Expect the Unexpected
Kara slips into CatCo quietly the next morning like she has been for the past two months. Maybe if she doesn’t make too much noise or commotion, she can remain hidden from Lena as much as possible. She doesn’t blame Lena for taking over CatCo, she understands it from a business perspective. It crossed her mind – er lives in her mind that Lena bought CatCo for personal reasons. Like her and Kara relationship reasons. Obviously, Kara isn’t going to outright ask Lena about her reasons for purchasing CatCo, she’d rather do anything else. As Kara sits at her desk, Nia wanders over, a look of genuine concern covering her features.
“Good morning, Kara. How are you holding up?” Nia fidgets, trying to keep her voice low for privacy.
“Morning, Nia,” Kara greets her. “I’m…okay. I’m so sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to ruin our night out.” Kara keeps her eyes cast down, embarrassed. A soft hand rests on her shoulder.
“Don’t worry about it, Kara. I’m here for you. That’s what friends are for.” Kara allows a small smile to tug at her lips. “Unfortunately, Ms. Luthor has asked to see you in her office this morning. Do you want me to make an excuse?” Kara’s throat tightens at the thought of talking alone with Lena. Nia’s face is serious and for a moment, Kara contemplates asking her to cover for her. But she can’t hide from Lena forever. She lets out a small sigh.
“No, that’s okay. I’ll be there in a moment.” Nia nods, then heads back to her desk near Lena’s office. Kara takes in several deep breaths, trying to ready herself for the conversation about to happen. Nia shoots her a comforting smile. On shaky legs, she makes her way toward Lena’s office. She knocks on the glass door before pushing it open at the raven-haired woman’s nod.
“Close it please, Kara. Come sit.” Lena gestures to the chair in front of her. Taking a seat, Kara subtly wipes the sweat building on her palms on her dress pants. Sitting in front of Lena, Kara’s nerves skyrocket. She can’t tell if it’s from the interaction they had at the pub, her sexual and romantic attraction to her, or a combination of both. Finally, Lena clasps her hands together and rests her elbows on the desk. The emerald green from her eyes smoulder, making Kara’s heart pound wildly in her chest. “You’re probably wondering why I have asked you here this morning.” Kara waits anxiously, a pit beginning to form in her stomach. Millions of thoughts racing through her brain. Each second feels like an eternity. “As you know, Ashley is leaving the company. She’s moving back home to Central City with her family.”
“Yes, of course I recall.” Kara nods. Last week they held a farewell party for her. She’s been with the company since before Kara even became Cat’s intern.
“Well, that means the editor-in-chief position will be open.” It takes Kara a moment to understand what Lena’s hinting at.
“Wait. You want to offer me the position?” Kara’s mouth drops open as Lena shrugs like she’s the obvious choice. Kara’s mind is reeling. This was the last thing she expected when she walked into Lena’s office this morning. Especially after the interaction last night.
“Yes, you’re the clear choice, Kara,” Lena says, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair. “I understand if you need to take some time to think about it. It’s a very important decision to make.”
“Thank you, Le – uh Ms. Luthor. I’m not sure what to say.”
“Like I said, take some time to think about it. I’ll expect your answer by Friday.” Lena’s body language indicates that the conversation is over, but Kara can’t seem to leave the chair. It’s the first time in almost three months that she’s been this close to Lena. “Kara? Did you need something else?” Lena’s staring at her curiously. Kara’s face grows hot.
“N-no. I’m sorry, Ms. Luthor.” Kara hastily stands, starting to leave the office. She reaches the door, half expecting Lena to stop her. But she doesn’t. Kara makes her way to her desk once more, slumping into it. Nia hurries over.
“Kara? What happened?”
“I’m okay, Nia.” Kara lowers her voice. “Lena offered me Ashley’s position.”
“Editor-in-chief!? That’s amazing, Kara. Congratulations!” Kara half-heartedly smiles.
“I’m not sure I’ll be taking it.” Nia’s eyebrows furrow together.
“Oh, why not?”
“For starters, the editor-in-chief works closely with the CEO, aka Lena,” Kara exclaims. “Aside from that, it’s a crucial position to the company. What if I fail? What if something happens outside of here and I can’t follow through with the responsibilities of being chief?” Kara starts to spiral, her thoughts worrying her out of accepting the promotion.
“Kara.” Her head snaps up at the sternness in Nia’s tone. “Lena never would have offered the position to you if she didn’t think you could handle it. She knows about your other responsibilities, but still extended the promotion to you. You are the apparent choice.” Kara shakes her head, Nia’s words settling into her brain, but refusing to accept them.
“I’ll take the time to think about it.”
THURSDAY
“You’re taking the promotion, right? I mean, it’s a no-brainer,” Alex says, propping herself up on Kara’s couch. After Kara had begged and pleaded for Alex to come over to help her make a decision, she relented. Kara doesn’t know what to say. She’s been switching back and forth about the position, weighing each pro and con she can think of. Kara passes Alex a glass of wine before settling on the couch beside her sister.
“I’m not sure, Alex. It would mean a lot of facetime with Lena.” Alex rests a hand on Kara’s leg. She didn’t realize her leg was bouncing.
“You’ve managed this long already. And who knows? Maybe you’ll have to tolerate Lena for a few months. Cat did mention there was a chance she could come back if her travels weren’t enough.” Alex sips her wine. “You are the best person for the job. Everyone knows it, Kara. Lena wouldn’t have put aside your history to offer you the position if that wasn’t true.”
“Nia said the same thing.”
“Because it’s true. Kara, look. You can take the position. Try it for a few months and if you really hate seeing Lena that much, or think the responsibility is too great, you can ask Lena for your old job back.” Kara takes a moment to consider this option. She never thought she could test drive the position. It would solve all her what ifs…
“Okay, Alex. I think you’re right. I’ll give it a shot.” Alex beams at her. “Now, can we please watch Dickinson? I’ve been waiting forever!”
“Oh stop being so dramatic, Kara. It’s been two weeks since we’ve watched last.” Kara’s eyes bulge.
“Exactly! Two whole weeks that I’ve had to wait to see what Sue decides to do!” Alex rolls her eyes, but sets up the show. “By the way,” Kara begins as the episode loads. “How are you and Kelly doing?”
“Oh my gosh, Kara. It’s been amazing,” Alex gushes. “She’s beautiful, kind, smart, talented… I’m going to marry her. She’s the one.” Kara smiles. She loves how happy Alex is lately. Her heart sinks a bit as she wishes that she could have had that with Lena. She knew Lena was the one for her.
“That’s wonderful, Alex.” Kara hopes she doesn’t sound bitter. But Alex just smiles widely. A pit forms in her stomach and briefly, she wonders what (or who) Lena is doing tonight.
FRIDAY
Kara didn’t get a wink of sleep. She kept tossing and turning, still wrestling with her decision about the promotion. The editor-in-chief position has been Kara’s dream since she was a little girl. Now, she has an opportunity and it’s killing her to decide. If Cat were still CEO, Kara knows she would have answered her on the spot. But with Lena, it’s a different story. A different situation. When she walks into CatCo in the morning before anyone else, she takes the time to wander around the familiar space, attempting to relax.
“Kara?” She spins around at the sound of Lena’s sultry voice. Rao, she’ll never be able to stop her body from instantly responding to it. A heat begins to crawl up her neck to her cheeks.
“H-hi. Good morning, Ms. Luthor.”
“Join me in my office?” Lena poses it as a question, but Kara knows it’s not up for debate. Nodding quickly, she follows Lena to the brightly lit room near the back of the building. For a moment, Kara forgets about their awkward tension. Lena’s dressed immaculately as always. Today, she’s wearing a dark purple pantsuit with black heels that make her a few inches taller than Kara. Her raven black hair is pulled tightly into a bun on top of her head, though Kara personally likes when Lena wears it down. “What brings you here so early?” Lena asks, after putting her bag down and settling into her office chair.
“I was just doing some thinking,” Kara says, fidgeting under Lena’s gaze. One of her perfectly shaped eyebrows raise. “Mostly about the promotion you offered me. Among other things.” Kara wasn’t about to spill that she had been thinking about Lena. Not yet. She doesn’t want to seem like the desperate and clingy ex. It’s not a good look for anyone.
“I see. Have you made a decision?”
“Yes. I’ll take the position,” Kara declares. Lena smiles, the dark burgundy lipstick covering her plump lips creating a turmoil in Kara’s stomach into her core. She takes a deep breath to steady herself, but she catches a whiff of Lena’s perfume. Oh, Rao… Kara has no hope if she wants to move on from this woman.
“I’m glad to hear it, Kara. I’ll draft up the rest of the contract,” Lena replies. “When it’s done, I’ll email it to you for a signature on Monday.” Kara nods, understanding that she’s been dismissed. Heading for the door, she reaches for the handle before Lena stops her.
“Oh, and Kara?”
“Yes, Ms. Luthor?” Kara’s knees feel like jelly as she turns to look at Lena. The emerald eyes catch hers, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine from the intensity in them.
“I look forward to working closely with you.”