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As a general rule, Agatha didn’t sleep with coworkers. It was messy and complicated and a pain in the ass in the worst ways. 

Agatha was also a rule breaker, even when it was her own rules that she was breaking. That was how she found herself in Rio Vidal’s bed after one too many glasses of wine, just enough to make this very bad idea seem like a very good one. To make matters worse, it wasn’t exactly a bad idea in the sense that Agatha just had some of the best sex of her life.

Sighing, Agatha turned her head to look at Rio. The other woman was also on her back, one arm tucked casually behind her head, while she scrolled on her phone with the other. Rio had only been with the company a year, so she really only knew Agatha in the midst of a divorce. Maybe that was why it’d been so easy to fall into bed with her. That, and well, Rio was ridiculously hot.

“What if we did this again?” Agatha said, trying to sound as casual as possible. She rolled onto her side and propped up her head. Her eyes flickered down Rio’s body, just barely covered by sheets. “Just… sex.”

“Agatha,” Rio laughed. She set her phone aside and looked at her. “Come on.”

Trying to look innocent, Agatha said, “What?”

“Just sex?” Rio repeated mockingly. “You just got divorced.”

“Isn’t that when people usually indulge in some meaningless sex?” Agatha countered.

“I wouldn’t know,” Rio shrugged, a coy smile on her lips. “I’ve never been divorced.”

Despite herself, Agatha felt a smile growing on her face.  “Now you’re just being mean,” Agatha said.

“I thought you liked it when I’m mean,” Rio replied. She reached out and twirled a strand of Agatha’s hair around her finger before giving it a sharp tug. When Agatha bit her lip in response, Rio let out a huff of laughter. “Anyways, this was good, really good, but you’re kind of a mess right now, and neither of us need this affecting work.”

Agatha tried not to be too offended by the mess comment and focused on the latter half. “Who said it’d affect our work?”

Rio just gave her a look. It was unfair. Sure, okay, they worked on a pretty small team for consulting, but Agatha was a professional. She could separate work and play just fine… Except for this current moment that she wanted to repeat. Oh, whatever. Agatha was sure she’d be able to keep doing her job just fine. Rio just kept giving her look though until Agatha sighed and climbed out of her bed. 

Agatha gathered her clothes in a pile in her arms before she stopped on Rio’s side of the bed. She looked down at her and said, “What, no good-bye kiss?”

Rio raised a brow at her. “What happened to just sex?”

“Since when is a good-bye kiss more than just sex?”

Rio’s lips twisted as she fought back a smile, but Agatha could see just how amused she was. She dropped her clothes back onto the floor and climbed on top of her again. “I know what you’re doing,” Rio said. Her hands found their way to Agatha’s hips before they slid over her ass.

“I know you know what I’m doing, and you’re letting me do it anyways,” Agatha said. She grinned as Rio rolled her eyes. Without waiting for another reply, Agatha leaned down and kissed Rio hungrily.

Rules were overrated anyways. Agatha was divorced now. She could do whatever the fuck she wanted.

. . .

Thanks to Rio, Agatha had to wear a mock neck blouse with her skirt the next morning to hide an impressive smattering of bruises across her chest. For good measure, Agatha also wore her hair down. It wasn’t like anyone would know who she slept with if they saw, but Agatha didn’t exactly want to field those kinds of questions either.

As everyone trickled into the conference room for their morning meeting, Agatha determinedly did not give Rio a second glance. Okay, more like a third glance because she couldn’t help but admire the way her suits always seemed tailored to her. 

Agatha was trying to sneak her forbidden third glance when Jennifer dropped into the chair next to her and asked, “So, when are you going to start dating again?”

“My divorce was just finalized,” Agatha said. A flimsy excuse but an excuse.

“Three months ago,” Billy chimed in, “and you said it yourself that the marriage was over long before that.”

“Yes, dating,” Rio said, nodding enthusiastically. She met Agatha’s glare with a smile and pointedly said, “You need to get away from this job and meet new people.”

“I know someone,” Jennifer said immediately.

On the other side of her, Lilia looked up from her files in surprise. “Already?”

“Is it someone nice?” Alice asked.

“Of course not,” Jennifer scoffed. “Agatha isn’t nice, so why would I set her up with someone who’s actually got some manners?”

Before Agatha could defend herself, not to mention shut down this ridiculous idea of a blind date, Maria strode in. Just like that, everyone shut up and paid attention. As much of a hard ass Maria Hill was, Agatha had to admire the way her boss commanded a room. She did her best to listen to whatever Maria was saying, but her gaze kept drifting to Rio. As stupid and cliche as it was, she couldn’t get her out of her head. More specifically, her mouth and hands. 

When the meeting finally ended, Agatha was out of her chair swiftly. She caught up to Rio as she walked out, saying, “So, about last night.”

Rio smiled and said, “Agatha.” It was said as a light scolding, like she was a puppy who chewed up her shoes. It should have been more annoying, but Agatha was just a tad desperate. She hadn’t sex in almost three years before Rio, and well, Rio unfortunately set the bar very high now.

“Don’t act like you don’t want to,” Agatha said, lowering her voice so it got that gravel to it that women loved.

And it worked too because Agatha watched Rio waver for a moment before shaking her head. “That’s not the point,” Rio said. She dodged a panicked intern and kept walking towards their offices. “The point is that you are avoiding all your post-divorce feelings with sex, and I am not going to let myself deal with your unresolved shit.”

Ouch. That one hurt. “One night of sex doesn’t mean you can start psychoanalyzing me,” Agatha told her, keeping her voice playful to hide just how accurate her assessment had been.

“But you make it so easy,” Rio replied, smirking. She stopped just outside of her office, a hand on her door. “How about this, Agatha? We just be friends, and I will help you find as much meaningless sex as you want.”

Agatha pretended to consider this before she said, “Don’t say that like it’s some great deal when we could be having as much meaningless sex as we want.”

“Not an option,” Rio said without missing a beat. “So, friends?”

Agatha didn’t actually want to say yes, but she didn’t exactly have any better options. Besides, who was to say that they couldn’t possibly be friends who sometimes had sex? Anything was possible. And if not, well, Agatha suddenly had a very empty social life she needed to fill. “I guess,” Agatha finally said, full of reluctance.

“No need to sound so excited,” Rio snorted. She slipped into her office. She traded her stack of files for her coat and purse before she came back out. “Now, come on,” Rio said. She grabbed Agatha’s arm and started dragging her to the elevators. “I think you need a wardrobe update.”

Agatha frowned, looking down at herself. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”

. . .

“Is this really necessary?” Agatha asked as Rio pushed her into the dressing room. For the last half hour, Agatha had watched Rio rifle through a dozen racks, pulling dresses from each of them. The result ended up being a truly baffling number of dresses. There was no way Agatha was going to try on all of these. 

To her surprise, Rio didn’t wait outside of the dressing room. Instead, she followed her in, locking them in together. Agatha blinked at her. “Believe it or not,” Agatha said dryly, “I can dress myself.”

“Most of these dresses have zippers on the back,” Rio explained. She picked up a black one and unzipped it with a little wave. “There’s no point in you trying to zip yourself up when I’m right here. Besides,” she said, a smirk playing on her lips, “I’ve already seen it all.”

Agatha rolled her eyes and snatched the dress from her. “What happened to just being friends?” Agatha asked.

“What, you don’t see your friends naked?”

Agatha turned to give Rio a disbelieving look, only to find the other woman stifling a laugh. Shaking her head, Agatha took off her dress and slipped on the one Rio had picked out. It was a simple, black dress, one that bared her shoulders and hugged her figure. Or well, it would once it was zipped. Agatha stepped in front of Rio and pointed to the open back. 

She expected it to be done in one swift move, but Agatha tensed as she felt Rio press a hand to her back, right between her shoulder blades. Her eyes flew to the mirror where Rio was already looking at her. For a long moment, neither of them moved. Agatha wasn’t even sure she was breathing. Then, slowly, Rio dragged the zipper up. Once the dress was closed, Rio’s hand ran over Agatha’s back, stopping just short of her ass. Agatha watched Rio’s eyes drop to her for a split second before she looked back up.

“There,” Rio said, voice strained. “Looks good.”

Agatha turned, checking the dress. It did look pretty damn good on her. She turned around completely to face Rio and said, “I still don’t see why I need new clothes. I have excellent taste.”

“For work, sure,” Rio conceded. She reached out and picked what had to be an imaginary piece of lint off her shoulder. “Not if you’re trying to get laid.”

Agatha raised a brow. “If you recall, my work clothes worked just fine on you.”

Rio didn’t have a witty reply to that one. In fact, her cheeks turned pink. “Just try on the next dress,” Rio said, not making eye contact. 

. . .

After buying exactly one new dress, Agatha came back to the office with Rio to find their coworkers in one of the conference rooms. Curious, she walked in, only to immediately regret everything. 

“You do remember how to date, don’t you?” Jennifer asked her.

Agatha blinked. “Yes?”

“That didn’t sound very confident,” Lilia commented with a look of concern.

Jennifer sighed dramatically and threw her hands up. “She’s screwed,” she proclaimed.

“Hey!” Agatha protested. Even if she didn’t want to date, she didn’t want her coworkers to say she was incapable of it either. While she stayed near the door, ready to escape, Rio joined the rest of them at the table.

“Just act the way you do at work,” Billy suggested, only for Alice to quickly say, “Do not act the way you do at work.”

Billy flushed and said, “I just meant assertive! Some women are into that!”

Agatha held up a hand, thankfully stopping Billy before he could say anything else. She rubbed her temple and said, “Thank you so much for this pointless, unhelpful advice, but I think I’m good.”

“Sit,” Jennifer said. When Agatha only raised a brow, not moving an inch, Jennifer rolled her eyes and said, “I bought you lunch.” She pointed to a plastic bag, and to Agatha’s annoyance, it had the name of her favorite Mexican restaurant on it.

Reluctantly, Agatha sat down next to Rio. She pulled the bag to her and bit back a curse. It was her usual order. Jennifer knew exactly how to bribe her. Agatha pulled out her food and started eating it. She batted Billy’s hand away when he tried to steal a chip, but she did nothing when Rio also grabbed one. 

“I know it’s been a while since I’ve dated,” Agatha said, “but I think I’ll be fine. Not to mention, I don’t really want to date. I want something a little less restrictive.” She let that statement hang for a moment, watching the realization dawn on everyone’s faces. Agatha smirked when she got a few looks of disgust.

“You’re still going on this date,” Jennifer said. “I think it’d be good for you.”

“Spring is for new beginnings,” Billy said solemnly, probably thinking he sounded wise instead of like the world’s worst fortune cookie.

Agatha sighed while Rio nudged her and said, “You’re smart, and you’re attractive. Just don’t act too much like a cocky asshole, and you’ll be just fine.”

“Are you saying I’m naturally inclined to act like a cocky asshole?” Agatha asked.

Rio laughed, “I’m saying that’s your natural state, always.”

Agatha huffed and pulled her chips away from her. 

. . .

Agatha was going to kill Jennifer for this.

Twenty minutes into this blind date, Agatha was ready to call it a night. 

Her date for the night was a sarcastic blonde by the name of Caroline, and while attractive, she was also boring. Painfully so. Agatha had been listening to her talk about stocks. Stocks. On a date. Agatha knew it’d been a while since she’d been on the dating scene, but she was pretty sure stocks were the last thing you should ever talk about. 

Agatha was devising an excuse to escape when her phone lit up. Rio . This had to be a sign. Throwing out a half-hearted explanation, Agatha grabbed her phone and stood up from the table. 

“Rio?” Agatha said.

“Hey, um, sorry to bother you on your date.”

“No, it’s fine,” Agatha said, trying not to sound too eager. “What’s up?”

“I needed the files for that hedge fund company we’re working with. Do you have them?”

Agatha’s eyes wandered back to the table where her purse sat, carrying said files. Perfect. She couldn’t have asked for a better excuse. “I do. I can bring them to you now.”

“Oh, well, you don’t have to. I was just–”

“Not a problem,” Agatha cut her off before she took back the request. She looked up, trying to picture where she was in reference to Rio’s apartment. “Give me thirty minutes.” Without waiting for a reply, Agatha hung up and strode back to the table.

As she left with hurried, disingenuous apologies, Agatha didn’t even stop to consider that she could have simply had sex with Caroline, just as she claimed was all she wanted.

. . .

When Rio opened the door, wearing an oversized button-up and shorts, Agatha thought she was dreaming. She stared, mouth slightly open, as she took her in. The shirt was soft green, and Rio’s hair was held up messily by a clip. It was a far cry from the sharp suits and neat strands she was used to seeing at the office.

“Hey,” Rio said. If she noticed Agatha’s staring, she gave no indication. She merely stepped back and held the door open for her. It was then that Agatha noticed the wine glass in her hand and the bottle on the counter. “Thanks for coming so quickly. I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.”

“Not at all,” Agatha assured her. “You were saving me, really. We were in the middle of a riveting conversation about stocks when you called.”

“Stocks?” Rio repeated, wrinkling her nose. She led Agatha into her kitchen and grabbed a glass from her cabinet. She lifted towards Agatha with a raised brow, and Agatha nodded gratefully. She poured the remainder of the bottle into Agatha’s glass, just barely filling it. “Where the hell did Jen find this woman?”

“No idea, but I’m glad you needed those files,” Agatha said. “I told her I’d text when I left, but I doubt I will. She was hot, but…” She made a face and took a large gulp of her wine. 

“But?” Rio looked at her intently, waiting for her answer.

Agatha shrugged, not wanting to admit that she didn’t want to sleep with her when she’d be thinking about Rio. It didn’t exactly seem fair to her. She took another sip of her wine, but when she lowered her glass, she found Rio much closer than before. Her arm brushed against hers, and a moment later, her fingers trailed over her hand. Agatha swallowed and set her glass on the counter. She stared at their hands, waiting for Rio to move, but she just continued the light, teasing touch. 

Hesitantly, Agatha placed her hand on Rio’s hip. When Rio made no move to push her off, Agatha placed her other hand on her, guiding her up against the counter until they were pressed against each other. This close, Agatha felt the warmth of her breath and smelled the wine on her. Agatha licked her lips as their noses brushed.

“You didn’t need those case files, did you?” Agatha whispered.

Rio bit her lip and smiled. “Just shut up and kiss me.”

And well, Agatha wasn’t going to question that.

. . .

Later, Agatha found herself in the same exact position she’d been in the night before. The only difference was that this time Rio wasn’t on her phone. Instead, she was staring up at the ceiling, just like Agatha was. 

They both seemed to be at a loss as to what to do now.

“Rio–”

“I don’t want this to be casual,” Rio blurted out. Her hands gripped the sheets at her chest tightly, creating a wrinkled mess. When Agatha turned to look at her, she resolutely kept her gaze on the ceiling. “If we do this, I want it to be serious. That’s why we can’t do this. You want this to just be sex, but I don’t.”

Agatha looked back up at the ceiling as Rio’s words processed. She tried to think of something that would make this less awkward, but all that came out of her mouth was, “Oh.”

“Yeah, oh,” Rio snorted. She shifted uneasily beside Agatha. Finally, she looked at her. “Listen, don’t get a big head thinking this has to do with you. I just don’t do the casual thing, period.”

“Thanks,” Agatha said dryly. It admittedly hurt just a little bit  that Rio hadn’t meant that she had feelings for her. It was a stupid reaction though, one that Agatha promptly buried deep down. She didn’t want a relationship. She just wanted sex. What did it matter how Rio felt about her? “So, uh, did you still want to try to be friends?”

Rio’s lips twisted into an odd smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Do you?”

“Sure, why the hell not,” Agatha said. What did she have to lose at this point? “Friends.”

. . .

Agatha forgot how to have friends.

Between a failing marriage and a growing son, maintaining friendships hadn’t exactly been high on Agatha’s priority list. Now though, Agatha had an overabundance of time to commit to her friendships. Too bad she didn’t have any. Well, except for one.

Agatha leaned up against the doorway to Rio’s office and asked, “Hey, what are you doing tonight?”

“Laundry,” Rio said, not even looking up from her computer. “Why?”

“Ditch the laundry and come over,” Agatha said.

This made Rio pause and look up at her. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “To do what?”

“Don’t give me that look,” Agatha said with a roll of her eyes. Here she was, trying the whole friends thing, and she was still being doubted. “I was going to suggest we watch a movie.”

Rio’s lips twisted into a frown. She leaned back in her chair, seemingly appraising Agatha for a moment. “Listen,” Rio said. She picked up a pen, but it seemed to be more for something for her to play with than to actually write anything. “If we’re going to be friends, I just think we should have some rules.”

“Rules,” Agatha repeated.

“Rules,” Rio said again, giving a lilt to the word to make it sound more positive. It only served to make Agatha more annoyed.

“The more you say it the less enticing it sounds,” Agatha told her bluntly.

Rio was the one to roll her eyes now, saying, “They’re rules. They’re not supposed to be enticing.” She tossed the pen aside and stood up. She walked up to Agatha, stopping just close enough to be in her space. “They’re actually supposed to be the opposite.” When Agatha just stared, Rio sighed and said, “It doesn’t hurt to put rules in place, so that nothing happens again.”

“Okay, like what?” Agatha said. “Don’t say ‘I love you’?” Really, Agatha should have seen the elbow to her gut coming. She still winced though and rubbed the spot. “Sorry, fine. What rules?”

“No touching,” Rio said, and Agatha couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She was really going to spell out the obvious? “No sleepovers. No… looking at me.”

“I’m looking at you right now,” Agatha pointed out, confused.

“No, I mean, looking ,” Rio said, stressing the last word. Her cheeks began to redden as she said, “Like you know what I look like naked.”

“I do know what you look like naked,” Agatha murmured, eyes dropping to look over her body. Rio was wearing her usual slacks and blouse, but Agatha had to admire the way the silky material looked on her. She couldn’t help but imagine how it’d feel slipping off of her shoulders.

“That!” Rio exclaimed, startling Agatha out of her thoughts. “That’s looking .”

Agatha bit her lip as she tried not to smile. Busted. So that’s what she meant. She held up her hands placatingly. “Okay, okay. No looking .” She emphasized the word the same way Rio had, amused by the way Rio sighed. As if she was being the difficult one. Then again, maybe she was. Was wanting sex with no strings being difficult?

“Good,” Rio said. “Then yes, we can watch a movie tonight, but only if it’s at my place.” She checked her watch and gestured for Agatha to leave. It made Agatha check the time too, even as she stepped out and followed Rio’s lead. Ah, ten minutes until their meeting with a client. 

“Why your place?” Agatha asked.

Rio gave her a look. “Come on, Agatha. I bet your apartment looks like the saddest bachelor pad known to man right now. Do you even have furniture yet?” She had a bed and a secondhand couch. That counted, right? Her hesitation seemed to be answer enough for Rio though because she said, “See? Just come to mine. I’ll order pizza.”

Agatha sighed, but she agreed. 

Not that it mattered in the end. After a meeting with their client, Claire, Rio was assigned to take the woman out to dinner to keep her with their firm. Maria told Rio this with the extremely unhelpful suggestion that a bit of flirting would go a long way. Agatha rolled her eyes at Maria’s begrudging instructions. Maria liked to act like she was above it all, but deep down, her boss liked results, and if that meant sending a pretty coworker to dinner with a client, she’d do it. Agatha understood it in theory. She couldn’t say she wouldn’t do the same, but it also felt like cheating to stoop so low.

It was also annoying that it had to happen the one time Agatha made plans with Rio.

“Don’t look so down,” Rio told her as they headed for the elevators. “We can just watch a movie tomorrow or something.”

“Get over yourself,” Agatha snapped. “I’m not upset over a stupid movie.”

Rio raised an eyebrow and said, “Then tell me, what’s got you in such a cheerful mood?”

“You’d think that our work here would speak for itself,” Agatha huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “That’s all. If you just look at our numbers, it’s obvious just how good we are at our jobs, at making other people good at their jobs. I’ve never understood why we have to flirt and schmooze like this.”

“You’re like this because I’m going to dinner with Claire?” Rio asked. She looked oddly delighted by the revelation. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”

“Where the hell did you get that from?” Agatha said, eyebrows furrowing. “I just said it was because it’s stupid that our work doesn’t speak enough for itself.”

“Is it because I got chosen over you?” Rio teased. She bumped her shoulder against Agatha’s. “I’m sure Maria thinks you’re a real charmer too.”

Agatha glared at her. “I know I am,” she said. She jutted her chin out and muttered under her breath, “More than you.”

“More than me?” Rio repeated incredulously, clearing having heard her. “You can’t be serious.” She stepped into the elevator then quickly turned to face her. “Come on, Agatha. You’re more of… An acquired taste.”

“That feels more like an insult than a compliment,” Agatha said as she leaned against the back of the elevator. “Was that supposed to be a compliment?”

“It was supposed to be the truth,” Rio replied, which didn’t really answer the question at all. 

Just as the elevator doors were closing, a hand stopped them. Breathless, Maria joined them in the elevator with her iPad in hand. “Change of plans,” Maria said, glancing between them. “Claire’s recently divorced, meaning her harmless flirting with Rio isn’t so harmless anymore. I’m not dealing with HR on that one, so Agatha, you’re taking her to dinner now. You can bond over, I don’t know, whatever you can bond over.”

“The dissolution of our marriages?” Agatha said dryly.

Maria smirked and said, “If that’s what keeps her as our client.”

“You’re the boss,” Agatha said with a lazy salute. As she stepped out of the elevator, discussing the details of dinner with Maria, she completely missed the consternation that flashed across Rio’s face.

. . .

As the dinner dragged on with Claire that night, Agatha wondered if her face was going to get stuck in this polite but bored smile. 

While Agatha’s divorce had been something of a relief for her, it was clear that it was not like that for Claire. For the last one and a half, Agatha listened to Claire sob over her lost love and distant children in a way that was foreign to her. She certainly didn’t miss her ex-wife, and while she missed Nicholas, they still called and talked every night. 

“God, maybe I just need to do something crazy,” Claire said, swirling her fifth glass of wine. Her body was lax, head dropped to the side as she contemplated her drink. Easy prey, Agatha’s mind supplied unhelpfully. “Something spontaneous. I just need to stop thinking.”

“Then stop thinking,” Agatha replied airily. She watched Claire consider her. Agatha could practically see the progression of her thoughts as she took in the attractive, available woman in front of her. Better put a stop to that. Maria would make her life hell if she slept with a client. “Why don’t we go somewhere to let loose?” Agatha suggested.

That was how Agatha found herself at a club, feeling far too old for all of this. She stayed at the bar, sipping at her drink, while Claire made a beeline for the dance floor after taking two shots in a row. The woman clearly needed this, and Agatha couldn’t help but pity her. Was that Agatha in another life? She sighed. Was that her now, just a little more honest about how lonely she was? 

Agatha downed the rest of her drink and signaled for another.

The bartender with a name tag denoting her as ‘Kelly’ slid her drink to her and asked, “Rough night?”

“Work,” Agatha replied. She nodded her head at Claire, who was now doing a concerningly intense bout of head banging. That would be enough explanation. “Just make sure her drinks keep coming, okay?”

“And what about yours?”

The tone made Agatha pause. Her eyes slowly traveled up from her drink, taking another look at the bartender. Kelly looked about Rio’s age with blonde hair and an impressive sleeve of tattoos. She was also very attractive.

“I guess it depends,” Agatha said. “How late are you working?”

Kelly looked surprised by her straightforwardness but said, “My shift ends at midnight, so if you wanted–”

Before she could finish her sentence, there was a commotion on the dance floor. Agatha craned her head to look and gasped. Claire was hunched over, a pile of vomit at her feet. Oh, she was going to hear from Maria tomorrow. 

“Shit,” Agatha said. She tossed a few bills on the counter and gave a distracted wave to the bartender. “Sorry, uh, I better deal with that.” 

She hurried to the dance floor to gather Claire before she could make even more of a mess. It took a lot of coaxing and about three glasses of water, but Agatha eventually got Claire into a cab and then into her apartment. An apartment that looked disturbingly similar to her own, bare of anything except the necessities. Agatha was ready for another drink. 

Without thinking, Agatha texted Rio, Are you still awake?

The reply came quickly. Is that a pick-up line?

Agatha rolled her eyes as she tried to get another cab. No. Long night. Need some wine and sane company. 

Sparks didn’t fly with Claire?

Claire drank enough to put down a horse then threw it all up. Partially on some woman she’d been grinding on. 

… You’re kidding. Agatha could practically hear Rio’s disbelief.

Wine. Yes or no?

. . .

When Rio opened her door this time, she was dressed in flannel pajama pants and a worn t-shirt. It shouldn’t have had the same effect as seeing her in the button-down and tiny shorts, but Agatha still felt her traitorous heart skip a beat. Rio looked impossibly soft like this. There was even a little hole in one of her shirtsleeves. 

Rio took one look at Agatha and snorted, “Wow, you look like hell.”

Just like that, the tender affection evaporated into annoyance. 

“Are you going to let me in?” Agatha replied.

With a chuckle, Rio stepped back and led her into her living room. There was a bottle of wine sitting on the table along with two empty glasses and a bag of potato chips. On the TV, Agatha quickly recognized Agents Scully and Mulder investigating something. 

Rio sat down on one end of the couch, and, trying to respect her rules, Agatha sat a whole foot away from her. She accepted the glass of wine Rio handed her and quietly nursed it as they watched The X Files . Agatha hadn’t seen the whole show, just episodes here and there, and when she mentioned this fact, Rio sat up like she’d just received the most impossible news.

Agatha listened as Rio passionately explained to her why this was one of her favorite shows, and the more she talked, the harder Agatha found it to hide her smile. Rio was usually so calm and deadpan at work, so it was cute seeing her like this. The longer they sat there and watched though, the more Agatha couldn’t help but mull over her night out with Claire.

As the next episode started, Agatha tilted her head toward Rio and asked, “Hey, you’d tell me if I was some pathetic divorcee with no life, right?”

“Agatha, you are a pathetic divorcee with no life,” Rio said, full of affection in both her eyes and voice. Agatha put on an affronted look and made to get up and leave. Rio grabbed her arm and pulled her back down though, leaving the sitting side-by-side. She rested her head on the back of the couch as she gazed at her, every emotion obvious on her face in a way that Agatha didn’t know whether to kiss her or run away from her. She did neither, sitting on the couch like an idiot. Rio squeezed her arm as she said, “But I know you’re also a good mother, an excellent consultant, and my second favorite coworker.”

“Second?”

“Alice.”

Agatha sighed and conceded, “Fair enough.” Rio laughed softly at this. Her hand didn’t leave Agatha’s arm. Agatha picked at her nails for a moment before she asked, “You mean that?” She meant to sound offhanded, like she couldn’t have cared less what Rio thought, but she could hear the hesitation in her voice, the vulnerability. 

“I do,” Rio said quietly. Her eyes hadn’t left Agatha’s face, almost as if she couldn’t look away.

Agatha didn’t stop herself this time. She leaned in and kissed Rio. It was a slower kiss, nothing like the excited, frantic kisses they’d had in the past. Agatha cupped her face as she deepened the kiss, swallowing the small moan Rio made. Shifting onto her knees, Agatha pushed Rio down onto the couch and met no resistance. 

For a while, they stayed like that, kissing passionately but with no rush, as if they had all the time in the world. It wasn’t until Agatha moved to kiss along Rio’s jaw and neck that Rio finally said, “We should stop.”

“Then stop us,” Agatha said, even as she moved aside the collar of Rio’s t-shirt to reach more skin to kiss.

“You stop us,” Rio retorted, but it was weak and breathless.

Agatha smiled against her collarbone and said, “You’re the one with the rules.”

“Right,” Rio said, sounding dazed. Her hand pressed against the back of Agatha’s head for a moment, holding her closer, before it shifted to her cheek and pulled her away. “Right,” Rio said again, sounding, to Agatha’s disappointment, a little more coherent. She pressed her hands to Agatha’s chest, gently pushing her back until they were sitting up on the couch.

Rio’s lips were swollen, and her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes were still a little unfocused, and her hair was frizzy from where it’d rested against the couch. Agatha desperately wanted to kiss her again, but she didn’t think that would be good for the whole friend thing, so she stayed where she was, even as every cell in her body told her to do literally anything else.

“Maybe you should,” Rio tried to say. She licked her lips and blinked a few times. “Maybe you should just go over there.” She pointed to one side of the couch, and after a moment of hesitation, Agatha got up and moved. “And I’ll stay over here.” Rio scooted over until she was pressed against the arm. “We just need some space, I think.” She let out a deep breath and smiled nervously. “A lot of space.”

“I can leave,” Agatha offered. She didn’t really want to, but Rio looked a little bit like she might pass out. 

“No,” Rio said quickly. “Just– stay.”

“Woof,” Agatha couldn’t help but say wryly.

It worked though because Rio let out a huff of a laugh and shook her head. “There’s so much I want to say to that,” Rio said.

“Then say it,” Agatha challenged.

Rio only smirked though and turned back to her TV.

. . .

The next few months passed quickly for Agatha. 

A particularly bothersome company kept Agatha busy for a while, meaning late hours in the office and so many meetings that she was ready to move into the wilderness, so she’d never have to see the Microsoft Teams logo again. When she wasn’t working, Agatha spent most of her time calling and visiting her son or spending time with Rio. 

Although there had been a few close calls, they settled into their friendship well enough. They usually went to Rio’s apartment after work, where they’d have dinner and watch more of The X Files. They’d actually started over from the beginning at Rio’s insistence, and while Agatha would never admit it, she was growing fond of the silly paranormal show. On the occasional late morning, they would meet for breakfast or coffee too. After a tumultuous marriage where trying to have a conversation was akin to traversing a field of landmines, Agatha found herself genuinely enjoying just getting to talk to someone, especially someone as smart and funny as Rio.

As had become her habit, Agatha stopped by Rio’s office on her way in. She leaned against the doorway and asked, “What are you doing tonight?”

Rio didn’t look up from her computer as she said, “I actually have a date tonight.” Her voice was casual, exceptionally so. 

“Oh, well, good for you,” Agatha said as she tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach. She folded her arms over her chest and cleared her throat. “Have fun. Try not to reveal how much of a nerd you are too soon.”

Rio’s smile was a mere flicker as she said, “Thanks.” When she finally looked at Agatha, she looked awkward in a way she hadn’t in weeks. “Do you have any plans tonight?”

“Unfortunately,” Agatha said with a sigh. “That’s why I was hoping you were free. My mother is in town, and I thought I’d use you as an excuse to miss her, but well, I guess I’ll have to play nice and meet her for dinner.”

“You don’t get along?” Rio asked, to which Agatha stuck her tongue out and made a face. Rio laughed and said, “Okay, got it. Well, why don’t you just lie and say you’re busy?”

“My mother has an extraordinary sixth sense for bullshit,” Agatha explained. “I tried that the last three times since she’s been in town, and every time, it has not ended well for me.”

Rio’s nose wrinkled in sympathy. “I’m sorry, Agatha. Let me know how it goes, okay?”

Agatha wanted to point out that Rio would most likely still be on her date when it was done, but she merely forced a smile and said, “Of course.” With nothing else to say and an uncomfortable twist of disappointment in her chest, Agatha wished Rio a good day and left her alone.

After finding out Rio had a date, Agatha didn’t avoid her per say. She just happened to try new things for once. Meaning, instead of going to Rio’s office to eat her lunch, she found herself wandering out to the communal area where Jennifer and Alice were eating. They both looked surprised when she sat down with them, but they didn’t question her thankfully. 

Agatha ate her prepackaged salad silently, content to listen to Jennifer and Alice talk about some movie. Eventually though, Jennifer looked at her and asked, “So, what’s up?” 

“What do you mean?” Agatha replied.

Jennifer laughed and pointed her fork at her. “What I mean is that you and Rio have basically been attached at the hip for weeks, and suddenly, what? You decide to eat with us instead of her?”

“She’s busy,” Agatha lied, even as she felt her cheeks heat up at Jennifer’s observation. She hadn’t realized anyone noticed her and Rio’s new friendship. Besides, being attached at the hip sounded like a bit of an exaggeration. “Working with a tough client. She needs some peace and quiet to focus.”

“Really?” Jennifer said, voice dripping with doubt.

“Yes.”

“Then why is she heading towards us right now?”

Agatha bit back a swear as she turned around. She couldn’t decide what would’ve been worse. Turning that quickly only to find out it was a lie, or her current reality where Rio really was walking towards them with an unreadable expression. A lie would’ve been easier, Agatha decided. That, at least, would have been over quickly. This was going to be slow and painful, she was sure of it.

“Hey,” Rio said as she sat down at the table next to Agatha. She spared her a quick glance as she said, “You didn’t say you were going to eat out here.”

Under her breath, Alice made a whipping noise while Jennifer said, “Agatha said– Ow!” She rubbed her shin, glaring at Agatha. 

Agatha only stared back with wide-eyed innocence. She should be thankful that Agatha hadn’t worn her pointier heels today. “What’d you bring for lunch?” Agatha asked, hopefully distracting Rio from what just happened.

It only somewhat worked. Rio gave Jennifer a searching look before she answered, “Lasagna.” Without Agatha needing to ask, she pushed the plastic container towards her.

What they discovered early on in their friendship was that Agatha subsisted primarily on ready-made meals while Rio loved to cook. Admittedly, that was a reason why Agatha never minded going to Rio’s because she always cooked something delicious. More often recently, she forced Agatha to help her, even if it was just chopping or stirring. Still, Agatha was a shit cook, so she often stole a bite or two of Rio’s homemade lunches to offset her sad salads.

Agatha had a forkful of lasagna halfway to her mouth before she realized Jennifer and Alice were watching her with twin expressions of amusement. She almost set her fork down and pushed it back to Rio, but that would have definitely made Rio ask at least three questions she didn’t want to answer. Avoiding everyone’s eyes, Agatha swiftly ate the lasagna and pushed it back over to Rio.

“Good,” Agatha said, wiping her lip with her thumb. She sucked off the excess sauce then frowned. “You changed something.” She looked at Rio questioningly, only to find the other woman already looking at her. Or rather, looking at her lips. Agatha cleared her throat, and Rio’s eyes jumped back to hers.

“Red pepper flakes,” Rio explained, sounding a tad breathless. “A friend recommended it.”

Agatha nodded and turned back to her salad as Jennifer and Alice talked to Rio about cooking. She was only half-listening, so she didn’t notice when they changed subjects. Not until Jennifer said, “Oh, a date? Rio, why didn’t you say something?” 

Rio glanced at Agatha, so quickly she almost missed it. “I don’t know,” Rio said. “It’s not a big deal.”

“Tell us about her,” Alice said, sounding more sincere in her interest than Jennifer’s general nosiness. 

Rio shrugged, picking at her food. “She’s a doctor.”

“A doctor!” Jennifer exclaimed. She nodded approvingly and said, “God, I’m jealous. Hot too, I bet.” 

“She’s okay.”

Rio’s lackluster response got an eyebrow raise out of Alice, who said, “I get the feeling you’re downplaying.” 

“We just have some mutual friends, that’s all.” Rio said. She suddenly tossed down her fork and stood up. “I’m not really hungry.” She pushed the container across the table. “Agatha, you can have the rest. Just drop off the container when you’re done.” Without saying goodbye, Rio left the table.

Agatha watched her go with furrowed brows. What was up with her? She waited until Rio was out of sight before she turned back around, only to find Jennifer and Alice looking at her expectantly. Agatha scowled, “Why are you looking at me like that?” 

“Are you really that stupid?” Jennifer asked.

“I am not stupid!” Agatha said indignantly. “What are you even talking about?”

“Stop trying,” Alice sighed. She laid a hand on Jennifer’s arm, as if consoling her. What the hell was that for? “She’s going to have to figure it out on her own.”

Jennifer looked like she wanted to say more, a lot, but she eventually sighed. “Fine,” she said, “but I reserve the right to say I told you so.” 

The two of them went back to their food, as if Agatha hadn’t been front row to their weirdly cryptic conversation. Agatha had no idea what just happened, but she had the feeling she was better off not knowing. Shaking her head, Agatha tried to smile and asked, “So, are you guys free tonight?”

. . .

Agatha couldn’t coerce anyone into making plans with her for the night, not even Billy and certainly not Lilia, so she was stuck meeting her mother for dinner.

Dressed in a modest black dress with her hair swept into a near updo, Agatha felt like she was preparing for battle more than going to dinner. Then again, it was the same thing when her mother was involved. 

Agatha arrived fifteen minutes early, paranoid about being late and starting with a lecture. She sat in the center of an overpriced French restaurant with a glass of wine as she waited for the night to truly begin. It didn’t take long. Barely five minutes after she was given her drink, Evanora strode in with a vague look of disdain. 

Taking a deep breath, Agatha stood up and plastered a smile on her face. “Mother,” she greeted her politely. With anyone else, Agatha would have stepped forward and given a hug, but with Evanora, she stayed where she was, hands clasped in front of her. Agatha waited until Evanora sat down before she reclaimed her chair. “I hope your flight went smoothly,” Agatha said. She picked her wine back up immediately. She was going to need this. 

“It was acceptable,” Evanora replied. “Flight staff these days are rather poorly trained, I find.”

Agatha felt her smile go brittle. That might be a new record for how quickly her mother ruined the mood. Being an asshole to stupid, rich businessmen? Fair game. Shitting on service workers who definitely didn’t get paid enough to deal with her mother? Less amusing. She was well-trained in pretending she wasn’t bothered by her mother’s opinions though, so she continued to nod along to all of Evanora’s complaints as they ordered and ate their dinner.

About halfway through dinner, Agatha did a double take. She blinked extra hard to make sure she was seeing things correctly, but she was. Being led to a nearby table was Rio with a beautiful woman. Her doctor. Agatha was annoyed to find that Jennifer and Alice had been correct. She was hot, and Rio had been downplaying her. 

Agatha watched as they sat down across from each other with Rio conveniently facing her direction. Rio’s make-up was a little darker than it usually was for the office, and she wore a red dress that showed off tan skin and soft curves. Agatha’s hand tightened around her fork.

“Agatha, are you even listening?”

“What was that, mother?” Agatha said, eyes snapping back to Evanora. She winced when she was met with a glare. “I apologize. I was distracted.”

“This is why you will never progress in your career,” Evanora told her crossly. “You can never focus, meaning you will never be able to fully apply yourself either. One would think that if you failed in your marriage the least you could do is succeed in your career.”

It shouldn’t have hurt. Agatha had heard some variation of it before, especially from her mother during the divorce proceedings, but she still found herself flinching at the harsh words. It seemed like Evanora was only beginning though, moving on to berate her about her parenting choices, as if Evanora was some shining example of healthy choices when it came to children. The longer Evanora went on, the antsier Agatha got. She needed to get out of here.

Agatha took a deep breath. She hoped Rio wouldn’t hate her for this later. Tossing down her napkin, Agatha cut her mother off, saying, “Look at that. It’s my coworker. I should go and say hi. It would be rude not to, don’t you agree?”

“Agatha, we are in the middle of a conversation,” Evanora said, but Agatha was pleased to see a flicker of confusion on her face.

“Oh, it’ll be quick,” Agatha said with false cheerfulness. “Why don’t you order dessert while I’m gone?”

Knowing Evanora would rather choke than indulge in sugar, Agatha swept away from the table with a sigh of relief. She considered going to the restroom, but knowing her mother, she’d be watching her the whole time. Agatha smiled, all teeth, lamenting the fact that her cheeks already felt sore from the forced expression all night.

“Rio!” Agatha said with exaggerated surprise as she walked up to the table. She held back a laugh at the way Rio looked up from her date like a deer in the headlights. “What are the odds we end up at the same restaurant tonight? I saw you from where I was having dinner with my mother, and well, I just had to say hello.” Turning to the date, Agatha held out her hand and said, “Sorry to interrupt. I’m Rio’s coworker, Agatha Harkness.”

The woman took her hand but held it limply as if Agatha had some disease she was afraid to get. “So I’ve heard,” she said, sounding deeply unimpressed. Well, that was weird. Not to mention rude. Agatha was usually the rude one in situations like this. “I’m Mary.”

“Okay, well–”

“Did you really just happen to be here?”

Agatha’s eyes narrowed. From the corner of her eye, she saw Rio stiffen. Agatha waited a beat to see if she would do something, but when she didn’t, Agatha said, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I just think it’s strange,” Mary said with a condescending tilt of her head. “I mean, like you said, what are the odds that the same coworker Rio just keeps talking about happens to show up at our date?”

There was too much to unpack with that question. Namely, the fact that Rio apparently wouldn’t shut up about her on her date with another woman. That was something to think about later though. Or not at all. For now, she had to deal with this woman who had no business being on a date with Rio. 

“Do you think, what?” Agatha replied, voice syrupy sweet. “That I dragged my mother straight from her flight and stalked the two of you here?” She laughed, but it was a dismissive and biting sound. “I’m not sure who you think you are. To be honest, I still don’t really know who you are, and I don’t care to know either, but if you’re so insecure about your own ability to keep your date’s interest simply because she mentions a coworker, that’s your problem.”

Agatha glanced at Rio, who looked back with an unreadable expression. Well, if she was mad, Agatha would deal with the lecture. This was worth it. With a flick of her hair over her shoulder, Agatha said, “Have a nice night, ladies.”

When she sat back down at the table, Evanora launched into another diatribe against her, but Agatha barely listened. All of her attention was on Rio, the way she laughed at something her date said but with a tension in her shoulders that never left. Eventually though, Evanora couldn’t be ignored, and Agatha tore her gaze away from her and settled in for some hateful drivel.

By the time Agatha made it back to her apartment, she was canceling her flight to visit her mother for Christmas. It was still two months away, but it was already going to be too soon. 

Agatha flopped onto her couch and dug her phone out of her purse. Not really expecting a reply, Agatha sent Rio a text. Is matricide still frowned upon?

The reply came quickly, almost suspiciously so. Yes.

Agatha stared at her phone, trying not to feel so surprised, or, to her confusion, hopeful. Texting on a date? Where are your manners?

Not on a date anymore.

Agatha checked the time. It was barely nine. That, coupled with Rio’s curt answers, made Agatha wonder just how the rest of that date had gone. Bad date?

Something like that. Good night, Agatha.

Biting her lip, Agatha’s fingers hovered over the keyboard. It was clear that Rio wasn’t exactly in a good mood, and Agatha couldn’t help but want to remedy that. There was nothing she could do from her apartment though, and Rio didn’t seem willing to talk about it. Agatha sighed and sent a mediocre reply. 

Good night, Rio. 

. . .

Agatha was flipping through a case file when Billy appeared in her doorway, announcing, “You need to date.” 

“No,” Agatha replied without hesitation, not even looking up at him.

“You didn’t even consider it,” Billy said as he walked into her office. He sat down on the edge of her desk, careful not to wrinkle any of the papers on it. He plucked her phone off the desk and held it up to her face. Before she could stop him, the phone unlocked, giving him access.

“Billy, give that back,” Agatha said half-heartedly. She would have put up more of a fight, but in truth, she didn’t hate the idea if she didn’t have to do the work. 

After Rio’s date with Mary, things had been slightly off with them. They still spent most of their time together, and as far as Agatha knew, Rio hadn’t seen Mary again. There was something not quite right with them though. It was as if whatever happened on that date had shifted things ever so slightly. Just enough for Agatha to notice but not enough for Agatha to know how to fix it. 

Not to mention, Agatha hadn’t had sex since Rio, months ago. 

Agatha continued to work as Billy tapped away at her phone. Every so often, he piped up with a question about her preferences, but besides that, he seemed content to create the Tinder profile himself. It was a good thing Agatha didn’t have anything embarrassing on her phone because Billy was also shamelessly going through her photo album for photos of her.

“Ta da!” Billy said about twenty minutes later. He handed Agatha her phone. 

The first photo was of Agatha from last year’s Christmas party, dressed in a black tailored blazer with nothing underneath. That was accompanied by her age and the line, If you want straight answers, ask a straight lady. Agatha snorted and swiped through the rest of the photos, which consisted of Agatha working at her desk that Rio had taken a few weeks ago, Agatha reading on Rio’s couch, and a photo of their consulting team from Halloween. Agatha was dressed as a witch, smirking in between Rio who was the grim reaper and Alice who was a rock star.

“It’s fine, I guess,” Agatha said.

“You guess?” Billy scoffed. “This is a great profile. I did a perfect balance between your scary cutthroat aesthetic and making you look like you actually have a soul.” A flash of movement caught both of their attention, and Billy called out, “Rio, come here! We need your opinion.”

Rio poked her head in, looking amused, while Agatha, completely straight-faced, said, “Run.”

“What’s going on?” Rio asked, laughing, very much not running away.

“I made a dating profile for Agatha,” Billy said. He waved the phone and held it out to her. “Can you look over it?” 

“Why me?” Rio asked as she took the phone.

Billy pointed at himself, saying, “Me, gay, young.” Then, he pointed at Rio. “You, lesbian, closer to Agatha’s age.” 

Agatha rolled her eyes while Rio said dryly, “Thanks for not calling me old, or else I would’ve had to poison your stupid lattes.” 

“I have some self-preservation skills,” Billy grinned.

“Evidently not enough to stay out of my dating life,” Agatha grumbled.

Without realizing it, Agatha held her breath as Rio swiped through the profile. She didn’t say anything for a moment, staring at the photos. Finally, Rio cleared her throat and handed back the phone. “Looks good to me,” she said. 

Billy took the phone and said, “I’m swiping for you.”

“Please don’t,” Agatha said. She tried to snatch the phone back, but Billy hopped up and hid behind Rio. Coward. 

“What’s your type?” Billy asked. Before she could stop herself, Agatha’s eyes flickered to Rio. She didn’t get a chance to even think about what to say though because Billy then said, “No, don’t answer that. I’ll just go based on vibes.” 

Agatha gave Rio a pleading look, but the other woman just smiled. “This’ll be good for you,” Rio said, and Agatha could only roll her eyes. 

After a few minutes, Billy gave Agatha her phone back. “Okay, I’ve sent a bunch of likes,” he said. “Hopefully, you’ll get a match soon, you do some talking, and boom, date.”

“How romantic,” Agatha said sarcastically.

“Welcome to 2024,” Billy replied.

. . .

Agatha got absolutely no work done today. 

While Rio and Billy left soon after the profile was created, Agatha found herself distracted. She poked around the app herself, sending a few likes, and eventually, a match came through. 

Vivian, age 46. Radiologist. Brunette, gorgeous, and decent at flirting over text. 

They both happened to be free and agreed to meet at a bar after work. 

It was all a little fast for Agatha, but if she could get a one night stand out of this, it wasn’t much different from picking someone up from a bar. As she reasoned with herself, Agatha wondered why she hadn’t just done that already. 

Well, there was work. There was also Nicholas. She was just a busy lady. There wasn’t any other reason as to why she couldn’t just go out and get laid. 

“What are you doing?”

Agatha jumped in her chair, dropping her phone into her lap. She looked up to find Rio in her doorway, looking at her curiously. Agatha tried to smile as she said, “Nothing.”

Rio raised an eyebrow, grinning, as she stepped into her office. “Then why do you look like you just got caught watching porn?” Rio teased. 

“Mature,” Agatha rolled her eyes. 

“So, what were you actually doing?” Rio asked again. She sat on the edge of Agatha’s desk, close enough to touch. 

Agatha pursed her lips. She wondered whether she should tell the truth. She should, shouldn’t she? They were friends, and Rio was the one who encouraged her in the first place. “I have a date,” Agatha said reluctantly. 

“The profile worked?” Rio asked, eyes widening. 

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Agatha huffed. “Weren’t you the one who gave it your approval?”

“Well, yeah, but–” Rio shrugged. She seemed to grapple with what to say before she settled on, “Tell me about her.”

Agatha didn’t really know much about her date, but she shared what she could. By the time she finished, Rio had a pinched look on her face. “That’s good,” Rio said, an octave higher than normal. 

“What’s wrong?” Agatha asked. “Your voice got all weird.”

“You’re imagining things,” Rio said quickly. She sighed and managed a small smile. “Just be careful, okay? There are a lot of crazy people out there.”

Agatha could tell there was something she wasn’t saying, but she just smiled back and said, “Of course.”

. . .

Against what might be her better judgement, Agatha had Vivian pressed against the counter of the restroom, her pulse pounding in her ears in beat with the music playing in the bar. The kiss was sloppy and needy, but Agatha tried to lose herself in it as best as she could. 

To her frustration though, there wasn’t that spark. That passion. That desire. 

The date had been fine so far. A little boring but passable. Vivian was as beautiful as her photos made her seem, but the entire time, Agatha had felt antsy. 

It was why she had flirted and teased and coaxed Vivian into the restroom to do this. 

Agatha moved to Vivian’s neck, hoping to hide her disappointment. Maybe this was why she hadn’t done this sooner. Her hands skimmed the hem of Vivian’s dress, only to feel hands on her wrists. 

“Wait,” Vivian said breathlessly. 

Agatha dropped her hands to her side and took a step back. Vivian was flushed, pupils blown. Agatha tried for a patient smile, but she knew she probably still looked peeved. “Everything okay?” Agatha asked. 

“Yeah, sorry,” Vivian said. She brushed her hair from her face then asked, “I just need to know what this is for you? You seem great, and wow, that kiss was hot, but I’m looking for something more serious. I don’t want this to be some fling.”

Agatha really knew how to pick them. She had to have some of the worst luck out there. Really. “Serious, huh,” Agatha couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, let’s just call it a night then.”

“Just like that?” Vivian said incredulously. 

“Just like that,” Agatha said. She stepped around Vivian to wash her hands, ignoring the hurt expression she could see from the corner of her eye. As she dried her hands, she fought back the urge to roll her eyes. “Listen,” she said, “if that’s what you want, whatever. It’s just not what I want, alright?” 

“You mentioned you were recently divorced, right?” Vivian asked. “Is that what this is? Not wanting to get involved again?”

“Sure, if that’s what helps you feel better,” Agatha said flippantly. So what if it was true? She fixed her lipstick then flashed Vivian a pitying smile. “Have a good night, Vicky.” 

When Agatha left the bar, she didn’t even think about where she was going. She just showed up at Rio’s apartment forty-five minutes later with a bottle of whiskey. 

Rio merely raised an eyebrow at the whiskey and asked, “That bad?”

“Not really but,” Agatha didn’t finish her thought, shrugging instead. 

Her purse and coat got dumped at the door before Agatha made herself comfortable in one corner of the couch. A moment later, Rio reappeared with two glasses and Agatha’s favorite potato chips. 

Rio seemed to be running on autopilot because while Agatha poured whiskey for each of them, she turned on the next episode of The X Files for them. It almost felt like any other night they hung out. Agatha could trick herself into believing that, but then as soon as the episode ended, Rio said, “So, you want to talk about it?”

“What’s there to say?” Agatha sighed. She poured herself more whiskey and hugged the glass to her chest. “It’s the same old story. She just wanted more. Something serious.”

“Agatha,” Rio said, and her tone said it all. Chiding and exasperated but also fond. 

“Don’t ‘Agatha’ me,” Agatha said. 

“You’re going to have to deal with your feelings sooner or later, Agatha,” Rio said. She stretched her leg out and poked her with a sock-clad foot. Before she could pull away, Agatha grabbed her ankle and tickled her foot. Rio shrieked and squirmed away from her, almost spilling Agatha’s drink. “You’re an asshole,” she said. “I don’t know why I let you come over.” 

Agatha grinned. She let go of Rio’s foot and watched as she tucked her feet under her with a glare. Agatha took a sip of her whiskey then said, “Why talk about my feelings when you do such a good job at enabling me when I don’t?”

“Maybe I should stop enabling you then,” Rio said.

“Admit it, you like me around too much to do that,” Agatha said, batting her eyelashes. 

Rio scoffed and played the next episode.  

Agatha gave a self-satisfied smile at the fact that she didn’t deny it. As she sprawled out Rio’s couch, Agatha couldn’t help but think there wasn’t a better way for the night to end.

. . .

When Rio randomly asked Agatha to meet her at the park a few weeks later, she wasn’t sure what she was expecting. The winter freeze was finally beginning to thaw, welcoming the much more tolerable weather of early spring, so Agatha thought this was just Rio wanting to take advantage of the warmer weather.

Technically, this was true. Agatha just hadn’t thought she wanted to enjoy the weather with a baby in a stroller accompanying them too.

“Do you have something you want to share?” Agatha asked dryly as she walked up to Rio. She handed her the coffee she picked up for them, not thinking much of the fact that she had Rio’s order memorized. Rio had hers memorized too.

Rio blushed as she took her coffee and said, “This is my godson, Henry. His moms are taking the day to themselves, so I’m babysitting.”

“Do you babysit often?” Agatha asked as she stepped closer. She peered at the baby, all round cheeks and big brown eyes. He looked about six months old with a mess of brown hair peeking out from beneath a hat.

Rio carefully adjusted the blanket around him and said, “No. They live in Maine actually. They’re just in town for vacation, and I figured a real vacation would involve some baby-free time.” She fussed with the blanket some more, only to freeze when Henry’s face scrunched up and burst into tears. Rio yanked her hand back and said, “Agatha, he’s crying.”

“Babies do that,” Agatha said, amused. She watched as Rio flailed, hands darting every which way but unable to settle on an action. “Wow, you weren’t kidding about not babysitting much.”

Rio gave her a helpless look. “ Agatha .”

“You’re hopeless,” Agatha said, but it was spoken with fondness. She handed Rio her coffee and reached down to unbuckle the baby from his car seat. With careful, sure hands, Agatha lifted him out and settled him in her arms. She bounced him a little, humming whatever came to her, and in a few short moments, the crying stopped. “See? Easy,” Agatha said. She looked up from Henry to find Rio looking at her with an expression she’d never seen before. Her eyes were wide, mouth slightly open. It was something like shock but also something more. 

After a long moment, Rio shook her head, as if clearing her head of thoughts, and said, “He seems to like you.”

“Well, he has good taste,” Agatha replied, smiling when Rio rolled her eyes. She tried to put him back in the stroller, but as soon as she did, he started crying again. “Nice to see I’ve made an impression,” Agatha mumbled as she scooped him back up.

With Henry cradled in Agatha’s arms, the two of them took off at a sedate pace around the park’s path. They mostly complained about work, each of them working their own client at the moment, but they also briefly talked about plans for the upcoming weeks. A festival Rio wanted to go to, a restaurant Agatha wanted to try. 

They were walking their second lap when Agatha suddenly stopped. She could feel Rio looking at her in concern, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the people a hundred feet ahead of them. “Shit, that’s my ex,” Agatha breathed.

Rio’s eyes went wide. “Your ex-wife?”

“What other ex would I care about running into?” Agatha hissed. Sensing her irritation, Henry whined and wriggled in her arms. Agatha sighed and forced herself to relax, rubbing his back. Once he calmed, Agatha had enough to realize something. “Wait, if she’s here then–”

“Mom!”

Agatha felt panic race across her face before she managed to school it into joy. It wasn’t hard since she was always happy to see her son, but the circumstances sure as hell could have been better. “Nicky!” Agatha exclaimed as her eight year-old barrelled into her. It was only thanks to a steadying hand on her back from Rio that she didn’t fall over. “Hey, sweetheart,” Agatha said warmly. She adjusted Henry so he was sitting on her hip and hugged Nicholas with her free arm. “What are you doing here?”

“Mom and Maggie took me to the playground,” Nicholas explained. Before Agatha could ask who the hell Maggie was, Nicholas peered curiously up at Henry then Rio. “Who are you?” Nicholas asked bluntly.

“This is someone I work with,” Agatha explained. “Her name’s Rio, and this is her godson, Henry. He’s pretty cute, huh?”

Nicholas shrugged, disinterested in the baby. He stepped a little closer to Rio and asked, “Did you know your name means river in Spanish?”

Rio’s lips twitched into a smile as she said, “I did. Do you speak Spanish?”

“Not a lot, but we learn words at school,” Nicholas explained.

“Nicholas loves learning, don’t you?” Agatha’s ex-wife said as she finally joined them. Rachel looked as good as she always did, and at her side was a brunette Agatha didn’t recognize. This must be the aforementioned Maggie. “Fancy running into you here, Agatha,” Rachel said, not bothering to hide her surprise and distaste. “You were never one for walks in the park.” Agatha’s eyes narrowed as Rachel looked at Rio and asked, “And who is this?”

“Mom’s coworker,” Nicholas answered for her. “And her godson, Henry.”

“Found a new family already?” Rachel muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Agatha to hear. Loud enough for Rio too, given the way she just stiffened. Rachel put on a ludicrously fake smile and said, “What a good coworker your mom is, Nick.”

“I sure am,” Agatha said. Her cheeks were beginning to hurt from her overly wide smile. She nodded at the woman standing like a statue next to her ex-wife. “And who is this?”

“Mom’s girlfriend,” Nicholas answered again. “Maggie. She works at a bank.”

Rachel jutted her chin out, challenging Agatha to say something, but Agatha merely said, “That’s nice.” It was clear in her tone that she thought it was anything but

Nicholas, unaware of the entirety of what was happening, could still clearly pick up on the strange, tense atmosphere. He frowned, eyebrows furrowing, then turned back to Agatha. “Can I see your place soon, mom?”

Rachel brightened and clapped her hands together. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all see the new place?” Rachel suggested. “We could all come over for dinner, and Nick could sleepover over afterwards.”

That bitch, Agatha thought. She knew she wouldn’t want to agree to dinner, but the fact that she was giving Agatha the chance to have Nicholas sleep over wasn’t lost on her. That was her carrot, right before Rachel smacked her over the head with the stick. 

“What a great idea,” Agatha said. This probably wasn’t going to end well, but she wasn’t going to act like Rachel had the upper hand here. “How’s tonight?” Better to get this over with. She ruffled Nicholas’s hair, and when he grinned up at her, she reminded herself this was all for him. “How’s that sound, Nicky? We can build a fort and watch movies all night.”

Oblivious to Rachel’s scathing glare, Nicholas beamed and said, “That sounds awesome, mom!”

“Next week,” Rachel said firmly. When Nicholas opened his mouth to protest, she continued, “We’ll have dinner tonight then I’ll drop you off next week for a sleepover. We’re visiting your grandma tomorrow morning, remember?” At this, Nicholas sighed but nodded.

“I’ll text you my address then,” Agatha said to Rachel. She glanced at Maggie and said, “I think it’ll be a little cramped with an extra person, but I’ll see you and Nicky at six.”

“We’ll be there,” Rachel said, not hiding the fact that she was peeved at her exclusion of Maggie. Agatha couldn’t have cared less. She didn’t know this woman, and for all she knew, she’d be gone by next week. “Come on, Nick,” Rachel said. “Time to go home.”

Nicholas pouted, but he gave Agatha another tight hug before taking Rachel’s hand and going home. It wasn’t until they were out of sight that Agatha’s shoulders slumped, a low sigh escaping her. She turned to Rio and startled at how close she was. She stood half-behind her, practically pressed against her, like a protective shadow. Agatha smiled slightly at the thought.

“Are you okay?” Rio asked. “Your ex is… intense. And kind of a bitch.”

“I’ll be fine,” Agatha said. She bit her lip, wondering if her next idea was going to blow up in her face. What was one more bad idea? “But I need a favor.”

. . .

Maybe Agatha should have felt guiltier about asking Rio to cook dinner for tonight, but really, what was she supposed to do? Serve her ex-wife frozen lasagna? Agatha would have eaten it just fine, and so would Nicholas, but she didn’t want to deal with the pitying, passive aggressive remarks from Rachel. 

While Rio moved around the kitchen, looking more comfortable there than she ever did, Agatha sat at the kitchen table with Henry in her lap. She absently bounced her legs as she let him grab at her fingers, taking intermittent sips of wine to soothe her nerves. The longer Agatha watched Rio though, the more unsettled she felt. Not because of the impending arrival of Rachel but because of how right it felt to see Rio in her kitchen like this.

Agatha tossed back the rest of her wine at that thought and winced. Nope. No. She could not go there. Not right now. Agatha stood up and held Henry facing outwards, his little legs dangling, with her arm looped around his body to keep him secure. She needed more wine.

Rio glanced up from the steak she was cooking when Agatha joined her, only to do a double take when she saw how she was holding Henry. “Agatha,” Rio said, trying to sound admonishing, but the laughter was clear in her voice. “I don’t think you’re supposed to hold a baby like that.”

“Like you would know?” Agatha shot back. “He’s fine, look.” She swayed back and forth, making Henry’s legs swing. Henry giggled and waved his arms, and Agatha smiled smugly. Adults? A hit or miss with Agatha. Babies though? They always loved her.

“Just don’t break the kid, okay?” Rio said. “His moms will kill me if there’s even a hair out of place on his head.” In perfect, eerie timing, Rio’s phone lit up with a phone call. “And that’ll be them.” She picked up her phone and pointed to the pan. “Watch the steak for me. I just flipped it, so you shouldn’t have to do anything.” Without waiting for an answer, Rio walked away to take the call.

“How am I supposed to know if something’s wrong?” Agatha called after her. She shook her head and turned Henry slightly to look at him. “It’s just you and me now. What do you know about steaks?” Henry gurgled and grabbed Agatha’s hair. “That’s what I thought,” Agatha said. She carefully extracted her hair from Henry and used a pair of tongs to poke at the steak. 

As she shrugged and set the tongs aside, Agatha could hear Rio’s end of the conversation from the living room.

“Yeah, I don’t mind keeping him late… Agatha has him… Oh, shut up… I’m not answering that… Like you have any room to talk.”

Agatha’s eavesdropping was interrupted by her doorbell. Her eyes jumped to the clock on the stove. It was barely five-thirty. It couldn’t be Rachel and Nicholas. Agatha scrunched up her face and bit back a curse. Except of course it was Rachel and Nicholas because Rachel was the kind of insufferable asshole who would show up thirty minutes early to catch her off guard.

Putting on her best hostess smile, Agatha opened her front door, saying, “Hello!”

“Hi, mom!” Nicholas said, waving. He noticed Henry in her arms and waved to him too. “Hi, Henry.”

It was only then that Agatha realized she had someone else’s child in her arms. Not to mention, she still had Rio in her living room. How the hell was she going to explain this? Maybe she just wouldn’t explain it at all. Just two coworkers hanging out who lost track of time while Agatha cooked dinner… Oh, who was she kidding? Rachel wouldn’t believe that.

Agatha moved Henry’s arm to wave back to Nicholas then said, “Henry and Rio were just about to leave.”

“Not because of us, I hope?” Rachel said as they walked into the apartment. “They’re more than welcome to stay.”

“What’s going on?” Rio asked, joining them by the door. She held her hands out for Henry, and although she was still a little awkward, he didn’t immediately start crying when she took him into her arms. Rio poked his chubby cheek and said, “Is it time for us to head home, buddy?” 

Agatha tried to tamp down the smile that threatened to break across her face while Rachel said, “Actually, I was just saying that you should join us for dinner.”

“That’s very kind of you to offer,” Rio said, wide eyes flicking to Agatha. She adjusted Henry in her arms and shifted closer to Agatha, half a step behind her now. “I’d hate to intrude though.”

“Not at all,” Rachel said. Her smile became sharp as she said, “We should all get to know each other. I insist.”

Rio’s smile became strained. “If you insist.”

“Why don’t I get you a drink, Rachel?” Agatha cut in. 

While Rachel followed Agatha into the kitchen, Rio and Nicholas went to the living room. That was for the best, even if she wished she could have gone with them. Agatha grabbed a glass from the cabinet, watching Rachel do a slow circle around the kitchen.

“Nice place,” Rachel said. She almost sounded sincere. She accepted the glass of wine with a short nod. She took a long sip before she said, “So how long has that been going on?” When Agatha only raised a brow, Rachel rolled her eyes and said, “You and your coworker. Rio.”

“Nothing is going on,” Agatha said. She held her hand up in a mocking pledge. “I swear it.”

“But you want there to be,” Rachel said.

“No,” Agatha said, “not that it’s any of your business, or would you like me to start my interrogation on your girlfriend? What was her name? Molly?”

“Maggie,” Rachel said.

Agatha nodded, “Right, of course, Macy.” She smirked as Rachel fumed at her deliberate misnaming of her girlfriend. Taking a healthy sip of her wine, Agatha smiled sweetly. She slipped past Rachel and headed into the living room. 

There, Rio sat on the couch with Henry in her lap, turned towards Nicholas. Agatha stopped in the doorway. Nicholas was telling Rio about a game he played with his friends at school. Something about a road. Agatha only half-listened, paying more attention to watching them. Nicholas was bright-eyed and excited. He wasn’t a shy boy, but Agatha could tell he’d warmed up to Rio already. Meanwhile, Rio was listening intently to everything Nicholas was saying, not just humoring him but genuinely caring about what he was saying. As she did this, she moved her hands in small circles, moving Henry’s arms with her since he held her fingers. 

It was a domestic image that normally would have made Agatha nauseous. Even with Rachel, Agatha had chafed against most of the boring day-to-day goings. It was never that way with Nicholas, but when Rachel was added to the mix, Agatha had always felt inexplicably constricted. Maybe it was the way Rachel had always wanted things a certain way, wanted Agatha a certain way. Rachel wanted a perfect little family, but Agatha was happy with just a family.

Seeing Rio with Nicky. Seeing a baby in Rio’s lap that looked like them if she let herself imagine it. It terrified Agatha how much she wanted it. This wasn’t some lustful desire for Rio, a repeat of what happened almost a year ago. This was something serious, something real, something lasting. 

The realization made Agatha so dizzy that she almost dropped her wine. Instead, she forcibly tightened her grip on the stem of the glass. Agatha took a deep breath. Excellent. Just what she needed. Realizing she was in love with her coworker at a dinner with her ex-wife. She had the best timing.

“God, who do you think you’re fooling?” Rachel said as she came to stand next to Agatha. “You’ve practically got hearts in your eyes. The least you could do is just be honest.”

“Shut up,” Agatha muttered, but it was without any real heat. 

Rachel glanced at her, but it was a calculating look now. There were gears turning in her head, undoubtedly piecing together something, but all she said was, “Let’s eat.”

. . .

Dinner ended up not being as painful as Agatha expected. She wasn’t sure if it was Rio’s presence or whatever the weird moment was when Rachel asked who she was fooling, but Rachel was perfectly polite. Then again, maybe it was because she mainly spoke to Rio and Nicholas, leaving Agatha to eat in peace.

Despite this, Agatha still let out a heavy sigh of relief when Rachel and Nicholas left. As much as she loved her son, it’d been exhausting being civil with Rachel while he was there.

Agatha loaded the dishwasher then joined Rio where she was packing up Henry’s bag. “Headed home now?” Agatha asked.

“After I drop off Henry, yeah,” Rio said. She smiled and nudged Agatha with her hip. “Tonight didn’t seem so bad.”

“Trust me when I say you saw Rachel on her best behavior,” Agatha replied with a roll of her eyes. She watched Rio start to gather her things and blurted out, “Do you think you could come over after you drop him off?”

Rio stared at her in surprise, not that Agatha could blame her. They’d already spent the entire day together, and there wasn’t really a reason for her to come back. Still, Rio nodded after a moment and said, “Yeah, sure. I’ll text you when I’m on the way back.” She picked up Henry’s carseat and leaned down slightly, saying, “Now, say good night, Henry.”

“Good night,” Agatha said, blowing the boy a kiss and delighting in the gummy smile she got in reply. 

In the time waiting for Rio to come back, Agatha cleaned up her apartment. The busywork left her with plenty of mental capacity to figure out what exactly she was going to say to Rio. She didn’t really want to explain to her what prompted this realization. Bringing up kids before you’re even together seemed like an easy way to scare someone off. 

Not to mention, what if telling Rio how she felt scared her off anyways? What if Rio didn’t feel the same way? Agatha thought about that night all those months ago where Rio claimed she didn’t see Agatha that way and that she simply didn’t do casual. So she claimed. Agatha wasn’t blind. She saw the way Rio looked at her and acted around her, but that could just be a crush. God, what if it was just some stupid platonic jealousy?

Agatha’s rumination was interrupted by a knock. She jumped then shook her head at herself. She needed to pull herself together. When she opened the door, Rio breezed past her, holding a bottle of wine and a chocolate bar. “I figured you deserve a prize for surviving that dinner with your ex,” Rio said with a cheeky grin. 

Some of Agatha’s nerves melted away. Right. This was just Rio. 

“Thank you for recognizing the trials and tribulations I went through tonight,” Agatha said, playfully haughty. She went to the kitchen and grabbed two clean glasses and a corkscrew. “Thanks for cooking and staying,” Agatha said as she joined her on the couch. She sat much closer than she normally, but Rio didn’t seem to notice as she went about opening the wine. “Dropping off Henry go okay?”

“No problem, and yeah, it was fine,” Rio answered. She opened the wine with a triumphant little grin that was definitely not adorable. She poured them each a glass and said, “I should be thanking you too. I don’t think I would’ve been able to watch him by myself the whole day.” 

“To us then,” Agatha said. They cheered their glasses. Agatha sipped her wine slowly, trying to figure out how to ease into what she wanted to talk about. 

Before Agatha could though, Rio said, “I never thought about having kids.” She was staring at the glass in her hands, dutifully avoiding Agatha’s eyes. “But tonight wasn’t so bad. Henry is a pretty damn cute baby, and Nicky is a great kid, Agatha.” When she met her gaze, she wore a shy smile. “I see a lot of you in him.” 

“Oh,” Agatha said softly. “Thank you.” She hadn’t expected that. A lot of people chalked Nicholas’s charm up to Rachel’s genes since Agatha could be acerbic on a good day. Very few said he reminded them of Agatha. “You’d be a great mother, if that’s what you choose.” 

“I don’t know about that,” Rio said with a self-deprecating laugh. “I’d be passable at best. If you recall, you were the one holding Henry for ninety percent of the day.”

Instead of joining in her joke, Agatha turned and stared at Rio, letting all of her affection show for once. “You’ve got a good heart, Rio,” Agatha told her.

“My black heart?” Rio replied, referencing a joke at their work. Her voice was unsure though, taken aback by Agatha’s honesty. She licked her lips as the silence dragged on, tension filling it. “Agatha–”

Any plans Agatha had on how to confess were abandoned as she leaned forward and kissed Rio. It was a chaste kiss, but it seemed to shock them both still. Agatha pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. There was confusion in them, but there was also longing and desire. 

Agatha quickly set aside their glasses and kissed Rio again, cupping her face and pulling her close. It took Rio a moment to respond, but then her hands were sliding along Agatha’s back and her tongue was swiping at her lower lip. 

Their kisses grew more passionate until Agatha felt like she might drown in them. She couldn’t believe it took her long to realize this is what she wanted. Agatha’s hands were tangled in Rio’s hair when Rio pushed her away. “Wait, wait, wait,” Rio said breathlessly. Her wide eyes were nearly black, and her lips were red and swollen. Agatha moved forward again, but Rio stopped her with a hand to her chest. “Agatha, we can’t–”

“We can.”

Rio shook her head, blinking hard. “I don’t do casual.”

“This isn’t casual.”

There was a pause as Rio absorbed what she just said. She let out a shaky breath. “What are you saying?” 

“I’m saying that this isn’t just sex,” Agatha said, her frustration starting to leak into her words. She moved closer, but this time Rio didn’t stop her. She held Rio’s face in her hands again, stroking her cheeks with her thumbs. “This is more than that. You are more than that.”

“You want to date me.” A statement, but Agatha could still hear the dazed disbelief in the words.

“I do,” Agatha said, and despite their current position, she felt her cheeks heat up at the admission. “It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that, but Rio, I–” 

It was Rio that cut her off this time, a hard kiss that Agatha gasped into. It was feverish and eager, and Agatha relished in it.

“We have a lot more to talk about,” Rio said in between kisses.

“Mm, we can talk tomorrow,” Agatha said.

“Agatha,” Rio laughed, even as she tilted her head to give her more access. She pulled back, just enough to look at her. “Are you sure?” It was soft-spoken, giving her one last out.

Agatha smiled and kissed Rio, hoping to make it clear exactly how it felt. “I’m sure,” she said. She stood up and pulled Rio up after her. It was uncoordinated and a little ridiculous, the way they stumbled to her bedroom, but Agatha couldn’t pull herself away from her for one moment after finally having her again after all this time. 

Rio sat on the edge of her bed at her guidance, and after pulling off both of their pants and underwear, Agatha sat in her lap, a leg on either side of her. Their shirts and bras went next, and Agatha hummed at the feel of her skin against Rio’s.

“You have no idea how much I’ve thought about this,” Rio gasped as Agatha palmed her breasts. 

“Tell me,” Agatha said into her ear, grinning when Rio shivered at the feel of her breath hot against her.

Rio’s words were incoherent and choked as Agatha’s hand moved between her thighs, and Agatha wasn’t much better as Rio’s hand did the same to her. The two of them rocked against each other, trading messy kisses that soon became moans against lips as they both came.

As they caught their breaths, Agatha smirked and kissed Rio. “Let me show you what I’ve thought about,” Agatha said, just before she pushed Rio against the bed and moved until she straddled her face.

Much later, Agatha propped her head up on her hand and smiled down at Rio beside her. The other woman was still trying to calm her breathing, skin flushed with a gleam of sweat. “So, rules,” Agatha teased.“We should come up with new ones.”

Rio laughed, remembering their conversation all that time ago. “We should, shouldn’t we?” Rio said. She held up her hands, pretending to hold a paper and pen. She cocked an eyebrow at her. “Well, go on.”

“Rule one…” Agatha climbed on top of Rio again and leaned down to kiss her. 

“Great rule,” Rio murmured, arms circling her waist. “Let’s come up with more.” 

. . .

When Agatha came into work the next morning, holding Rio’s hand, with a poorly concealed bruise on her neck, Jennifer held out her hand.

Beside her, Billy sighed and slapped a twenty dollar bill into her hand. “Really?” Billy said to them. “You couldn’t have waited another month?”

“Hey!” Jennifer said when Agatha neatly plucked the money from her hand. “I won that.”

“Betting on your coworkers’ love lives,” Agatha tutted, handing the money to Rio who pocketed it. “You should be ashamed of yourself, Jen.”

“You literally bet on when Billy would ask out that guy from the fifth floor,” Alice pointed out, and Lilia added, “You also betted on whether he was still a virgin.”

“You what!” Billy squeaked, turning red. 

Agatha tilted her head, not denying either accusation. Then, she shrugged and flashed a grin. “Well, then Jen only has her slow reflexes to blame.” Ignoring Jennifer’s loud protests, Agatha tugged a laughing Rio after her. They stopped outside of Rio’s office, and Agatha could only grin. 

Rio matched the expression, and god, it felt like being a teenager again. Rio checked to make sure no one was looking before she kissed her lightly. “I’ll see you at lunch,” she said. 

“Lunch,” Agatha agreed. She stole another kiss and sighed. “This is one of those moments I wished our office walls weren’t all glass.” She raised an eyebrow, just to make sure Rio understood.

Rio definitely did because she laughed and gave Agatha a gentle shove away from her. “Miss Harkness, that is highly unprofessional,” she gasped, faking a scandalized tone. 

“You love it,” Agatha winked, but she left her alone to do her work and headed to her own office.

As a general rule, Agatha didn’t sleep with coworkers. It was messy and complicated and a pain in the ass in the worst ways. 

Agatha was also a rule breaker, even when it was her own rules that she was breaking, and it turned out this very bad idea ended up being a very good one.