Claudia was working harder than ever, but she wasn't paying any attention to what she was doing. Her mind was elsewhere, reprimanding herself severely.
What could she have possibly been thinking? She must be going crazy. No, this was not what if felt like to be crazy. It was just a momentary lapse of judgment; he was gay for crying out loud! She had ruined their friendship, would he ever talk to her again? Most likely not. It had been as much a surprise to him as it was for her. She could still remember the look of total shock on his face.
She had been sharing breakfast with Jinksy when she had said something funny and he had laughed. And then for some unknown reason (later Claudia would blame it on artifact contamination) she leaned in close to him and kissed him. He had pulled quickly away, his eyes big with shock and confusion.
"Claude?" he said barely able to make the words come, but before he could say more she ran from the room and didn't stop until she was at the warehouse where she quickly buried herself in inventory.
She was still mentally abusing herself when Steve found her; he had known that she would be in the warehouse but it had taken him awhile to find out where. It was terribly large and he had thought that he was lost several times, but he finally found her.
When Claudia noticed him walking towards he she began to hastily try and explain to him. "Jinksy, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking clearly. I must have come in contact with….."
"Claudia, be quite," Steve said as he reached her, and pulling her into his arms he kissed her, good and proper.
