a n d a n t e

d

I'll use •••••• instead of ••• to indicate the start of the X-rated part of this chapter. Everything after that won't have much benefit to the plot, so feel free to skip ahead! Also in my universe Kate definitely has a praise kink, so if you're not into that then feel free to skip past the sex stuff. Also this is my first time writing smutty stuff so pls be nice. This chapter is massive btw sorry about that.

So far so good, Kate had managed an hour of her informal meet-up with her boss without doing anything too embarrassing. She still didn't feel comfortable enough to dismiss Steve, who kept raising his eyebrows at her every time she smiled at one of Davidson's quips (which only made her laugh more, something she wasn't overly impressed with.) Still, she thought, it was better him be here silently taking the piss out of her than him not be here at all. The first hour had flown by, a blur of casual jokes and conversations which wouldn't be professional enough to take place at work. Kate had even plucked up the courage to ask her boss about the rumours that there was something going on between her and Farida, but that topic wasn't met so warmly, and the glazed and distant look that consumed her boss's usually sparkling eyes was enough to discourage Kate from pursuing the conversation any further. She returned to the small talk, making a joke about how everyone thought she was a lesbian because of her short hair, which raised a smile from Davidson, putting her back at ease.

After around an hour and a half, the conversation drifted to Kate's relationship with AC-12, a topic which made her stomach churn slightly. The thought of any issues with trust between them broke Kate's heart slightly.
"I promise you boss, I'm done with catching bent coppers, I'd rather catch real criminals like the guy who murdered Vella."

Davidson smiled warmly, satisfied with the answer her younger colleague had given, and replied "There's no need for the formalities Kate, out of work, forget boss..."
Kate could've sworn that in that moment there was an almost flirtatious energy between them, but she couldn't help thinking she must be imagining the tension between them. There was no way, Jo was way too professional, she'd never have feelings like that for someone on her team. Yet now she was moving in a manner which made Kate think she was going to put on her jacket, to leave, and that wasn't something she was ready for quite yet.
"Do you fancy another?"
Her superior looked slightly taken aback, but nodded. That was when things started to go wrong.

Some guys on the next table offered to pay for their drinks, in response to which Jo flashed her police badge and they backed down pretty quickly. Kate smiled absent-mindedly, feeling subtly touched that Jo hadn't wanted anyone else to flirt with her, until she saw a look of guilt pan over the older woman's face.
"Sorry Kate... My self pity's blown your chances"
"Nah..." Kate looked down, taking a sudden interest in the shape of her wine glass. "They're not really my type."
What had she meant by that? Kate didn't even know herself. She was very aware that it came across in a rather flirtatious manner, and if she hadn't have been then she would've been made aware by Steve over-dramatically waggling his eyebrows behind Davidson. That was when Kate decided enough was enough, and sent Steve a message thanking him for being there for her, but politely asking him to fuck off. If things went south she had only herself to blame, but right now, she concluded, her best friend was doing her more harm than good.

•••

The rest of her time at the bar went pretty smoothly, and Kate was actually beginning to think she could make it through the evening without making a complete tit of herself. But just as they were about to go their separate ways, Kate couldn't help herself.

"It's Mark's turn to have Josh this weekend, if you're at a loose end?"
It just slipped out. She hadn't intended to set herself up for another evening as dangerous as this- for fuck's sake, she'd be less nervous facing three armed robbers than she was when she was alone with Jo, but a part of her enjoyed having some alone time with her boss.