A/N) I missed Tim/Steph, here's some more content with them. They deserve it.
Stephanie stares at the gleaming building at six a.m. in the morning the sun glints of the tallest spire and she feels her stomachs swoop downwards.
Okay Steph, you can do this.
She takes in a deep breath, adjusts her green blazer and grips the cup of latte tighter. Maybe she should have gone with a smoothie or something... what if he doesn't even like coffee?
Even still, she hopes this peace offering helps her standing in his opinion of her.
Let's do this.
She steels her nerves, adjusts her pony tail, and heads inside once more.
She is not excited.
Mostly.
Okay, so she's excited... but also terrified.
But come on, it's a job, it'll be great, they have great benefits here, insurance and even dental. One month paid vacation days, plus holidays. It's great.
She should not be this nervous.
Her palms are sweating as she tries to discreetly wipe them on her suit pants as she enters the lobby and walks up to the intimidating front desk with the scary sexy secretary again.
Who does not look happy to see her. Surprised but definitely not happy.
"Hi there." Stephanie tries for friendly with a smile, "can you direct me to Mr. Drake's office?"
The secretary, Steph's eyes sweep down to her chest badge, Sasha, Sasha looks at her with dark eyes and puckers her nude colored lips in distain.
"Do you have an appointment." She says with forced professionalism.
Stephanie blinks... did no one know that she was... "um - I'm his new Personal assistant?" She voices it like a question, because maybe yesterday had been a dream or a joke and maybe they were actually planning to arrest her instead of-
"I doubt that." The snide tone is not hidden this time. Sasha is clearly done with this conversation.
Stephanie frowns, "excuse me?"
Sasha snorts, "Mr. Drake never hires women PA's, so unless you have an appointment, please stop wasting valuable employee time and-"
"Hey, look, Sasha," Stephanie emphasizes the name, "I was, in fact, hired yesterday, but - um - it was sudden so there wasn't a lot of time to prepare. Just tell me where the office is and I'll forget your Bitch-y-ness."
Sasha glares. "Excuse me, I think I made myself very clear,"
"Oh," Stephanie has had enough, who did this girl think she was? The royal guard dog? Easy Steph, probably best not to start your first day fighting with another staff member. "You've made your opinion of me very clear,"
"I'm calling security."
Steph blanches, but she had a job, she did! How is she supposed to prove it to this-
"Everything all right here?"
Sasha gapes and puts down the receiver, "oh Mr. Drake, I - I didn't see you there. Um - yes everything is fine I was just telling this person to leave. She was causing a disturbance and I-"
"Good morning Ms. Brown."
Sasha's mouth clamps shut and she stares at Stephanie who valiantly resists the urge to flash secretary guard dog a smug smirk.
"Morning sir – um - I hope I'm not late today."
He checks his watch, making a point. "Right on time actually."
Sasha sputters.
"Latte?" Steph offers weakly. Her nerves are fried
He looks at her, eyes inquisitive and he gets a weird expression on his face, like he's unsure what to make of this random offering.
He seems to make a decision and takes the still warm beverage from her hand, "thank you. My office-"
"Yes, that. I was looking for it actually."
"Right this way." He motions with his hand and Steph takes a moment before realizing he was expecting her to go ahead.
Oh... chivalrous. Weird.
"Thanks." She smiles slightly and he steps into stride with her as they head towards the elevator.
Oh gosh... small enclosed space with only one other person standing next to her... that's her least favorite way to ride an elevator, and there is no annoying music to fill up the sudden silence that envelops them as soon as the doors slides shut.
Easy, calm down Steph. This is fine, he isn't that scary and he seems pretty calm. Just... say something witty and intelligent.
"So... we... how about that weather huh?" She dies internally.
"It's been better." He agrees and takes a sip of the latte.
Stephanie dies again. "Yeah... traffic too. Was really... bad. Today. I mean it's bad every day. You know how it is -" she's blabbering and she can't stop her mouth, she feels like she's staring at herself as her brain freezes in shock and she cannot stop this humiliation, "or maybe you don't? Do you drive? Or are you driven... oh, maybe you have a helicopter or something that um... yeah." She shrivels up some more and dies again.
He's looking at her fully now and it's... it's too much. She can't tell what he's thinking and it's freaking her out. Calm down calm down calm down.
"Gotham traffic is pretty awful." He smiles.
Stephanie stares, her eyes round and she can't... peel them away from that smile. It's weird, like it doesn't visit his face too often but when it does it's... pretty.
Come to think of it... he is pretty.
Oh gosh.
Steph nods and bravely tries to smile back, she manages a grimace line thing and the elevator finally dings and the doors open revealing a desk space and a door.
"This is we're you'll be working, in the front lines, that-" he points at the glass wall behind the desk, "is my office."
She nods and tries to maintain her calm as he leads her to the desk, "you have the schedules on the desktop, and anything else you can plan, there's a list of people I answer and don't answer, just so you won't be caught off guard when someone unpleasant calls. Other than the desk work... basically you'll be in charge of my day to day work life and appointments, meetings, and events. Any questions?"
Her head's spinning.
Maybe this was out of her skill set. Being a secretary for a vice principal in a public school is a far cry from corporate boss's Personal Assistant.
Oh gosh. She needs to be organized... she... doesn't do organized very well.
He's still looking at her.
"Questions? Oh I'm - no, no, I think I'm good, thank you, sir, Mr. Drake... um..."
"Tim is fine."
She gawks. "I don't think – um -" she can't go around calling her boss by his name!
He nods, "unless you're comfortable with something else. Ms. Brown?"
"Um... that's - that's okay too. Stephanie works if you want?" Why is she stuttering? She's never been this nervous before. Not even when she was forced to present in front of an audience in college.
"Sure," he smiles a short version of his previous smile, this one doesn't fit his face, it's impersonal and polite.
Boundaries.
That's what it means.
And she is okay with that.
"Okay, then I'll let you get acquainted."
Oh.
"Right yes, okay. Sure, thank you... for this opportunity, again."
He looks at her like he just remembered just how she got the job and Stephanie wishes she could sink into the ground at having reminded him.
"I guess we'll see how we fit then."
Okay.
"Yes sir." She smiles wildly, her face hurts.
He nods and heads for his office and the door closes, at least she can't see through the glass... she thinks maybe it might be a reflective mirror glass though which makes her feel a little less invaded. If she can't see him she's pretty sure he can't see her either.
Well - she takes a seat and the chair envelops her with leather and cushion and it swivels and damn... this chair probably cost more than her apartment.
She swivels around a little bit and takes in a shaky breath. Okay, you're here, you did it. Now... now you just have to prove you should stay.
She nods to herself, finishing her mini internal pep talk, she grabs the mouse and turns on the screen.
Tim Drake meets a lot of people in his not too long life.
But he can safely say, as he watches the blonde women through the walls as she spins in her chair and seems to be pep talking herself, he has never met anyone as odd and alluring as her. Something about her says struggle but . . . she makes the best of it. That's not common in Gotham.
Also, maybe he should let her know about the mirror wall... she's puckering her lips and reapplying her makeup in it now.
She's... interesting.
He's interested in her and he can't remember the last time that's happened. He looks at the latte on his desk and smiles slightly, he doesn't take his coffee like this but she'd looked so nervous and a little uncomfortable... he couldn't tell her he took it black.
Like his soul according to one of his brothers.
He sips the horrible concoction of cream and sugar and smiles at it.
She doesn't seem to have any corporate experience but... maybe she would work out.
He sort of hopes she works out. And he doesn't stop to study what the reason behind that might be as he turns to his laptop and resumes his day.
Thoughts are appreciated.
