A/N: Again, this is my first fanfic. I am super excited about it. I know where I'd like this story to go, but if you have any suggestions… suggest away! : )

DEDICATED TO: OTHangels, w1cked, tinapwet, silvrd21, Brittanyismyunicorn, kyw0202

PAIRING: Santana/Rachel, Santana/OC

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee…

Cara immediately let go of Santana's hand. Hurt and confusion apparent, she didn't know what to say. So many questions ran through her mind. She had a strange feeling that everything was about to change. An uncomfortable silence lingered. After a moment Cara finally said, "We've been officially together for a year and a half and I've been your assistant for three years. And you waited until now to tell me." It was definitely more of a statement than a question.

Santana didn't say anything. What more could she say to this woman who was so loving and understanding. Santana watched Cara. Cara was the best thing to happen to her in such a small window of time. Cara was everything Santana could want in a woman. She is kind, patient, intelligent, and absolutely beautiful.

About three years ago…

Santana had been in Philadelphia working out at the Bellevue Sporting Club with her best friend and NFL superstar, wide receiver, Noah Puckerman. "Come on Puck, I know you can lift more than that." Santana teased as she spotted Puck bench pressing 225 lbs. (approx. 115.67 kg).

"Lopez, I can essentially lift two of you. So watch it."

Santana laughed. She missed her friend. Between getting her firm off the ground and Puck recovering from an injury during the off-season they hardly spent any time together, so when Puck invited Santana to the "City Of Brotherly Love" for an extended weekend she didn't hesitate to take him up on his offer. Santana appreciated Philadelphia; it was a nice bridge between Lima and NYC. It's severely understated and devastatingly misunderstood.

"Hey are you still looking for an assistant?" Puck asked as he lifted himself up from his place under the bar.

"Yes. Why? Are you going to give up your homoerotic dream position as a wide receiver to make Starbucks runs and do my laundry?"

Puck glared at Santana. "Ha-ha. Very funny. Actually a good friend of mine just graduated from NYU and is looking for a job."

"Puck, first, I don't know about your friends… and how is it that you have a "very good friend" graduating from NYU? I thought we had that conversation about you leaving the undergrads alone and boinking guys your own age?"

Puck glared at Santana again.

"Lopez, I don't boink, as you say undergrads from NYU… I heeded your suggestion. Which is why I only deal with guys from Penn and Princeton." Puck said smugly.

Santana swatted Puck on his left arm.

"That aside Lopez, she is definitely not my type."

"Wha-I thought I was the only woman in your life."

"You're gonna have to learn how to share Lopez."

"Anyway. Tell me more about this girl."

"She's so nice and super smart. Driven. A bit conceited, but she's a good girl."

"So what you're saying is that she is a socially promiscuous, spoiled brat who needs a job so that she can declare her independence from her overzealous parents?"

"Riiight." Puck said not sure how to respond. Puck loved Santana dearly, but some time felt she cared too much about aesthetics. No wonder she's an architect/interior designer obsessed with aesthetics. Puck thought to himself.

"Have the kid send me her resume."

"Will do. She's out of the country right now, but she'll be back by the time your office is finished."

"Ok. Let me know. I'll keep the position open in the meantime."

Two months later…

"Let's go Lo, you look fine." Quinn said sitting on Santana's bed of her Chelsea apartment.

"Fine Q?" Santana says as she looks at herself in the mirror for what seemed like the 28th time. "I look hot."

"Fine. You look hot. Now let's go." Quinn said as she gently pulled Santana through her bedroom and out of the apartment.

Santana relented. Twenty minutes later they were outside of one of New York City's premier lesbian clubs. As they walked inside of the club Santana stopped in her steps. She laid eyes on one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen in her life. They immediately locked eyes. A surge of electricity coursed through Santana's body. There was no way that she had felt that alone. It was way too strong for one source to hold so much power.

Santana's reverie didn't last much longer as Quinn pulled her arm and over to bar opposite the dance floor. "Q, what the hell?" Santana said as she jerked from Quinn's grasp. "Oh, come on Lo you totally look like someone set your star alight. I can see the shine emitting from you. You all right lite-brite?" Quinn looked over to Santana's previous line of vision. Damn. Quinn thought. The woman was flawless. "Some effect she's having on Lo." She said to herself. "I haven't seen her this bright since…" Quinn interrupted her own thoughts. She couldn't even mention her name. The thought of what happened few years ago still makes her ache for her friend's loss.

"Q. Snap out of it let's dance."

"You want to dance with me or with her?"

"Um… you. Let's go."

Santana and Quinn had a good night. Santana drank much more than they probably should have. For some reason Santana had the giggles. To her everything was funny. The onlooker appreciated the adorable giggles that were accompanied by a beautiful smile. She walked over to the beautiful twosome. "Hello." She said. Santana's giggles immediately stopped. She looked at the woman and continued to giggled. The woman thought it was the most melodious giggle she had ever heard. "I'm C.B." she extended her hand to Santana. Santana stopped giggling. She looked at the women's hand ignored it and pulled her in for a kiss. The kiss was gentle when it should have been sloppy. It was gentle when it should have been rough. It was almost perfect. Quinn stood there shocked at what her friend had done. Santana had never been so forward, well, at least not since… Quinn pulled herself from her thoughts and gently pulled Santana away from C.B.'s lips.

"I'm so sorry about my friend."

"It's quite all right."

"I'm sorry, but we really should get going."

"Sure." The woman said a little dejected

"717-456-0945."

"Excuse me?"

"Lo's number: 717-456-0945."

"717-456-0945. Got it."

"Have a good night."

"You too."

Monday morning came too quickly and was nearly a disaster for Santana. There were remnants from her Sunday hangover. But she had to pull herself together because she was interviewing for a new assistant. She could kill Quinn for letting drink too much. But since that couldn't happen because she had to prepared for a meeting so she pushed the thought aside and finished off her Americano.

Since SanLo Designs was just starting up Santana's core group consisted of herself, Quinn-her lawyer, a contractor, two construction teams, two interns, and who would be her new assistant. Santana already had contracts four projects and a dozen consults by the time her office was completed, so an assistant was a necessity.

Santana sat at her desk once again reading over Cara Brandt's resume. She was quite impressive. For 23, the young woman had accomplished quite a bit. She had gone to NYU and majored in Architectural Design, minored in Interior Design. She had spent a good portion of the summer building houses in Ecuador, while promoting sustainable living lifestyles using their natural resources in the most effective ways. From her resume, Cara was not the person she assumed her to be—including her friendship with Puck.

There was a knock on the door. It was Jenny, her morning intern. "Santana?" She was on a first name basis with her staff. She could still be feared and respected without having a stick up her ass; besides, Ms. Lopez is her mother.

"Yes, Jenny?"

"Your 10:00 is here."

"Great. Give me five minutes and send her in."

Santana poured herself a glass of water and popped an aspirin. This headache had to go away at some point. She leaned back in her chair for a few minutes with her eyes closed. Before she could relax in her moment there was a knock on the door and she was met with a pair of hazel eyes.