Chapter 2
"Alex, before we go in I think we should probably hold hands or something. I mean Kara thinks we're dating so it would make sense right?" Maggie said as they approached the restaurant. Christmas break was a week away and they had decided a get-to-know-you dinner between the four of them was appropriate before spending the holidays together. Maggie was ready to play the part of adoring supportive girlfriend.
"Right....about,,,,,,about that....I...ummm" Alex started sputtering.
"What about it?" Maggie asked. She recognized Alex’s guilty face and put her hands on her hips as she stared Alex down.
"I may not have told Kara that we're dating...well fake dating. Or that you’re coming home with me for Christmas." Alex confessed as she fiddled with her fingers.
"You haven't told her! What does she think this is! Just some sort of random dinner?"
"Hey! I did tell her that I have something important to tell her! I just…I didn't say what!" Alex tried to salvage something.
"Great. So now we drop the bomb that we're dating and that I'm coming home with you. We'll just have to tell her over dinner." Maggie said as she ran a hand through her hair.
"Yeah. Ummm I'll tell her. It'll be fine." Alex said more to reassure herself than Maggie.
"Ok. Well I still think we should hold hands though. I'd be a nice touch to act." Maggie said.
"Should we hold hands? I mean we're supposed to be in love right so we should probably hold hands. Right?" Alex was a bit flustered and Maggie thought her adorable. When she first met Alex in her no-nonsense heels and power-suit she'd never thought she see Alex in pacing up and down a sidewalk fretting over whether or not to hold Maggie's hand. She liked this side of Alex. She liked all sides of Alex.
"I think holding hands would be a good idea. We're supposed to be in love so it would make sense. It would a be a clue for Kara to put together." Maggie said as she watched Alex with amusement. Maggie wasn't concerned with her ability to look in love with Alex. She'd somehow manage.
"You're right. We should hold hands." Alex sighed.
"Plenty of women would be happy to hold my hand Danvers." Maggie replied with mock offense. Alex rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, well that can't if I'm already holding it." Alex said as she grabbed Maggie's hand and threaded their fingers. "Come on. We're late." Alex led them into the restaurant to find Lena and Kara. Lena had obviously been the one to choose the restaurant as it looked expensive, tasteful, and was a part of a private country club. Lena had also said the entire night would be taken care of.
"Alex! Maggie!" Kara's voice was easy to hear in the quiet intimate atmosphere of the restaurant and soon enough Alex's baby sister was giving Alex a hug and Alex’s hand slipped from Maggie’s. Maggie was a bit surprised when the youngest Danvers pulled her into a hug as well. Pulling back from the hug Maggie saw Lena Luthor hovering to Kara's right. She wore a fitted blue dress and heels and looked every bit as powerful as she was. Kara on the other hand wore a Polk-a-dot dress, a cardigan, and her ever-present smile. She looked every bit the sweet summer child that she was.
"Lena you remember my big sister Alex. And this is Alex's friend, Maggie." Kara introduced the group and Maggie shook Lena's hand.
"It's hard to forget someone who saved my life. And it's a pleasure to meet you Maggie. Lena replied with a smile. "And I believe are table is ready as I see Jack coming are way." Sure enough the waiter, Jack, arrived and led them to secluded table in the back of the restaurant. Maggie noticed Lena pull out Kara's chair so Maggie decided to do the same for Alex.
"Miss Luthor I'm sure you want your regular Pino Nior. And can I fetch anything from the bar for the rest of you ladies." Jack asked. Pen at the ready.
"Alex, Kara tells me you like a good bourbon?" Lena asked Alex. Alex nodded. Lena said to the waiter, "She'll have your specialty dry-aged bourbon. Manhattan. Rocks." Turning back to Alex, Lena said, "They have this wonderful bourbon here. Aged in old Whiskey barrels. I promise you'll like it. Now Maggie what kind of drinks do you like. You strike me as a beer girl."
"I like a good ESP, Stout, or a hoppy IPA. Nothing wheat based though." Maggie replied.
"She'll have that Wicked Weed Sour you carry." Lena said to the waiter before turning to Kara. "And Kara? What would you like?" Kara was reading the drink menu.
"What was that thing you got me that one time? It was like wine but sweeter." Kara asked as she looked up at Lena. Lena placed her hand on top of Kara's and turned the drink menu so she could see it.
"She'll have your 2007 French Sauterne. But we're going to be a little unorthodox and have it now and not for dessert." Lena told the waiter. Alex eyed her sister. Kara didn't drink wine or any alcohol. She didn’t like the taste. Or at least she had never liked anything Alex had offered her.
"Of course Miss Luthor. I'll be right back with that." Jack said before leaving. The table was quiet for a moment after he left. Alex was unaccustomed to having another person order for her. But obviously Lena was used to taking charge.
"Thanks for the recommendation on the bourbon." Alex said to Lena. A bit of a bite to her voice. Alex felt Kara kick her under the table.
"Of course. I hope you don't mind that I chose for you. I think I just unintentionally dominated that exchange. It's a habit that's hard to slip out of even after I leave work." Lena said. Kara glared at her sister. Kara could tell Alex was judging her friend but Alex didn’t know Lena like Kara did. Lena the CEO and Lena the girl were very different. Even if they overlapped most of the time.
"We'll wait til after our drinks arrive to pass judgment." Maggie before continuing ,"I've never actually had a Sour. I'm excited to try it." That was actually the truth. Maggie had been recommended a Sour before but could bring herself to pay 18+ dollars for a single bottle. She wouldn't have ordered it for herself but since Lena ordered it she didn't feel quite so bad about the extravagance.
"Lena does this all the time. She won't tell you her real motivation but I think I know." Kara said as she studied Lena. "Lena here knows that since she's treating, you guys aren't going to order expensive things because you don't want her to think that you are taking advantage of her money. So if she orders you expensive things than you get good drinks and don't feel bad about it." Kara finished. Her eyes on Lena as if checking to see if her assumption was correct. Maggie noticed the obvious chemistry between the two women as Lena met Kara’s gaze.
"Actually Kara you're right. The problem is that when I do this some people think I'm trying to buy them. Or take advantage. But I promise that's not my intention. I just want everyone to enjoy the evening." Lena said as she turned and smiled at Maggie and Alex. Just then the waiter arrived.
"So ladies I have your drinks. And Miss Luthor here are the Pot-stickers you requested as appetizer." He said as he sat down the drinks and a plate of pot stickers. Alex knew a place like this didn't serve Pot-stickers. Lena must have made a special request to the chef to obtain them for known Pot-sticker enthusiastic Kara. They were terrible at pretending they weren’t dating.
"Damn this is a good beer. Nice choice Lena." Maggie said after she tried her sour.
Alex took a sip of Manhattan and had to admit it was incredible. The bourbon was smooth, smoky, and rich. Alex didn't comment though.
"Alex loves her drink too. She closed her eyes when she tried it so she loves it. Nice job Lena." Maggie said when she saw Alex wasn't going to comment. Alex hadn't realized how good Maggie had got a reading her in the last few months.
"Ok and these Pot-stickers are awesome. And this salt...saltine thing is so good even though it's alcohol. Like it’s so good." Kara said. Barely taking her eyes off her plate. Alex reached across the table and picked up Kara's glass. Taking a sip she grimaced. The damn thing was too sweet. It tasted like what she thought wine must taste like when she was kid. Like liquid dessert.
"Good god Kara what is that?" Alex grimaced.
"It's a sauterne. A very sweet dessert wine. Kara seemed to detest most alcohol so I ordered her the sweetest thing I knew and she loved it." Lena answered as she took the glass back from Alex and handed it to Kara. Alex didn't miss the unnecessary brushing of their fingers. Apparently Maggie didn't either. Resting her head in her hands Maggie smiled sweetly at Kara.
"So Kara. How long have you and Lena been dating?" Maggie asked innocently. Alex choked on her drink. Lena looked surprised for a fleeting moment but recovered quickly.
"Kara is there something you forgot to tell me? You've never told me we fancy each other?" Lena smiled at Kara playfully and placed her hand on Kara's arm.
"Hey Hey. Hey, I think you forgot to tell me. Or ask me out or whatever" Kara laughed. Seemingly unfazed by Maggie’s question as she ate another potsticker.
"So no we're not dating Maggie. But if anything changes you'll be the first to know." Lena replied to Maggie. Her hand still on Kara's arm.
"Ok well I guess now is the time to tell you that Maggie and I are dating. Haven been for a while now." Alex said as she reached over and took Maggie's hand in hers.
"Was that not obvious?" Lena asked looking between Kara and Alex. Kara's face was scrunched up as she studied Alex. Kara didn’t believe her sister.
"No you're not." Kara blurted. Unable to stop herself.
"Um yes. We are." Alex said bluntly. Eyes hard on Kara.
"I don't believe you." Kara said.
"Why would we lie?"
"I don't know. But I don't believe it. If you two were actually dating, I would have gotten a phone call the minute after it happened and you would have been practically insufferably happy since it happened." Kara said. The Danvers sisters told each other things. Alex wouldn’t have kept this from her for so long.
"We've just been hiding it. We wanted to make sure we had a strong relationship since our beginning was a bit rocky." Maggie interjected. Hoping to clear things up. Lena and Maggie’s exchanged concerned glances and each could tell the other was concerned with tension between the two sisters.
"I don’t share everything with you, Kara." Alex glared at her sister. Kara wasn't telling her about Lena so how dare she think Alex had to tell her everything.
"Ok. If you’re dating, then prove it. Kiss her, Alex. On the lips!" Kara demanded. Alex turned red and started sputtering.
"I...I don't...we don't have..." Alex couldn't form a complete sentence.
"Kiss her Alex! If you really are dating." Kara said as she leaned back in her chair. Arms crossed.
"I will...will kiss my….. Maggie....my girlfriend Maggie when...when I..." Alex continued to sputter so Maggie made an executive decision.
"Oh, for fucks sake..." Maggie used her index finger to turn Alex's head in her direction as she closed the distance between their lips. At first it was just intended to me a small peck. A closed mouth, three second in duration, hint of a kiss. The little peck changed when Alex caught Maggie's hand and their eyes met just as their lips were about to touch. Something sparked as she read Alex's eyes and Maggie's closed mouth little peck became open and hungry. Maggie moved her lips with Alex and felt Alex's tongue tease her own as their lips pressed together.