Chapter Text
If you asked Rio Vidal where she would be when she was thirty the answers would differ depending on her age. When Rio was five she would dress up in tissue paper, grab her mother’s flowers from the windowsill and pretend to be a bride.
When she was ten she wanted to be an astronaut or a veterinarian- whichever paid better. At the age of twelve Rio wanted a typical nuclear family, a husband, 2.5 kids and a dog. They would live in the suburbs and her life would be great, she always saw her husband as the breadwinner in her household at that age.
Going to High School Rio’s nuclear family dream of a husband faded she still wanted to get married but not to a man she wanted a wife. When she turned sixteen she finally decided on a career, a journalist. Not in some trashy tabloid newspaper, but in the real nitty gritty stuff. She wanted to be sent to every country or be at the scene of a murder, never in fashion, never in gossip media.
Yet here she was having just received a phone call from one Evanora Harkness congratulating her on getting the position of lead photographer and staff writer for her magazine StyleScape.
Even seeing the name of the publication made Rio groan. Evanora was something else, the entire interview she felt like she was being looked down on and every time she gave an answer she could see the woman rolling her eyes at her.
Rio had the background for hard investigative journalism so why was she here? At some doozy fashion and pop culture magazine? She’d tell anyone who asked that she wanted to try something different, but in reality she sold out for the cash.
Evanora’s congratulations over the phone made Rio think someone was making her do this unwillingly, or was holding the woman by gunpoint, but still Rio accepted.
The first month working in StyleScape Rio was the perfect employee, she was always on time, got Evanora or Lilia Calderu- Evanora’s assistant manager AND sister- the coffee they wanted. Wrote some 100 word bylines. She was enjoying it, she was however, terrified of Evanroa. Thankfully for her no one ever really got to see Evanora (unless you were being fired).
She was fitting in so well with the other writers and editors and even felt confident enough to decorate her desk. It wasn’t anything big or flashy it was just one tiny flower in a tiny pot but Rio treasured it.
Rio was such a perfect employee that she burnt herself out literally one month after starting and completely crashed into her bed forgetting to set her alarm clock for the day ahead.
So, when her eyes opened and she saw daylight she frowned and lifted her watch closer to her face to see the time. “Shit!” she yelled, double checking and then triple checking her watch jumping out of the bed.
“Shit, shit, shit!” she cursed, stumbling over to her closet and pulling open the doors.She grabbed the first things she saw, a floral blouse and a pair of denim jeans.
Quickly taking off her pyjama bottoms she struggled to get into her jeans due to her rush, she was hopping all around her room when she suddenly tripped over her own feet. Rio landed with a thud on the ground. A quiet lame ‘ow’ escaped from her mouth as she stood up and continued getting dressed.
Running to the bathroom she got ready as fast as she could. “Shit!” she yelled once more when she couldn’t get her hair right. Leaving it down would have to do. Grabbing her jacket and throwing it on, she gathered the papers she was working on from her kitchen table and bolted out the door.
Yes, she was already running late but she convinced herself that knowing Lilia and Evanora’s coffee order and bringing them a peace offering would soften the yelling. Rio pulled open the door and ordered what she needed as she stared at the documents in her hand.
She tried her hardest to learn the article word for word in hopes of impressing Lilia, and thought the extra time queuing and waiting for the coffee would help her with her studies.
Unfortunately it didn’t take long at all and when her name was called she groaned loudly making the barista stare at her like she had grown three heads.
“Bad morning.” she mumbled as an excuse before grabbing the tray of drinks and making her way back outside.
Rio closed the door behind her and began mentally rehearsing what she would say to her bosses when she collided with something solid. Rio gasped watching the coffee she had just bought fall to the ground.
It was only a few seconds later did Rio realise she had not only hit into someone but spilled three cups of coffee over them. Raising her head slowly she looked up and squirmed at the other woman’s glare. Her white blouse was completely destroyed with coffee.
She was younger than Rio, not by many years. Her auburn hair shining in the sunlight. Her stare didn’t falter and Rio wondered if she should just move and go about her day. But the woman had a plan.
Rio watched her reach out effortlessly and grab a coffee cup from a passerby; his small ‘hey!’ made Rio want to chuckle but she was sure any slight movement at all from her this woman was going to strike.
The woman raised the cup above her and undid the lid before turning it upside down, pouring the contents all over the documents in Rio’s hand. Rio stared aghast as the woman threw the empty cup away and smirked at her before walking off.
Rio turned her head and stared after her angrily. Panic was rising and she tried her hardest to wipe off the coffee and restore the article she had worked so hard on the past two weeks. She thanked all her lucky stars that she would never see that woman ever again.
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Rio stepped out of the bright yellow cab and smiled at the driver. She closed the door a little harder than she wanted to and flinched when it banged behind her. She sighed looking up at the giant building in front of her. Not only was she over an hour late she didn’t have her peace offering OR the article she was gloating about to Lilia yesterday.
Rio composed herself and pushed through the rotating doors into the reception. The place was buzzing. It usually was early in the morning and people were everywhere. The sounds of clicking on keypads and early morning chatter along with the smell of coffee put Rio at ease slightly. Lilia wasn’t too bad and she could easily explain what happened.
With how bad her morning was she ducked out of her morning cardio and ditched the stairs for the elevator.
Stepping in she was overjoyed to see she had it to herself. Pressing floor 2 and stepping back she began to rehearse what she would say to Lilia again without being disrupted by a very pretty albeit scary woman.
The doors dinged open and just as Rio was about to step out she caught a flash of that very same auburn hair walking out of Lilia’s office. “Oh crap.” Rio deadpanned returning to the elevator and pressing another floor. She couldn’t be here.
What was she doing here? Rio paced the floor as it opened for floor 3, no one got on and Rio continued pacing her thoughts were spiraling. What if she found out where Rio worked and was going to take revenge on her? Rio laughed at that thought. She was being ridiculous.
She wasn’t ready to come face to face with her again so stayed in the elevator like an idiot for another few minutes.
Rio was mumbling like crazy to herself when she was joined by some men in suits. She didn’t notice them at first and continued talking to herself before looking up and smiling at them.
They averted their gaze and Rio sighed seeing the elevator had stopped on her floor again. She had to do this. Oh god what if she was waiting outside?
Thankfully no one was there when the doors opened. She quickly scanned the floor checking for that auburn hair and spotted her in the back.
Okay this was her break she just had to get to her cubicle right? Stepping out Rio immediately squatted down low hoping to remove herself from the woman’s eye-line. Running out of cover a lot faster than she thought, she grabbed a plant pot from behind her and shielded her face with it.
This was definitely gaining so much more unsolicited attention. Spotting a book on one of the office intern’s desks she quickly dropped the plant and picked it up much to his silent protests. Rio opened it and continued her trek to her cubicle.
Completely blind to anything in front of her she could see her desk. She smiled and continued her way over. Something was blocking her suddenly and without a beat the book she was using to hide was lifted out of her hands.
Rio closed her eyes hoping to make this person disappear with sheer manifestation.
“Hi.” the voice spoke. Rio kept her eyes closed for whatever reason she didn’t know. “What are you doing?” the woman laughed at how ridiculous Rio was being.
Rio opened her eyes and yup just as she expected the coffee victim with her stained coffee shirt and damn beautiful auburn hair and ocean blue eyes was standing in front of her. “Sorry I didn't see you there.” Rio answered lamely, making the woman chuckle.
“Second time today,” she replied with a slight tease. “If i didn’t know any better I’d think you want to keep bumping into me.”
“Sorry about the coffee.” Rio spoke looking down to her own feet.
“No big deal.” the woman shrugged. “I’ll just send you my dry cleaning bill.” she smiled.
Rio wasn’t sure if she was being serious or not. She just wanted the ground to swallow her whole right here, right now.
She was not only panicking, she was also GAY panicking and didn’t know what to do.
“See you around.” The woman grinned before winking at her. Rio was sure she was going to pass out holy shit.
Watching the woman walk away Rio suddenly came to her senses remembering the events of the day and the ruined article in her hand.
“You’re not going to apologise to me!?”
“For what?”
The teasing innocence in her question made Rio shake her head. Who was this woman?
The thought lingered in her mind until it was snapped out as the door to Lilia’s office swung open with force making Rio jump. The older woman came to a stop directly in front of Rio
“Everything okay Lilia?” She was still smiling after her previous conversation. And didn’t want anyone to pop the bubble she was in right now.
“That looked friendly.” Lilia spoke gesturing to the woman at the other end of the room who was STARING at Rio. Oh great, she was gay panicking again.
“Uh, no it was nothing.” she answered nonchalantly although she also may have squeaked out the answer. “Completely normal.” she continued running a hand through her hair. “I spilled coffee on her by accident this morning so I was apologising.”
Lilia looked Rio up and down trying somehow to catch her out on her lie. It wasn’t a lie but she hoped Lilia couldn’t see her panicking because she felt the beautiful woman’s eyes bore onto her skin.
“Okay.” she finally answered with a nod. “It’s just, forgive me for overstepping. I don’t know your whole spiel or life story. I know she can be charming but Agatha’s off limits!” Lilia warned, adding the last part in a whisper.
Agatha
Rio smiled, finally learning the woman’s name. It suited her. Wait, why was she off limits?
“Off limits? Why is she…uh not that I care.” she asked, clearing her throat loudly.
Lilia raised her eyebrow and stared, she didn’t believe Rio, of course she didn’t. No one would. Especially when she kept stealing glances over to the coffee machine where Agatha was standing, and god dammit why was she STILL staring at Rio!?
“Ms Harkness doesn’t like employees dating her daughter. You go near Agatha, you’re going to lose your job and Ms Harkness could blacklist you from any other publication due to her status and the money she throws around.”
Rio gulped loudly. Okay Agatha was Evanora’s daughter and she was off limits. Rio could keep her distance. She wasn’t even sure what department Agatha worked in, she’d never seen her in the office before. This was going to be easy.
Piece of cake. She could stay away from her.