Chapter Text
There was nothing quite like New York in the early hours of the morning. If anything at all, Natasha had never grown tired of the never-ending buzz of a city in its prime. She switched on the coffee machine that started her morning brew, writing a checklist of all the things she’d have to finish up at work whilst leaning against the worn counter. Being a secretary was hardly a glamorous job, but she did what she had to do to pay the bills for her small one-bedroom flat that came with a hefty price tag. She'd been lucky enough to get a job right out of college and she certainly wasn't complaining. Most of her time was spent simply scheduling appointments and answering phones anyway. As she got ready; she watched as the sun began to rise, signalling the start of another day. The smell of coffee permeated the room, one of her favourite scents, and she poured the brew into a thermos. Picking out a pair of shoes for the day was hardly something that she spent much time mulling over, but she’d just gotten a gorgeous pair of black heels the other day and decided to slip them on before heading out the door.
The familiar skyscrapers that towered high above her had long since become a familiar sight. The business district of New York was where Barnes Enterprise had first opened its doors and where it still stood the seemingly short five years it had been open. They were one of the biggest and most popular property developers and real estate dealers in New York, dealing with all sorts of rich and famous clientele; and they always came back.
“Good morning, Natasha,” Josie, the receptionist greeted as she passed through security and Natasha returned the greeting with a smile. After reaching the fortieth floor where James’, her boss’s office was located, she couldn't help but let out a sigh as the elevator doors opened and the stack of files that littered her previously empty desk caught her eye. There were better ways to start the morning, but it would have to do. She had hardly even sifted through the mess or had the chance to sit down when the desk on her phone let off a shrill ring that echoed through the quiet of the office.
“Mr Barnes’ office, how may I help you?”
“I knew I saw you come in.”
Natasha rolled her eyes as she heard his voice, “We’re the only two people on this floor, James, who else would it have been at this ungodly hour?”
“Get your behind in here, Natasha.”
“Good morning to you, too," she replied, almost sarcastically.
“Good morning , Natasha. Now, will you please make your way into my office?”
“Alright, alright, calm down. I’m coming.”
She reluctantly dropped her bag on top of her chair, before walking the five steps and pushing open the glass door that separated her boss from the rest of the world, “You called ?”
“Very funny,” he said, spinning round in his swivel chair as he pointed a pen at her. For someone with such an elaborate title, he was as childish as they come when no one else was around. “So, I have some news about the acquisition. Remember that?” He asked, a lazy grin plastered on his face. “God, if only I could forget. I’ve spent the last month or so hounded by countless employees trying to squeeze every last bit of information they can out of me; it's not as if I even know anything about this.”
“It must have been tough for you.”
She rolled her eyes, “Please, we all know you don’t feel any sympathy whatsoever.”
“It’s always interesting to see stoic, stone-cold Natasha being flummoxed,” he laughed, “Right, as I was saying, good news. The deal is going through and Steve Rogers is coming over later.”
“The Steve Rogers?” She asked, taken aback by the sudden announcement. “The one and only,” James nodded, swivelling around in his chair again. Natasha sat down in the seat opposing his desk, “You’re selling the company off to your biggest rival?”
He turned to face her, “Did you know you make this really interesting expression when you’re shocked? I have to get a photo of this-”
She all but reached across to swat the iPhone out of his hands, “Why would you sell Barnes Enterprise to Steve Rogers of all people?”
“You probably wouldn’t know this, hardly anyone does, but Steve and I are actually friends. Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, best friends since childhood.” He smirked, waving his hands around to emphasize his self-promotion of their friendship, “Also, give me my phone back, I need to get a photo of this face!”
“I can’t believe it. The two biggest competitors in real estate are set in an acquisition,” she shook her head as she held the phone out his reach. “God, Natasha, you’re awful. That phone is very important I'll have you know."
"Because you've finally reached level 3429 in Candy Crush Soda, Sugar_Princess52?"
He huffed in dismay, "I'm this close to clearing the next level. Besides, I would trust Steve with my life and for these past few years, this company has been just that; my entire life. You know that.”
“I just can’t wrap my head around it. You’re letting go of the only thing that I’ve ever seen you take so seriously just like that?” She asked, unsure of how to feel as the reality of the situation began to sink in. Was he willing to walk away from the company he’d built from the ground up right out of college?
James simply smiled, not quite meeting her gaze as he let out a sigh, “It is for the best.”
“What do you mean?”
“I have a feeling that this was how it was meant to be. Now, go. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of paperwork to be going through.”
“And who’s fault-”
She was cut off mid-sentence by the familiar laughter and she realised it was his way of brushing off the tense atmosphere. Sighing, she stood up, “Okay.”
As she shut the door behind her, she simply sat at her desk for a while. He had everything he ever wanted; the money, the property and he was nothing short of a looker. Even after being named one of the most eligible bachelors in New York, he had been single all this time because his schedule simply hadn’t allowed time for a serious relationship. Sure, there’d been a couple of flings, but he’d always brushed them aside in favour of work. The acquisition certainly wasn’t because of financial troubles; in fact, Barnes Enterprise was practically thriving. So, why was he letting go of the only thing that mattered this much to him?
Here, she’d always thought that she knew him well enough, but right now, the person making the decision seemed very much a stranger to her.
Later that afternoon, after lunch, she found herself still contemplating James’ decision as she pulled out the folders from her bag and arranged them neatly on the table. Steve Rogers would be here in another five minutes or so. She filled the water glasses, leaving a bottle of water next to each. The meeting room had always been a great place for views of New York. Floor to ceiling glass windows adorned the walls and a large mahogany table sat in the middle of the room. She didn’t know anything about Steve, besides the rumours that were tossed around. Some of them were rather ridiculous, like the one that stated that he kept a pet tiger in the Central Park Zoo. Perhaps she couldn’t put it past the wealthy to have exotic pets, but what exactly would he do with a tiger? She’d also heard that he was notoriously strict with his employees; she supposed there was a reason he was a rival to Barnes Enterprise.
“You’re still the same after all this time, aren’t you, Buck?”
Natasha paused as she heard voices. Steve Rogers must’ve arrived. “You’ve changed, I used to be bigger than you.” She heard James laugh and quickly smoothed down her black dress as the double doors opened.
“There you are, I’ve been looking for you,” James smiled. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes; he could’ve called her and he knew it. Plastering a professional smile on her face, she simply nodded. Looking past him, she could see a group of men and women dressed to the nines. Their guest had brought along an entire entourage.
“This is my secretary, Natasha,” James nodded, shooting her a mischevious grin. Natasha smiled politely and extended her hand towards Steve, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr Rogers.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Steve nodded, shaking her hand firmly. Natasha would’ve been lying had she said that he was not attractive because he most definitely was. Steve had short, sandy blonde hair that she wanted nothing more than to run her fingers through and gorgeous blue eyes that would put a clear summer’s day to shame. He wore a light grey suit that was pressed to perfection and she could already tell he exuded a naturally charismatic charm as he met with the other employees.
“Alright, now that we’re all introduced, let’s get down to business, shall we?” James grinned, shooting her a wink. She heard the murmur of agreement as everyone took their seats.
“We’ll be implementing this process in regards with the new acquisition…”
Natasha sighed quietly as she listened to James’ lawyer drone on about legal affairs. She took down some notes on the paper in front of her before sneaking a glance at her watch; it was already a quarter past four. The words she'd written were starting to blur into a single mess the longer she looked. There wasn’t much she could do at all; on her left sat another one of James’ lawyers and on her right was her possible future employer sitting right at the head of the table. For some reason she couldn’t quite comprehend, James sat at the opposite end. He snuck her a smug glance occasionally and she made a mental note to punch him later. It was hardly a great position for her to be in, especially when she couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at Steve every now and then. He was fiddling with a rather expensive looking pen between his fingers, his brows furrowed in concentration as he listened to whatever it was that was being said.
The dull ache in her feet drew her attention away. She hadn’t broken in the heels just yet, but she hadn’t expected them to hurt this much. Shaking her leg subtly to ease the pain, she didn’t even notice that her shoe was coming loose until it fell off.
Of course, it landed right next to Steve’s foot.
She grunted her dismay to herself and wondered if it was worth trying to reach. It was a little too far away. If only she had longer legs; being 5’3 was hardly something she was proud of. Inching her chair a little bit closer, she mentally kicked herself for being this careless. She decided not to risk interrupting the meeting, lest anyone else found out about her plight. That would be embarrassing to say the very least. When she looked up, she noticed Steve staring at the shoe. She tried to mask the shock in her expression when he finally seemed to make the connection when he looked at her. Almost as if on cue, Natasha heard the quiet thud of the pen he’d been holding as it hit the floor. He’d dropped the pen. On purpose. Her heart was practically racing as she realised what he was planning to do. Getting out of his seat with the facade to pick up his pen, he reached under the table. She just about hid her face behind her hands as she watched him pick up her shoe alongside the pen; Natasha could see his amused expression as he slid the shoe back onto her foot without as much as batting an eye. By now, he'd caught the attention of the entire room. Steve straightened up and held up his pen as proof before sitting down again, “My apologies. Please, continue.”
Needless to say, Natasha couldn’t look him in the eye for the rest of the meeting.