Title: Defrost
Author: Goddess Isa

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BRING! BRING!

I glance at Cordelia and know there's no hope for her answering the phone.
Yes, she's our secretary, but she is also a princess and wouldn't dare do
anything to mess up the manicure she hasn't finished giving herself. I
throw a styrofoam cup at Rodney and he answers it.

Time passes and Angel arrives. Cordy leaves, mumbling something about a
date with Dawson Leery. "Who's this Dawson?" I ask Angel. "He hotter than
me?"

He laughs, something we rarely see from The Boss. "Dawson Leery is a
fictional character on a WB drama Cordelia is addicted to." he continues to
laugh as he leaves the room with a stack of files under his arm.

"You bored?" Rodney asks.

I gesture to the mile-high pile of files on my desk to weed through. "What
do you think?"

"I think we go by Starbucks?"

I can't resist a mocha with extra foam so we go. We're sitting and I
realize something about our "executive assistant."

Rodney is a bugger to be around. Quite immature for a demon his age. Nearly
eighty-seven and still chasing after leather miniskirts.

Oh, who am I to judge? I may be pushing thirty, or forty, but I do it too.

Okay, one. I chase *one* miniskirt.

Cordelia's.

I mean, look at her and tell me she's not beautiful.

Back at the office, we work through the night as usual. Her Royal Highness
returns around nine-thirty, complaining about some jerk named Andie and a
slut named Joey. I'm guessing Joey to be a transvestite she met on the
street but I don't ask. I eat one of the donuts she brought and listen as
she tells Angel all about some girl named Jen who kissed a gay guy named
Jack. He tries to look interested but is obviously bored. When he goes out
for field work with Rodney, I'm left.

With. Her.

"So," I walk up to her, coffee in hand. "Your friend Jen--"

"Oh, God, she's insane!" she starts walking around, moving her arms as she
talks. "And I don't know how Michelle can play such a dense role. I mean,
it's like one moment you're kissing Dawson...."

As she babbles on, I realize all the people she was discussing are from
this TV show she likes.

She finishes her character analysis and smiles. A Smile! A beautiful,
sincere smile, meant for me.

Then she shuts down, as though she knows what she did and doesn't wanna do
it anymore.

"I need to get home," she yawns. "It's late, well, early, and I need beauty
sleep." she leaves without saying goodbye, but even I can tell I've
penetrated the Ice Queen just a little. I'll defrost her yet.