Sue Storm Invites Mae to the Baxter Building

Mae Milton's business phone was listed on their website. Sue Storm went down to the lobby to call, away from the eyes and ears of everyone else in the building, and beyond the range of Reed's wi-fi network and its snooping programs. The phone rang—a woman answered, a secretary—and it took quite some convincing for Sue to convince her who she was, and that she needed to speak to her boss.

"Hello?" The voice from the past said. A voice Sue had almost forgotten, back when they were stil young and—well, if not innocent, then closer to innocent.

"Hello, Mae," The Invisible Woman said. "It's Sue. Sue Storm."

There was hesitation, at first. Dry pleasantries. Uncertainty. Then Mae asked:

"You know what I do these days?"

"Tess Tempest. Not exactly subtle," Sue said, a little cagily.

"It could be worse. The day I turned 25, my agent wanted to market me as Mae Milfton."

Sue laughed. Mae laughed. The thaw had started. It was just as it had been, as if all those yesterdays were gone. Mae was always the naughty one, with the naughty sense of humor, and Sue was wise enough now to appreciate it, and even respond in kind a little. They chatted for what seemed like hours—and at last, Sue got to the point.

"Do you remember those glamour shots we did, way back when?"

"How could I forget? If you'd been a little more sober, I'd never have gotten your bra off," Mae said.

"They've started to leak onto the internet," Sue said. "I was hoping you might remember the name of the photographer, or the magazine—so I can figure out who owns the rights."

"Well, I can save you some trouble there—I do. I bought them back years ago. Once I founded my own company, I figured it was best to manage my own image, my own material," Mae said. "You want them? I'll sign the rights over to you, for old time's sake."

"You have to let me pay you something for them," Sue insisted. "You spent money on them, after all."

"Fine, how about..." and Mae named a price. Not too excessive.

"Of course," Sue said. "No problem."

"Are you at the Baxter Building?" Mae said. "You know, I've always wanted to visit."

"Well come on in," Sue said. "I'll give you the dime tour."

So it was settled. Mae would meet her in the lobby in an hour, New York traffic permitting.

Nor, as Sue Storm went to the petty cash box and removed a fat stack of bills, did she consider how in the course of a conversation, her determination to meet Mae away from the building and away from her family had been transformed into an invitation to bring a porn star into her very home. Just as Mysterio had planned.