A/N: New chapter and sorry, but Naomi is a bit (a lot?) of a bitch in this, but Ems hold her own. I'll try to update soon. The next chapter or two might be a bit darker.
I have also realised I am up to chapter 14 already when I originally said this might stretch to 15 chapters. Hopefully you won't be disappointed to know it is now going to be longer as I have looked at my original chapter synopsis and realised I'm actually only on chapter 6 or 7. I'm just really enjoying writing this and receiving your feedback so plenty more twists and turns to come.
Naomi sat at her desk on Monday morning looking through the list of people who were starting their placement in the not-for-profit today. She normally got into the office early anyway but she'd arrived especially early today as she knew she'd have to work out a plan of action to make sure she kept her composure. She gently stroked Emily's name on the list and found herself smiling. She shook herself, that was exactly the type of stupid act that was going to get her caught out. She groaned as she also noticed Mark's name on the list, that's all she needed his beady eyes following her and snide comments. She sighed, well that settled it, with him here ready to stir up trouble where possible she didn't have a choice. The ice maiden would have to make a return if she, and Emily, were going to get through this unscathed.
She opened a few emails and started to reply when she heard the door opening and someone enter the section. She didn't need to turn around, she knew it would be Emily. She breathed in and out a few times as she sensed the redhead walking over to her desk. Don't fuck this up she repeated to herself, before turning and saying with no hint of emotion on her face, "Good morning Emily, you're in early. Let me show you where your desk for the next two weeks will be." Emily looked a bit startled at her tone, but simply said, "Ok, thanks."
Naomi led her over to a bank of desks that had been assigned to the trainees and took her to the one that was pretty much as far away from hers as physically possible. "You've been allocated this desk. I'm sure you know the drill by now, but the procedure manuals are in the draw along with any stationary you might have run out of. I'll introduce you to Clare later at the department meeting, she'll be able to sort out any other things you'll need while you're in the section. Hope you enjoy your two weeks here." She walked back to her own desk and sat down slightly shaking.
Emily put her bag down, sat at her computer and switched it on. Who the hell was that cold bitch? She thought. Where was Naomi from the phone last night, her Naomi? Jesus, she'd spent half the weekend in her bed for fuck's sake. She opened her inbox and tried to concentrate but her mind was racing. When she could bear it no more, she got up and walked over to where the blonde was sitting. "Naoms is everything ok?" she started but was quickly cut off. "Emily, I don't think it's appropriate to use nicknames like that in work. Please refer to me as Naomi all the time." Emily gasped, "Naomi, what's wrong?" she reached out and touched the blonde on the arm and was hurt when she saw her flinch. Naomi turned to face her, "Emily, I shouldn't have to remind you that for the next two weeks I am effectively your boss so please try to remain professional and keep personal actions or conversations to a minimum." Emily stared in to the ice blue eyes that were totally devoid of any emotion, "Right, fine, I'm sorry if my behaviour was inappropriate." She said before walking slowly back to her desk.
Emily walked into the canteen at lunchtime in a daze. Her morning had gone from bad to worse. She grabbed a sandwich and looked around to find somewhere to sit. She spotted Katie with some people she vaguely knew and headed over. "Mind if I sit down?" she motioned to an empty seat. Katie looked up, her eyes sparkling, "Hey Emsie, no problem. How's your morning been?" Before Emily could reply, Katie carried on, "mine has been awesome. Marketing and PR is definitely the right department for me, you actually get paid to go to parties for fuck's sake, how cool is that?" Emily mumbled that she was glad she was having a good time there; personally she had hated it, it was so fake. Katie finally picked up that there was something wrong, she turned to the people she was sitting with and said, "Sorry guys I just need to have a quick word with my sister, I'll catch up with you later."
They moved until they were sat on their own, "what's up? I thought this was the placement you were waiting for" Emily looked at her and her voice caught as tears sprung into her eyes, "So did I, but she's being so cold towards me Katie, especially after the weekend." She thought back to the reception she'd received when she walked in through the door on Saturday night.
When Emily arrived home she was still on cloud nine, Katie had dragged her upstairs and forced her to tell her what had happened. "Come on out with it, although it's clear you've been shagging. Please try not to disgust me too much with your tales of lesbo passion." Emily was glad to have someone to confide in so she filled her in on the events since Friday. She obviously hadn't gone into great detail but had told Katie about the meal and the rest of the night as well as Saturday, even though she glossed over how hurt she had felt when she woke up to find Naomi gone.
"Maybe I was wrong about her, if she can make you this happy." Katie mused and Emily was surprised how nice Katie was being. "You won't tell anyone will you? Especially not Mum?" Katie looked at her a horrified expression on her face, "Emily, how could you say that, of course I won't, I promise." Emily shrugged, "Well you weren't ok with it before and you did practically threaten me with blackmail." Katie sat her down, "Ems, let's just say I didn't want you being taken advantage of or getting hurt. Emily, if this is what you want and it makes you happy, then I'm ok with it, I don't care if you're gay, although none of your dyke friends had better feel me up." Emily laughed, "I don't have any 'dyke friends', it's just Naomi and I don't think you're her type." Katie looked offended, "Why not, we're identical aren't we? Why wouldn't she find me attractive?" "Fucking hell Katie, make up your mind, or do you just not care where the attention comes from?" Emily had asked shaking her head.
Back in the canteen Katie looked angry, "I told you she was a bitch, what did she do?" Emily briefly told her about the conversation first thing. Katie's eyes flashed, "What else?" Emily sighed, "We had the usual department meeting once everyone was there, lots of people were chatting as John Foster walked in and tried to get the meeting started. He asked for quiet and she just singled me out in front of everybody and said that meant me too." Emily continued, "And it just got worse from there. We've been given our initial pieces of work and mine is about as dull as you can get, working with some guy called Colin. The others are all working with either her or John. She's being friendly enough with the others, not laughing and joking all the time or anything but not totally cold like she is with me. She's basically excluding me from the rest of the group and they've noticed. I'm not sure I can get through the rest of the afternoon, let alone the next two weeks." She finished and Katie could see she was trying not to cry.
Katie stood up, "Right, where is she, the cow. She needs a good slap." Emily pulled her down, "please Katie don't make it any worse for me." Katie grudgingly sat down, "Emily it's not fair, she shouldn't treat you differently just because you're shagging her, it's practically bullying." Emily shrugged, "Well, I don't know what the reason is, but she isn't treating me the same as everyone else." Just then Mark walked up, "Mind if I sit down?" Emily got up, "It's ok I was just going back to work." Mark grinned, "Really, after the morning of torture you just had? I thought you'd probably feign sickness this afternoon. I don't know what you've done to upset Naomi, but she's got a real downer on you." Katie glared at him as Emily said sadly, "I don't know what I've done either." With that she smiled at Katie and went back to her desk.
Thankfully she managed to stay out of Naomi's way for the remainder of the afternoon, not that it was hard when the blonde was avoiding her. As the day drew to a close, Emily started to get angrier. How fucking dare she show me up like that, in front of my colleagues. She's the one always banging on about being professional but then she behaves like that. I've a good mind to go to her flat after work and have it out with her. The more Emily thought about it, the more determined she became; that's exactly what she was going to do as she wasn't prepared to be treated like shit for the next two weeks.
Naomi and Effy were finishing their dinner, "I have to say Naoms, you're turning into quite a good cook." Naomi grinned, "Well after my month of practice I found I actually quite enjoyed it and it's one of the few things that relaxes me. Maybe I should have offered to cook for Emily at the weekend instead of a picnic." As she said her name a frown crossed her face and Effy picked up on it straight away, "what is it, don't tell me there's trouble in paradise already?" Naomi sighed, "I was so afraid I'd slip up today, I think I might have been a bit hard on her. I've put her with Colin for her first project." Effy gasped, "Fucking hell Naomi, I know you're struggling with how you feel about her but are you trying to make her die of boredom?" Just then they both jumped as the doorbell rang. "I'll go" said Effy.
As she walked down the hall, the bell went again; whoever was at the door was clearly impatient. She opened the door to be greeted by a thunderous looking Emily. "Hi Emily, come on in" she started before the redhead interrupted, "Is she in?" Effy nodded, "Yeah, she's in the kitchen." "Thanks" she said as she pushed past. Effy smiled to herself, I need to see this as I think Naomi's in for a rough ride, she thought.
Naomi was just loading the dishwasher when she turned to see who had come down the hallway like a whirlwind. When she saw Emily she smiled, "Hi Em, I wasn't expecting to see you tonight." Emily glared at her, fire flashing in her eyes, "Don't fucking 'Hi Em' me, like nothing has happened, what are you some kind of schizophrenic?" Naomi started to respond, "Look, if it's about work." Emily spat, "What the fuck else would it be about, I'm not allowed to be too personal remember?" Naomi looked at her, "Emily, I can explain, well partly explain." Emily crossed her arms, "Come on then, please explain to me why you felt the need to virtually ignore me all day, except for the times when you belittled me in front of my colleagues, singled me out for special attention or pretty much treated me like shit."
Naomi swallowed, "Emily, I'm sorry, I didn't meant to be so hard on you. I just didn't want to be unprofessional around you." Emily snorted, "Well unless your definitions of professional and total cunt are the same, I would suggest you failed." Naomi flinched. "I just didn't want people to speculate about us." Emily grew angry again, "Naomi, because of the way you behaved they did anyway, Mark asked me what I'd done to upset you so much when I was having lunch with Katie." A look of panic spread across the blonde's face, "What did you say?" "Fucking hell, is that all you care about, what other people think? I said I didn't know. Before you ask Katie knows everything, but she won't say anything." Naomi gave her a startled look, "Are you sure?" Emily squinted at her, "Of course I'm sure she's my sister and she's given me her word, anyway you've talked to Effy so what's the difference?" Naomi sighed, "Nothing I suppose, I just don't want people at work thinking I'm treating you differently because you're my girlfriend, it's none of their business."
"But you are treating me differently," Emily suddenly stopped, "What did you say?" Naomi looked shocked, "Nothing, just it's none of their business." Emily said, "No before that." She turned to Effy who had been watching the whole exchange from the doorway, "You heard her right? It's not my ears playing tricks?" Effy smirked, "Oh no you can leave me well out of this; this is between you and blondie over there." Emily turned back to Naomi, who was desperately trying not to make eye contact, "Naomi, did you just call me your girlfriend?" Naomi flushed and mumbled still not looking at the redhead, "Might have." Emily stared at her, stunned that the blonde had made such an admission. She walked towards her and gently raised her head until she was looking into her eyes, she was relieved to see the coldness of earlier was gone. "Well isn't that what you are, I mean if you want to be." Emily looked steadily into the blue eyes and could see that Naomi was scared of her answer, but not in case she said yes, it was in case she said no. She leaned up and gently kissed her, "I'd love to be your girlfriend."
They were sat on the sofa, holding hands grinning stupidly at each other when Emily looked at her watch. "Is that the time, I'd better get going." Naomi groaned and started kissing her neck, "Do you have to, can't you stay?" Emily gently pushed her away, "That's not fair, you know I'm powerless to resist when you do that. Naomi I mean it, stop it, I've got to go." Naomi pulled her best sulky face, "Oh alright I'll call you a cab, but I don't see why you can't just text Katie and stay here." Emily started to count on her fingers, "Reason one, my Mum is already suspicious about me staying out at weekends, if I did it in the week it would lead to a whole load of questions I'm not sure I'm ready to face yet. Reason two, I don't have a change of clothes which means I'd have to get up in the morning at least an hour earlier than normal, and you know how much I love my sleep. Which brings me nicely onto reason three, I wouldn't get any" she paused as Naomi wiggled her eyebrows at her, "I mean sleep Naomi. Finally reason four, I might be late for work and my boss at the moment can be a total cow so I don't want to give her any reason to be nasty to me." Naomi smiled at her, "You leave your boss to me, I'll make sure she treats you right."
They kissed goodnight and Emily got into the cab home. When she arrived she saw the house was in darkness so she tiptoed in and went upstairs as quietly as she could. She crept into her bedroom and was getting dressed for bed when Katie mumbled, "So you made it up then?" Emily smiled in the dark, "Yeah, we certainly did." Katie replied, "Eewww, spare me the details" before turning over and going to sleep. Emily fell into a deep sleep almost immediately, her thoughts filled with the blonde and a smile on her face.
The next day she arrived at work and buzzed herself in through the double doors, she was quite early, but she saw Naomi, her girlfriend, was already at her desk. She paused to look at her for a minute, amazed that she was really hers. Deep down she knew she'd behave differently today, but there was just a shred of doubt remaining as she walked up to her desk. She needn't have worried, when she got there Naomi turned to her and gave her a dazzling smile, "Morning Em, you got home ok?" Emily smiled back, "Eventually after a long struggle as my one track mind girlfriend kept trying to have her wicked way with me last night." Naomi giggled, "She sounds like a nightmare." Emily responded, "Oh I don't know, she can be pretty hard to resist."
Naomi looked at her more seriously, "Emily, I'm sorry about putting you with Colin, I know he's the world's most boring man. If you try to get the work out of the way quickly there are a few more interesting things I think you'll enjoy helping me out with." Emily raised her eyebrow, "Hmm, I can think of a few things you could help me out with too." Naomi blushed and looked around to see if anyone had heard their exchange. When she realised no one was in earshot she smiled at the redhead and said, "Maybe you and I need to do a bit of overtime tonight?"
Just then Mark walked past and saw their smiles, "Oh, I see you two have kissed and made up then?" Emily tensed up, unsure of what to say and how Naomi would react. She looked at the blonde to see if she was freaking out but instead found her smiling, "Yes thank you Mark, we have, but your concern is moving all the same." Emily let out the breath she was holding and said, "Ok, so I'll see you later?" Naomi winked at her, "I'm going to hold you to that Emily Fitch."