The Girl from UNCLE - Very Bright

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

“Oh, darn it!” April Dancer could easily take out an army of THRUSH grunts without breaking a sweat and still make her dinner date, but maintaining a perfect manicure had its challenges.

“Tough day, luv?”  Mark Slate cast an admiring look at his redheaded partner.  She was supposed to be typing their report but something had stopped her progress.

“I broke a nail.  See, this is why you should do the typing, darling.  I can’t afford to keep going to the manicurist for these little incidents I encounter with the typewriter.’ April looked at the British agent with a pleading expression on her face, only to be met with laughter.  “Fine, but next time you’re writing the report.”  Her tone left no doubt that she would hold him to it.

Mark didn’t mind typing up reports, he just enjoyed watching April as she sputtered and pinged her way across the keys.

“You know, luv, it’s a good thing UNCLE had an opening for you because the regular jobs that appeal to most women... Well, let’s just say you probably wouldn’t have made a very good secretary.”  April scowled effectively at that, eliciting another laugh from Mark.

“Really Mark?  That’s what you think of my office skills?  Well then, how about a little wager on who can type a report the fastest and get it on Mr. Waverly’s desk.  What do you say to that?”  Mark disentangled himself from the chair he’d straddled and stood up, ready to take on the challenge.  The men of UNCLE would disown him if he failed to measure up to this.

“You’re on, April.  But what’s the pay off for the winner?”  Mark was willing but he figured there should be a reward coming to him when he out-typed his partner.  April held out her hand once more to better inspect the broken nail.

‘Hmmmm... How about this.  Loser types the next six reports and takes the winner out to dinner.  My choice, of course.”  Mark guffawed at that last bit.

“What do you mean, ‘my choice’.  Do you think you’ll win?  All right, terms are set; show me the typewriter and let’s get this thing done.”  April handed over a copy of the handwritten notes she’d been working from, ripped out the paper in the typewriter in order to start fresh and then looked at Mark with her most intimidating glare.

“That doesn’t work on me, Miss Dancer.  Just let’s get on with it shall we, and may the best man win.”

~~~~~:

Two nights later found April and Mark dining under the stars in Central Park.  Chinese take-out had been the choice of the winning typist, much to the relief of the cash poor Brit.  April had decided the drudgery of writing six mission reports was enough punishment; she didn’t want to bankrupt her partner after all.

“Congratulations April, you beat me fair and square.  You didn’t need to tell Napoleon about it though.  I may never live this down.”  Mark didn’t really mind, but he did feel as though he had let down his fellow agents.  Then again...

“Perhaps I was wrong about you and a career in the secretarial pool.  If this agent thing doesn’t work out...”  He winked mischievously at April, a twinkle in the grey eyes that let her know he was only kidding.

“Typing skills aren't something unique to women, darling.  You did yourself proud by being within a few minutes of my lightening quick delivery.  Now that we’re agreed to the terms of our little contest, I will confess something.’ She leaned in as though there might be listening ears.  “I tricked you... just a little.”

Now Mark sat up a little straighter.  How could she have tricked him, it was simply typing.  As though reading his mind, April proceeded to tell him how she had done it.

“You see, when I tore out that sheet of paper I’d been typing on to begin with, you thought that would give us an even start.  It didn’t.  Since I had already begun to type the report the beginning of it was formed in my mind.’  Mark’s expression let her know he didn’t quite get it.

“I didn’t need to formulate the wording, I simply remembered what I had already written.  You see, it saved me enough time to come out just ahead of you.  And that’s how I tricked you.”  Mark thought it over.  Small details.  Very small details.  April was pleased, and she realized that the men would never learn all of her tricks.  That was her edge in this spy business.

“Women know how to make use of the smallest little things, darling.  We catalog them and arrange them so that when we need them, there they are.  Women are clever like that.”  April’s smile at the end of that sentence was like an exclamation point.  Mark had to admit she was, indeed, very clever.

“All right then, my clever little partner, how are we ever going to eat all of this food you ordered?”  April smiled, waived her arms toward two approaching figures and then called out...

“Hello, we’re over here!”  Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin came into view carrying what looked to be two bottles of wine.

“Hello beautiful, thanks for the dinner invitation.  Hello Mark.”  Napoleon sat down next to April and prepared to uncork his bottle of wine.  Mark was surprised once more by his partner’s cleverness.

“She’s smarter than us, lads.”  He was shaking his head and chuckling.  Napoleon leaned over and kissed the pretty redhead on the cheek.

“I already knew that, Mark.  Didn’t you know that Illya?”  Kuryakin ducked his head and smiled, felt April’s eyes on him as he remembered her past infatuations when she was a new agent.  “Yes, I have always known that April is very bright.  Very bright indeed.”

Each of the men silently agreed.  Very bright indeed.

Comments

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

You've painted April as one shred cookie and a tough agent, but at the same time she maintians her femininity. Good story for our inuagural April Day.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I think most of us enjoy seeing April in the MFU fiction, so hopefully we'll gain more of her in action.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

I agree, and sorry for the typos that was meant to be 'shrewd' and maintains. Duh...she shakes head reminding herself to put on her glasses.

[lindafishes8.livejournal.com]

GO April!!! Quite a multi-tasker! Something men seen to be incapable of! I love stories with April and in this one she is showing she can win in a man's world. Thanks Glennagirl!

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Imagine being the first female operative. She'd definitely need to multi-task! Thanks!

[laurose8.livejournal.com]

I agree with them. I love that bit about her keeping the report in her muscle memory. It was also very nice of her to settle for Chinese.

Thanks for a very enjoyable fic.

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Efficient and considerate, that's our girl ;) Thanks for commenting.