Second Ave Offices: The Time In Between (WLW)

Chapter Twelve

Kanda had finished the last of her paperwork for the newest recruits for the art department around three in the afternoon and had opened her email. After putting in for a week off, Kanda received an email immediately alerting her to come to her superiors office. She now sat across from Sheila who was glancing over her laptop screen through a furrowed brow when all she truly desired was leaving to be with Fiona. Still, she waited patiently until her section boss looked back up at her and nudged her laptop forward, then turned it around to face her.

"Sorry, I just got an email that was weird. I wasn't just reacting to yours. Actually," Sheila stood and made her way around her desk, then sat down in the chair next to Kanda with a knowing smile. "I heard about your status update and that means I can do this." She pointed at her screen and Kanda leaned forward, reading a log line and some numbers that made her eyes bulge. "This is your bonus for all the work you did on Hayden and Mika's project. Even with everything going on in your personal life, you were the most attentive out of them. Aside from Ju, of course. I'm not sure anyone will ever beat her in that.

"Either way, Nathan was incredibly impressed with your work and was waiting to hear if you had been given permanent status for weeks. He wanted to personally give you the news, but he had a meeting overseas this morning and left yesterday." Sheila pointed at the name of the email's sender and Kanda felt her jaw drop. "That's right. He is the person giving you this opportunity. Please, tell me you'll consider it."

Kanda nodded in a somewhat daze and she felt she never left that haze until she stood on her front stoop, her mind still reeling with the events of the day. Then it wandered toward the culmination of it all that was right behind her front door and her throat tightened as her mouth watered. Kanda opened her door and smiled as she spied Fiona in her kitchen at the stove, swaying to the music that played through her surround sound system.

Making sure to stay as quiet as she could so that she might get to watch the scene before her a few moments longer, Kanda snuck into her home on stealthy toes. She closed the door and spied her spare key on the small table nearby that also held an overnight bag and Fiona's purse. Silently popping off her tennis shoes and tucked her feet into her slip-ons, registering her girlfriend's business attire shoes there as well. Was this what life would be like from here on out? Would she come home smelling mouth watering food and find these habitual things all around her daily?

If so, Kanda was game for it. She was up for anything involving Fiona and carefully moved forward as Fiona turned off the oven. She reached beside the stove for a serving dish and placed it on the counter closer to the right burner before lifting a wok she used to saute something that was making Kanda go crazy with hunger. Worried if she got any closer she may scare her with her presence, Kanda was just about to make herself known when Fiona peeked back over her shoulder with a smile.

"Hey, you. Are you ready for dinner?" She turned back toward her task at hand and began tipping the wok toward the serving dish. As she spoke, Fiona spooned its contents onto the plate, then set it back down onto the stove as she went for the oven mitt nearby. "I know it's still a bit early, but I figured we may need the energy."

There was a seductiveness in Fiona's voice that made a fire burn deep in Kanda's gut and her hunger for food was forgotten. She made her way around the kitchen bar and stood behind Fiona, waiting as she took the dish in the oven out. She placed it atop the stove and bent her head down, taking in the casseroles scent. It appeared to be enchiladas of some kind and the dish on the counter held shrimp stir fry with copious amounts of vegetables, only making her heart, mind and soul desire Fiona more.

"You cooked my favorite foods...?" Kanda took her mitt covered hand and hoisted the protective covering from it with one hand while she ran the other down from her waist to her hip. The curves beneath it trembled as Fiona seemingly involuntarily shivered with the caress of Kanda's lips along her exposed neck. Her hair was up in a bun of sorts, held up with a hair clip that was in the way. As she removed it and shimmied her fingers through it, interlocking the fingers of their hands on the counter together, Kanda kissed her way to her ear and Fiona moaned. "Do you think it'll keep for a bit?"