The intercom at Selina's desk buzzed loudly and continued to do so until she hit the appropriate button to silence it. Mr. Penton wanted to see her. For almost 7 years she worked at the paper, starting out in the secretarial pool, eventually moving from one senior staffer to another before arriving at the big office… well in her case, just outside the big office. However, she quickly discovered that she hated Mr. Penton with all that was in her. The man was rude and dismissive towards her, always expecting more then Selina was capable of.

Being called into his office always reminded her of being called to the principal's office. Her stomach would drop and her mouth felt like it was filled with sand. Slowly she collected her note pad and a pen, creeping quietly into the office and waiting timidly for the man to address her.

"Ah, there you are, certainly took your time."

"Sorry sir." She tried to apologize.

"Never mind that. Did you get Miss Gordon settled?"

"Yes." Selina paused, "She seems like a very nice young woman."

"She's the police commissioner's niece, last thing I needed here. Don't know what the hell they were thinking down in personal."

"She seems very nice… we're going to lunch later on."

"Well, you can imagine how thrilled I am that you're finally made a friend." Mr. Penton replied sarcastically. "Don't forget tomorrow's my meeting with Bruce Wayne. I'd like Steven in here if possible, maybe let Wayne think that we're trying to do an honest interview as apposed to an exposé."

"Excuse me sir, but what are you hoping to accomplish? I mean it seems like Mr. Wayne is trying to do some good in the city. Rebuilding the train…"

"Self-righteous rich boy, it's all about appearances." The man leaned forward and picked up a cigar. "Bad news, dirt, exposés sell papers. More about Wayne's good deeds doesn't. See the difference?" Selina nodded timidly.

"Good, now get back to work." The woman scampered off quietly, happy to return to her desk. The next couple of hours seemed to fly by. Selina took a moment to look up at her clock only to find Millie entering the office.

"Ready?" Millie asked with a friendly smile.

"Yes… just a minute." Selina grabbed her pad and rushed into Mr. Penton's office. "I'm uh… leaving for lunch." She nervously pushed her glasses back onto her face. "Is there anything you need?"

"Bring me a sandwich and a Coke." She nodded and began to leave. "Wait, is Gordon out there?"

"Yes sir." With a sigh Penton pushed himself to his feet. He followed Selina into the outer office.

"Miss Gordon, pleasure to meet you."

"Mr. Penton." Millie greeted kindly.

"Oh please, call me Chuck." They shook hands while Selina moved quietly behind gathering her coat and purse.

"Millie." She smiled politely.

"I was hoping to chat with you, get some of the formalities out of the way. Do you have time tomorrow morning?"

"Sure, just let me know when."

"Good, good. Well, you ladies enjoy your lunch." He smiled at Millie before turning around and colliding with Selina.

"Sorry," she apologized quickly, taking a step back. He passed by her, returning to his office. With the click of his door she released a shaky breath.

"You okay?"

"Fine… fine, lets go."

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They went to the downstairs deli, which was surprisingly empty for being lunchtime. The two got their sandwiches and took a booth towards the back. Millie found that if they were going to talk at all she would have to initiate the conversation.

"So have you worked here long?"

"7 years… very long years." Selina stressed her words, looking pointedly at Millie.

"I'm going to guess they weren't sunshine and flowers?"

"One misogynistic jerk after another, all of who think they're better then me."

"I know what you mean. Out in California I interned for this horrible man. Made me fetch coffee, none of the other interns had to because they were men. At the end of it all he takes me aside and says he could be persuaded to give me a job if I gave him one."

Selina choked slightly on her iced tea as her eyes went wide.

"You mean he wanted you to…?"

"Yeah."

"What did you do?"

"Well, I had a few choice phrases for him and then reported the incident to the professor I was doing the internship through."

"Wow. I probably would've fainted." The two continued to chat for a few more minutes, finishing up their meal before returning to the office.

"Millie… would you like to have lunch again tomorrow?" Selina asked nervously before they went their separate ways from the elevator.

"Sure, I'll see you then." The two smiled at each other. Millie went back to her office, her inbox was again full and the pride she had felt for having a full outbox was squashed.

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"How'd the first day go?" Jim asked as the patrol car turned another street. After what happened the night before he insisted on picking her up, determined to not have her walking alone in the dark. They both knew that the arrangement wouldn't last too long because eventually Jim would be called to work late, having to arrange something else.

"It went well."

"Play well with everyone? Make friends?"

"Yes actually. A secretary named Selina, I'm pretty sure I gave her some sort of attack when I asked her to lunch."

"Shy girl?"

"Extremely, not exactly a girl either, my guess would be early 30s."

"You've been around me too much, describing people like suspects…"

"Early 30s, white female, not a suspicious character, but my God is she jumpy." Jim smiled.

"You're cute kid."

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Selina watched from the window as Millie left. She felt a pang of jealousy watching her new acquaintance getting picked up. Not Selina, no, she walked home alone after staying late at work. She didn't have someone who cared enough to pick her up. With a sigh she moved away from the window, going back to her desk. She really only enjoyed being in the office after hours, when everyone left it was a calmer place. Once Mr. Penton had left for the day she would turn on the radio for some background music and begin filing the various paperwork from that day. It was dull, but no more so then going home to an apartment filled with her cats.

Thinking about Millie caused that pang to return, this time accompanied by guilt. The first person to be genuinely nice to her and she was harboring resentment and jealousy towards the young woman. Selina shook her head, attempting to clear the offensive thoughts from her mind. Had it really been that long since someone was nice that she had forgotten how to reciprocate. So what if Millie had someone to give her a ride, or that the boss insisted on first names, or that she's 6 years younger and was already in a higher position.

SNAP

Selina looked down, the pencil she had been holding now lay in two pieces on the desk.

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"Millie I really think you'll do well here." Penton smiled, leaning over his desk. The man honestly thought that he was being smooth, but Millie was more than aware that he was trying to catch a glimpse down the front of her blouse. It took everything in her not to roll her eyes; this is what she had gotten up early for?

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Out in the front office Selina was quietly typing, trying to hear what she could from Mr. Penton's office. These two tasks kept her so distracted that she didn't realize another person had entered the room until he cleared his throat. She nearly jumped out of her chair.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." He apologized. Selina glanced up in awe of the man infront of her. "Bruce Wayne." She knew it before he opened his mouth to introduce himself.

"That's all right." She managed in a quivering voice. "I know… uh… Mr. Penton is in a meeting right now… but he should be done soon…" Before she could finish her sentence the door to the office opened and Millie walked out, followed by an agitated looking Penton.

"Millie!" Bruce seemed surprised. He knew that she was working at the paper but he wasn't expecting to run into her so quickly. He had planned to find her office after his meeting.

"Bruce, hi." She smiled brightly. Selina felt the pang from the night before intensify.

"Hi, how have you been?"

"Fine, I was actually hoping to run into you. I never got a chance to thank you for lunch the other day."

"Oh, my pleasure."

"Mr. Wayne." Bruce looked to the shorter man standing near Millie. "If you'd like to come in."

"Thank you. Millie, hopefully we'll run into each other again."

"Never know." She shrugged, wearing a casual smile as he walked past, following Penton. She turned her head slightly, watching him walk, it took her a moment to realize that he had turned around and was wearing a smug grin. She blushed and quickly turned to Selina as he closed the door.

"You two know each other?"

"We've met."

"He bought you lunch?"

"My uncle and I ran into him at lunch one day, he picked up the check and left without saying anything."

"Do you like him?" Selina asked timidly.

"Uh… I'm not quite sure yet." Millie glanced towards the closed door again. "I'll see you later for lunch?"

Selina just nodded, Millie smiled before leaving the office to go back to work. Well, try and go back to work, it was going to prove difficult with Bruce on the brain.

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"I'll let you know Chuck." Bruce said, shaking hands with the man as they left his office.

"Give it some thought and get back to us." They shook hands and Penton returned to his office, closing the door behind him.

"Is there something I can help you with?" Selina asked, noticing that Bruce was lingering near her desk.

"Actually, could you tell me where Miss Gordon's office is?" Selina was sure he could see how her face fell with the question.

"Sure…" The pang turned into a throb.

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That's all for now. Thanks for the reviews, always appreciated.