The One With Lena's Ex
A beautiful business woman approaches their table with a broad smile, her eyes intent on Lena.
“Lydia.” Lena says, obviously surprised but not quite pleased to see her.
The woman was about Lena’s age, maybe younger. She wore a gorgeous black pants suit over a red blouse with a low neckline. Her pale blonde hair just barely brushed her shoulders and her lips were painted the same bright red as her shirt.
Lena stands as the woman approaches asking “What are you doing here?”. She crosses her arms over her chest, defensive. The same way she did that night in her office when Kara, well Supergirl, had told her the truth about her mother.
“Reax, Lena. I came into town a few days early to see the sights.” The woman explains a hand on her hip.
“The sights?” Lena asks skeptical.
“Well, I hoped to check out a club or two over the weekend before we got down to business.” The woman replies “But what a small world it is, that we’d both be craving Chinese.”
“Yes. Very small.” Lena says cooly. The woman doesn’t seem to mind, in fact, she bites her bottom lip to rein in a smile at Lena’s standoffishness.
“Though, I’m sure this place has nothing on that Chef we worshipped in Shanghai.” the blonde says gesturing around at the cheesy decor. “What was his name?” Lena smiles then at a memory, noticeably relaxing a bit.
“Chef Teoh. He is amazing.”
“Yes, exactly!” The woman’s smile grows wider, she reaches out and causally touches Lena’s arm for a moment in her excitement. “Oh, I’ll be sure to visit him again, Next time I’m there.” The woman looks down and notices Kara for the first time.
Kara had sat quietly as the two women talked, a half eaten potsticker frozen on the way to her mouth.
“Hello there.” The woman’s mouth twitches for a moment as if she has to force her smile to remain unchanged.
It seems that Lena had also forgotten Kara was there. Her green eyes turn swiftly to her lunch date, almost panicked to find her still sitting there.
“Oh how rude of me…” Lena moves closer to Kara, almost placing herself between the two blondes. “This is Kara Danvers. Kara, this is...Lydia Tate.”
Kara stands up beside Lena, straightening her glasses and putting up a polite smile. Even in her flats, she is the same height as the two women in heels. She wipes her hand with a napkin and offers it to Lydia.
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Tate.” Kara’s hand hangs in the air for a moment too long as the other woman stares at it reluctantly. At last, Lydia gives Kara’s hand a firm shake.
“Likewise.” She mumbles through closed teeth. Kara resists the urge to squeeze her hand just a little too tight. “Is this your assistant, Lena?” Lydia asks, confused.
Kara instantly turns red.
Of course, it’s not a crazy assumption to make since only a few months before Kara was in fact an assistant, but she’s still slightly insulted anyway. Does she look like an assistant? What do assistants look like? And why did Lydia say the word like she really meant maid? Not that there was anything wrong with being a maid. Or an assistant for that matter.
“No, no.” Lena laughs trying to break the tension. She places a comforting hand on Kara’s bare arm and lets it rest there. “Kara is actually a reporter at Catco. She has interviewed me a few times since I moved to National City.”
Lydia looked Kara up and down, seemingly unimpressed. “Catco? I didn’t realize Cat Grant gave a shit about big business. I thought, it was all gossip and fashion tips.”
Lena must feel Kara tense as her hands ball into fists. Kara manages a fake smile and breathes out. “We’ve been moving in a new direction.”
Lydia’s eyes move between Lena and Kara, then down to Lena’s hand still on Kara’s skin. There is a moment of awkward silence. The hostess approaches them, shattering the unpleasant moment.
“You’re table is ready, Ms. Tate. Right this way.”
“Well,” Lydia says without moving. “I guess, I’ll see you Monday, Lena. Unless, of course, you want to show me around National City’s night life? For old time sake.” Her hazel eyes settle only on Lena now. Kara holds her breath waiting for Lena’s responds. Somehow, terrified she’ll accept.
“I don’t think so.” Lena says turning away and taking her seat again. “I have far too much work to do, preparing for next week.”
Lydia shrugs seemingly unaffected. “Suit yourself.” She says. “But remember, all work and no play…” She trails off, following after the hostess.
Kara sits down eyeing Lena nervously. She wants to ask what just happened, but Lena is taking another bite of her food as if nothing was wrong. Is something wrong? Kara wonders.
“Who was that exactly?” Kara asks, taking a sip of her now cold tea. Lena slides her plate aside, suddenly disinterested in the meal. She avoids Kara’s eyes.
“That was...Lydia Tate. She’s the Chief Operating Officer of Tate Industries. It’s a company I do business with.”
“Oh.” Kara responses, finishing her potsticker.
“And…” Lena continues, hesitantly. Kara stops chewing.
“And?” she says around a mouth full of food.
“And we use to go to boarding school together.” Lena answers shaking her head dismissively. As if living and learning at the same place with someone for years was meaningless.
“Oooh. Were you two good friends?”
Lena looks at her then biting her lower lip, as if she had something to say but didn’t want to say it. “She’s my ex actually.”
Kara’s eyes go wide. This is what she feared. Ex-best friend? Ex-lab partner? Ex-classmate? Kara’s mind frantically searches for other possibilities, but at last she knows Lena can only mean one thing.
“Ex-girlfriend?” her voice gets high when she says the word.
She knew Lena was gay. It wasn’t a secret, Lena never tried to hide it. Why should she? But Kara had never actually imagined the other woman in a relationship. Now suddenly she couldn’t stop imagining it. And she didn’t like the idea.
Lena was so classy and kind and brave. And Lydia was so...rude. But sexy. She was also kinda sexy.
All these thoughts flew through Kara’s mind as a small strange smile played on Lena’s lips. Before the brunette could reply, her phone went off. An alarm she set to signal the end of her lunch break.
“I’m sorry, Kara, I have to get back to work.”
Kara smiles politely. “Yes, of course. Me too. I’ve kept you out too long.” she says reaching for her purse.
“Not at all. Thank you for inviting me.” Lena places a fifty dollar bill on the table before Kara can get to her wallet.
“No,” Kara protests “Lena, let me pay for my own…” Lena shushes her.
“Don’t be silly. I’m a billionaire.”
Kara can hardly argue with that. “Fine.” She sighs.
Lena smiles at this and stands up.
“I’m really glad we got to talk, Kara. Thank you, it...well it means alot.”
“Anytime. Especially if there’s food involved.” Kara tells her with a big smile. Lena laughs and turns to leave. Kara watches her go, wondering when they’ll speak again.