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“You’re cute,” Tammy grins, lounging back against the desk.
“I try,” Kasie does a cocky yet endearing little shrug, grinning widely, “I’ll go make that call.”
She brushes closer than necessary, looking back to shoot her a final glance and Tammy smirks when her answering wink sends her bursting out into laughter as her office doors slip closed behind her.
Feeling just a little bit pleased with herself, she suddenly catches sight of the dumfounded expression on Nick’s face as he stands, silently staring at her.
“What?”
When he doesn’t answer, she glances over to the screen and finds virtual Sebastian staring at her too, his face a picture of mild horror.
“What?” she snaps, growing increasingly irritated.
“You are not flirting with Kasie right now?” Nick accuses her, disbelieving.
In the background, Sebastian insists, “I saw that too!”
“What? Pft,” she waves a casual hand, leaning back against the desk again, “no way, you’re imagining things.”
“Gregorio, I’ve seen you flirt with enough women, that was you flirting.”
Shooting Torres a glare that silently asks him where he got the audacity and warns him to wipe the smug smile off his face, she rolls her eyes.
The look doesn’t have quite the desired effect, Nick simply raises his eyebrows and glances pointedly across to where Kasie can be seen through the glass doors, talking animatedly on the phone.
Holding up a hand in surrender, she concedes, “I mean she’s smart, funny, really knows her science, does these little rambles…”
“Woah, woah, I do all that stuff and you just look at me,” Sebastian protests.
She turns to fix him with a look that’s proved effective in the past but he must be feeling the protection of still being back in New Orleans because all he does is point out, “Yeah, with that exact expression!”
Scrunching her nose at him, she argues, “Well, she makes it cute.”
Neither of them look impressed so she throws her hands up in surrender, “Okay, okay, we’re just having a bit of fun. She’s not even my type!” smiling confidently, she crosses her arms, “and I’m not hers either, she’s more into people who can keep up with her nerd. Probably tech-y, a bit introverted, someone she can chill and play videogames with, maybe a little socially awkward.”
Torres’ reply is interrupted by the ding of the elevator as someone with bright pink hair steps into the room, catches sight of them all and freezes.
“Uh, hi?” they wave awkwardly, “I was just looking for Kasie…”
They all point in the right direction, even somehow Sebastian whose camera is facing the other way.
Smiling genuinely but uncomfortably, they slip between her and Nick and none of them miss the way Kasie’s face lights up when she turns and catches sight of them, or the way she stumbles over her words, or the way they’re stood so close together.
Tammy turns to Nick, a cocky grin on her face when she catches sight of his ‘how the fuck did you do that?’ expression.
“Kasie’s into people who are emotionally available,” she comments, in way of an explanation, layering in the self-deprecation so subtly that neither of them pick up on it.
“Okay then,” Nick raises a challenging eyebrow, “what’s my type?”
She scoffs, glancing across to catch a confused Sebastian’s gaze, “You don’t really want me to answer that.”
“Oh, but I do.”
“No, you do not, Torres,” pushing off the table, she steps probably a bit too close, the instinct to get up in his face strong, “because we all know exactly what your type is but it’s not been long enough for me to slap you in the face with it.”
Pausing just long enough for his face to darken, she leans back, relaxing her stance and motioning to herself, “Unless you want to talk about it? Then I’m all ears.”
“Why would I want to talk about it?” he grits, jaw set.
“Isn’t that what we do, antagonise each other into difficult conversations?” she cocks an eyebrow, aware of Kasie re-entering the room but focused in on Nick, “I’m only a phone call away, outside perspective might help.”
His eyes narrow, “Not so outside you didn’t hear about it.”
“I’m always up in people’s business, what can I say-“ she shrugs, self-aware- “I just can’t help it.”
“It’s to show she cares,” Sebastian pipes up.
She glares at him then turns to Kasie, who’s watching them in confusion but tactfully says nothing as she hands Tammy the paper with the information she’d asked for.
“Thank you, baby,” holding back a smile, she asks, “have you got their number yet?”
“Who, Piper? Oh no, aha,” Kasie laughs a bit too loud, “I’m not into Piper.”
Grinning at the denial and the fact her point had been proven by Kasie knowing exactly who she’d been talking about without clarification, she teases, “Ah sweetie, it’s a good thing you’re not an agent, even Sebastian is better at lying than that-” ignoring Sebastian’s indignant noise, she knocks their hips together playfully- “they like you too, ask for their… I don’t know, Facebook or whatever.”
“Okay, okay, maybe,” Kasie concedes bashfully, motioning to her computer, “now can I tell you about these results, so we can actually pass the Bechdel test with this conversation?”
Accepting the change in topic, she follows her to the desk, stopping to pick up her forgotten coffee and passing Kasie hers on the way, “Wouldn’t we pass the test anyway? We’re not talking about a man.”
“Ah,” she throws her an appraising look, “someone who knows the intricacies of sexism in media.”
“Yeah well,” she shrugs, taking her position leaning against the desk again and ignoring how Torres is silently glowering in the corner, “Sebastian makes me watch all these movies, I gotta ruin his fun somehow and pointing out casual sexism seems like a good way to do it.”
Kasie chuckles, “I bet he wouldn’t notice without ya.”
“He would not,” she shoots him a glare until he holds his hand up in surrender.
“And this is why we like non-men best.”
Ignoring Nick and Sebastian’s spluttering protests, Tammy lifts her coffee to cheers against Kasie’s with a playful wink.