#agentlane

Two hours later, she’s still no closer to solving her problem. Artie Anderson can kiss her ass. Secretly, she hopes that he never gets a headlining singing gig again. So what if he’s one of the up and coming stars of tomorrow, she doesn’t care how good or popular he is. He can still kiss her ass. Honestly, she hopes his pants fall down at his next show or he shits himself on stage. So what if she’s being petty. Sue her. 

Who fucking does that?! She thinks. Cancels a headlining show the day of?! That’s just bad PR, Artie whatever-the-fuck. Choke on your microphone.

Lena sighs. Now she has to call her trusty assistant. It’s the last thing she wants to do, but well, she’s run out of options. She lifts her phone up and presses send.

“LKL Event Planning, where we bring your ideas to life. This is Jess speaking. How can I help you?” 

Rolling her eyes, Lena chuckles. “Jess, you knew it was me. You didn’t have to give the whole spiel.” She huffs as she starts descending the stairs of the convention center toward Noonan’s and a cup of her favorite peppermint hot chocolate.

“Oh come on, Miss Luthor, you know how much I love to share our company greeting with everyone that calls.” Jess laughs, the amusement evident in her tone. “What can I help you with this morning?”

“Unfortunately, I have bad news. ‘Christmas Carols in the Park’ is currently looking like it’s going to be ‘Christmas Chaos in the Park’. Our headliner canceled on us a couple of hours ago. I’ve called all my other connections and, as expected, everyone is booked. I have no idea what I’m going to do. This is going to be a disaster.” Her left hand comes up to massage her temples as she opens the door to enter the warm, wonderful smelling atmosphere of Noonan’s. “We can move Macy Lynn to the headlining spot and find a lesser known singer to fill her slot, but that still doesn’t solve the current problem.”

She sighs, trying her best not to panic, but it’s not looking good. “Jess, if the event goes South, it won’t be good for future bookings. We could lose clients over this!” She takes a deep breath, pressing her hand against her chest, desperately trying to calm her racing heart. “This tree lighting ceremony is second only to the lighting of the tree at Rockefeller Center! We have to figure this out! I didn’t spend years building this business for some little snot-nosed, spoiled brat to ruin it by canceling at the last minute!” 

Realizing that she had gotten a little louder than she thought, Lena sheepishly ducks her head and clears her throat. The line is moving slowly, but she knows she needs to wrap up her phone call soon. Years of Luthor etiquette training forcing her to be mindful of disturbing those around her. 

“Why don’t you let me call Macy’s manager and get that taken care of while you take a minute to collect yourself? Hmmm?” Jess says, a smile evident in her tone. “I’ll call you back when everything is confirmed. Maybe by then you’ll have a solution in mind.”

“What would I do without you?” Lena smiles, resigning herself to a long day of groveling. “Thanks, Jess. I’ll talk to you later.”

Stuffing her phone in her coat pocket, she blankly stares at the menu board above the counter. She’s deeply lost in her own thoughts and doesn’t notice the blonde woman standing in front of her, eyeing her curiously. As the line inches forward, Lena’s mind is still drifting through her list of possible singers or group acts to fill the empty slot in the schedule. She’s so preoccupied that she walks right into the back of the person in front of her.

“Oh no, I am so sorry.” Lena laments, her eyes practically glued to her feet in embarrassment. “I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and I…” Her words fade as her eyes land on the black-framed startling blue eyes of the stranger in front of her. They’re the bluest, warmest, most kind eyes she’s ever seen and for a moment, the world around her seems to stop. 

The blonde smiles at her, subtly adjusting her glasses and Lena has to bite her bottom lip to keep from gasping at the beauty before her. This woman is stunning. Infinite hues of sky blue eyes dancing above a bright shimmering smile. She’s several inches taller than Lena and from what she can tell, incredibly well-built. Before she can rein her wandering eyes back in, she realizes she’s been caught and feels the heat climb up the back of her neck, across her ears, and land firmly on her cheeks. 

An adorable giggle bubbles up the handsome stranger's throat and through her perfectly pink lips. Lena can’t help but smile and tilt her head in amusement even as her own embarrassment camps out on her face. 

“It’s okay. You didn’t hurt me and it sounds like you’re having a rough day.” Attractive stranger says as she extends her hand toward Lena. “I’m Kara. Kara Danvers. And I might be able to help you with your little dilemma.”

Intrigued, Lena raises an eyebrow in question at the gorgeous stranger. Kara, she reminds herself. “Lena Luthor. Nice to meet you.” She eyes the woman up and down briefly before settling hers back onto the pools of blue eyeing her with amusement. “Do tell how you can assist with my dilemma, Miss Danvers.”

Kara grins, an adorably lop-sided grin as she offers her elbow to Lena and drags her to stand next to her in line. “How about you let me buy you your drink of choice and we find a table to chat? It sounds like you could use a little break.” She leans over to whisper conspiratorially into Lena’s ear. “Word on the street is this place has the best sticky buns in the state. I should know, I eat one several times a week.”

Without her permission and certainly for the first time in a long time, Lena can feel herself smile. Genuinely smile. Kara winks at her as they turn back toward the cashier and step up to order their drinks along with whatever monstrosity Kara has ordered. The young person working the register smiles, blushing as Kara calls them by name, and they move to the end of the long counter to wait for their names to be called. 

Kara grabs the tray and guides them through the sea of customers to a little table tucked toward the back of the cafe. Several of the staff speak to her on their way to their seats. They settle into the chairs, the noise of the place seems more hushed in this little nook. 

“You must come here a lot. Everyone on staff seems to know you.” Lena smiles as she takes a long, savored sip of her hot chocolate. “I think every single waiter we passed called you by name.” A boisterous, belly laugh floats across the table and graces Lena’s ears. It is such a lovely sound and she absolutely wants to hear it again.

“Well, I really am in here a lot.” Kara says with a warm smile, her skin creasing next to her mesmerizing eyes. “I’m a writer. I work from home most of the time, but a change of scenery is needed on those days I get stuck. So, I spend a good bit of time right here with my laptop, a warm drink, and sticky buns.” She points to the tray on the table and pulls a sticky bun off to settle in front of her.

Lena eyes her curiously. She’s inarguably never met anyone like Kara Danvers. They’ve known each other for less than thirty minutes and Lena already feels comfortable around her. This alone should scare the absolute shit out of her, yet she feels much calmer than she did when she walked inside earlier.

“So, Miss Danvers…how is it that you think you can help me?” Lena grins, raising her signature brow in question. She glances down at her watch and winces. “As much as I am enjoying your company, I have roughly six hours to find a replacement for my event tonight.”

“Well, what if I told you that I know a singer that is available tonight. She has a pretty decent voice and doesn't need any musicians or music. She usually performs acapella and will gladly help you out.” Kara gives her a bright, wide smile before taking a sip of her large monstrous drink and biting into her second sticky bun. 

Lena tilts her head at the blonde, curious about this singer and what the catch is…there’s always a catch, right? “Well, this sounds promising. I’m willing to hear you out.” She leans forward, her forearms resting on the table and hands clasped. “However, in my experience, there’s always a catch. So, what’s the catch Miss Danvers?”

Kara smiles. She pushes her now empty plate to the side and leans forward, mirroring Lena’s position. “Please call me Kara, Miss Luthor. Every time you say Ms. Danvers, it makes me think of my adoptive mom.” She winks at the porcelain skinned woman across from her, taking another sip of her almost empty cup. “What makes you think there is a catch? Why can’t it just be a trade and not a catch?”

An unrestrained laugh springs from Lena’s chest. It’s so surprising, she nearly falls out of her chair. Once she regains her composure, she clears her throat and leans back in her seat. “Well, if I am calling you Kara, then please, call me Lena. Ms. Luthor also, unfortunately, reminds me of my adoptive mother as well. And, that’s just something I’d rather not think about.” She returns Kara’s wink. “If not a catch to your proposal, then a trade. What is your requested compensation in return for solving my dilemma?”

“Ok, hear me out.” Kara beams at Lena. “Not only am I a writer, but also a pretty decent singer. I can fill the spot you need tonight, free of charge.” She pauses, nervously adjusting her glasses and twisting her hands on the table. “If you’ll, um, goonadatewithme.” Her eyes drop to her fingers and she bites her bottom lip.

Lena’s not 100% sure she heard Kara correctly, but she does notice the adorable pink blush dusting the apples of her cheeks and it not only makes her smile, but releases a sea of butterflies into her stomach and chest. She bites her own lip, then looks up at the blonde. “I’m sorry, Kara, but I didn’t quite catch the last part of what you said. Can you repeat that for me? Maybe a little slower this time?”

Kara huffs, squirming in her seat as her face turns a darker rosy shade of pink. “I can fill the spot for your event tonight, if you’ll, um, go on a date with me.” She says with a little more confidence than she actually feels. 

On the other side of the table, Lena is slightly stunned. Sure, she thought about asking the woman out before they parted ways or at least getting her phone number, but never imagined this is how their impromptu meeting would end. She smiles at the adorable fidgeting blonde. There’s no doubt in her mind she’s going to say yes, but she can’t give in right away. Where’s the fun in that?

“And what if I am already seeing someone?” She says with a smirk on her face. Watching as blue eyes widen. “How will I be able to meet the terms of your proposal in those circumstances?”

Kara drops her head onto the table and groans. It takes a minute before she lifts her head back up, red-faced and apologetic. “Oh no, Lena. I am so sorry. I should have known someone as stunning as you would be taken. I’m such an idiot. I’ll help you out and you don’t have to worry about payment or dates or anything like that. I can’t believe I didn’t think to ask you that first. I just…”

“Kara!” Lena chuckles and reaches out to stop the ongoing ramble. “Hey. I was only kidding! I’m very single and would actually be amenable to going on a date with you.”

“Really?” Kara’s blinding, toothy smile shines back at Lena from across the table. “Are you sure?” She asks, timidly.

“Yes, Kara. I’m sure. I was sure the minute I laid eyes on you.” Lena smiles, unsure how she managed to land a date with the most attractive and adorable woman she’s ever seen. 

True to her word, Kara fills the slot at the ceremony that evening and ends up being the best performance of the night. They go on their promised date right after and end the night at Kara’s loft watching cheesy Christmas movies. The two of them share their first kiss surrounded by the twinkling glow of Christmas lights before they fall asleep on Kara’s comfortable couch. Their date is the most magical evening Lena’s had in all of her adult life. 

Until the next year when Kara proposes at the tree lighting ceremony.