Chapter Text
It’s just a regular old Tuesday the first time it happens. Lucy is bored out of her mind reviewing profit and loss accounts for month end. She often questions why she got a job in finance given how monotonous she finds it, but that fact is neither here nor there in this little saga.
She should have noticed the click click click of heels on the linoleum floor. Her co-workers are all dudes, with the exception of her boss who is more of a boots woman like herself. Instead, her focus remains firmly glued to the numbers on her screen as she mentally loops through Dolly Parton’s greatest hits to keep things a little more interesting.
It's only when she feels a presence beside her desk that she finally tunes into the unfamiliar sound. Her eyes flit to the source. Heels. Sexy heels. The kind of heels that generally belong to an unattainably attractive woman. Just Lucy’s type. Her eyes stay glued to those heels for far too long. By the time she manages to convince her brain to allow them to roam further, she scarcely catches a glimpse of toned calf before the woman rounds the corner at the other end of the office.
All it takes is heels and a brief flash of leg and Lucy is completely hooked. She sits for what must be the next 10 minutes, just staring at the spot where the woman disappeared. A projectile hitting her on the side of the head from across the office is what finally snaps her out of her daze. She looks down at her desk to find a scrunched-up ball of paper and quickly whips her head around to identify the source.
Jesse sits there with his arms folded, looking annoyingly smug. “Just wanted to check that you were still alive.”
Lucy should come up with some sort of witty retort but there is only one thing on her mind. “Do you know who that woman was?”
“No sorry. Not got a clue.”
She slumps in her chair. A feeling akin to disappointment washes over her.
What if she was just here for a meeting? What if I never have the chance to see the full picture?
She’s far too invested but she’s also a lesbian so the two things kind of go hand in hand. After a few more moments of wallowing, she begrudgingly returns to the joys of accounting. The tiny flame of hope that she’ll see the mystery woman again flickers on inside her.
*****
The next day Lucy is ready for it just in case. Constantly alert for the tell-tale clicking sound. She’s barely focused on work but who cares about that. She has to pinch herself when she finally hears it, just to make sure she’s not dreaming. The temptation to turn and look at the woman full on is so real but she has to be patient. This is going to be a piece-by-piece reveal. If she sees it all at once she doesn’t know what kind of reaction she might have and she can’t risk embarrassing herself in front of a woman she is fairly certain will be a 10, just by her choice of footwear alone.
When she feels the woman pass her desk, she quickly lifts her averted gaze. Her eyes start at the floor again which is a rookie error. This should have been a quick sweep to get a full picture of the back. The heels are different but no less sexy than yesterdays. Stiletto. Pointed. Patent black leather. No skirt this time which is kind of a disappointment, she was hoping to get a full view of those calf muscles. Her gaze travels up the length of tapered navy dress pants, surprised at how long it takes her to make it the full distance.
She’s got the legs of a fucking model.
It’s when she reaches the next feature that she knows she has made a mistake.
My god that ass…fvsdfvshdfvs.
Never in her life has she seen an ass look so perfect in dress pants. It has her biting her lower lip so hard in an attempt to stifle whatever sounds or words that might spill out, that she actually draws blood. Then all of a sudden, she’s gone again.
Lucy doesn’t fixate on the spot this time, she actually gasps at the loss. She was so close yet so far. With every small piece revealed, she feels more and more drawn to the woman. Just as she’s about to ask Kai and Ernie if they have any idea who she is, Tennant pops her head out of her office.
“Oh, sorry I forgot to mention it. The legal department from upstairs is going to be using the office next door whilst theirs is closed for repairs. So you’ll probably see them passing through here a couple of times a day.”
Legal department. The goddess is a lawyer. Fuck that’s hot.
*****
Determination is the presiding feeling on Thursday morning. There is no worry that she’s not going to see the goddess again, that factor has been eliminated. Today is the day she is going to get a full look. She’ll start from the top this time, find out if the woman has long or short hair, what colour it is.
If she’s blonde I might actually die.
She won’t get stuck on the hair though like she did with the bottom half. She’ll be able to convince her brain that they need to check out the back and the arms too. She’s sure of it.
She’s wrong.
As the heels click by her, she notices something new this time, but it’s not visual. In fact, her eyes close as she is overcome by a different sense.
She smells soooo good.
The scent is complex. Delicately floral but with warm base notes of vanilla. It’s so very feminine. Lucy can’t contain the “Mmm” that escapes her lips. She can’t open her eyes either. Something about that fragrance has her under a spell.
“WAKE UP!”
Lucy jumps a foot in the air, clutching her hand to her chest. “Jesus Christ Ernie! What the hell was that for?”
Ernie appears beside her, grinning to himself at catching her out. “I know Tennant is a pretty cool boss but you’re not actually allowed to fall asleep on the job.”
“I wasn’t asleep I was-” She stops herself before she can reveal too much.
Ernie looks at her knowingly. “I know exactly what you were doing.”
There’s no point in trying to hide anything from her best friend, so she gives everything away in hopes of using it to her advantage. “Do you know her name?”
“Of course I do. I know the names of everyone in this building.” He’s smug. Too smug.
“What is it?” Lucy asks, desperate for more crumbs of information.
He chuckles at her desperation. “I’m not going to tell you. This is too much fun to watch.”
“Please Ernie.” She pleads, using her puppy dog eyes to try to get her way.
“Nice try Luce, it’s not happening.”
Back to slumping in her chair again in a sulk, Lucy mentally runs through all of the information she has collected so far.
Sexy heels. Toned calves. Ridiculously long legs. Perfectly sculpted ass. Intelligent because she’s a lawyer. Smells delicious.
She’s going to have fallen in love with this woman before she even sees her face.
*****
Friday might be her last chance. She didn’t think to ask Tennant what kind of work is going on upstairs or how long it might last. But surely it can’t be any more than a week, right? It’s not like the goddess will be gone forever but there is no way she’s going to just sneak upstairs to take a peek. This has to be done on home turf where she has the advantage.
As it’s coming up to the time that the goddess usually arrives, Lucy finds herself regretting having that third cup of coffee. She stays at her desk as long as she can but the urge to pee is too great and there is no way she’s risking peeing her pants in front of a beautiful woman. She rushes off to the bathroom and returns in record time.
Everyone knows about Lucy’s little crush now, even Tennant. So she doesn’t hesitate to look at the guys expectantly.
They all look at each other in panic, with Jesse and Ernie quickly yelling “Not it!”, leaving Kai to deliver the bad news. “Sorry Lucy, you just missed her.”
“Noooo!” She drops down into her chair, flings her head back and throws her hands over her eyes in frustration? Despair? She’s not sure what.
“Cheer up, there’s always next time.” He says positively. If she could see him, she just knows she’d want to punch the dumb sweet smile off his face.
“There might not be a next time.” She mumbles sadly under her breath.
The rest of the day is pretty dire. Catching glimpses of the goddess this week has actually made her excited about coming to work. Those little morning observation events have given her a major boost and the remainder of her days have been more productive than they have been in a very long time.
She kind of wants to hate coffee now because that’s what messed up her morning but there is no way she is getting through the afternoon without more, so she sulkily trudges through to the breakroom.
Pouring herself a cup, she leans back against the counter and takes a long sip. Closing her eyes as the bitter taste coats her tongue. Feeling immediately more invigorated as the aroma fills her nostrils. When she opens her eyes again, she freezes. It’s her.
On the other side of the glass in the corridor, with a phone pressed to her ear, is the woman who has haunted Lucy’s dreams for the last three nights.
She’s glad it has happened this way rather than in the open office because-
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
She was not at all prepared for the full picture. The woman isn’t just an office goddess, she’s an actual goddess. Literally the most gorgeous woman Lucy has ever seen. So far beyond a 10 it’s hard to even comprehend that she’s real.
First of all, she’s blonde. That little fact alone makes her want to squeal with excitement. Blondes are her weakness. Well, beautiful women are her weakness really, but beautiful blonde women, she’s pretty sure she’d do just about anything for.
That feature is just the tip of the iceberg though.
She has gorgeous dark brown eyes that could probably steal your soul. A jawline that could cut glass. Lucy’s knees threaten to buckle underneath her when she sees the muscles in that jaw clench, the woman clearly becoming frustrated with the lucky individual who has the honour of conversing with her. A mole on her neck that looks perfectly kissable. A torso and arms that fit so perfectly with her lower half. The impeccable posture alone almost has Lucy snapping the handle off her coffee cup. She is tall. The kind of tall that makes people sit up and pay attention.
Lucy has never felt such clarity before. She needs to get to know this woman.
*****
Lucy spends the entire weekend brainstorming ways to bump into the goddess. She’s not about to go upstairs any time soon but maybe she’ll see her in the parking lot, or in the elevator. Maybe she can sweet talk Dale the security guard into giving her a name or approximate schedule so she can manufacture an impromptu meeting.
When she gets into work on Monday morning, she expects to have some time to think it through. That’s why she’s surprised by the click click click. That sound can only mean one thing. The repairs aren’t finished. She panics and throws her pen on the floor. Freezing as she tries to anticipate what might happen next.
The clicking stops.
She turns to her right and almost faints at the sight before her. The goddess is bending down to pick up her pen. Her ass is literally a couple of feet away from Lucy. The same ass that she has spent hours mentally writing sonnets about. If she still had that pen in her hand, it would be broken in two and blue ink would be permeating its way into her skin.
The whole thing is like the fucking bend and snap in slow motion.
She turns and their eyes connect for the first time. Lucy is doing everything she can to control her gay panic but even in her frenetic state, she can see something akin to interest or intrigue in the woman’s eyes. The length and intensity of their stare down is far beyond the realms of professional which gives Lucy a glimmer of hope.
If that wasn’t enough. She gets to hear the goddess’ voice for the first time. She’s not sure what she was expecting but this wasn’t it. It’s a few tones lower than her own. Raspy. This woman could work for a sex line and just read the phone book and it would have people coming in seconds.
“I think you dropped this.” There’s a small smirk on her lips, like she knows exactly what effect she’s having.
Lucy wants to convey confidence, say something charming back, but she has already succumbed to gay panic. “Uh- I uh- thanks.”
Their fingers brush as she takes back the proffered pen. A shiver runs through Lucy’s body at the touch, making the soft hairs on her arms stand on end. She senses the goddess feels it too because her confident mask begins to slip.
She straightens up quickly, offering a curt “No problem.” Before she continues on her way with a click click click.
Lucy sits there stunned. Still holding the pen aloft as she tries to process what just transpired. She’s snapped out of her reverie by laughter.
The guys are all doubled over laughing hysterically. “That was real smooth Luce.” Jesse manages to get out.
“Assholes.” Lucy mumbles.
*****
The saga continues throughout the week. It’s like a fashion show every single day. Lucy didn’t even know it was possible for someone to own that many outfit combinations. The pant suits. The skirt suits. The dresses. The heels. Even all of the different sexy hairstyles. The harsh bun that Lucy is itching to unravel. The curled ponytail that she’d love to gently tug. The unexpectedly soft curls that she’s dying to run her fingers through.
Every single look is impeccable. It makes Lucy want to up the ante with her own style. To prove herself worthy of the goddess’ attention. She’s not a scruffy dresser by any means but she could be sharper. Tighter pants. Wingtips instead of boots. Blazers.
She thinks about how the goddess always dresses in a way that accentuates the length of her legs. They’re one of her best assets. Not that she has any flaws in Lucy’s eyes. It has Lucy thinking about her own assets. She knows she’s hot but there is one part of her that she loves more than anything else. Her arms. She may be stuck at a desk all day, but the gym is her passion, and her body is much more reflective of her passion than her job. So, she starts wearing sleeveless shirts whenever she can.
On day one of the bare arms regime, she waits patiently for the click click click. It comes right on time as usual but something new happens. Something that makes Lucy think her plan might be working. The rhythm of the clicks falters and then pauses for what must be 5 seconds. Lucy can’t see what’s going on behind her, but she can feel the gaze boring into her back. She grins as the clicks resume, noticing they’re a few paces faster than normal. Finally looking up when they pass her desk and grinning even more as she spots the uncharacteristic fluster in the goddess’ gait.
“Score 1 for Lucy!”
Lucy spins her chair to look at Ernie. “You think?” She asks excitedly.
He’s just as excited as she is, having become completely invested in the whole saga. “Absolutely. You should have seen her face.”
“All in good time Ernie. All in good time.” This win has Lucy feeling confident. Very confident. A few more interactions like this and she’s going to make her move.
*****
Ok so it takes more than a few more interactions for her to decide to make her move. But she’s been having too much fun. They have an unspoken game of cat and mouse now. Lucy continues to go sleeveless. Purposefully flexing at just the right moments. Making the goddess’ steps falter or her breath hitch. Sometimes making her turn back for another look before she rounds the corner. The latter is Lucy’s favourite. She’s taken to throwing a wink at her whenever that happens. The first time she did it nearly had the goddess walking into a wall.
The goddess plays the game too though. Dousing herself with a little more perfume than normal. Walking with an extra swing in her hips. The hemlines of her skirts have risen a couple of inches. She brushes a little closer to Lucy’s desk than necessary.
It has all culminated in Lucy’s final plan to make her move. She has realised that she always sees the goddess enter the office but she has never seen her leave, which suggests she stays later than Lucy does. That’s why this Friday, 17 days after first hearing that click click click, Lucy is going to voluntarily work past her finish time for the first time in her life.
At 6pm, Lucy glances out of the window and notices it’s starting to get dark. The guys left about an hour ago, Jesse and Kai giving her a pat on the back and Ernie hugging her for good luck. Try as she did, there was no convincing them that she was staying late to actually work so she had to fill them in on her plan. Tennant is still here though, and she’s none the wiser. Or so she thinks.
It’s 15 minutes later when the light switches off in Tennant’s office and her door opens.
“You’re here late Lucy.” There’s no confusion or judgement, it’s just a statement.
She really should have come up with a proper excuse but she can’t go back in time, so she has to fumble what she hopes is a believable response. “Oh yeah, I’m er- just struggling to reconcile something on the um- the balance sheet.”
“Do you need some help?”
Damn you Tennant for being such a kind, helpful human being.
“No!”
Shit! That was a bit too eager.
She tries to soften it. “Um- no it’s fine. You go home to Danielle and the kids. I won’t be much longer.”
Tennant gets that warm smile on her face that always appears at even the briefest mention of her wife and kids but there is a glint of suspicion in her eyes. “Ok, if you’re sure. But let me just say this. If you happen to find yourself with company tonight, the bar down the street has great first date vibes.”
Lucy blushes at having been caught out in her plans. “Got it. Thanks boss.”
“Have a great night, Lucy. See you on Monday.” And with that she departs the office. Leaving Lucy completely alone.
It’s kind of creepy being here on your own at night. There’s no background chatter, no one typing a little too aggressively on their keyboard, Ernie isn’t there munching on the loudest snacks he can find. All she can hear is the soft buzz of her laptop, the occasional glug from the water cooler in the corner and the sound of her own heart beating in her chest as she anticipates what’s about to happen.
She doesn’t have to wait long.
The click click click starts in the distance and gradually makes its way closer. When the goddess finally rounds the corner, she pulls up short as she notices the office isn’t empty like it usually is when she leaves at this time.
A soft “oh” escapes her lips.
Just that one syllable has Lucy’s heart in a vice. She takes a calming breath and stands up from her chair. “Hi.” She lifts her hand in an awkward little wave.
Hi? Seriously? That’s the best you can come up with?
“You’re a lot shorter than I imagined.” The goddess blurts, quickly bringing a hand up to cover her mouth as though that comment was supposed to have been an internal one.
At least we’re both useless idiots.
Lucy laughs. “Yeah well, anyone would be short stood next to you.”
It’s just the icebreaker they needed to cut the nervous tension. The goddess laughs too and my god, if it isn’t the most melodious thing Lucy has ever heard.
They both start to walk towards each other, meeting somewhere in the middle of the office.
The goddess extends her hand. “Hi. I’m Kate Whistler.” It’s a little formal, which seems perfectly fitting, although Lucy isn’t quite sure why.
She fights off a shudder when the warm, unrealistically soft hand envelopes her own. She can tell that they both feel that spark again, just like the first time their hands touched. “Well Kate Whistler, it’s nice to finally put a name to such a beautiful face. Although I must admit, I did actually have a nickname for you.”
What! Why would you admit that? Abort! Abort!
The godde- Kate tilts her head adorably to the side. “Oh yeah, what was it?”
It’s happening. The beautiful blonde woman effect. Lucy can’t stop herself from giving the woman everything she wants. “The office goddess.”
Kate blushes and ducks her head down shyly, a soft smile gracing her features.
She’s so beautiful. Like, goddess doesn’t even begin to de- oh wait! I haven’t even told her my name.
“Oh! And my name is Lucy Tara by the way.”
Kate makes eye contact again. “I know.”
She knows my name! The goddess knows my- huh. “How?” Lucy asks as her initial giddiness is swiftly replaced by confusion.
Kate suddenly looks a little sheepish. “Your boss is my best friend.”
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“What? How? When? I-”
Kate doesn’t give her a chance to formulate an articulate thought before she drops the next bombshell. “I also have something else to confess. Have you noticed that no one else in the legal team has been through your office since the first week?”
“Honestly, an elephant could have walked through here and I wouldn’t have even noticed, I’ve kinda been a bit preoccupied.”
Oh my god, it’s like I have no filter around this woman!
“Good to know.” Kate giggles. “So, you clearly didn’t notice, but the repairs upstairs were finished after 4 days. I’ve been taking a long detour to my office for the last two weeks so I could keep coming through here.”
“Why would you do that?” Lucy asks, but she has a sneaky feeling she already knows the answer.
“Because I wanted an excuse to see you. Because since the first day I saw that back of your head I’ve been hooked. Because Jane may have told me that you might have an interest in me too. Because I was hoping that it might lead to a moment like this.” Kate looks almost vulnerable as she lays the truth out on the line.
Lucy wasn’t prepared for all of that. The first part? Maybe. The second part? Absolutely not, who gets hooked on someone from one glimps- oh wait. The third part? No. Tennant is going to pay for this betrayal. And the fourth part? I was hoping for, but I didn’t dare to dream it.
Realising that she has left Kate hanging for too long, she does the thing she should have plucked up the courage to do from day one, or at the very least day seven when they spoke for the first time. “Would you allow me to take you out for a drink? I hear the bar down the street has good first date vibes.”
“What a coincidence, I’ve heard the same thing.” Kate laughs. “I would love nothing more than to go for a drink with you. But- I kind of need my hand back first.”
Lucy looks down dumbly and realises that their hands are still are still connected from that initial handshake. A couple of minutes ago she would have panicked, but now she’s certain of their mutual interest, she lets her confident side come out to play.
“I don’t know about that, I kinda like holding your hand.” She feels smug as a blush paints Kate’s face once more. “But I can see how it might pose an issue for us walking. Can I offer you an arm instead?” She reluctantly removes her hand from its warm cocoon and offers up her right arm.
Kate links her left arm through without hesitation and gives Lucy a nod to take the lead. As they start to walk out of the office, she brings her other hand up, unable to resist resting it on Lucy’s bicep. “I really like your arms by the way.”
Lucy smirks. Her plan worked.
“Oh I know. And I really can’t wait to tell you all the things I like about you.”