Kara ended her morning tour of National City with a trip to the docks. Adam had been an easy companion and she had found herself enjoying his company. He was cute in a way that reminded her of Cat and that had made her relax and let down her guard a bit.
They had mostly talked about the city, but as they sat on a bench overlooking the water Kara decided to dig a little.
"So tell me about yourself."
"I'm just a lowly civil engineer looking to get to know the woman that gave birth to me."
"You're pretty lucky. Not everyone gets a second chance to get to know their moms," she said a little sadly. She had been lucky enough to get to talk to her mom again. Kinda. But it didn't really allow her to get to know her.
"I don't think I'm ready to go so far as call her my mom. The woman my father married is my mom. She raised me from ten on and has been with me through so much."
Kara smiled. "I know the feeling. My adoptive parents were… are great."
"Were?"
"My stepfather died. I still have my stepmom."
"Jesus. Now I feel like an ass. You've lost three parents and I've made you listen to me go on about my multitude of parental figures."
"It's okay. If I were you, I'd be doing the same. I still have Eliza and my stepsister so it's not all bad."
"What happened to your parents if you don't mind me asking?" Adam asked.
Kara got up and leaned against the rail. "They died when I was 13… in a fire."
"Oh shit."
"It's okay. It was a long time ago. I'm past it," she lied. He got up and joined her. He was a nice guy and she liked him, but admitting that it still hurt to Cat had been easy. Even in the small way she had, it had felt right. It didn't feel right with Adam.
As if reading her mind, Adam said, "You've talked a lot about my mom today. Is it another part of your job to sell me on all her good points?"
She laughed, thankful to be moving past the heavy stuff and onto something she liked talking about. "No. She can do that all on her own." She turned and leaned on the railing. "I haven't talked about her that much."
"You have," he said with a laugh. "Miss Grant really likes the sushi here. Miss Grant exposed the CEO of this company for fraud and got him arrested. Miss Grant is so pretty. Miss Grant." Okay she probably had, but supposedly Adam was here to get to know her so she may have gone overboard. She could help seeing Cat Grant everywhere. Her boss was the most powerful woman in the city.
"I thought you wanted to get to know her."
"I do. It just felt like you liked talking about her or at least had some incentive to go on so much about her."
"She's been a really big influence on my life the last few years. I really admire her."
"So, she's been like a mother figure for you."
Kara's face pinched at the thought. Cat was a mentor of sorts, but definitely not a mother figure. Adam may have been the same age as her, but Cat never seemed old enough to be her mother. It felt wrong to think of her that way. "Definitely not."
He studied her face and it looked like a lightbulb went off in his head. "Oh my god, you have a crush on her."
"What? I do not."
"Hey, It's okay if you do. I'm a modern guy. I can see beyond heteronormative stereotypes."
"I seriously do not know what you are talking about."
"I have to wonder though," he said, leaning over the railing. "Is it a silly workplace crush or one of those all consuming crushes that completely wreck my chances with you."
"I do not have a crush on your mother."
"I think the lady doth protest too much," he said with a grin. "Tell me who is the first person you think of when you wake up."
Kara blanched. "She's my boss. I have to think of her first thing. I need to prep for the day."
"Okay. What about at night? What about when something good happens? Or you see something beautiful?"
"I don't…" Kara started, but then she thought of those flowers she saw on 18th Street this morning and how she had immediately thought Cat would like them. Then that one sunset that had hit Catco just right as she was flying past and even the other night in the desert she had almost wanted it to be seen so Cat would have something to write about. Kara's jaw dropped. "Oh my god."
He laughed in a good natured way. "Well, it looks like my chances have been dashed. You're going to make an awesome stepmother."
"Shut up!" Kara shoved him lightly. "That's not funny."
"I personally think it's hilarious."
"Even if I do have a little crush on her, it's that first one. The silly one."
"Keep telling yourself that and it might come true," he said, "Personally I'm betting on marriage in say… 2 years. Carter likes you. He says you are better than me at Catan and I find that hard to believe."
"You are seriously out of your mind. She would never look at me that way. I'm just her assistant."
"Oh, please. Everyone knows the illustrious Cat Grant is a proud bisexual and what powerful CEO can resist a sexy young assistant?"
"You don't know her like I do. She doesn't even use my real name."
"Yeah, but she's consistent in what she calls you unlike your friend-zoned pal, Witt."
"I was actually starting to like you and then you have to go and believe in the friendzone," she said, shaking her head.
"And I thought it would be because I pointed out your massive crush on Cat Grant. You know she calls you Kara when she's talking to Carter."
"You might just be the worst."
"What an asshole," Cat said, stabbing her finger against her phone.
"Anderson Cooper bail on you?" Kara asked, trying to keep her eyes up as Cat turned around. Ever since she had gotten back to the office, she'd been doing everything in her power to prove Adam wrong, but it wasn't going well as was evident from her wandering eyes. She had always admired the way Cat dressed, but now there were images flooding her head of Cat undressed and they were entirely unhelpful.
"Again! I hate award season," Cat said, tossing her phone on her desk. "Maybe I spoke too soon about taking Supergirl places as my date."
Kara ducked her head to hide her blush as she imagined escorting her boss as Supergirl. "You could ask Adam."
"I could," Cat said, sliding behind her desk and looking her over. She slid a pair of glasses on and looked down at the layout Kara had placed on her desk a few minutes ago. "Unless you were planning on bringing him," Cat said, without looking up.
"Of course not, Miss Grant," Kara stuttered out. "I'm working tonight. I would never bring a… guest."
"You two looked awfully cozy this afternoon," Cat said, with an edge to her voice that Kara was realizing she was just pathetic enough to want to be jealousy.
"We're friends. He's a good guy," she mumbled.
Cat tilted her head. "If he says yes, I want you to ride with us."
"What? Why?" In no world, did she want to be trapped in a car with Cat and her son. After today, she couldn't trust him not to meddle.
"You are going anyway. What does it matter?" Cat asked, holding the layout up to the light.
"You aren't trying to set us up, are you?" Kara asked. She didn't want it to be true because that would be weird. Adam trying to set them up and then Cat doing the opposite. Too weird.
"No. Definitely not." Cat snapped, looking past the slide at Kara. She couldn't help the grin that popped onto her face at the quick answer even with Cat looking at her. Cat's eyes narrowed. "Why are you smiling? Aren't you worried that I don't think you are good enough for my son?"
"I know you think I'm good enough," Kara said, still smiling.
"Well, it seems your ego has taken a bump since that… misunderstanding." Kara just continued smiling.
"I need a buffer, Kiera. Things are still new with us and it would help having you close."
"Of course, Miss Grant."
Kara swirled around the dregs of her coffee. She wished she could drink like a normal human being, but no she was an alien with a super metabolism. She didn't know how she was going to keep it together with the dress Cat was going to be wearing.
As she was mulling over her new unfortunate situation, somebody settled onto the stool next to her. She shifted away slightly intent on wallowing in peace.
"Well, somebody looks like they are having a rough day," came a familiar voice from beside her.
Kara glanced over to find Lucy Lane watching her carefully. So much for her peace. At least it wasn't her sister with a crisis. Though fighting off an evil alien might have been nice about now.
"Kinda," she said, taking a sip of her drink to avoid blurting it all out.
"I know I'm not James, but you look like you could use a friend and I'd like to think we are on our way towards that."
Kara let out a heavy sigh and looked at the counter. "It's complicated."
"Is this about your crush on James?" Kara's head whipped over to Lucy. "It's okay if it is," Lucy said with a half smile.
"You knew?"
"Of course I did," Lucy said. "But you welcomed me like a friend and never treated me any different so there was never any need to make it a big deal. You even invited me to game night." Lucy shrugged. "Everyone gets crushes."
Crushes. Kara groaned and laid her head on the counter.
"So, it is about James," Lucy said, leaning against the counter.
"No. Apparently my heart is fickle and has turned to another."
Lucy's face burst into a grin and Kara was reminded again of why James liked her so much. She had such a great smile. It was genuine and easy. Kara's thoughts immediately went to the few smiles she had earned from Cat Grant. They were so very different and had had the power to make her heart race. She had assumed the warm gooey feelings they gave her had just been simple admiration, but now she realized how blind she had been. She wished she could go back to the ways things were this morning when she was blissfully unaware.
Her face must have been doing something goofy because Lucy's grin widened. "So who is it? Is it Adam? Cat's son?"
Kara shook her head. "That would be easier. He's actually interested in me."
"So, it's not Winn either," Lucy said, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
"Why does everyone think Winn is interested in me? We are just friends."
"That boy has a crush a mile wide and he's terrible at hiding it," Lucy said, turning in her seat to look at her. "So, tell me about this mystery crush."
"I don't know. I'm trying to convince myself that it's not a crush." Kara looked down at the counter and swirled her finger in the condensation. "It's not going well," she said looking at her new sorta friend. Of all the people in her life right now, Lucy might actually be the perfect person to talk to about it. She could only imagine everyone else's reactions and they weren't good. She was pretty sure her sister would laugh in her face.
"We could talk in hypotheticals again if that would make you feel better," Lucy offered, which brought a wry smile to Kara's face.
"I think I have a crush on my boss," she blurted out.
Lucy's eyes widened. "You have a crush on Cat Grant?"
Kara groaned and threw her head into her hands. "It's terrible."
Lucy put her hand on her back, biting her lip. "It's not that bad."
"Now that it's been pointed out to me I can't stop thinking about it and she looks amazing today and she's going to look amazing tonight and now I can't stop staring and she wants me to ride in the limo tonight. She touched my arm today Lucy and I just…"
"Breathe Kara. It's okay."
"It wasn't this bad with James. But it's just as entirely hopeless and ridiculous. She's my boss and has a son my age and…"
"Miranda Priestley fell for her assistant. It's not out of the realm of possibility for Cat Grant to do the same."
"She probably wouldn't out of spite."
"I thought she got along with Miranda."
"She does, but after all the shit she gave her about Andy…" Kara's eyes widened and she groaned. "I'm younger than Andy."
Lucy laughed. "And Cat Grant is younger than Miranda Priestley," she offered. "At least according to that hacking scandal."
"I don't even know what I want from this. She's my boss and there are a lot of other factors." Like the fact I'm Supergirl and she already almost figured it out. "She's my boss. It's just wrong."
Lucy shrugged. "I don't think it's wrong. You two would make a cute couple."
"I'm honestly surprised you like her. Your sister loathes her," Kara said.
"I'm not the closest with my sister and it's kind of refreshing to meet someone that's met my sister and doesn't think she's perfect," Lucy said. "And she did say I was the prettier one."
"I need to talk to Alex, my sister. She will be reasonable and shut it all down unlike you and Adam."
"Her son wants you together?"
"Yeah. It's kinda weird," Kara said, shaking her head. "He's the one that pointed it out to me."
"He pointed out that you've been oogling his mom?"
"I have not been oogling her!" Kara looked away with a blush. "Well, today maybe. Apparently, I talk about her a lot."
"Like I said before, everyone gets crushes. You'll be okay. You survived James and you'll survive this."
"I guess, but I don't work as closely with him as I do Cat though and clearly I didn't hide my crush on him all that well."
"Worried about all those late nights working alone together?" Lucy asked with a smirk. Kara winced. "If it helps at all, I don't think James had any idea and I'm sure Cat won't either."
"You've met the woman. Do you really believe that?"
"Well, she, at least, seems professional enough to never mention it. Maybe you should go on some dates. Take your mind off her. I'm sure Winn would be up for it."
"I couldn't use him like that, especially if he has actual feelings for me like everyone has been saying."
Lucy squeezed her arm. "You're a good person, Kara. Cat Grant would be lucky to have you."