Sandra was curled up against the arm of her office couch lost in thought when a soft knock came at the door. Cracking the blinds, Sandra noticed it was dark in the rest of the office. She had returned from court and lost track of time.
"Sandra." The soft yet assured voice of Kate Littlejohn came from the other side of the door.
"Come in," the public defender hurriedly wiped her eyes hoping any mascara streaks were now gone.
"Hey."
The prosecutor looked at her with a worried expression and empathy. Even she had lost a case. She knew how personal she had taken the loss.
Sandra patted the seat of the couch next to her.
"What time is it?" she asked.
"Nearly ten," Kate answered.
"I was supposed to meet Ted at the gym!"
She reached for a phone and typed out a text message, worrying her lip as she did so.
"I'm sure he will understand. You've had a tough day."
Returning her attention to Kate, the small honey-haired woman shook her head at her failure.
"Can I ask about Ted?"
"What about Ted?" Sandra was unsure where this might go.
"Are you and he...?" Kate dropped eye contact as though insecure, something Sandra did not believe her to be, or not truly wanting to know the answer.
"No. It's boxing. I made it very clear that I wasn't interested in a distraction."
"Oh," Kate was disappointed in the latter portion of Sandra's answer. "I understand making work a priority."
Sandra sensed Kate's disappointment and jumped to explain.
"I'm not interested in Ted. It's not that I wouldn't be interested in having a personal life."
The federal prosecutor appeared to be mulling this information over.
"Can I ask if you and Knox are...?" Sandra gambled.
"Leonard?" Kate shook her head. "No, we are friends. He wanted more, but I was interested in someone else at the time. I wanted more and he left for Texas. He is a great guy, I couldn't see myself with a...in a relationship at that time."
Well, well, Sandra thought. That was the biggest revelation she had ever got from Kate Littlejohn and yet the woman hadn't actually said it.
"What happened with the person you were interested in?" she asked Kate.
"It was short lived. I liked her. It wouldn't have worked. Different worlds. And we were both devoted to our work. Her job was dangerous and I didn't handle knowing that well," Kate didn't look at Sandra as she remembered Anya. "I'd wanted it to work more than she had."
"I'm sorry, Kate," Sandra touched the woman's forearm.
"It's okay. Really."
They sat like that for a moment without saying anything. It wasn't until Sandra's phone rang that either moved. Reaching for her phone, she left her other hand touching Kate.
"Hello?" It was Ted. "No, I'm okay, thank you. I don't need any company. Sparring Friday morning?" she waited for an answer, smiled and then hung up without saying goodbye.
"I could go," Kate offered.
"No!" Sandra was quick, maybe too quick, to say no. She wanted to spend time with Kate. "You are the company I need."
This made Kate's body warm throughout.
"I am really sorry about your case," Kate sighed.
"Yeah," she sighed. "We'll have better luck with Mateo's case."
Kate Littlejohn likes being a 'we' no matter the context with which Sandra Bell said it.
"You are incredible," she let slip, much to the surprise of Sandra who looked directly at Kate.
"Why?" she asked with trepidation.
"Your ability to move from one thing to the next. Your connection with your clients. Your humanity," Kate explained.
"Thank you." Sandra was blushing. She realized then that her hand had never left Kate's forearm. She gave a soft squeeze.
"I..." Kate hesitated. "I'd like to kiss you."
Sandra Bell was truly stunned. This was not something she ever thought Kate would say, even if she herself had thought about the possibility, however unlikely, of kissing Kate. She couldn't form a sound much less words. She nodded.
Kate leaned toward her, blue eyes meeting those blue-green eyes she found captivating. Their lips touched in a whisper; their breath stalled like an engine idling. The kiss held a gentility Sandra wasn't expecting from the always decisive Kate. She pressed her own lips harder into the kiss to show Kate that she, too, wanted this; to show that she, too, was interested. They slowly ended the kiss without even a tickle of tongue on lips. It was as it should be for their first kiss. Sandra hoped it wouldn't be their last. She loved the exciting possibilities the kiss represented.
"You are welcome to do that anytime you like without asking my permission," Sandra found herself whispering.
"I'd like that."
Kate Littlejohn smiled with what might actually be happiness.
"Can I walk you home?" she asked. "You can't stay in this office forever."
Sandra smiled and stood from the couch, her hand finally breaking contact with Kate's arm. She gathered her things and held out a hand to help the prosecutor up. Standing, Kate followed, her hand at the small of Sandra's back as the younger woman opened the door and led the way.
To be continued…
