Padmé's irritating co-worker, Anakin, won't stop pestering her for a date. She sets him straight. Movie Studio AU.
Padmé checked the clock on the wall. It was 11:48. She smiled and started stacking her files neatly before setting them on her desk. As much as she loved her job, lunchtime was always something she looked forward to. Especially since she never ate breakfast.
Yes, she knew that breakfast was the most important meal of the day, but she never understood that. All she needed to get ready was a cup of hot coffee with a dash of sugar and cinnamon.
Once she finished straightening her desk, she put on her jacket and picked up her clutch. Before she could escape, she was joined by an unwelcome individual. Anakin, a mail boy who'd been on her tail ever since she started working at Organa Studios, sidled up to her and sent her a lazy grin.
"Padmé, where are you off to?"
Thanks to the several years of etiquette training her mother taught her, Padmé didn't flip him off, roll her eyes or respond to his question with sarcasm. Instead, she let out a tiny sigh and motioned to the clock. "It's almost noon; I'm getting lunch."
"Great idea! I was just on my way to get lunch too. Why don't we go together?"
She furrowed her brow and put some space between them. "Sorry, Anakin, but I was planning to eat alone."
Okay, that wasn't entirely true. She'd been hoping to get lunch with another employee of Organa Studios, public relations agent Obi-Wan Kenobi. He was a little older than her - eleven years to be exact - but he had a youthful energy and a pleasing countenance that she found very attractive.
It was a good thing he wasn't her superior though because romances between subordinates and their supervisors were highly discouraged. Of course, that didn't stop people from engaging in relationships with each other secretly.
Obi-Wan had been so friendly and helpful to Padmé when she first arrived. He gave her a grand tour of the place, showing her some of his favorite sets, the reject prop closet and the hidden areas people went to blow off steam. They talked quite a bit during the tour and after spending time in his presence, she understood why women in the office flat-out propositioned him.
Hell, she'd have done the same thing if she were an idiot, but she preferred the more subtle approach. Clovis, the one boyfriend she had in college pursued her, so she didn't know what it was like to give a man encouragement. That didn't stop her from enjoying it though.
Padmé figured that Obi-Wan sent her enough meaningful looks to be confident of his attraction to her. Hence, she would tease and banter with him whenever he was around. Being his friend first was a more pleasing concept than simply throwing herself into a relationship with him. In her opinion, romances were better when they started off as friends first.
You have to like someone before you can truly love them. That's what her parents taught her and she believed it. She didlike Obi-Wan, which was a step in the right direction, and since she was Bail's secretary, that meant sometimes she had to go on errands to other departments on the studio lot.
They were both busy people - he was even busier because he constantly had to deal with public relations - yet he still accompanied her on some of her tasks. She'd tell him that she could manage them by herself, but he'd always say he had plenty of time.
Bail tended to cut him some slack since he was one of the best pr agents in the film industry and knew how to handle his job when he had a lot on his plate. It made Padmé feel good to know that Obi-Wan liked her that much and she'd said as much to him a month after she'd been hired.
The man smiled down at her, took her hand in his and kissed it softly. "My dear, you are one of few people I know whose company is improved upon acquaintance and I assure you, the pleasure is all mine."
Her toes curled when he said that. Lord, his British accent was heavenly. Whenever he spoke his voice came out in a low tone that was downright seductive. Ever since they met, Padmé had many scorching dreams with Obi playing a key role in them. Maybe one day they could be a reality.
Anakin's whiny voice interrupted her reverie. "But it's not right for a beautiful woman like you to eat by yourself! You should have some company."
Be cool, Padmé, be cool.
Clenching and unclenching her fists, she replied a bit firmly. "Sometimes solitude is good for a person. You know, so you can be alone with your thoughts."
"And it's your thoughts that tantalize me." He looked at her with a hungry gaze and she shivered in revulsion. What did that even mean?
"Well, as far as my thoughts go, you'll just have to stay in the dark. A woman doesn't have to spend time with anyone if it's not in her pleasure."
Anakin looked nonplussed for a moment, then he grinned. "If it's pleasure you want, I can provide."
Ugh, what was he? A horny teenager?
"Listen, Anakin, I know that you like me, but I'm not interested in you at all. You need to respect that and back off or I'll go to Bail and tell him how you're harassing me."
Now he was surprised, maybe a little angry too - as if he had a right to be. "Whoa, whoa. Let's not be too hasty. As I recall, you were the one who sent flirty looks my way when you started working here."
They stopped in front of the elevator and Padmé pressed the arrow button that pointed down. "That's called smiling and being friendly, but trust me, if I had known you'd be this much of a pain in my backside, I would've gone to a different studio." She placed her hands on her hips and stared at him.
Before he could reply, she continued. "You may like me, but that doesn't mean that I have to like you or accept your inappropriate overtures. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to be left alone. Or would you like me to pay a visit to Bail's office?" She raised an eyebrow and sent him a hard glare to further push her point.
Anakin stared at her for a moment, then shook his head and started walking away, muttering "Waste of my time" under his breath.
Padmé blinked, shocked that he had actually stopped bothering her. She didn't like the idea of reporting anyone to Bail, but honestly, if Anakin couldn't respect her boundaries, he didn't deserve to work at a place like Organa Studios.
"Good riddance," she murmured, adjusting the strap of her clutch.
"You handled that quite well, Padmé."
The brunette squealed and jumped, covering her heart with her hand. She turned to see Obi-Wan coming out of the door that led to the stairwell. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him, but she frowned in mild annoyance. "Were you listening in?"
"I was, and may I just say that was perfect. You dismissed him without needing me to help out." His eyes twinkled in mischief.
"Oh, shush. No one would need help to tell Anakin off. He's like a child, always nagging and begging for attention." She scoffed. "As if I'd want to go on a date with a twenty-six year old man who lives in his mother's basement."
"That's just harsh," he said with a laugh. "But I think we can both agree that his one defining trait was listening when you told him to bugger off. Some people don't know when to quit."
"Hm, true." She looked at Obi-Wan curiously. "Why were you listening in?"
"I wanted to hear you shut him down." He smiled. "I hope you don't mind . It was too good to resist."
Padmé felt her cheeks warm and she shook her head. "No, I don't mind."
The elevator dinged and the door slid open. She looked at Obi-Wan. "Would you like to join me for lunch?"
"I thought you said you wanted to eat alone." His voice came out light and full of teasing.
"I only said that to dissuade Anakin from bothering me. I'd like to eat with you, really, but if you can't, that's fine."
"Why not? Eating alone in the cafeteria is a bore." Obi-Wan motioned towards the elevator and they both walked into it. "Besides, you need someone to accompany you in case lover boy comes around again."
She scoffed and waved her hand in the air. "If he doesn't, I'll just cling to you. He'll get the idea quickly."
"Maybe we should hold hands to keep the illusion." He held his hand out and she took it immediately, entwining their fingers together and resting her head on his shoulder.
"What nice hands you have, Mister Kenobi."
"Why thank you, Ms. Amidala." He wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her temple.