The elevator doors opened and she marched out, her Louboutin heels echoing on the floor, making her presence known. As she passed by her assistant's desk, she stopped briefly to look at it. Kara was sitting in her chair, leaning over the desk, writing something. She's visibly settled in, as many new objects were placed on her table. Just from the way her things were placed she could recognize order and cleanliness were some of Kara's main priorities.
She might've not heard Cat come in, for when Cat spoke she was slightly startled.
"Kiera," she said rather stridently and Kara jumped a little from her chair. "Follow me."
She made her way into her office, knocking off her shoes and sitting down.
When she finally looked up at Kara, she was holding up a notebook and a pencil, grasping it too much perhaps, because her knuckles were white.
Noticing, she told her, "Kiera, relax, I'm not going to kill you."
Kara's mouth formed a smile, saying, "Oh, I… I'm just a little nervous. It's my first day. First days are always intense."
"Right, well then, let me fill you up on what this job consists of."
"Before we get into it, I just wanted to thank you, Miss Grant. This job is very important to me, and I'm going to do my best at it," Kara said eagerly.
"You don't have to try to win me over. I hired you because I saw the potential in you no other candidate had." Before continuing she glanced at her new assistant and she saw her look down and smile shortly. "Keep your head up, Kiera. Now; the first thing I need when I come in is a hot latte before anything else. And when I say hot, I mean really hot."
Kara scribbled something on her notepad, as Cat continued with her requests. "Whoever tries to contact me, will get to you first. You pick up the phone, no matter what, and make an appointment right after for anything: meetings, lunches, dinners, phone calls, anything. Also, whenever I tell you do reservations, you book them right away, even if you're not at work. Sometimes they're more important than they seem." Her voice sounded like she'd said this a hundred times before, but she still spoke clearly. All of these were important. Her job wasn't to scare Kara, it was to make her understand and, after all, as Kara said it herself, to learn.
Because if Kara failed, she failed too.
"When any of the departments call you up, like art, management, finances, you go. They will ask you to bring me the magazines layouts, to handle papers, bills. If there are any decisions to be made, you run them by me first."
Kara nodded, still noting down things occasionally.
"Do you have any questions?" Cat asked, as she opened her laptop and started typing.
"Not for now," she answered, sounding a bit overwhelmed.
Cat looked up at her, taking off her glasses. "I know it sounds complicated, but you'll get the hang of it quickly."
Kara smiled and nodded again, going back to her paperwork.
"Kiera?"
Kara looked back. "I need my latte," Cat said without looking up.
"Right away, Miss Grant."
In a week's time Kara seemed to be getting used to this job. Cat's latte was hot every morning, her appointments were made. She attended her meetings in time, her schedule being right every time.
Truthfully, Kara got lost a few times in her first couple of days on her way to management or such, making her task run late, Cat therefore getting annoyed.
It was nearing lunch and her head was pounding. The month's issue needed to be finished by the end of the day. Cat needed the layouts. She told Kara to go get them; for some reason the entire production was running late. They didn't have as much time in their hands as usual, and whenever that happened, it drove Cat slightly crazy. She hated not being on time, especially when it came to her work because, like any person, she liked her work recognized for her successes and achievements, not for its little flaws or delays.
Kara was already ten minutes late and that costed her a lot. So when she finally made her appearance in her boss's office, she was clenching those layouts like dear life. She was catching up with her breath as she made her way to her boss.
"Miss Grant, I'm so sorry, I… I got lost on my way to… to the Art… Department," she said panting.
She handed the needed material and as she looked over them, Cat started lecturing her. "You know, Kiera, I could make you a map on this entire building," she started cynically. "It would help you complete your tasks better and more efficiently." She could hear Kara still breathing heavily. "Except… I run this building. I run the halls you keep getting lost in and I don't exactly have the time and patience to do it. You might think we're just creating a magazine here, something people read for pure entertainment. But that's not right, is it? This is not just a magazine; it's not just something you read while you sip on your morning coffee. For many people this is guidance in life. We share interviews will successful people who tell us their secrets, their ways of reaching goals, therefore accomplishing what they've been dreaming of since age 5. People who sit at home and read this look up to us to share what all those stars and celebrities and famous people have in their sleeves that helped them get where they are today. For many people they are heroes. Well, most of them, of course. So the next time you're running late, think of all those people. Know that by fetching me these simple layouts you're actually helping in creating what those people die to read every month."
She finally looked up and said, "In such manner Kiera, learn this building. Know the hallways and know the offices like the back of your own damn hand. Remember this because you yourself said it; you want to be worthwhile? You want to share the news? You want to contribute to people's happiness? This is it. Know the road, Kiera."
Kara seemed outright remorseful. All she did was nod and leave the office. That was, after all, the only thing she could do.
In two weeks' time CatCO became Kara's second home. Since the "incident", Kara's been staying late at work with one of the IT guys, Winn. Cat was staying late at work because she had a ton of work to do every day. Kara didn't, and yet she truly made herself a map. Helped by Winn, they would walk throughout the building, Kara holding her notebook and writing down directions. As Cat noticed, she also had a very good memory, so she might've not needed that notebook that much, Cat was sure. Maybe she was just scared to not screw up again, so she brought her notebook everywhere, for reassurance.
Now whenever her boss asked, Kara would almost run off to where she was needed. The layouts were almost always brought, if not on time, earlier. Her coffee continued to be hot, her appointments and meetings were always correct and she was getting to know her assistant.
She noticed how Kara understood quickly, how she processed everything just well. She hardly asked any questions. Her desk was as organized as ever, no matter the time of day.
Kara had a very good common sense, and she started to grow more confident in herself. In her memory, in her knowledge, and not in a detestable, "I know everything" way. Even though she was a bit more confident, she was still pretty self-deprecating. Cat appreciated her modesty and her humbleness, seeing she is a hard-worker.
She was typing furiously, trying to bring the issue to the finish line. She heard a swift knock on the glass door.
"Miss Grant?" Kara's even swifter voice uttered. Her voice became one she could recognize anywhere. She heard it every day. Moreover, it became the one she heard the most.
She looked up from the article she was going through.
"I went down to James's office to bring you the final cover and inside photos, but they weren't ready yet."
They weren't running late this time, but they were close to. "He's not ready yet? He's always the one to finish first, before the deadline." Her voice grew to slightly a dismayed one.
"He said he had a personal matter, but he would be done by tonight. Also, I went down to the reporters' room because I heard they had some kind of a problem with an article about Supergirl and I helped them out on that," she said, somewhat anxiously.
"Why are you telling me all of these?" she asked before having time to process what she actually told her.
"You said to run everything I do past you, and I thought well you didn't need to know when I go to bathroom, but you do need to know if I interact with the editorial department, as it's one of the most important ones."
Cat had too much new information crowding her head. First off she had done things in advance, without Cat having to ask her? Second, she helped the editorial crew? As far as she knew, those people didn't really like the interference of other people, especially assistants. And thirdly… Supergirl? Kara Danvers knew Supergirl?
She didn't know whether she should be infuriated because Kara didn't wait for her requests or because she helped out the editorial crew or because she didn't tell her she knew National City's hero.
Truthfully, she was impressed; truly impressed this time. Kara started doing things in advance. She helped where there was a problem. She was evolving.
Seeing she didn't say anything, just staring in the wall and thinking, Kara said, "Miss Grant, I'm sorry if I crossed a line, I didn't mean to. I… I was just trying to help out. I thought that by doing my tasks ahead, you wouldn't have to tell me to go; I could just have them ready when you needed them. I thought we could save some time," she said.
"Then why do you sound insecure?" Cat shot back.
Kara furrowed her brow, saying, "I'm not insecure, I'm… I wasn't sure what you would say. And noting you didn't say anything, I thought I did something really bad."
"You did something really good, Kiera. And you're right, we saved time this way. Now, why didn't you tell me you personally knew Supergirl?"
"I… I didn't tell you I knew Supergirl," Kara said, starting to tense.
"And then how did you help out the writers?"
Kara didn't say anything; she was searching for the right words. But in her case, there were no right words.
"So unless you know her or you… are her, how else would you know details of her battle?" Cat was sneaky and provocative, knowing this was hard on Kara.
"No, I'm not, but… yes, I know her. We're close."
"Hmm, interesting. Good to know," she concluded and before saying anything else, she glanced at Kara's knuckles. They were bruised; red, showing they're recent. Pushing her suspicions away, she continued. "I'm just reading the article you helped on and the details are pretty… specific. You did help a lot; it's an input on the work that we haven't met in a while."
"Well, I'm just trying to help however I can," Kara said.
"Well Kiera, you've earned your gold star for the day. Keep up the good work. And hand me the layouts when you get them. But you already know that, don't you?"
She looked at her from above her glasses and gave her signature small closed-lip smile. Kara grinned back and said, "Thank you" before leaving her office.
Cat also noticed how sometimes, when she would do something good, respectable and dignified, she would feel proud, and the confidence would prevail. Yet when Cat would say something faulty about some little detail of her job being done, she would feel inadequate again. The insecurity sometimes took her over. She was stuck between feeling just confident or just insecure because she was the type to always want to do everything right. Better than right, she wanted to do them at their best. She had set high expectations for herself and she couldn't always meet them. Even though, most of the times she did, and Cat alone esteemed it, without showing.
The days, the weeks passed and soon Kara would be celebrating two months of her job at CatCO. She was really happy to have that job. Cat watched her work eagerly, inquisitively. She always walked out the elevator only to find Kara already leaning over her desk, typing at her computer or writing something. Her coffee was at ready every morning and Kara had stopped getting lost. She was starting to get used to Kara as her assistant, to Kara being there every day. She started to get used to it and started to like it.
"Kiera," Cat called loudly from her office on the day that Kara celebrated her two-month job. She wasn't exactly celebrating it, with a proper party and all; she just liked to remember that fact. As soon as she stepped inside the glass box of an office, Cat continued. "Do you know what date will be two weeks from now?"
Kara furrowed her brow, thinking. "Uhm… the 1st June?"
"Right, and what does that date represent?"
Kara was thinking harder now. "Come on, weren't you supposed to be a huge fan of this magazine?" Cat said as she stood up and walked towards her liquor tray.
Kara's face suddenly lit up. "Oh! The day CatCO was inaugurated, right?"
"Bingo, Danvers!" Cat turned around and smiled at her shortly. "You know what I was thinking we need?"
"Not exactly," she answered.
"Supergirl," she said gloriously. "No other magazine has had an exclusive so far, and she's been around for a fair 5 months now. You said you're her close friend, can you arrange for a meeting?"
Kara was somewhat perplexed. She didn't say anything until Cat raised her full-of-sass brow at her and asked, "Well? It's a yes or no, Kiera. Well, actually, it better be a yes."
Kara nodded hesitantly, "I'll talk to her."
"You convince her and I'll take her interview. I'll write the piece," Cat said and it sounded like Kara didn't have much of a choice.
Sure enough, Kara didn't like losing time either. At the end of the day, after most people left, and after Kara left too, Cat sat out on her balcony, a drink in her hand. She liked to relax at the end of the day. She wasn't an alcoholic; she had an occasional drink. A small one every night wouldn't hurt, would it?
She was looking over the city, at all the shining lights and the load of cars at this hour. Shortly after going out for fresh air, she heard a gentle sound behind her, of legs touching the ground.
"Good evening, Miss Grant," Supergirl said in a strong, bold voice.
Cat turned around only to see the tall, blond haired hero. Her suit seemed even better than on TV. Her cape, skirt and boots were of an intense red and her S shined in the balcony's lights having the dark blue as a background. She was a bit taken away by the sight in front of her, the tough, flourishing woman in front of her. Her face, her determined, hale position screamed bravery.
She tried to not make it so obvious that she admired her, so she moved straight to the subject. "So, Supergirl, how does it feel being the big hero people look up to and admire?"
"Well, Miss Grant, I think you should know best," she told her, smiling.
She laughed a bit, but continued, "Right, but you save people. You're strong and fearless. You defeat monsters. The admiration we receive is different. I would like to know how you feel about it."
"Well, at first, it was a bit overwhelming. People I didn't know came up to me to thank me, to say how grateful they are that I chose to protect them and for me it's just simply… it feels like… like that's my place in the world. To save people and make them feel safe in their home and on the streets. If I would know I have these powers and didn't do anything with them, I'd not only feel like I'm wasting time, but like I'm lying to people, like I'm turning my back on them when they would need me most. I would hate to feel like that, to have that weight on my shoulders. I couldn't stay around all day and do nothing while they were in sheer danger."
Cat nodded and let her continue. She could see on her face she wanted to say more, she wanted to keep on talking about this thing she loves doing so much. It's cheesy to say so, but it's her calling.
"And when I'm up there, when I'm just flying, it feels so good to just empty your mind and… fly. That's one of my favorite things to do, always has been. I feel so free and liberated."
"What do you feel when you save people?" Cat asked next.
"Oh, that's also fantastic. To see their relieved faces once you've pulled them out of fires or drowning planes and cars; to hear and see them be so happy to see you. It unites you with them. You save them from death, basically, so besides courageous, it just makes you feel hopeful, because I've learnt a while ago that not even in the darkest situation, in the darkest days, hope isn't lost. We just have to hold on to what we have, and know that better times will come."
Cat smiled. "Thank you, Supergirl."