Yet another bad habit she picked up from her father, she could add it to the list of; marriage to the job, barely seeing your kids, and a taste in expensive alcohol and cigarettes. The job paid well enough to rectify two of the habits, kids at boarding school- both to keep them safe and to stop Kate feeling guilt for yet another late night, but now they’re grown and she regrets missing so much; they understand now, just like she understands her father now.
She often worries she has become her father, often this worry is accompanied by cold biting her nose and fingertips as she slips a cigarette between her lips, lighting it and inhaling; a feeling of warmth in her lungs, almost uncomfortable- just enough to clear her head. She leans back against the wall; she knows better than to smoke in the house or in the office, and besides she enjoys the time outside with her plants.
She finds it outdated that smoking is still the social activity it is among the Whitehall bureaucrats, she finds it outdated that she’s offered a smoke at parties and balls and all that malarkey; she knows she should quit but god help her if she was willing to give up the feeling- a cigarette is a safety blanket among the elite and a way to hide any shyness in a crowd.
Kate enjoys checking in with her science team, she’s trying to piece together a very small team; her top dogs if you please, and she needs a scientific advisor. She walks around the labs and asks a few questions, stopping when one of them smiles, pleased.
“What are you working on?” She asks, and the scientist looks up to see her.
“A universal translator; so far I have it set up for most, if not all earth languages- I’d love to expand it into non-terrestrial at some point”.
“That sounds fascinating, and you are?”
“Osgood. Well Petronella Osgood but I prefer Osgood.”
“Lovely to meet you Osgood. I’m Kate.”
Osgood knew who Kate was, how could she not notice the incredible blonde with legs for days, also known as her new boss.
“Do you smoke? Sorry for my bluntness it’s just smoke can trigger my asthma and if it’s not you then there’s something else triggering it.” Osgood stated, reaching for her inhaler on the work bench.
Kate stepped backwards. “I do apologise, will you be okay or do I need to send for a medic?” Kate asked, turning to leave.
“I’m sure I’ll be alright.” Osgood said.
Kate didn’t bother to turn back, she was internally chastising herself for possibly putting one of her scientists in danger, unnecessary danger.
She was stood outside, coat wrapped around herself. She looked out across the Themes from her favourite spot on the roof. She made the decision to quit that day, with the last cigarette in the box currently alight in her hand. She kept trying to convince herself there wasn’t any particular reason for quitting other than the fact that she really should; especially when she has no more left. A small part of her wishes to remind her about her new scientific advisor, and how in reality she’s quitting so she doesn’t accidentally kill the pretty brunette. Where did that thought come from?
Another party, another room full of government snobs and elitist pricks, another cigarette offered to her. But this time instead of blindly accepting she lets her mind wander to the person she realises she is slowly falling for, she knows she shouldn’t; workplace relationships never work and the girl is much younger. She refuses the cigarette with no explanation and calls it a night.
Osgood brings up her “newfound passion for being in the lab” and Kate shrugs it off with a hasty explanation.
“Well I decided to quit smoking, so now I come down here instead.” Kate said, leaving out how she quit smoking for Osgood and how she seeks out Osgood’s company when she would want to smoke. She doesn’t miss Osgood’s smile and soft “I’m proud of you Kate.” If anyone asked her, Kate would deny the fact she cried at those words when she got home that evening.
The time the two spent together morphed into a proper friendship, they spent every minute they could in work together, and soon it changed to also spending every moment they could outside of work together. Osgood, in a moment of bravery, pressed a quick kiss to Kate’s lips one evening as Kate was walking her home.
“Sorry if I overstepped or read it wrong I-“
Kate cut her off with first a finger to Osgood’s lips, then she replaced her finger with her own lips and held on to Osgood’s shoulders.
It wasn’t until much further into their relationship, cuddled up on the sofa with Osgood’s head in her lap that Kate confessed. She’d probably drank too much but she just had to tell Osgood anyway.
“I gave up smoking for you, the day I met you I decided I would.”
“I know Katie, and I’m proud of you.”