Chapter 2
“Wait, really?” Kate almost whispers, afraid to ruin the moment and make Lucy change her mind. “I mean. Uh. Thanks. I appreciate it.”
What was Kate thinking? Asking Lucy. Lucy Tara to be her pretend girlfriend. In what world does that make sense? Sure they sort of got along at the bar the other night, but that was for what? An hour?
They hate each other. Well hate is a strong word. But, sometimes Lucy just makes her blood boil. Her complete disregard for orders and processes leaves Kate astounded at how anything gets done properly in Lucy’s world. And she always has so much energy. How does she have so much of it? All of the time.
Then other times Lucy surprises her. That’s the complicated thing. Like today. She’s wearing a tight pair of black jeans, her combat boots, and a loose fitting camouflage t-shirt. Looking all cute and saying yes to her crazy, and it is crazy, idea.
“Yeah.” Lucy smiles and Kate thinks it's actually sincere. “It will be fun.”
Fun. Hmm. Kate’s not sure about the fun part. But, it will definitely be something. “Okay. Good. Great.”
“Great. Good.” Lucy echoes, nodding her head. “So… Anything I need to know?”
“Oh, right of course. There is a lot to know.” Kate raises her eyebrows at Lucy and watches as she considers this. “So, my place tonight?”
“To…?” Lucy questions, her eyes narrowing, but Kate can see her fighting the smile on her face. Most likely excited about the idea of getting to see where Kate lives.
Because she will admit, she is quite the mystery. Hasn’t really shared much with her coworkers, same thing in D.C. been that way since college actually.
“To go over everything of course.” Kate says this like it’s obvious. Lucy nods still not fully understanding. “We need to go over our back story. Make it realistic. Believable.”
“Got it.” Lucy bites her lip. “Every agent needs a good cover.”
“Right. And I’ll cook dinner.” Kate offers. She should be offering something in return anyways. Come to think of it. Why didn’t Lucy ask for anything in return? “I mean as a payment of sorts.”
“Oh, so you’re paying me.” Lucy says with a knowing smirk. She starts to walk away and shouts, which has Kate blushing because everyone on the street can surely hear her. “I didn’t realize it was that kind of deal.”
“I’ll see you tonight.” Lucy shouts again when Kate doesn’t respond. “Text me.”
Kate looks around to make sure no one important overheard their conversation. They are outside of Pearl and literally anyone they both work with on a day to day basis could have been walking by. Potentially overhearing their conversation that would seem very confusing without the context.
Kate shakes her head, disappointed in herself for doing something as silly as making up a fake girlfriend. But, there’s no going back now. She turns around and heads in the direction of her office, hoping to get some work done today.
But, that’s not what happens. Because Kate is distracted.
She’s sitting at her desk, in her office, with a load of files in front of her and a dozen emails that she needs to respond to. Usually she would be right on that. Able to tune everything else out and just focus on her work.
Not today. Today she is distracted by curly hair and brown eyes. And lips that always seemed to be pouting around her, but Kate finds herself wanting to kiss the pout off her lips and-- no stop.
What is with her? Any other day she would find that exact pout to be annoying. Childish. Unprofessional. Just because she is going to have to act like Lucy is her girlfriend doesn’t mean she has to think about it that way.
Kate shakes her head as she hears her phone buzz on her desk. She picks it up quickly, hoping it isn’t Lucy. It isn’t Lucy. Worse. It’s Grace.
So excited to see you and meet your girlfriend ;) And also spend time in Hawai’i of course. I can’t believe you get to live there! the text from Grace reads.
Kate fumbles around with her phone for a few moments trying to decide what to respond back with but just settles on a simple, me too!
It’s not that Kate doesn’t want to see her old friend. It’s just she’s from the past. A past that Kate doesn’t talk about. A past that Kate doesn’t even think about. A past that has Noah in it.
She knows she’ll have to tell Lucy some of this. Not everything. No details. But, at least enough for her to know if things from the past come up, to just let it slide.
Kate doesn’t open up to anyone and she’s not going to start now. She has to protect herself and that is exactly what she will do, even if that includes not telling Lucy the whole truth and risking everything blowing up in her face.
Kate sets her phone face down on her desk. Sighs. Brings her hands back to her keyboard and gets back to work answering the many emails continuing to pile up in her inbox.
_______
Kate is just setting out dinner as she hears a knock at the door. She quickly finishes setting out the silverware before answering it.
She opens the door to find a grinning Lucy. “Hey! Nice place.”
“Um, thanks!” Kate opens the door wider, gesturing for Lucy to come in. It feels a little weird for Kate to have a coworker in her home, but she shakes it off, needing to focus.
“I’ve got dinner all set, so you can just take a seat.” Kate continues as Lucy walks in and talks a look around before sitting at the table. Kate pulls out the chair across from her and takes a seat.
“It looks great, thanks Whistler.” Lucy says, looking down at the grilled chicken, rice, and broccoli Kate has prepared.
“Okay, so first things first.” Kate says before Lucy interjects.
“Oh, so we are starting this right away I see.”
“I mean that is why you’re here.” Kate quickly responds, maybe a little too harshly.
“All business with you, Whistler.” Lucy laughs and shakes her head like she was expecting this response from Kate.
Kate ignores her. “You should call me Kate.”
“Kate.” Lucy says, like she is testing out how the word feels spoken across her lips.
“I mean you are my girlfriend after all.” She sees Lucy’s cheeks redden and she can feel the heat of her own as well. “I mean, my fake girlfriend can’t go around calling me by my last name.”
If they are going to pretend to be girlfriends, they both need to get it together.
“So, Kate.” Lucy says testing. “How did we meet?”
Kate walks over to the counter and picks up a stack of paper, setting it in front of Lucy. Lucy’s face twists into confusion.
“What’s that now?” Lucy says after a moment. The stack of notecards piling high in front of her. Kate didn’t count, but she’s sure she made at least 100 note cards.
“Notecards.” Kate says, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. “They include how we met, our first date, stuff about me, some stuff about you, but you’ll have to fill in most of the blanks for that. I didn’t want to make you have to lie about yourself.”
“Make sure you study them.” Kate says after a moment of silence from an overwhelmed Lucy. “I did say there was a lot to know.”
“Okay. Yeah sure. I can do that.” Lucy’s eyes dart back and forth as she begins to read the first note card. Slowly flipping through a few others, skimming them.
She wrote out how they first met. The bar near Lucy’s place (yes Kate did do a little digging, it’s not stalking per se, just a little research), before her first day at DIA. Neither of them knew what each other did for work. And after finding out they decided to keep it lowkey since they were both still new and eventually started dating in public once they deemed it was an appropriate amount of time.
She wrote about their dates and where they went. When they first said I love you and everything in between. She wrote a little about her past, but kept it vague enough, hoping Lucy wouldn’t ask any questions.
Kate is proud of her notecards. Yes, it’s nerdy, she knows that. It was kind of fun coming up with fake dates and stuff though. She hasn’t really gotten to explore much on the island yet and definitely not much with another person. Maybe she and Lucy could actually do some of the things she wrote about.
No, Kate stops herself. That would be weird.
Kate's thoughts are interrupted by Lucy. She’s stopped on one particular notecard and Kate hopes it’s not the one about Noah.
“This one.” Lucy says slowly. “If Noah is brought up, just turn towards me and I will handle it.”
“Whose Noah?” Lucy questions when Kate stays quiet.
“Um, my brother.” Kate says after a moment, trying to keep her face neutral, but failing.
Lucy nods, carefully setting the large stack of notecards back onto the table. “I’ll just read these later. How about that?”
Kate smiles, grateful that Lucy knew well enough to drop the subject. She hopes she actually does read them later though. She’s sure she will. Everything will go as planned if they just stick to the notecards.
Kate clears her throat.
“So.” Lucy says a few seconds later. “Grace. What’s the story with her? You said frenemies? Just want to make sure I am prepared on that front too.”
“Um. In interest of full disclosure.” Kate bites her lip nervously. “We aren’t exactly frenemies. I mean it started off that way. We were competitive, always one upping each other, wanting, needing, to be the best. But, in reality Grace eventually became one of the girls I was closest to there. She was the first one I came out to in college actually.”
“But, we haven’t talked in a while and we are still competitive, which is why I want to, I don’t know? Prove that I’m not a loner who lives in Hawai'i and has work and nothing else. I guess I just didn’t want you to think I was pathetic enough to want to lie to my own friend, even if we aren’t that close anymore.”
“I get it.” Lucy nods, pursing her lips. “I really do. And it will be fun! Like a mini undercover assignment. Without the crime of course.”
Kate finds herself giggling at Lucy’s comment. Lucy beams back at her and Kate’s heart warms at the site of those eyes. Kate stifles her laugh. Becoming apparent that Lucy isn’t just the incredibly annoying short-no tiny-NCIS agent, but is gorgeous and funny, but still tiny and annoying, NCIS agent.
In reality, this is perfect. Lucy is right. It will be like an undercover assignment. And since it’s an assignment it’s basically work. Work means no feelings. So her maybe not so hateful feelings towards Lucy can be completely compartmentalized because it’s all just for the assignment. No other reason.
Kate’s never been undercover. Of course there is no reason to be since she is in the DIA, but maybe someday if she were to switch agencies, this could be like a little test. And Kate loves tests.
“So, uh.” Kate clears her throat again. “Are you good at being undercover?”
“Oh yeah.” Lucy draws out the h. “I’m good. No. I’m excellent. Did it once at a poker game. You remember?”
“Lucy.” Kate starts her face serious now, becoming concerned of how this will actually work out. “You almost died that day.”
“Well.” Lucy tilts her head up considering this point. “There’s no guns involved this time. I hope.” She winks at Kate. “So, I think we’re in the clear.”
Kate laughs softly. What did she get herself into?