Lana was not having a good day.
In theory, she was making headway with Kalinda. They continued their verbal swordplay every time they saw one another, and had honed it down to an artful oral foreplay. But definitely not oral in the sense that Lana was looking for.
How could Kalinda stay so cool? Lana was no stranger to keeping her cool. She had years of closeted dating under her belt-at the FBI, no less. But Kalinda managed to be cooler. If it weren't for the rare micro-expression that Kalinda let slip - a tightened muscle in her jaw, a slight widening of the eyes - Lana would think she had absolutely no effect on the young investigator's libido.
This did not hold true for Kalinda's effect on Lana's libido-hence her not so good day. She was in a coffee shop, trying to enforce a death grip on her errant thoughts before attending a meeting around the corner at Lockhart Gardner. The last time she and Kalinda were in the same room, Kalinda had been begging for her life. But before that, Oh, before that Kalinda had her hands between Lana's legs, and it seemed as though, finally, the frustration and longing that had been building and building for two years would have its release. But Lana would not think about it, she would not think about kissing Kalinda, leaning into her fingers, begging with her body for more.
Okay, so much for not thinking about it. Distractedly, Lana checked her cellphone. CRAP! 7:55. She needed to be down the block and in that meeting in five minutes. Her strategy of making the other party wait wouldn't work this time. She was already halfway out the door, her long legs eating up the pavement at a brisk pace.
The meeting was to be a joint one with a litigator from the public defender's office: Donna something-or-other. Supposedly the defense attorneys and Donna would be working together to assist Lana in her investigation into corruption among select judges. But, in the legal system, leaving two of three parties alone for even a few minutes could result in alliances formed and leverage lost.
By the time Lana reached L-G's posh waiting area, her thoughts were focused due in no small part to the minor exertion. Brief though it was, the walk had managed to raise her heartbeat enough to pull blood into her extremities-and away from the more intimate areas it had begun to pool.
"Agent Delaney? The partners are expecting you, right this way." Lana followed the receptionist into the same room she had been in for the Arkin case. She had anticipated the seating arrangement would be the same, her on one side facing the partners, Kalinda lurking behind Alicia Florrick. But the receptionist walked further into the room, indicating a casual grouping of upholstered chairs. The strategy being that they had gone out of their way to have no visible strategy, everyone "equal" in the circular, nearly offhand arrangement of furniture.
Pleasantries, if you can call it that among a group of wary professionals paid to have opposing viewpoints, were exchanged, and then Lana noted aloud the two empty chairs. "Ah," Will Gardner did that half-smirk, half-smile thing, "Donna Seabrook just arrived, and our other junior associate, Cary Argos, is bringing her up now."
After that the room was uncomfortably silent. Lana cast about for something to focus on to keep herself from scanning the glass walls for a petite woman clutching an orange notebook. Speaking of the Devil, a small side door opened and Kalinda trotted in. Lana looked for a flicker of emotion on Kalinda's face, but no such luck.
"Agent Delaney-" Will began.
"Special Agent Delaney" Lana corrected.
"Of course, well, I believe you know Ms. Sharma?"
"Our paths have crossed a few times in past investigations, yes." Lana gave a courteous nod.
Two people hovered at the doorway. The younger one, a man, said "I don't think there are many people in Chicago whose paths haven't crossed Kalinda's." This must be Cary Argos. He was smirking appreciatively at Kalinda, and Lana immediately disliked him. The woman at his side bristled as well. Lana followed the woman's slightly too intense gaze to where it rested on Kalinda. The woman said, someone stiltedly, "Yes, but it's a much smaller number who are aware of their paths crossing." Awkward silence ensued before the woman continued, "Sorry I'm late. . .search warrant issues…." The two newcomers seated themselves, and Kalinda leaned against the nearest glass wall.
The unlikely combination of legal minds settled into talking about the goals of this pseudo task force, eventually engaging animatedly enough for Lana to sneak glances at Kalinda. For most of the meeting Kalinda wore her usual look, disinterest with just a dash of condescension. Occasionally though, and this perturbed Lana, Kalinda was looking over at Donna Seabrook.
An hour of relatively meaningful work passed before they all decided to take a break and check in with their respective lackeys. Since Kalinda was right there in the room, the partners and Alicia simply gathered by the door and spoke in hushed tones. After calling her office, Lana decided to make nice with this Donna girl and see how she knew Kalinda.
Lana knew, in her head, that people found her attractive, but she always felt a bit awkward when she attempted to actively wield it, like maybe it was obvious she was trying. If she liked someone she would come on strong or not at all, and she generally felt quite bold. But this game of flirtation and subtext, that did not come naturally to her. Still, perhaps she could get a read on Donna's sexual proclivities. She angled up to the public defender and invaded her space slightly to pull a white styrofoam cup off the table. "Coffee?" Lana inquired, holding out the cup.
The woman smiled, "Thanks, but I'm more of a tea drinker."
"In your job? How can you hack it?" Lana gave her what she hoped was a gentle smile and poured coffee into the cup she had just offered.
"Oh, it was hard at first, but now I feel great." Donna picked up her plate with its half-eaten bagel and made a little "shall we" motion to the other side of the room. They settled against the wall opposite the L-G group, and both woman looked with careful disinterest at Kalinda and Cary. Lana broke the silence first.
"So, when last did your 'path cross' with the mysterious Kalinda?"
The other woman's eyes got that shuttered look that happens just before an informant clams up, but Lana was not a new player to the game of eliciting information, inept flirting or not.
She nudged the woman playfully and adopted a mock-ominous tone, "That you know of, that is…." A strategically timed arched eyebrow thrown in at the end seemed to break through a bit of Donna's tension.
"Oh, we worked together at the State Attorney's office."
Lana managed not to sigh in relief. That was normal enough. Work. I mean, in the legal game in this town everyone eventually met everyone, right?
But there seemed a hint of jealousy when Donna turned the question around, "And you?"
Lana played it off, "Oh, you know how it is, she has a knack for picking up the smallest grains of information. I guess you could say at the end of the day she's helped the Bureau nearly as much as she's harmed it." She risked a look at Donna, who seemed a bit undecided, so Lana decided to punt the attention to another party. She leaned in conspiratorially and gave a pointed look to in Cary's direction. "Think he's, er, crossed paths, with Kalinda outside of Lockhart Gardner?"
Donna definitely reacted to that question, but her expression was inscrutable. She seemed to be reevaluating Cary, looking at how his glance slid over to Kalinda every few moments.
Donna spoke, clearly making an effort to sound casual, "Could be, though my money would have been on the other junior associate."
Lana felt her whole body want to tense, but she couldn't let herself show her cards the way Donna had begun to show her own. So, it wasn't just her jealous paranoia, someone else had noticed too. Noticed the way Kalinda was around Alicia. Almost. . .softer, somehow.
After the meeting ended, Lana lingered in the lobby holding what was already (and certainly unwisely) her third coffee of the day. When she saw a flash of orange in her peripheral vision, she pushed off from the pillar she was leaning against and followed Kalinda outside. Outside, and then across the street to the park, before Kalinda turned around and acknowledged her with the smallest quirk of her lips.
Lana struggled to reign in the mega-watt smile she wanted to give Kalinda. She cleared her throat and decided to continue the morning's metaphor with Kalinda.
"So, how many of the people in that room have you 'crossed paths with'?" With an effort, Lana managed not to hold her breath.
Kalinda rolled her eyes. And this set Lana off.
"That Donna noticed too-she suggested it on her own. So are you really going to insult my intelligence by telling me it's just my jealous paranoia?."
Kalinda didn't bother to fully conceal her irritation. "No. I'm telling you it's both of your jealous paranoias." She scowled and began to walk quickly across the park.
With her long legs, it should have been easier for Lana to head Kalinda off, but she was mentally stalled on a detail of what Kalinda had just said, and it took her a moment to catch up and fall in step with Kalinda. By now, L-G was nowhere in sight, and they were nearly to a small cropping of trees at the far end of the park. Maybe it was just jealousy, or maybe the caffeine overload made her reckless, but Lana decided to push the issue. "So, she has reason to be jealous? You were involved with someone there?"
Kalinda didn't answer, even when they reached the relative shelter of the copse and she turned to face Lana. Lana continued, but forced herself to infuse playfulness into her question, though it was unlikely Kalinda would be fooled, "How many people in that room have you-"
Kalinda interrupted, "Just one, okay."
Lana wasn't buying it, "You really expect me to believe I'm the only one . . ."
Kalinda gave a faux-startled look, "Oh, my mistake, I guess people have different definitions of how much is considered "crossing paths". The exaggerated air quotes Kalinda made would have seemed melodramatic done by anyone. But, mimed by someone as even keel as Kalinda it made Lana feel childish to be bickering over the fine points of an overworked euphemism. Lana bit her lip, and looked up with a sort of embarrassed contrition, albeit a a contrition still laced with jealousy.
Kalinda felt a small building of heat in her gut. It wasn't a turn-on every time Lana bit her lip (Lana was far too artless at flirting to fool Kalinda when she was trying to manipulate her libido). But times like now, when Lana's face had that rare open quality, it really did a number on Kalinda's normally bear-trap-like composure. She relented, just a bit. "Donna and I. . .I guess she would say we dated."
Hurt flashed across Lana's face so briefly that you'd have to have the observation skills of Kalinda's profession to note it. Lana said slowly, "And what would you say?"
Kalinda tilted her head and considered. "She dated me, and i tried to date her."
Now Lana just looked confused. As always happened when her curiosity was piqued, Lana unconsciously dipped her head closer to Kalinda's, "What does that even mean?"
Kalinda paused, then "We did couple-y stuff, at her behest, but I couldn't keep it up."
Now it was Lana's turn to consider, "Did you live together?"
Kalinda gave a delicate snort, and Lana visibly relaxed. She gave off so much more vulnerability than she realized. This lack of awareness on Lana's part, coupled with the tough-girl act she put on, was probably one of the things about Lana that most disarmed Kalinda.
Kalinda slowly reached out and took hold of the belt from Lana's coat. She gave a playful tug and used it to pull Lana deeper into the trees. She intentionally blocked herself in, with a tree near her back and the FBI agent just in front of her. This was what really got Lana hot, Kalinda knew. The possibility of dominating Kalinda dangled there, with her needing only to reach out and take it. Kalinda wouldn't walk any closer to Lana, and she wouldn't lean against the tree. The agent so rigidly controlled and suppressed her sexuality all the time, so Kalinda was presenting her with something she knew Lana would find simultaneously irresistible and terrifying. She was holding out the opportunity to be the romantic aggressor, but compelling her to break her own rules of self control.
Lana was nailed to the spot. They were in a public place. Sure, the trees were thick enough here that they couldn't see anyone (and, presumably, no one could see them) and with the traffic muffled by the leaves, and with Kalinda staring her down with her ray gun gaze, it was easy to feel they were in private. And Lana wanted it, wanted to do. . . private things with Kalinda.
Kalinda gave her a knowing smile and leaned in for a kiss that barely grazed Lana's lips. She hovered there for a moment, eyes laughing openly at Lana's frustration, then leaned forward to whisper in Lana's ear. "You seem. . .confused." That word was a jolt to Lana's groin and she knew Kalinda knew it. It brought back flashes from the storage unit, from Kalinda pressing her body flush with Lana's, kissing her neck, her, jaw. . .
In the present, in the park, Kalinda was leaning in again, but she left enough space to fiddle with the large coat button set between Lana's breasts. Lana felt her nipples harden, aching forward for contact with this woman who drove her completely crazy. She reminded herself to breath, to do so slowly, but it still came out like a tortured sigh. Kalinda went for the jugular, literally, nuzzling Lana just below the ear. Lana felt goosebumps rise up on her skin where she felt Kalinda's breathe, "Are you?"
It took Lana a moment to register she was being asked something, to make her mouth move and deliver the brilliant response, "Huh?" She felt Kalinda reposition herself, so one foot was on either side of Lana's left one. Then she came in for the kill. "Are. . .you. . .confused?" As Kalinda started to pull back, Lana felt her punctuate the question by brushing her lips against the place Lana's earlobe met her cheek.
Lana broke. She couldn't take it. Framing Kalinda's face with her hands, Lana kissed her like Kalinda was hiding the meaning of life somewhere on her tongue. In this damnable Chicago spring, it was cool enough that they were both wearing too many layers for Lana to merely slip a hand in to feel Kalinda's softest skin. She settled for over the clothes, pushing Kalinda against the tree trunk, cupping her breasts and moaning delicately into her mouth.
In the storm of sensation Lana found herself embroiled in, she hadn't noticed Kalinda undo a button on her coat, but she sure as hell felt it when Kalinda's icy fingers began negotiating the waistline of Lana's skirt. The coldness felt amazing on her flushed skin, and would have added to the moment if it hadn't also brought Lana back to herself. She broke away, glancing around furtively.
Kalinda stared at Lana. They both needed to catch their breaths. When Lana spoke, it was the same old question as always, and, as always, worded as an imperative. The more turned on Lana got, it seemed, the more everything Kalinda-related became imperative. "Have dinner with me tonight."
"No." Sometimes Kalinda said yes, and sometimes she said no. She didn't actually decide the answer to this regular question along any sort of strategy, not than Lana would believe her. It was just instinctual, part of their foreplay. Foreplay that had yet to see fruition. Kalinda was good at prolonging the wanting, the needing, the aching, but fuck if she wasn't tired of prolonging.
Lana tried again, "Have dinner with me tomorrow night." It was almost a question this time, and Kalinda could see Lana's insecurity struggling against her lust. No doubt Lana was mentally biting her lip. Kalinda decided she could afford to give Lana some encouragement. She fingered a button quite low on Lana's coat and said, "I won't be hungry for food."
A little noise of desire escaped Lana's lips. She stared intently in Kalinda's eyes. "Tonight, my house." Kalinda could see the battle of wills playing out on Lana's face, Lana couldn't meet Kalinda's eyes very long without glancing at her lips. Kalinda put her hands on Lana's upper arms, she could feel the coiled energy there, throbbing to be released. Kalinda sounded far more composed than she felt, "Aren't you going to tell me where you live?" Lana pulled away slowly, like it was painful (it probably was), and gave a low laugh, "Somehow, I think you'll find it okay."