Short one-shot beta-ed by graceonce
"Zara, could I bother you with a menial task?"
"What else am I here for?"
Claire glanced up, barely missing her assistant's light smile as the woman stood from her chair, something she was sure the younger woman was willing away from the way she flushed, and she simply held her hand out as she returned her attention to her monitor, an envelope between her fingers. "Do you think you could drop this off in the mail room? I'd like it sent tonight."
"Of course, Ms. Dearing."
Zara's fingers flirted with the letter but Claire held on suddenly, almost stubbornly, and she looked up properly as her brows knotted together in light confusion, taking in the woman before her. Zara pulled lightly on her side but the redhead tightened her grip, receiving a quizzical glance-over and, finally, she relented the envelope. Zara pressed it to her ribs almost possessively.
"I'll get right on it."
"Thank you," Claire murmured. She repeated it a little louder as the woman went to close the door behind her and she received a sharp nod. She slumped back into her chair and turned in it to face her bay windows, sighing as she narrowed her eyes at the rising sun, fountain pen tapping against her thigh.
She glanced back when Zara slipped back into her office and behind her desk a minute later. She'd been placed outside the redhead's rooms before, filtering her calls and meetings, but Claire had since then moved her inside her four walls. Though the raven-haired woman always found a reason to be walking around aimlessly, phone in hand.
Zara opened her own laptop, entered her password and began continuing to work, simultaneously flipping through her paper agenda and her digital one as Claire watched her, eyes slightly narrowed and with her pen shifting in between her fingers in a smooth function.
She broke the silence. "What are you doing?"
Her assistant glanced up momentarily, hand pausing on her mouse. "April's scheduling."
"Okay."
The woman watched her for a moment longer before returning to her screen. Claire's pen continued to sway and she pushed back from her desk to cross her legs, then switched them before breathing out and placing both heels on the floor.
"What's wrong?" Zara asked, voice as smooth as her handwriting. Claire glanced up, frowning, the girl's eyes on her computer still.
"Nothing."
"Am I stressing you?" she continued. "You seem annoyed."
The redhead chewed on the inside of her cheek, blue eyes raking over the girl, and Zara looked over, an eyebrow up as she waited for an answer, stilling completely.
Claire shifted beneath her gaze and she looked back outside. "You called me Ms. Dearing," she blurted out.
Zara blinked. "I did."
"I told you it's Claire when we're alone," she added. She retreated back into her chair pitifully, almost like a child. "You know that."
"I do," the younger woman replied easily. Claire looked up. "But you liked it so much last night when I called you by your last name," she shrugged, smiling, "That I simply couldn't help myself."