Angst Bingo 3.8

[telaryn]

Title: No Good Choices
Author: telaryn
Word Count: 598
Fandom: Leverage (Pre-series)
Characters: Maggie Collins
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Alcohol and inappropriate touching.
Disclaimer: No ownership implied, no profit obtained.
Summary: At the end of her rope, Maggie considers an unorthodox offer from her boss to make her troubles disappear.
Author's Note: Written for angst_bingo, for the prompt "sexual harassment".



“Scotch, neat.”

The words had left her lips before Maggie realized she’d made the decision to get drunk. She slid up on the cracked vinyl stool and set her clutch to one side.

”You need a friend now, Maggie.” Blackpoole’s soft hands on her shoulders, coming at her from behind, his body crowding her personal space. ”Sam dead, poor Nate out of his head with grief…you need somebody in your corner who can help you get a handle on things.”

The bartender set a glass of amber liquid on the bar in front of her. Maggie tossed the contents down in a single swallow, and while she was still wincing from the burn signaled the man to get her another one. “Keep ‘em coming,” she gasped, fumbling in her purse and throwing down the debit card. It was all they had, and as far as Maggie knew there was still some of her salary left in the account.

Enough to forget – at least for a little while – that Nate was in jail, her house was in foreclosure, her son was dead…and her boss was clearly offering to make it all go away for a price. When Ian had first put his hands on her, she’d been too stunned to say anything at first. Then her brain had caught up with her mouth, and she’d remembered that Nate was in jail for assaulting Ian. Whatever else she decided to do, she couldn’t risk angering Blackpoole.

She took the second Scotch at a more reasonable pace, trying to ignore how her hands were still shaking as she held the glass. ”I want you to understand how much I value you, Maggie.” Taking her silence for encouragement, Blackpoole had started massaging her shoulders. ”I know Nate’s breakdown isn’t your doing, but people are starting to talk.”

Maggie didn’t need Ian to tell her that IYS was buzzing with gossip about their misfortune. Nate was the company’s chief investigator; attacking Ian had fanned the quiet speculation fueled by his drinking into a roaring conflagration. Everyone who was anyone had been on hand to see him marched out of the building in handcuffs, and most of them had made sure to let Maggie know how “dreadfully sorry” they were.

She’d finally pulled free of Blackpoole and his sympathy once his hands slipped to her upper arms, stammering out an apology even as she saw Ian in her mind “accidentally” brushing against her breasts.

The bartender had another Scotch ready the second she drained her glass. Maggie nodded her thanks and picked up the fresh drink.

Could you do it? It was a nauseating thought, but it refused to leave her alone. If she could just trust that Blackpoole would follow through on his promises, sex with Ian could solve a lot of her problems.

That’s the sad truth of it though, isn’t it? She could fantasize all she wanted about this being a way to take control of a situation that had been out of her control almost since the beginning, but all Ian had really done was back her into a corner. If I don’t do what he wants, Nate stays in jail, and I probably lose my job. Ian wouldn’t risk her potentially telling about his inappropriate suggestions, even though Maggie was pretty sure that legally he hadn’t said anything actionable.

And without his help, she didn’t have a prayer of getting her husband out of jail. Completely at her wit’s end, Maggie did the only thing she could.

She tossed off the contents of her third glass, and ordered another.

Comments

[whiskyinmind.livejournal.com]

*hates on Blackpoole*

Great work honey, poor Maggie though!