Nora

“What the fuck is taking so long?” Nora whined under her breath as she looked down to check the time on her phone. It was nearly 8:45 am and her subway train had been stuck, unmoving for almost twenty minutes now. She had a staff meeting at 9:15 and hadn’t even made it into Manhattan yet. She would surely be late… again. 

Nora mustn’t have been as quiet as she’d hoped because the old woman sitting next to her turned to face her. “Sorry,” Nora whispered sheepishly.

The woman was small and frail. She couldn’t have weighed more than a hundred pounds. She peered up at Nora over thick-rimmed green glasses, seemingly unbothered by Nora’s curse.

“Apparently there’s been some kind of emergency on the bridge,” the woman said through a heavy Brooklyn accent. “So we might be here for a while still. My son just texted. Traffic’s backed up all the way back to Clinton Hill! He’s trying to drop off my grandkids at school, but he hasn’t moved for almost thirty minutes!”

The old woman launched into a story about how her grandson, Jayden, was so excited to go to school today because he had a family tree project that he got to present to his fourth-grade class. She had helped him with it, going back five whole generations. All the way back to when the family was still living in Italy. 

Nora listened politely as the woman went on. She wasn’t exactly interested in the story, but the woman was sweet, and it was a nice way to pass the time. The woman radiated pride as she spoke about her family and it reminded Nora of her own grandmother, and namesake, Eleanora. She hadn’t spoken to her in a while. She would have to remember to give her a call soon.

After a few more tales of birthday parties and soccer games, the train finally started to move again. Albeit, slowly, but it was moving! The woman threw her hands up in a celebratory gesture before saying, “Oh, here we go! I’d better call my son to see if he’s moving too!” 

Nora smiled as the woman dialed her son’s number, giving Nora a silent thumbs up to confirm that traffic above ground was indeed moving again. Nora shot her a cheery smile as she dropped her phone back in her bag and pulled out the small notebook she always kept with her. She tuned out the woman’s phone conversation next to her as she began jotting down a few song lyrics that had been dancing around in her head all morning. If she didn’t get her ideas down on paper immediately, they would fly right out of her brain just as quickly as they flew in. She had filled countless pages over the years of short stories, poems, songs, and the occasional drawing. It was the only way to capture and control the constant flow of ideas in her mind.

Before she knew it, twenty-five minutes on the cramped train had flown by and they finally made it to her stop. Nora gathered her bag and hauled herself to her feet, wishing the old woman a good day and making a beeline for the doors, hauling herself up the stairs to the city above. She had five minutes to make a journey that usually took her at least ten on a normal day. 

She power walked through the streets, weaving through the throngs of people until, out of breath, she reached the converted loft building in Lower Manhattan where her office was located. Jesus, I need to do more cardio!

Nora pulled open the heavy door, walking quickly through the small lobby, and waving good morning to the security guard behind the front desk. “Good morning Joe! Happy Monday!” She swiped her access card and made her way over to the bank of elevators. The doors opened and she hurled herself inside, frantically pressing the button to close the elevator behind her.

But just as the silver mirrored doors began to close, Nora heard the clicking of heels against the polished concrete floors, followed by a pale, slender hand reaching through the crack, stopping the doors in their tracks and causing them to open up again. In walked Olivia Andersen, co-CEO and part-owner of Lexand Advertising, the very same company employing Nora. That is until I inevitably get fired because the only thing I can consistently deliver at work is being late every damn day of my life. So much for slipping into this meeting ten minutes late and unnoticed by her boss… 

“Good morning,” Olivia greeted Nora politely. 

“Morning,” Nora replied quietly.

“Good to see I’m not the only one running behind today,” Olivia said with a smirk as she removed her sunglasses. 

“Hah, yeah, my train was stopped at the bridge for a long time. I guess there was some kind of accident. It took me forever to get here! I know we’ve got that staff meeting today, so I practically ran here from the subway…” Nora could hear herself rambling and feel her face blushing as she tried to will herself to stop talking. But she was cursed with unshakable word vomit when she was nervous. And holy moly, did Olivia Andersen make her nervous! Not only was Olivia one of Nora’s bosses, but she had been the object of Nora’s desire since she first started at Lexand nearly six months ago. Nora was down bad for her!

“Well, you have a better excuse than me. I simply overslept,” Olivia said with a small chuckle as she turned her body to face the now-closed elevator doors. 

Standing in the small space next to Nora, so close she could make out the notes of fresh sage and sea salt in her perfume, Olivia was a veritable supermodel. Not one you would see showing off her curves in lacy lingerie or posing on white sand beaches in skimpy swimwear. Although how amazing would she look in either? No, this woman was the kind of uniquely beautiful, almost otherworldly, androgynous type. An ethereal blond you might see walking designer runways at Fashion Week in New York, Milan, or Paris. 

Olivia didn’t present as butch, but she wasn’t overly feminine either. Adorning her tall, slender frame was an elegant black silk blouse, underneath an emerald green jacket. The blazer’s sleeves were casually pushed up, exposing the lean muscles and pale white skin of her forearms as she languidly rested her body weight on the far wall of the elevator while they rode up to the top floor. With Olivia’s back now to Nora, she couldn’t help but let her eyes wander down Olivia’s impossibly long legs, covered in wide-legged trousers, matching the lush green fabric of her jacket. The elegant line of her body ended in sky-high black stilettos that had to take her up to over six feet tall.  Everything she wore was always impeccably tailored to fit her body and, undoubtedly, either bespoke or boasting the label of a high-end designer whose name Nora couldn’t even begin to pronounce.

Oh shit! Nora looked up to catch Olivia’s gaze in the elevator’s mirrored door. She was staring right at her. Had she caught Nora eyeing her from behind? Did she think Nora was staring at her ass? I mean, I definitely was. Nora looked away as she felt heat rush to her face, catching her own reflection in the mirror. Oh God! No wonder she’s staring at me like that. I look horrible! 

Running all the way from the subway had not done any favors for Nora’s appearance. Her cheeks were beet red - from the morning rush or from getting caught red-handed checking out her boss, who knew? Plus, the mid-summer humidity, combined with her arduous effort to get to work on time, had resulted in her long brown waves succumbing to their daily battle against frizz, a thousand little baby hairs sticking out of her scalp, forming a messy halo around her head. Her hands flew up as she tried her best to smooth out her unruly tresses before the elevator dinged, signaling that they had reached their floor. Nora snuck one more quick glance at Olivia in the mirror before the doors opened. She was still staring at Nora, now with a faint smirk lingering on her lips. 

Nora didn’t have the time to think about how embarrassed she was. That could come later, when she was lying in bed tonight trying desperately to sleep, when all the intrusive thoughts of every stupid thing she had ever said or done in her entire life inevitably came back to taunt her. Anxiety is great that way isn’t it? 

Or perhaps she could turn it into a new fantasy of what could have happened in that elevator with Olivia… Maybe Olivia liked the fact that Nora was checking her out? She would push Nora up against the wall, rip off her clothes, and ravage her right there, security cameras and office decorum be damned. Now that was something Nora wouldn’t mind thinking about while alone in her bed at night. Oh my God, you feral little freak! Stop it right now!

Practically sprinting to her desk, Nora threw her bag and coat down, grabbed her laptop, and made her way to the large conference room on the other side of the floor. She slipped in just after Olivia, making sure to stay in the back, trying her best to hide from her supervisor, David. Little good that did, because as soon as Nora took a seat in the back of the room, she looked up just in time to make eye contact with her boss, a very unpleasant look on his pale, round face. Fuck! She was definitely in for an ear full after this meeting. 

As the meeting continued, Nora tried to pay attention, but was so distracted by the Amazonian woman sitting at the head of the table. The one that had just caught her ogling her body in the most obvious way not twenty minutes prior. In her defense, it had been a long time since she’d felt the touch of another person. Like, a long fucking time. She had a standing date with her vibrator at least once or twice a week, but that just wasn’t cutting it lately. She needed more. She wasn’t a one-night-stand kind of girl. She had tried that before, but she just got too attached.

But then, at the same time, she had been burned badly by someone in the past. Even though that had been years ago at this point, every time she found someone she was interested in dating, she just didn’t feel like she was able to actually trust anyone after what she had been through. It had been a while since she had last tried to date anyone though. Maybe I should give it another try? Perhaps she just needed to get over her past and force herself to move on. Bury her trauma and pretend like it didn’t exist. Sure, that wasn’t the best or healthiest way to deal with things, but if her uber-conservative Aunt Caroline could continue to pretend Nora didn’t exist since the day she came out, then why couldn’t Nora do the same with her past?

Nora broke herself from her silent reverie. She really needed to pay attention to this meeting. She couldn’t give David another reason to lay into her. She blinked, turning her attention back to the head of the conference table, looking toward Whitney Lexington - the other CEO and co-owner of Lexand Advertising along with Olivia - and the woman currently speaking about fiscal this and quarterly projections that. Nora knew she needed to pay attention, but she worked on the graphic design team. She was an artist for Christ’s sake! This financial mumbo jumbo meant nothing to her! 

Soon, Nora once again caught the eye of Olivia as she sat at the head of the table next to Whitney. It was hard to tell from this distance, but it looked like Olivia was staring back at Nora. It certainly felt that way, making Nora’s pulse race and that embarrassing blush spread across her face once again. Nora knew she should look away, but it was like she was frozen in the gaze of the other woman.

Olivia stared at Nora with mesmerizing icy blue irises, sitting atop the most perfectly chiseled cheekbones Nora had ever seen in person. Topping it all off was a head full of silky, nearly white-blond hair, expertly cut into a short, shaggy bob that just barely grazed her angular jawline. Everything about this woman, from her pristine makeup and sharp suit, to the confident, bordering on cocky, air she radiated painted a beautiful picture of self-assured femininity, mixed with just enough soft masculine energy to tell the world that she likely wasn’t interested in the company of men. Not in the romantic sense at least. Was that why Nora was so into her? Was it just because she was one of the only other openly queer women that Nora encountered on the daily? Even in a big city like New York, it wasn’t always easy to meet other women like her. 

No, that wasn’t it. 

Everything about Olivia felt tailor-made to suit Nora’s tastes. Granted, she barely knew the woman, and there was no way Olivia even knew Nora’s name, but everything about the way she presented herself drew Nora in. Obviously Nora was enamored with Olivia’s looks. She was exactly Nora’s physical type. But it was the energy that Olivia radiated that really pulled Nora’s focus. The confidence she displayed and the authority she carried was captivating. Damn, I really do have a type, don’t I? Man or woman, she had always had a thing for older, authority figures. All her life, she’d been a tremendous people pleaser. And something about receiving praise and admiration from someone holding power and control over her just made her crumble. 

But as enticing as that thought was, she needed to let that go. She had gotten involved with someone like that before and it had completely broken her. Shattered her into a million tiny pieces that, even now, nearly a decade later, she had never been able to fully put back together. She would never be able to go back to who she was before that. Before him.

But she had worked hard to get to where she was now. Worked hard to put those pieces of herself back together, even if not perfectly. She needed to move on. She deserved peace after being put through the worst hell she could have imagined at such a young age. Didn’t she deserve to be happy?

Before Nora had a chance to contemplate her romantic life any longer, her cellphone, which she had been holding in her hand, started vibrating and ringing loudly, drawing all eyes in the room directly to her. The sounds of ABBA’s Dancing Queen, the ringtone she used especially for her cousin and best friend, Charlotte, filled the air. This startled Nora out of her daydream so violently that she jumped, sending her phone flying out of her hand. She shot to her feet in an attempt to catch it, but it plummeted to the ground a few feet from her. She hastily grabbed it off the floor, ignoring the call and silencing the momentary disco party. She sat back in her seat, her heart racing and heat rushing into her cheeks yet again.

As she tried her best to hide behind the head of the man sitting in front of her, she again made eye contact with her boss, David. If he looked pissed before, he was absolutely irate, on the verge of murder, now. His squishy little baby face was pinched into a tight grimace, his normally pasty skin about as red as Nora’s likely was at the moment.

Attempting to avoid David’s scrutiny, Nora shifted her eyes back over to Whitney who didn’t miss a beat during the interruption, expertly continuing on with her presentation while chaos broke out in the back of the room. But next to her, Olivia sat with her hand over her mouth, clearly trying her best to stifle laughter as she looked directly at Nora. 

Wonderful! How many times can I publicly embarrass myself in one day? Nora slid down her chair, covering her face with her hand. 

It wasn’t even lunchtime yet, so the possibilities were endless.

✴✴✴

Thirty minutes later, the meeting wrapped up. Nora hopped out of her seat and sprinted out of the room as quickly as she could, nearly barreling into a few of the smaller interns in the process. There wasn’t going to be any avoiding David and his inevitable tirade, but if she could at least get to her desk on the opposite side of the floor, she could prevent it from happening in front of the entire office, further plunging her into a pit of her own embarrassment. 

Once again, no such luck could be had for Nora as she fled the conference room and ran directly into David on the other side of the door. He must have gone out the exit on the other end of the room and waited for her, like a snake in the grass, ready to lunge at her neck at the first opportunity. This really is not my day, is it?

“Nora! Did you think I wasn’t going to notice that you were late again? That’s three times already this month!” David bellowed, his voice booming through the very public hallway. 

Nora cowered, shrinking against the wall and grimacing as she clutched her laptop to her chest as if it could protect her from the onslaught. It would have been more prudent, however, to raise her laptop to her face to block the spittle shooting out of David’s mouth. A drop if it hit her right in the eye, causing her to blink uncontrollably. 

“I know David, I’m really sorry. I would have been here on time today, I swear. My train was delayed and I had to run all the way here…” She knew it wouldn’t make a difference what her excuse was. Her goose was cooked. But she was nervous and embarrassed, not only after what had happened in the meeting, but by the fact that she was now in the process of getting a new asshole ripped open in front of everyone in the office. She couldn’t help the verbal overflow.

 There was also something about the way David had cornered her against the wall, shoving his stubby finger in her face as he screamed, that had Nora feeling genuinely scared. She had been in this position numerous times before, with someone else doling out the harsh words, making her feel like dirt. Less than dirt. Worthless and stupid. Nora’s heart was thundering in her chest and a layer of sweat began to form on her forehead as she pressed her body into the wall behind her, attempting to make herself as small as possible.

“I don’t want to hear your excuses!” he spat. Literally. “This is your final warning, Bennet. If you fuck up again-”

“Good morning Mr. Jarrick.” Someone appeared at Nora’s side, addressing David as they loomed over his stocky frame, abruptly putting an end to his verbal assault. Nora looked up to see Olivia, standing with her hands in her pockets and a stern look about her face. She was not happy. Was she about to lay into Nora too? I’m finally getting fired. I can feel it! 

“I hope you’re not giving Ms. Bennet a hard time for being late to the meeting this morning. It wasn’t her fault. She was helping me with a special project. It’s all very confidential, so I couldn’t run it by you beforehand. I hope you understand.” Olivia’s eyes flashed over to Nora’s as she lied between her teeth.

All Nora could do was stare up at Olivia, her eyes wide. She was covering for her? Why? Also, she knows my name? For the umpteenth time that morning, Nora felt her cheeks blaze with heat. Considering she hadn’t actually worked out that day, her blood sure was pumping through her veins with an unprecedented ferocity.

“Uh…I…” David let out a quick sigh, his eyes darting from Olivia to Nora and back again. “I understand, Ms. Andersen.” 

“Good,” Olivia replied, her expression unwavering, annoyance seeping from her pores. “Now if you want to yell at someone, you should yell at me for losing track of time and keeping Nora from the meeting. Would you like to yell at me, David?” 

Seething, David had to take a breath to calm himself before answering. “No, Ms. Andersen. It seems this has just been a small misunderstanding,” he replied through gritted teeth. 

“Lovely. Glad we could clear that up!” Olivia gave David a tight smile before requesting one last thing from him. “Oh, and David, do me a favor. Go wait for me in my office a moment will you?” She jerked her head in the direction of her corner office at the end of the hallway. “I’d like to discuss something with you. Shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.” 

“Of course, Ms. Anderson.” Nora watched as David hung his head in obvious embarrassment and shuffled his feet down the hall, disappearing into Olivia’s office. 

“Hey, you okay? …Nora?”

It took a few seconds for Nora to realize that someone was speaking to her. “Huh?” She turned her body to face Olivia, her mouth still hanging open in shock after witnessing the exchange that just took place in front of her. 

“Are you alright?” A look of concern flashed in Olivia’s eyes as she reached out her hand to place it reassuringly on Nora’s shoulder. “I’m sorry to have put you on the spot like that. It was all I could think of in the moment. There was no reason for him to speak to you like that. I’m about to have a chat with him about it myself.” 

It wasn’t until Olivia’s hand was on her shoulder that Nora realized she had been shaking. “Oh, I’m fine,” she replied, barely above a whisper. “It’s okay. You really didn’t have to cover for me like that. We both know I deserved the tirade, so…” Nora trailed off, looking down at her feet.

“Look at me,” Olivia said in a gentle but firm command, lowering her chin and cocking her head to better meet Nora’s eyes.

Nora obeyed, lifting her gaze to meet Olivia’s. Those eyes may be icy in color, but at this moment, they held nothing but warmth and unexpected kindness, shooting sparks straight into Nora’s heart. 

“You did not deserve that. No one that calls themselves a leader should ever speak to a member of their team that way. Ever. Certainly not in my house,” Olivia added, the corners of her rosy lips curling up slightly in a small smile.

Nora couldn’t help but smile back, the anxious tension inside of her melting away as she stared back at Olivia. “Thank you.” 

“Of course,” Olivia reassured her before pulling her hand away from Nora’s shoulder. Nora’s skin suddenly felt ice cold underneath her sleeves without the weight and warmth of Olivia’s touch. But that fell away quickly as Olivia took a step toward her, leaning her head down close to Nora’s. “Plus, just between you and me, I absolutely hate that guy,” she whispered into Nora’s ear. Her warm breath hit Nora’s skin, sending tingles down her spine that jutted out through her whole body. Her knees nearly gave out, sending her plummeting to the floor at Olivia’s feet.

Unable to form coherent words at that moment, the only response Nora was capable of producing was an awkward, high-pitched laugh. 

Leaning back out of Nora’s personal space, Olivia glanced over at her office. “Alright, I guess I’ve made him wait long enough. I should get going.” She gave Nora another slight smile before turning and starting down the hallway. 

Speech finally returning to Nora, she turned to Oliva before she got too far away. “Hey, um… Thanks again, Ms. Andersen. I really appreciate what you did.” 

“Don’t mention it,” Olivia replied with a slight shake of her head. “Just, you know, try to be here on time… and maybe put your phone on silent before meetings,” Olivia said with a chuckle. “Good song though!”

Nora laughed. “Thanks, and I’ll be sure to remember that for next time,” she said with a nod.

“Oh, and please, call me Olivia,” she replied before finally turning to walk down the hall, disappearing into her office and closing the door behind her. 

Nora made her way across the office to her desk where she sat down and opened up her laptop to get started on her daily tasks. It wasn’t until she caught her reflection in the black mirror before the machine kicked on that she realized she was smiling like an idiot. 

She sat for much too long going back over the entire interaction she had just shared with Olivia. She replayed each word, every syllable that had been spoken. Was it just Nora’s crush, paired with her delusional brain, that made it feel like Olivia was flirting with her? She was totally flirting with me, right? 

Or was Olivia simply being nice? Sympathetic, even? Was she pitying Nora? That really would be the more likely explanation, realistically.

But was that going to stop Nora from daydreaming up a laundry list of scenarios, ranging from cute and romantic to wickedly erotic, to occupy her mind?

Absolutely not!