Lisa

By 3 pm Ianto's superior research skills had come up trumps. Linda had spilled the beans for an extra kitkat and a tot of Baileys Irish cream in her coffee. Ianto sincerely hoped she was not intending to climb any ladders in the library.

"Her name is Lisa and she works on the 5th floor. Not sure what she does, but definitely single, polite, if a little dismissive of people older than her. Not that that's uncommon these days, present company excepted of course." Linda twinkled up at him. Standing, she barely reached his chest, and her round form more than comfortably filled her plaid skirt and polyester cream blouse. She and Ianto got on like a house on fire, and she was thrilled to think there might be a romance in the offing. Her mind wandered to the Mills and Boon romance secreted in her desk drawer….if it was a quiet afternoon she might finish it off before she went home. The hero was seriously good looking, blue eyes, tall, and a captain in the RAF. The front cover showed him kissing the heroine against a background of thunder and lightning, his great coat sweeping forwards around them. She would very much like to be that heroine….

She realised Ianto was asking her a question; he had to repeat it and teased her about her drinking habits. Linda glanced warningly over at Brenda but she was absorbed in The Times Literary Supplement.

The next day Ianto volunteered to do the artefact pick up on floor five. He walked up to the glass doors and paused, straightening his tie, butterflies seemed to have taken up residence in his stomach, but he pushed open the door and resolutely walked in. The office was vast, open plan with partitions dividing the cubicles. Phones rang constantly and there was a low buzz of conversation and the tap of keyboards. Ianto walked down the alley between the rows, looking for the person who had the artefact and of course Lisa. He spotted the curls first, bronze highlights in the dark african hair sparkled in the fluorescent lights. She looked up as he approached and Ianto felt his mouth go dry and his practised words flee from his mind. Lisa smiled at him, waiting for him to speak. She raised an eyebrow at him "Yes? Something I can help you with?"

Ianto managed a nod, "Uhm, that is, I mean can you tell me where I can find Professor Michaels? I need to collect an artefact for the archives."

"Of course, I'll show you. He has an office to himself at the back." Ianto noticed that Lisa's voice was low and melodious; she rose gracefully, almost but not quite as tall as he was. Ianto swallowed. Lisa grinned and gave him a little push, "You'll need to move or I can't help you"

Over the next week and a half Ianto managed to visit floor five everyday, always finding an excuse to speak to Lisa. On the Wednesday he was disappointed to find that she was not at her desk. He looked around the room for her, and then jumped out of his skin when someone poked him gently in the ribs. He turned quickly; Lisa laughed at him, scooted past and sat down in her chair. "Well here you are again," she said "what can I do for you today Ianto Jones?"

"Come out with me?" Ianto blurted out, he felt himself go red as he waited for her answer. She began to nod, almost before she spoke, coolly but with a smile. "Sure, why not. How about you pick me up after work today. We can go for a drink." She paused "You are old enough to go for a drink aren't you?"

"Do I really look that young?"

It was Lisa's turn to blush "Well yes, you do actually."

"I can assure you I am old enough to drink and drive." Ianto realised what he had said, "Not that I do drink and drive, just that I am old enough to do both," he corrected. Lisa laughed and waved him away, "I believe you! Just pick me up at the main entrance at 5!"

Ianto almost chickened out, it had to be the most embarrassing pick up ever, but then he thought about those curls and that voice. 5pm had never seemed so far away.

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