Cosima isn't quite sure of how she got here: sitting side-by-side with the woman she has both fawned over and completely despised since she started working at her job twelve, long months ago. Cosima isn't quite sure why Delphine picked her, of all people, to get married to. Maybe it was just "perfect timing?" But no, there's nothing perfect about this entire situation.
Sure, Delphine wasn't the worst boss, but she was pretty close– Cosima never had time off, she was on-call at all hours of the day and night, not to mention the absurd number of times Delphine managed to cockblock her when things were heating up outside of work. As far as Cosima knew, Delphine was straight; hell– Delphine was as straight as they came, with hair always flat-ironed, nails painted a deep shade of crimson, as if she were out for blood, and an accent that could far too easily tear down the resolve of any man or woman within ear-shot. So when Delphine looked at Cosima that one morning, with a look of pure awe that immediately turned into something much more sinister, the secretary knew she was fucked.
"Cosima, come here," commanded the Frenchwoman slyly, pointing to the spot beside her, faux kindness seeping through her teeth with every lilt painfully coating her words. The brunette gaped at her superior with furrowed brows.
"I should really go… I have this paperwork–"
"Come here, Cosima," Delphine repeated, cutting the woman off, frustration becoming more and more prominent with every errant piece of blonde hair that fell into the Frenchwoman's line of sight.
Cosima merely stood there, gawking at the other woman, attention eventually shifting to her other superiors in the room– the big bosses, CEO and Department Chair. Delphine sighed, marching towards Cosima and grabbing her small, clammy hand, forcing the woman to accompany her back to the center of the room.
Cosima would be lying if she told you that having her hand held by Delphine wasn't something she fantasized about often, but still, she couldn't shake how forced this felt– was.
Cosima tried to free herself from Delphine's grip casually, but Delphine stubbornly threaded their hands together, smiling down at the shorter woman, and widening her eyes challengingly as if to say, 'stop squirming, or else.'
"We have something to tell you," offered Delphine to the two men across the room, upon tearing herself away from Cosima's gaze.
"We do?" Croaked Cosima so that only Delphine could hear. The other woman simply tightened her grip on the dreadlocked woman's hand to shut her up, before continuing.
"We didn't want to announce it this way but…" Delphine trailed off, glancing down at Cosima vulnerably, removing her hand from Cosima's and opting to throw it around Cosima's shoulder instead, pulling her closer in the process. "We are getting married."
"Cosima choked on her own spit at that, trying to pry the taller woman off of her, only to feel Delphine's grip constrict against her bicep, crimson nails digging in to the flesh found there.
"We are very excited and happy, right, Mon Cherie?" Delphine rubbed the American's shoulder, attempting, in vain, to soothe the half-moon crescents her nails had left.
Cosima concealed her yelp with a gulp, looking up into Delphine's demanding, hazel eyes. The brunette closed her eyes incredulously, asking a deity she didn't believe in, 'why,' and to give her strength, before verbally addressing the equally shocked men before them.
"Yeah. Obvs. Totally happy and excited." Feeling the Frenchwoman's posture relax a little, Cosima brazenly added, "I mean, who wouldn't want to shack up with this one?" She jabbed a thumb in the blonde's direction, "I mean, she's totally hot."
At that, the taller woman became frighteningly still, forcing Cosima to wonder if she managed to turn the notoriously branded, 'Ice Queen' into stone.
The two men chuckled heartily, one a little more forcefully. The Department Chair directed his attention to Delphine, "Ms. Cormier, isn't Ms. Niehaus your secretary? That's highly unprofessional, no?"
Delphine snorted humorlessly, her smile barely reaching the sunspots in her eyes, "well, I suppose I wouldn't be the first to fall for their secretary, isn't that right, Ferdinand?" Delphine bit her bottom lip before adding, "it's inevitable, non? Both of us being single with all the late nights in the office… and only the company of one another." Cosima caught the other woman's look of artificial affection before watching her quickly revert her attention back to the Brit.
Biting his cheek, Ferdinand surrendered to Delphine's pointed comment before offering the group a noncommittal, "mmm."
The CEO clapped his hands gleefully, grinning wildly at the 'engaged' couple. "Delphine, I must admit, I had no idea you were seeing anyone, let alone gay–"
"–bisexual. I'm bisexual," corrected Delphine boldly.
"Ah, I see. Well, we all knew of Cosima's preference–" Cosima snorted while the man continued, "–with her gawking at you all the time like a lovesick puppy." Attacked by a fit of laughter no one else in the room seemed to be affected by, the older man regained his composure, adding, "I hope you'll excuse me, this just has to be the most surprising thing I've heard in the past 10 years on the job." The man sighed, shaking his head nostalgically, "well, I hope you both maintain some level of production now that the cat's out of the bag."
It was Delphine's turn to chuckle now, this time releasing a genuine melody of laughter, causing Cosima, in turn, to grin, pink tongue poking out from between her white teeth. "Of course, Dr. Leekie. We are professionals," Delphine nodded, tone dropping to a more serious level, "are we good now?"
"Delphine, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Aldous?" Smiling, his eyes traveled between the two women, "of course, we're good. Just make it official. Soon."
Cosima's eyes grew twice their original size as she moved to stop her glasses from sliding off her nose. "Uhm… what?"
Aldous directed his attention back at the dreadlocked woman before lifting his left hand from the surface of his desk and wiggling his ring finger. "Make it legal, Ms. Niehaus. We're on a tight timeline." Condescending Bastard.
Cosima nodded slowly, eyes glossing over as she imagined what exactly she was to do.
"Of course, we'll head to the immigration office at the end of the day," offered the blonde, beginning to walk out of Aldous Leekie's office with Cosima in tow.
"Ms. Cormier, why don't you and your fiancé take the rest of the day off? Celebrate, get the paperwork done, relax; this is a momentous occasion," asserted Leekie with another 'full of it' smile plastered on his face.
"That is not nec–"
"Delphine," silenced Leekie coldly, "I insist. This paperwork needs to be done."
"Thank you, Dr. Lee– Aldous," Delphine smiled before directing her attention to the other man standing by his side, "Ferdinand."
As the women walked out of the office, the Brit offered the phoniest attempt at a "congratulations" Cosima has ever head. It wasn't until the door shut to Leekie's office that Cosima realized Delphine still had her arm around her. Moving from underneath her clutches, Cosima stared at Delphine, waiting for an explanation.
The Frenchwoman rolled her eyes at Cosima's expectant expression before strutting away, the sway of her hips temporarily distracting Cosima from all the incredulous stares her coworkers were shooting her. Once she finally began trailing after her boss, she could hear the murmurs of disbelief springing from within the labyrinth of cubicles in the center of the office floor.
"Nice, Niehaus."
"What the fuck? We were supposed to get coffee today."
"Didn't she cancel a date with you last night because of Ms. Cormier?"
"Ugh, yeah. I fucking hate players."
"I honestly didn't see Cosima as one…"
"Makes total sense now. No one in their right mind would work for that woman with this pay."
"How long do you think they've been together?"
"I mean, the whole time, definitely. Her job has shitty pay and she literally has the shittiest job. Imagine working with boss ass bitch Cormier all day?"
"What a waste."
"I need a porno of them like yesterday."
"That's fucking disgusting, bro."
"Nah, it's nature."
"The Ice Queen, really? Cosima could do better."
"You think so? I mean, she is really fucking hot."
"Yeah, but Cosima is so… lively and positive. It's so different from…"
"The Ice Queen?"
"Yeah, exactly."
"Ms. Cormier is gay? Plot twist of the year."
"No way, maybe bisexual?"
"I mean, this is Cosima... Cosima could turn anyone."
"True… I mean, I'd totally hook up with her."
"You do realize we're exclusive, right? Sandy?"
"Relax, Ryan. I'm just saying she's attractive."
"Mmmm. Kay, whatever, babe."
Cosima did the best to avoid the stares of her peers, her cheeks flushing in the process, mind spinning.
"What the fuck was that?" Questioned Cosima the second the door to Delphine's office clicked shut behind her.
"Excuse me! I am still your boss; you will watch the way you speak to me. Do I make myself clear?" retorted Delphine assertively.
Cosima kept her face neutral, only nodding once the Frenchwoman raised an eyebrow challenging the brunette to respond in any way other than positive.
"Good."
Delphine rolled behind her desk and began organizing the files Cosima hurriedly tossed there earlier.
"Excuse me? Are you going to explain what's going on?" Cosima spoke a little louder this time, the Frenchwoman meeting her eyes, annoyance sizzling on her skin.
Delphine pursed her lips, the mound of flesh demanding Cosima's complete attention before speaking smoothly. "We are getting married." Cosima folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow demandingly. Sighing, Delphine submitted herself to Cosima's demands for information. "My Visa is expiring and I cannot renew it for another year. Meaning I'd get deported and sent back to France. The only I can keep my job is by marrying an American, i.e. you." Delphine restacked the files in front of her before adding, "you're the only choice I have…"
Cosima blew out a large breath of air, biting her cheek and shaking her head unbelievably, dreads casually swaying from side to side. "I'm your only choice?"
"Merde. I don't spend enough time with anyone else here… and you walked in at the perfect moment. I had no idea what I was going to do," offered Delphine sincerely.
"Ms. Cormier, I get that we live in Cali, but that doesn't make it okay to fake a gay relationship– let alone a gay marriage. Forget about the fact that this shit is hella illegal and I could go to jail, I just can't get fake married to another woman," Cosima finished exasperatedly.
Delphine had to catch her mouth from falling open, managing just in time to trap her bottom lip between pearly white teeth. "But you're gay?"
Cosima was speechless, not because she couldn't think of a decent response, but because she had too much to say– vulgar words and spiteful comments tumbling over and around one another inside her brain. "No, Ms. Cormier– I mean, yes, I'm gay but–" she sighed, sliding her palms down the length of her own face in frustration. "California started allowing gay couples to get marriage licenses in 2008. It's not even bad enough for you that I'm– that we're breaking the law, but you have to completely shit on the LGBTQ community in the process as well? Frankly, that's bullshit and I refuse to abandon my values to protect someone who has done very little good for me."
Delphine scoffed, sliding her fingers through her straight hair. "They wanted to give Rachel Duncan my position, Cosima."
The brunette's eyes widened as she shook her head disbelievingly. "And? What about it?"
"I fired her this morning."
"So this is a pride thing," retorted Cosima.
"No. This is a professional thing. For me and for you." The shorter woman remained unconvinced, prompting Delphine to continue. "For the past year, you have been working for me, non? Getting my coffee, fetching my dry-cleaning, scheduling my appointments, traveling with me, running to buy me tampons at 2 in the morning, running out on dates to answer my every beck and call." Cosima remained frozen in place, staring at her superior with a blank expression that offered the Frenchwoman no hint as to what the tiny American was thinking. "And what would the point of all that have been if Rachel takes my place, hmmm? You know she will fire you to spite me and your dreams of becoming a writer will be gone. You'll be back at the starting line in your early 30s with nothing to show for yourself. Is that what you want?"
Cosima submitted begrudgingly, agreeing to go forth with Delphine's absurd and immoral plan. They traveled to the immigration office only to find that their case was to be monitored by an agent in order to ensure that the marriage was, in fact, valid; and that's how the pair ended up on a plane to Canada to see Cosima's family and have their wedding. Their assigned agent was to arrive for the ceremony and conduct an investigation on behalf of the United States.
The 7-47 rattled, jarring Cosima from sleep and attention to the trembling woman beside her.
"Ms. Cormier? Are you okay?"
"Merde. I forgot how much I hate flying," commented the blonde as the plane hit another pocket of turbulence.
Maybe in other circumstances, Cosima would've laughed at her boss; seeing a figure of power who tormented her for close to a year, being tormented in return with something as trivial as a shaking seat. Cosima could only grimace at the look of fear on the Frenchwoman's face.
"C'mere," whispered Cosima softly, taking Delphine's right hand in hers, stroking her pale knuckles with her thumb. Delphine stared at their hands for a long moment, fighting off the thought that Cosima's hand fit far too perfectly in hers. Knuckles painted white, Delphine's left hand remained planted on the armrest beneath her, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
"Hey, concentrate on my breathing, okay? In… out… in… out, you can keep your eyes closed, you're doing great," commended Cosima, her warm breath tickling the skin on Delphine's milky neck.
Delphine shut her eyes again, following Cosima's gentle commands, feeling warm inside from the careful attention the brunette was kindly offering her.
"Hey, scaredy cat? You can open your eyes now." And Delphine did, immediately finding Cosima's eyes and voluntarily getting lost inside them. "How are you feeling?" Cosima inquired, dipping her head to better inspect the rest of Delphine's body was coping with the anxiety.
Delphine became painfully aware of how dry her throat as she was trying to formulate speech. As Delphine swallowed a few times, she couldn't help but notice Cosima's attentive stare roaming her body. She reveled in how the dreadlocked woman's chocolate irises outlined every dip and curve of her own trembling body and how, as Delphine took one deep breath, Cosima's eyes found purchase on the creamy expanse of skin on her chest, sprinkled with birthmarks her mother reassured her were as beautiful as the constellations mapping the sky.
"Bon."
Cosima's eyes traveled up Delphine's face at an agonizingly slow pace. Cosima took note of how Delphine's lip was, once again, trapped beneath her canines, before flicking up to meet Delphine's glossy gaze. "Just good?"
"Mmm c'est vrai, très bon," surrendered Delphine, playfully nudging Cosima with the side of her head.
Cosima snickered, poking her tongue beneath her teeth playfully before nodding her head reassuringly. "Awesome, sauce. Glad to be of service, Ms. Cormier."
The brunette looked away, turning to face the window as her thumb continued to run soothing circles over the back of the Frenchwoman's palm. Cosima was almost fully enraptured by the sight of all the green trees whizzing past them below, when she heard the unmistakable French lilt whisper her name.
"Hmm?" Cosima whipped around, offering a smile to the woman beside her as Delphine licked her lips subconsciously. Cosima chose to ignore the pink muscle that traveled along the plush flesh of Delphine's lips, keeping her eyes locked onto Delphine's hazel eyes. She looked stunning with her hair braided up and light make-up contouring her perfect face. Delphine's black, button-down shirt was open at the top, revealing a small section of her chest. She wore a dark pair of maroon skinny jeans that made Cosima want to take a long, cold shower, and a charcoal belt that allowed her to tuck in her shirt, advertising her impeccable waistline.
"Call me Delphine." The words were soft and came across timid, shocking the brunette to her core. It was as if the Parisian was afraid of what? Rejection?
Smiling, Cosima nodded cheerfully, "Delphine." As Cosima tested out the name on her tongue, the Frenchwoman felt lighter than air. She never allowed her subordinates to call her by her first name, and even having Cosima as an assistant for a year didn't prepare her for this new level of "personal;" as trivial as it sounded. Her face became flushed and Cosima grinned wickedly at the sight of it, proud of this newfound effect she seemed to have on the blonde.
"Merci."
The plane was silent except for the occasional announcements from the pilot and crew. Delphine was about to close her eyes when her seat shook once more, teeth rattling at the rapid and unexpected fluctuation in altitude.
"P-putain d-d-de Merde!" Delphine squeaked as the final jolts of the turbulence receded into a flat-line.
Cosima ignored the daggers fellow passengers shot at Delphine as she, herself, remained motionless, staring at their hands. Although Delphine's right hand never left the confines of her own, it was the introduction of Delphine's second appendage that rendered Cosima speechless. Hands now enveloped by Delphine's, Cosima noted the gleaming band circling one of Delphine's long, slim fingers– her engagement ring.
"It's okay, Del," soothed Cosima with a shaky breath, causing the woman she was addressing to turn and meet her face. It was then that Cosima realized how close Delphine's lips were… she barely caught the words of 'thanks' rolling off the appendage claiming all her attention, when the other woman's head shifted forward and rested on her shoulder.
"Wake me up when we land?"
The bespectacled woman offered her an affirmative "mmmhm" before they both drifted off into a blissful slumber.