Title: Midnight Blue
Paring: Adelle/Topher UST
Summery: Topher thinks too much, Adelle looks great and Reality is a security guard in a really nice tux.
AN: Pre-series.
DeWitt's dress was midnight blue, not like the crayon, but the kind seen when your grad school roommate drags you out to the middle of nowhere, and maybe the moon is out, but the stars certainty are, and the color in-between the stars are a deep rich blue.
From where he stood, the fabric is shimmery slick in the low light, a heavy silk, because contrary to what everyone thinks when they look at him, with his rumply tee's and sweater vests, he knew the difference between dressing well and dressing well.
She turned from the window, pressing the phone into her shoulder for a moment to say 'in a moment'. He nodded, and she turned back to the window and her conversation, which was made of a whole lot of yes sir and no sir's.
He can see half way down her spine in the dress. There are freckles under one shoulder or perhaps just a shadow in the dip of her scapula, but he is too far for fine detail, would have to step closer and if he took that one step, he knew he would not stop until he was near enough to press a kiss to that curve.
He ran a hands through his hair, shifted from foot to foot. So he had a tiny crush on Adelle, who didn't? Ok maybe none but him. And Dominic. And possibly Judith. Only because everyone else was afraid or detested her or some combo of both because, hey, she owned them just as surely as the actives, maybe more, because they all knew it would take one day, one toe out of line and it was game over. No cheat code, no one-ups.
He didn't take risks. He wasn't a risk taker. he was the opposite of that, he liked confront and sure things and routine. Puzzles were mysteries without risk and his job was like mapping pocket universes from swivel chair, challenging but safe.
He worried the edge of the file in his hand. But, if he were one of those guys...
"Topher, what do you need?" DeWitt asked, setting the phone down.
He laughed out of sheer nerves. "I um, need to do anther diagnostic on Alpha after the glitch during the Jackson engagement and Dominic isn't answering his phone."
"Come here." She held her hand out. He took a few steps, stopped, caught a whiff of her perfume, like jasmine and violets, swallowed the scent on his tongue as he tried to calm himself.
DeWitt arched on eyebrow at him as she stepped down one step and snatched the file out of his hand.
"So," he said, when she sat at her desk, crossing her ankles ,which only emphasized the length of her stocked legs and oh God, what if she wore garters? All he could hear was the whoosh of blood in his ears. "Going out somewhere?"
"I happen to enjoy lounging in evening wear in my spare time," she said. "Harding is receiving an award from the AMA and has requested my presence."
"Oh. Is he your...er..."
"Lord No. An active from the Seattle house has the pleasure of accompanying him tonight. I'm sure he just wants to gloat." She pushed the file to the edge of her desk.
"Good. I mean not good for you, I mean..." she stared at him, her brow folding at bit as she studied him.
"Topher" she said, in the soothing voice she used for clients. "Are you alright?"
How did he never realize how seductive her tone could be? "Yeah, just a little wired, too much espresso."
She stared at him and he could feel her filing away his appearance in the little lock box in her head, knowing when he was lying or not. he smoothed his hands over his shirt, trying to hid his reaction to her.
"Come here, Topher."
"I'm fine! I like where I am."
"You want your report, don't you?" Right. He shuffled up the short steps, planning his retreat back to his lab, and a little personal time in the server room. The edges of his fingers just about touched the matte paper when DeWitt grabbed his wrist.
Acting on instinct, he tried twisting away, but her grip was tight, her fingers circled around his wrist and her touch fired nerves all over his body.
"Topher," Adelle said, in that low rich tone, her eyes on him and he thinks that perhaps she will pull him closer, capture his lips on hers, breathe demands in his ear he cannot refuse, would not refuse as she held him still with one hand and rucked up the hem of her impeccable silk gown with the other and pushed him to his knees and then...
Reality walked in, smoothing the tuxedo jacket over his holster.
"Ma'm the car is ready." Dominic looked at the two of them, and she is distracted enough that he yanks free of her grip, grabs the file and retreated towards the elevator with a jumbled "I'll-go-run-these-diagnostics-now-while-you-and Dom-James-Bond-it-bye!"
Not until the elevators open in his domain does he he breath again.
Mr. Dominic huffed while Adelle watched Topher leave.
"He's acting weirder then normal tonight," he said, words laced with disapproval and suspicion. Naturally he would notice, Mr. Dominic was observant in so many ways, including the often erratic behavior of her head programmer.
She doubted she's the only one to notice the thinly veiled longing in Topher's eyes and adds another notch in the tally regarding her suspicions about him.
"Leave him be Mr. Dominic. I'm sure he has a lot on his mind."