Gore: Winterwidow

Chapter 5: Olive

James was faxing a memo at his desk when he noticed that Davis's desk had been moved. He felt a leap of his heart, hoping beyond hope that the impossible had happened and that he was fired, but then as his eyes flickered across the room, he could see clearly that he was now in a little corner with Natasha. He growled spitefully and turned back to the faxings.

Today she was wearing a blossom-pink button down with a grey denim skirt, completed with black heels. It was just as appetizing as the day before, but James knew to keep off the man's terf once he was at work. He'd let him believe he'd won for now, just to throw him off the scent...

James was startled out of his brooding thoughts when a mug of coffee was placed on the edge of his desk and pushed towards him sheepishly. He looked up with narrowed red eyes and expected to see dumbass Steve standing there, probably to apologize for yesterday, but it surprised him to instead see Lanna standing there with a hopeful sort of smile.

"Hey..." she said in a soft, rather shy voice as she adjusted her glasses nervously and bit her lip a little as she waited for James to accept or decline her olive branch.

James was annoyed that she blocked the view of Natasha- he wanted to keep an eye on Davis- but he did feel a little guilty about hurting her feelings the morning before so he sighed heavily and took the mug. "Thanks... I should get back to work, and you as well."

"James, wait," the ravenette looked more determined as she stood her ground and made the vampire have to grudgingly accept her. "Look, I know I may not be as exciting as anyone else in this office, but I was wondering if..." She seemed to have a shortness of breath. "Maybe we could get coffee sometime?" Dark blushing followed.

James blinked a couple times. "Are you asking me out on a damn date or something, Lanna?" he asked with a growl in his voice. Out of the corner of his eye he could've sworn he saw Steve smile to himself at his desk and suddenly the vampire put two and two together, his deep crimson eyes widening. "Wait- did Steve put you up to this?"

The blush darkened and Lanna seemed to become more embarrassed. "O-Oh, well he told me you wanted to ask me out, but you were too shy so I came over to ask you instead... Do you... not want to?..."

James fumed. That stupid idiot was SO dead!! He was about to say no when he caught the green eye of Natasha from across the room, but she quickly looked away. The look made James's skin crawl and he felt his grip tighten on the handle of the mug slightly. If she had noticed Lanna talking to him, then there must have been more complications that he would've already calculated and his lip curled slightly. Maybe an outward approach wasn't the best way to get his rose. Jealousy could always bite the best of them all...

He turned his gaze back to Lanna who was waiting with a hesitant expression and he smiled as sweetly as he could. The look must have melted the poor woman's heart from the look in her eyes as he sipped on the coffee she gave him. It tasted like dirt, but then again all human foods were disgusting to a vampire. Especially a vampire with taste.

"Well, I'm not really doing anything after work," he sleuthed and glanced back to Natasha who seemed to be focusing rather harshly on keeping conversation with Davis- who was probably talking about himself anyways. "How does three sound?"

Lanna looked extremely surprised by his acceptance and she nodded vigorously. Other women around the office turned their heads with their own jealousy and contempt that someone had finally landed the office vampire.

"I-I... Yes! Yes, that would be perfect..." Lanna mumbled and smiled as she brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Um... can I give you my number?... James? You seem kind of distracted..." Lanna glanced in Natasha's direction with a small huff of annoyance.