one of the top earners at Sigma-Aldrich cynically noted that she could easily have crushed both men with just her right pinky finger.  It was one of the benefits to her newfound super-strength that she had acquired through that laboratory accident a nearly seven or eight months back.  Though also following that same logical course of thought, she knew that it was smarter to keep a secret, especially since her company was paying her handsomely for it.  That and the fact that she was now technically a wanted criminal as well.<br/><br/><em>"Seriously, help in one single robbery and you're wanted for life..."</em>she thought to herself.<br/><br/>Impassively, Torrance Wilkins gazed at the pentient blonde for several seconds longer before his eyes softened as a small smile made it to his lips.  "All right.  I'll let it go for now.  But I'll expect a better performance in the future.  Perhaps you'll be call in for some make-up shifts so I can see your improvement."  A long significant pause was given.  "Some late night make-up shifts."  A hint of a lecherous smirk appeared at the corner of his lips before it vanished.  So far, he hadn't called her in yet, but that could always change.  He knew that he had her bent over and tied to a barrel.  Then, another heavy sigh was given as he began to shuffle some of the paperwork piling up on his desk. It was usually a sign that she could go.<br/><br/>"Thank you, sir!  I won't disappoint you in the future!"  Nicole smartly said, bobbing her head up and down enthusiatically, relief stamped all over her features.  Keeping this job that she would barely be able to keep up with this month's rent along with the interest on her credit card payments.  In her mind, it meant she deserved a reward for her hard work and she already had the perfect gift in mind.  There were a pair of UGG boots that she had seen in a nearby store window and if she just worked a little harder this the next week or so, she still would be able to come up with enough cash to meet rent...<br/><br/>Outside of the office, another sigh--this one being of annoyance, weariness, and a few other unknown emotions mixed in, escaped her lips.  With her shift ending, Nicole prepared to leave.  However, her night wasn't over just yet.<br/><br/>"Well, well, well...if it isn't Mr. Wilkins' favorite girl.  Obviously too good to be around the rest of us."  Nicole suppressed a wince at the vindictive voice and concealed a flash of irritation.  The source of the voice was Traci Atkins, a tall, attractive brunette, who had been working at Hooters for nearly three years now.  She was considered the role model employee, having won the Employee of the Year award both years that she had been working there and was currently gunning to be the first peron ever to win three times in a row.  It was said that she was even being considered for the national competition, the Hooters Swimsuit Competition, later this year.  The only sore point was that she had lost her status as "Cutest Girl of the Month" which she also won since she had started working there at this location.  This month, the votes had gone to Nicole by a significant margin and it was obvious that she was making sure to quash a potential rival.<br/><br/>As always, she was surrounded by a gaggle of girls that fawned over her every word.  They also similarly glared at Nicole, showing their distate for her.  And in all honesty, the blond-haired girl could have cared less about all the pettiness and in-home backstabbing.  All she wanted to do at this moment was leave.  "Excuse me.  I need to get going," she said as she attempted to squeeze by the crowd of girls blocking the doorway.  Once again, she entertain the thought of using her strength to send them all flying.<br/><br/>As she forced her way past them, Traci smirked and called after her.  "We all know the real reason why he keeps such a klutzy ditz like you around.  Swallow much?"  A chorus of giggles and shouts followed her as Nicole felt the blood rushing to the tips of her ears.<br/><br/>"No, I'll leave that type of thing to you.  After all, you're much more suited for it.  You've got the bigger mouth."  And with those words, she was out the door of the bar and into the street as she felt the night air brush against her, cooling the sweat from her body and sending her hair whipping in her eyes.  Lowering her head, she picked up pace as she determinedly walked three blocks to her car, which was a bright cherry-red Z4 convertible with a pristine white folding top.  While there was parking available next to the Hooters, Nicole never did for fear that the other girls might do something to her newly purchased car.  A car to which she was still making payments to every month.  Reaching into her Balenciaga Silver Velo purse she fished out her keys, the car humming to life as she slid in the driver's seat before slamming her foot down on the accelerator and peeling out of the parking lot and onto the main roads.<br/><br/>...leaving her worries behind for another night.<br/><br/><br/><em>~Later, at the League HQ~<br/><br/><strong>Clickty-clack, clicky-clack, clickty-clack...</strong></em><br/><br/>That was the noise that her Jimmy Choo heels made on the marble tiling of the floor of Laprade Enterprises.  However, it was drowned out by the sound of her gabbing on her iPhone.  "Really Mary-Ann, you would not believe the kind of day that I've had..."  Dressed in a form-hugging tee with the words emblazoned with the words--<strong>KEEP IT JUICY</strong>-- and a pair of Gucci jeans that clung to her hips like a second skin, Nicole looked like some spoiled executive's child as oppose to a working woman who scrimped for every dollar.  "Can you believe what I have to put up with at the job?  I mean, really?!? Don't you think it's ridiculous?! It's inhumane!"  Nicole exclaimed into the phone, cradling it to her ear with her left shoulder, showing impressive multi-tasking skills as she reached into her Neverfull and pulled out a cardkey which she promptly swiped against the access pad to the elevator.  Briefly, she tossed her head up to let her Prada shades slide down enough to unveil her eyes as she let the retina scanner confirm her identity.<em>'Please state your code for access,'</em>a synthesized voice rang out.<br/><br/>"Getting together later this week?  Sounds<em>Glamorous."  'Access confirmed.  Please proceed into the lift.' </em>"Maybe we should go to the Velvet Room?  I really liked the atmosphere last time and they make a killer martini although I also wanted to try a few other things.  Maybe do some dancing."  And onto the lift she went, still talking non-stop into her phone even as the doors slid shut.<br/><br/>She was still talking when she stepped into the planning room for the League.  "I know, right?  Derek is sooooo dreamy.  And he told me that he has something special planned for my birthday.  Aren't a lucky girl? I'll bet he's going to give me diamonds, like a diamond necklace maybe.  It's going to be gorgeous."  A glance was barely given to acknowledge the other occupant in the room.  It actually never occurred to Nicole how disrespectful her actions might be, she was too engrossed in gossiping.  "Wait, she got together with who!?!" she half-shrieked in surprise.  "No wait, tell me all the details later!  I've got to go.  Got to start my other job."  A brief pause was given before she burst into giggles.  "Oh, don't worry about me!  I won't work too hard!  Promise!  Love ya!  Buh-bye!"  Nicole blew a semi-flirtatious kiss into the phone before pressing the button to end the call.  However, she almost immediately began to text afterwards--no doubt to that boyfriend of hers she had been bragging about.  It was this apparent lack of concentration that almost caused her to fall flat on her face as one of her heels caught on the floor.  Skidding forward, she half-flung herself into a seat as she spun around it in wildly, bobbling back and forth like some deranged child's toy before coming to a stop.  However, her fingers still flew back and forth in an intricate dance as she typed away on the screen.