Clockwork | Brittana

Chapter 4

Santana walked into work, entering the large cooperate building and taking an obligatory glance around. The lobby was decorated a modern white scale, aiming to paint the picture of a company that was closest to the future. Santana was proud to be able to call herself an active part of this company. Since becoming Head of IT their stocks had risen, their popularity boomed, and Clockwork had finally over taken Orbit as the a company with the most innovated technology on the market today. Not many people made that connection.

Her low heels clacked softly against the polished tile. Heads turned as she passed, and she ignored them. People moved out of her way, and she expected them to. Someone was always pointing their iPhone at her, and it made her skin crawl. No matter how anxious the attention made her, she held her head high, projecting an appearance of confidence and disinterest to the masses around her. Santana tried to tune everyone out around her, trying not to focus on how each pair of eyes made the tension in her chest tighten. She just needed to get to her office, then she could breathe again.

If she could just—

Her usual beeline for the elevators was cut short when her eyes found the familiar blonde standing next to the reception desk, chatting happily with the security guy on duty. Brittany Pierce leaned easily on the counter, everything about her posture radiated a friendly warmth that made her seem so at ease in her surrounding, like she didn't have a care in the world. Santana was a little jealous that she had to work for that look, and it came so naturally to the blonde. She wasn't bitter though, because it looked good on Brittany. Great even.

Brittany glanced over when Santana approached and her face lit up in a warm smile. It was impossible not to appreciate the smaller girl. Dressed in slimming black slacks, a fitted button down blouse, and a deep gray blazer with black piping. She looked the part again, the Face of Clockwork. Brittany was taken aback by the drastic change from the woman in sweats and a loose tee shirt. Brittany even found herself missing Santana's glasses. The only hint to her true nature was the worn, but well loved, Slimline Paris computer bag slung over her shoulders.

"Good morning, Miss Lopez," Brittany recited with a bit of a smirk on her face, handing Santana a Starbucks coffee cup.

"Thanks, and um... good morning to you," Santana took it with a light frown. She gave a slight nod to the security guard, "Karofsky."

"Miss Lopez," he gave her a grin that she didn't like, "I was just talking to your new assistant."

"Hm," she heard the implications. Santana took as step away from the desk, "Speaking of, we should probably get to work."

"Oh right," Brittany followed her lead, throwing over her shoulder, "It was nice meeting you, David."

"Same," he waved, his eyes lingering a bit too long, and then shifted back to Santana.

They met each others eyes in a mutual understanding that he had been inappropriately leering at the tall blonde and Santana wasn't happy about it. Her eyes narrowed, just ever so slightly, and Karofsky swallowed visibly. He was nervous. She turned away, content to deal with him later.

Brittany followed Santana towards the elevators and then, surprisingly, past them. The Latina kept walking even when a few people made an effort to hold the mechanical doors for her, she just smiled and waved them on, continuing down the hall. Brittany followed her to a hall where there was significantly less people, bad lighting, and no decorations to speak of. Needless to say, this wasn't somewhere anyone but maintenance crews were supposed to be. She didn't want to question Santana in the first five minutes of working together, so she kept her mouth shut.

"I know Quinn thought this whole assistant ruse would be cool, or whatever," the brunette rolled her eyes and stopped in front of a large metal door. Santana punched in a code on a key pad mounted on the wall and as the door slid open Brittany realized this was a service elevator, "but you don't have to get me a coffee in the morning."