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Work had suddenly become all-consuming. Late nights in the office, bringing work home, coming in during the weekends were Olivia's new normal. She adjusted well and fast but it still took a toll on her every now and then.
She was down with a cold but she was still trying to soldier on so she was at the office. Lunch was her naptime and she had just spent an hour sleeping in the break room when she saw an Amazonian woman coming out of the elevator.
Olivia coughed to the side as she approached the woman with a smile. "Hi, looking for someone in particular?" She asked.
Really, it would have been smart to offer some sort of warning to Teddy and let her know that she was stopping into visit. However, that would have ruined any sort of surprise. She'd never been to the her workplace before, bit it was easy to find. At least, the building was. When Natalie exited the elevator, she instantly realized she had no idea where she was supposed to go from there.
A few steps inside, the brunette was looking left and right, searching for anything or anyone that she could have possibly offered some sort of clarity. Two take away cups were in her hands, and at the very least, she would have to find a place to put the drinks down before she could bring out her phone. However, before she could get too far, she was being approached. The poor girl looked tired, but she seemed nice enough and it drew a warm smile out of the trainer.
"Oh, yes." Her smile grew. "I'm looking for Teddy. This... is the right floor, isn't it?" She had to laugh at the possibility in winding up in the wrong area all together.
The smile on Olivia's face tightened ever so slightly as a flashback of the last time this very scene occurred. She had to remind herself that this woman very well might just be a friend. And even if she were more, Olivia had to also remind herself that Teddy and her weren't exclusive. She had to remain professional because she was still in the office.
"Yep! You're definitely on the right track but unfortunately Teddy's out on a lunch meeting. She won't be back until two at the earliest." She responded, keeping her smile steady. "I'm guessing one of that coffee was supposed to be hers?" Olivia asked, her eyes cast downwards to the cups in her hands.
At the news that Teddy would be gone for at least a half hour, a small crease formed between Natalie's eyebrows. She, too, looked down at the cups in her hands before back up at the helpful woman there. "Tea," she corrected, but still keeping her friendly demeanor; there was no reason to be upset with the person delivering the news. "She prefers it."
She wondered if it would be too much to wait for the lawyer. It sounded like she had a busy day, given she was having a lunch meeting.
"Would you like this?" She tilted one of the cups in the woman's direction. "It's good for a cold." She had heard her cough before approaching, and could only assume.
Olivia didn't comment about the preference, she had always assumed Teddy needed the coffee for work. She let it slide and smiled at the woman when she offered it to her. "Oh no, coffee is my saviour right now. But thank you so much." She had to be grateful for someone who took notice.
She cleared her throat. "Um, you can wait for Teddy in her office if you want. There's a possibility that she might come in earlier," Olivia offered, not knowing what else to say.
She looked at the woman again and sighed inwardly. If this was really Teddy's "more than a friend" friend, Olivia was shit out of luck.
Given that one of the two beverages would get cold before the person it was intended for could drink it, it only made sense to offer it to someone else that might appreciate it. Though denied, Natalie nodded. Given that it was a stranger, she decided to withhold any commons on the benefits of drinking tea over coffee when sick. Really, given how tired the woman looked, she wondered why she was working at all. But if she was anything like the lawyer Natalie was so fond of, it made sense.
"Oh, thank you." Natalie smiled warmly at the offer, beginning to look around again. She still had no idea where her office exactly was, but when her gaze landed on glass walls and a perfect interior, she assumed she found it. "Is that?" She lifted a hand, pointing in the direction o fit. "Is it really okay that I wait there?"
Olivia nodded, maintaining her smile. She had to keep reminding herself not to jump to conclusions like how she did with Emmett, even though she knew this woman was definitely more to Teddy than Emmett was.
"Should be fine." Olivia nodded.
She started to walk towards the office before turning to the woman. "Would you like me to call Teddy for you? I can ask if she's anywhere near here already."
With the confirmation, Natalie nodded and started to follow the woman. It was nice of her to allow the trainer to wait in Teddy's office, and even offer to call up the lawyer. To brought a warm smile to her lips, coming to a halt when the woman turned around to face her.
"Oh, if she's in the middle of something important, I wouldn't want to disturb her." Natalie replied. She had been informed that she was practically married to her work, after all. "I'm Natalie by the way. It's nice to meet you."
Checking her watch, Olivia estimated the time Teddy would arrive and shrugged. "I'm guessing she might be done already but it wouldn't hurt to ask."
She took her phone out just as the other woman introduced herself. The smaller brunette smiled in spite of herself. "Olivia. Pleasure's all mine."
They walked over to Teddy's office and Olivia started to call her boss. She took out the keycard for Olivia's office and waved it over the sensor before opening the door for Natalie.
The call went straight to voicemail and Olivia pocketed her phone after ending the call. "If you need anything, my desk is right there with the purple lily." She smiled once more and let the door close behind her.
When the elevator doors opened with their usual flare, the click of the first heel to the floor was only a beat behind. With it followed the tail end of a discussion that Teddy couldn't believe she was having twice.
"-but we're not talking about an ordinary case. The standard law can't apply because there's nothing standard about the circumstances. He's a sentient person who can absolutely understand what you're saying to him, not an animal unaware of the laws or language when he's in a different form."
Exasperation; it might have read in her eyes but it wouldn't dare strike her tone.
Her steps slowed instinctively as she made it to a familiar desk. She offered a particular kind of smile to Olivia, silent as she listened to the babbling on the other end of the line. But when her eyes drew up towards her office, there was a body sitting in there facing her desk. "I'll have to call you back." She said instantly, hanging up a second later.
And then her attention was square on Olivia again, gaze dragged down to look at her instead; "Do I have a meeting I don't know about?"
The office was still quiet with the majority of the staff still at lunch so Olivia was highly aware of the clicking of heels approaching. She looked up in time to see Teddy smiling at her and she reciprocated with a cautious one. When Teddy saw the person in the office, Olivia took a breath before focusing her attention on her boss.
The question caused Olivia to shake her head.
"She brought you tea. Should I not have let her in, Teddy?" She asked, her tone surprisingly level with a hint of curiosity.
Caution clearly lined the lips she often pressed against her own, and Teddy found the little note endearing. Standing in an office setting forced a rigid attitude, but her hardened tones always settled and softened a touch out of instinct now.
Here mind pieced everything together with what minimal information she had. Only one person visited her at work, and she had a pension for smuggling in red wine and beer; nothing quite so pure. The revelation hit her eyes and surprise coloured them instantly as they stayed focused on Olivia.
"Natalie?" She asked finally. "No, that's fine, I-"
Cutting herself off, she then realised the two must have spoken. The only other person in this room who had a key was this woman before her. Maintaining composure finally, Teddy picked up the smile she dropped in her momentary surprise; "Thank you for letting her in."
Olivia watched as Teddy went through whatever thought process she had. Once the paralegal saw the conclusion clear in Teddy, she gave her a smile and nod.
"Just doing my job."
She didn't wait for Teddy to respond before she turned back to her computer. A little sneeze escaped her before she coughed.
Concern flooded her features when the beginnings of a cold seemed to form for Olivia. A little sneeze and a cough forced a frown to her features immediately. "You should take a day if you're not feeling well." She said thoughtfully. That, and the last thing she wanted was to catch it, too.
Walking towards her office finally, she reached for the door and opened it with ease. Bright eyes were keeping watch of the woman who managed to find her way there. "Hello." She said finally, settling the door closed behind her.
At the sound of the door opening, Natalie's head immediately turned. A warm smile spread across her features when dark eyes collided with bright blue ones. Instantly, the trainer rose from her seat, hands still holding both travel cups.
"Hey," she replied as she took a step towards the lawyer. "I'm sorry, I should have told you I was coming. I thought I'd surprise you." She lifted the cups up. "I know you're busy."
She kept her smile nonetheless, because it was still a pleasure to see her, even if it was for a moment. "Though I think the tea I brought is cold now."
