Fate Cries Foul by Renier Larouche (reading list TXT) 📕

Scott entered his rather fancy car and drove off, leaving Gwen with an empty plot... and four cameras that constantly spied on her. With an eye roll, Gwen began, picking up the hoe and starting to make rows, strategically placing and marking areas as she went along, planting seeds accordingly. It may have just seemed like a simple garden, but Gwen was more than curious about the true purpose, especially consider their... history. She worked through the heat of the day, only stopping once midday in order to eat a sandwich she brought.

The work stunned Gwen by being fulfilling and satisfactory. The simple act of tilling the ground, planting seeds, and dumping dirt reminded her of why she loved botany to begin with. After a number of hours, she forgot about the cameras and even started to hum to herself, relishing the experience.

By five o'clock, nearly three quarters of the plot was meticulously plowed and planted. While taking a drink from a bottle of water, Gwen surveyed her work, quite proud of what she accomplished. She didn't even see Scott approach behind her, which caused him to startle her when he spoke. "Ah, so you didn't forget anything I taught you."

Gwen chuckled, taking another drink. "It is my nickname after all. Please don't tell me there is some weird fetish site focused around videos of women gardening and that is what this is all about. I'd rather not end up on the internet."

Scott patted her on the back. "You know that pornography perplexes me," he mused, half-jokingly, but only half.

Gwen sighed playfully. "Something has to perplex you, I guess."

The smirk appeared on Scott's face again. "Well, why not go home to that boyfriend of yours and get some rest? You have another long day tomorrow."

Gwen did one of her standard mock salutes. "Aye-aye."

- - - - - - - - - -

~Past~

As if by destiny, Gwen and Gavin became a couple. He had patience for her quirks and as Scott predicted, the experience had a profound and positive effect on her. The most shocking twist was the fact that Gavin wasn't much more socially acclimated than Gwen was. He just could hide his shyness better. With each date, Gwen felt herself open up more. She became more casual with her friends and felt more comfortable around new people.

Her new social life did not keep Gwen away from the lab. With each day, the work with the plants felt more and more rewarding. She kept learning new things from her boss, who turned out to be actually borderline brilliant and not just egotistical. He still spent time with her when needed, always making a moment to teach her new techniques and information.

In fact, despite his initially off-putting demeanor, she really liked spending time with him. As the weeks wore on, she realized that she preferred spending time with Scott more so than with Gavin. Gavin was sweet, but there was something about Scott's directness and intelligence that Gwen found appealing. There was no pretense to him. Most of the time, Gwen felt Gavin to be very fake, lying about his emotions. She noticed a change in Gavin when they both became intimate. After that point, things quickly grew stale. She enjoyed their experiences, and was happy to be done with virginity, but felt like something was lacking, like a sexual relationship could be much more.It took Gwen another two months to realize that she had a crush on her boss. Her friends all loved Gavin and thought Scott was a total jerk, but she realized she preferred "the jerk." It was February when the revelation occurred, throwing off Gwen's interactions with both Scott and Gavin. Gavin, in his usual way, danced around the issue, noticing Gwen's off behavior, but never really addressing it. He chose to ignore the growing rift in their relationship.

It was the coldest day of the year when Scott realized that something was not normal. After Scott asked Gwen to assist him with slide preparation five times without a response, he broached the subject.

"Help me here please... hey..." Scott called out, not receiving an answer. He walked to her as she was busy watering the same plant for the seventh time. She jumped back startled as the tall man stood next to her. "Where is your head?" he chided. "What is happening with you?"

Gwen looked down at the ground, pulling on her dark brown hair, which was now of a medium length. "Nothing. Every... everything... everything is fine."

Scott looked at her sternly, gently grabbing her chin and pointing it up to face him. "Listen, garden girl, I wish not to play guessing games. We have a promise to be straight with each other. Please tell me what is on your mind."

Gwen tried to look away, her gaze resistant as she starred into his eyes. "Nothing, really. Just... just.. a lack of sleep?"

"Is that a question or the cause? Either way, that response will not do. You have impressed me with your work ethic and general growth as a person. I hope that you have not regressed."

Gwen was shocked. He used the word "impress." In her young mind, this was progress. She didn't even realize how wide her smile was in that moment. Then Scott let go of her chin and simply said, "oh, I understand."

As he walked away, Gwen turned to him in confusion. "You understand what?"

"You have a sexual interest in me."

Gwen gasped harshly, the color draining from her face. "I do... I do not..." Midway through her backtracking, she suddenly became angry. Really? He figured out that she had a thing for him and had chosen to completely rebuke her in the rudest way possible? The chattering from her mouth ceased, replaced with a stern look of anger. This actually seemed to make Scott feel ill at ease. "So, you think... well, now that you know, that I have thing for you and you don't care?"

Scott crossed his arms, obviously trying to calm a sudden case of anxiousness. "I do indeed care. I think you exceed expectations as an assistant, are quite nice to talk to you, and are generally a pleasant person. But this... thing... you reference is foolhardy and unwise."

Gwen walked to him slowly and deliberately, her face a portrait of sternness. She was displaying more confidence than she ever had before. "And why, may I ask, is it so wrong? Does emotion scare you? Is there actually something that actually frightens you?"

Scott folded his arms tighter. "Well, there is the obvious fact that you work for me. Not to mention you are young."

"Like four years younger than you," Gwen scoffed. "I'm a fully grown adult woman. I'm not young."

Scott frowned. "Which brings me to the main reason. We both seek very different things. You are a standard person, as you should be, looking for the traditional sort of boyfriend to spend your time with."

Gwen's forehead wrinkled as she folded her own arms. "And what the hell are you looking for?"

"I'm into things different than that and generally unspecific. You see, the whole 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend' thing does not make sense to me. I do not think of it as an entirely bad construct, but it is something I cannot relate to. To me, traditional sexual relationships are both superfluous and melodramatic at the same time."

Gwen's eyes narrowed in obvious contempt. "Oh, Mr. evolved sensibilities, please tell me then what is so superior with your mighty robo-logic!"

Scott sighed. "As I said, I seek something, as with all things, much more direct. Much more in the moment. Much more based on actual human instinct and passion instead of some construct of the mind."

Gwen leaned against the counter, her expression now neutral. "Oh, I get it. The master of science is putting it soooooo eloquently, but what he means is he just likes to fuck. No strings attached. No emotions." She sighed as she walked to the door. "Despite your supposedly 'evolved' mindset, you are such a stereotypical man!"

With that, she left the lab, slamming the door behind her. For the first time since meeting Gwen, Scott was flustered by her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

-Present-

The next day, Gwen starred at the plot in absolute astonishment and disbelief. It was gone. All of it was gone. Every seed she planted and every row she lovingly produced. The plot was back to being the plain slab of soil it was when she first arrived the day prior.

"What... how... huh?" she stuttered stupidly, hands on her head.

Scott stood next to her, patting her on the back. "No need to fret so much. You just need to do it again," he instructed.

She glared at the man sternly. "I have to do it AGAIN? What happened to what I ALREADY DID?"

Scott smirked. "Calm down, garden girl. This is part of the experiment. I want you to complete the entire garden today, all right? Remember, you are being watched."

Gwen looked up at the cameras, hands on her hips, head tilted to the side. "This makes my brain hurt... what... why... I thought you said you were being straight with me?"

Scott's smirk grew. "Yes, direct in what I want done. I want there to be a finished garden by the time I get back. You better get started, garden girl. You have a lot to do."

Gwen scowled at him as he walked off, climbing into his car. She wiped some sweat from her brow, realizing that this day was hotter than the last. She stared at the plain patch of dirt. It was like the plot had never been touched. With a heavy heart, she picked up the hoe, slamming it into the dirt.

First, she tilled the rows. THEN, she had to lay down the nutrients again. THEN, she had to plant the seeds again. THEN, she had to mark each area... again. The day turned hotter and hotter, the humidity causing her shirt and sports bra to cling to her breasts, certainly a sight for the cameras.

As the day rolled on, Gwen proved not to be as efficient as she was the day prior. The redundancy of the activity was difficult to overcome. Each slam of the hoe and seed in the ground seemed like a rerun of something better. She even skipped lunch, her stomach crying out for food by the end of the day as her muscles felt sore and stressed.

When Scott arrived, the garden was only half done. Gwen was breathing heavy, hands on her knees as Scott placed a hand on her back. "This is a bit lackluster, garden girl."

Gwen stood up with a defiant glare. "Well, MAYBE if my work didn't mysteriously disappear, it would all be done."

Scott remained calm, smirking. "This is your task. It is one you have done many times."

Gwen then folded her arms. "It feels like you're making fun of me. Is this because you were right about my business skills? How I am destined to always be your assistant and not run something on my own?"

Scott seemed genuinely hurt by the allegation. "I swear that is not the truth. I hoped you would succeed in your entrepreneurial endeavor. It is why I invested whole heartedly in your business. I did not make that fact known to you because I did not want to make it seem like I did not have faith in you."

Gwen's eyebrows perked up. "You gave money to Garden Girl?"

Scott nodded his head. "I would not lie about such a thing. Also, I will point out you are free to quit at any time. I will even try to help you find a job at another company."

Gwen looked at him for a good thirty seconds, deep in thought. "Yeah, well, you do usually have a grand purpose in the end. I mean, it must have not been easy destroying my hard work and making it look like the land was untouched." The weirdness of the whole situation made her twitch a bit. "It's only day two,