The last thing Lake wanted to be doing tonight was sitting in her office.
But business always comes first. At least, that's what her dad said. 'At all costs, finish what you started. Never throw something away because you can't have it. Strive for success', he'd say. He'd tell her that she needs to prioritize working over her friends, her fun, her relationships.
But he's gone now.
Now, Lake's left sitting in her office, cold and alone.
Not alone.
A couple people were still in the building. A couple people from the testing department, and Costa Jackson, a close advisor of hers. Costa's been working on the code for EZ-Flight all day, and she won't give it up until it's perfect.
Lake's dad would've loved her.
A soft knock comes from the other side of the door. Lake straightens up her papers. "Come in," She calls.
Costa stands behind the door frame. She's taller than Lake, but when Lake wears heeled boots, they're the same height. Costa steps into the room and shuts the door behind her.
Her mid-length blonde hair is tied back into a ponytail, and her bangs hung out of it. They always seemed to fall perfectly. Her black blouse is rumpled, and the top two buttons are undone. Lake clears her throat.
"Ms. Jackson," Lake interlocked her fingers and sat up a fraction straighter. "How are you tonight?"
Costa shoots her that 'cut the bullshit' look that Lake seems to be getting a lot lately, and she leans over the chair opposite of Lake. The young CEO swallows harshly.
"You look tired," Costa observes. "Why are you still here? You should be . . . anywhere else." Lake bit the inside of her cheek as the software developer's blouse hung loosely off her chest. She tried to meet her eyes.
"Such is the life of a 32-year-old CEO. The CEO of goddamn Forrester Flight Company." She shrugs off her dark blue jacket and lets it fall onto her chair. She rolls up the sleeves of her white button-up to her elbows, and she sits back. "You know, my dad never wanted me?" Costa was unfazed by Lake's words, her expression unchanged, so she continued. "My dad wanted a boy. When I was born, he was so angry at my mom. He yelled and yelled, but it never changed the fact that I was a girl. I thought about it a lot when I was younger. How I wish I was a boy. I wished I could wake up one day and all of a sudden I'd have short hair and a dick."
Costa stood, her forearms resting on the chair. The senior software developer was always more of a listener, while Lake was a talker. It's why they work so well together, especially considering their positions.
"That's why they named me Lake," She mutters. "It's a gender-neutral name." She claps her hands and tries to look a little more joyful. "But, Lake Gambell has a nice ring to it, don't you think? CEO of FFC, Lake Gambell. I think it sounds quite nice."
Costa watches her carefully, examining her every move. A little too closely for her liking.
"You seem upset about something. What is it?"
Goddamn it.
"Nothing. I'm fine." Lake sits back in her chair and leans back, resting her head on the padded office chair. Costa gives her the same look as earlier. "You're clearly hiding something. You talk a lot, but not this much unless you are. What happened?"
Lake sighs. Costa's known her since she started working for Forrester, and she's been working here for a while. She knows how to read Lake better than anyone. Maybe because she's the only person Lake's ever confided in. Besides her mom, of course. Since her mom died, though, Costa's been closest to her. She knew Lake's parents, and she was loved by her mother. Maybe that's why Lake liked her so much.
She hesitates. Of course she would. "I . . . I don't know. Don't you think I'm a little too young to be CEO?"
Immediately, she shakes her head. "No, I don't. I think you're qualified, and that's what matters. You're smart. Why do you say that?"
Lake shrugs, pressing her lips together. "I don't know, I've just been thinking about it recently."
"Well, don't. You're good. You make good decisions."
Silence washes over them for a moment. Not an uncomfortable silence, but one that you don't mind sitting in. Suddenly, Lake spoke again. "It's my dad."
Costa looks over at her curiously. "My dad used to tell me that I'd never be a good CEO because I wasn't born his son. He always blamed everything on the fact I was a girl." Lake doesn't meet Costa's eyes.
The other woman says nothing, just listens. "You know I used to think I was bisexual?"
This piques Costa's interest. Her eyes widen a bit. Lake continues. "There was this girl; I was in love with her for a bit. She was in one of my classes, and she was really smart. She wasn't in love with me, though. But my dad was onto me. He told me, 'You're just imagining it. Girls can't be attracted to girls. You already disappoint me enough. Don't push it.' I guess, eventually, I just stopped liking her."
Costa's face is expressionless. She never wore her emotions on her face. "So, what now?"
Lake shrugs. "I guess . . . I don't know. Maybe I still do. I can't make up my mind, really."
Costa watches her with a certain carefulness. Lake's eyes flit to where her blouse hangs off her chest. After about a minute, Costa nods slowly. "You definitely do. Like women."
Her serious demeanor drops, and the CEO breaks into a smile. "You're so sure?"
Costa nods, a small smirk forming at her lips. "I am. It's really obvious."
Lake rolls her eyes, still smiling. "Oh, really? Fine, Jackson, I'll bite the bullet. How is it so obvious that I'm into women?
"I think the fact you've been staring at my chest this whole time says enough."
"Shit . . ." Lake whispers, her face going slightly red in the dark. Costa's smirk grew.
"It's obvious to everyone but you. You can try and deny it all you want, but I don't think it ever went away, you just suppressed your feelings all these years." Costa moves the chair out of the way and leans on the desk instead.
Lake stares up at her. "You're doing it on purpose," She complains.
Costa shrugs. "Maybe I am."
"Well, stop," The CEO shifts in her chair.
Costa laughs softly. "I don't know how you didn't notice you liked girls. You've always joked about it. I seem to recall the time you were in college. You know, the time you–"
"I kissed my roommate? Yeah, I remember that. You were standing outside the door while my dad yelled at me." Lake undoes the top button of her shirt, leaning back in her chair. Costa watches her intently, remembering the night.
"I do remember that," she laughed. "I thought he was gonna kill you. You're lucky I walked in."
Lake nods. "Hell yeah, I am." She scribbles something down, then closes her notebook. "How about, instead of being here all night, I take you out to dinner? My treat, anywhere you want."
Costa snorts. "Yeah? Anywhere? How about that fancy Italian place down the road?"
"Not like I don't have enough money. You can drive, though." Lake laughs, standing up.
