Pamela and Jane worked well together. The raventte had worked on the physical files, with Pamela handling the calls and emails. When it came to coordinating some work events, Jane welcomed Pamela's input, adding them to her files.

Pam gauged the woman, searching for any sign of the secretary crushing on her brother. Any sign of Jane being nice to her, only to win her brother's favor.

Pamela found nothing.

Jane Blair had a straightforward personality. She treated everybody the same; keeping it as professional as possible. It was a clear boundary the woman drew and it applied doubly to Pamela's brother. Pam saw how her brother's eyes lingered on the uptight woman. 

How expressive he became around her going so far as to tease the plain girl. That ended up with Jane scolding Ricky, making him cower. The dude looked like such a puppy with his tail between his legs. It was very unlike her baby brother.

It was also pathetic.

What the female Evens had gathered was that her young brother was idiotically in love his his secretary but alas, it was a one-sided affair. Pamela didn't know what to do with this revelation. She had dubbed Jane as her life-saver bestie and now that bestie was being pined after by her brother. It messed with Pamela Evens' head.

Her brother was bound to get hurt again, but how could Pamela hate her Jan?! The woman was just so amusing. She dealt with things swiftly, wisely, and with some people, mercilessly. The plum-haired woman admired her colleague. 'Where on earth can I get that force she has?'

Her brother's secretary had also insisted on treating Pamela to lunch as a thank-you for the breakfast. How can Pam hate her? Someone please tell her? The two ladies walked into the Panera down the street. "What would you like?" Jane asked, scrolling through the kiosk. She ordered herself an avocado chicken sandwich and extra bread with a yuzu juice.

"Um..." Pamela loved food and Panera was one of her favorite. The problem was that there were too many calories in the food she craved. She drooled while scrolling through the pasta and soup category. 'Stop it! You're a model!' She reminded herself. She had to keep a strict diet. "I guess a salad is good." Pam sighed. She hated salads.

"I said get what you want." Jane blocked her hand from pressing the salad button. "You wanted the pasta - get the pasta."

Pam was stunned at the piercing glare she got from the shorter girl. She had the urge to apologize. She hadn't said anything about wanting pasta, yet Jane knew. "I - I can't."

"Why's that?"

Pamela Evens blinked. She had never been questioned about her food choices. When she chose modeling as a career, people had drilled into Pamela about keeping a low-carb diet. It was just expected of her to eat the same thing as rabbits. Her body was her 'talent'. If she lost that, what would she have?

Flushing at the sudden feelings of inferiority, Pam could only utter, "I need to watch my weight." It sounded lame.

Jane observed her, assessing the tall woman. Pam felt that Jane was boring a hole in the depths of her soul. It burned, badly. Unable to withstand it, Pam looked away. "It's my job." She explained. "I need to maintain my weight or else I'm out of a career." 'Then I'll be the loser out of my siblings.'

Jane wouldn't accept that answer. Skimming through the tablet, she insisted that her colleague pick the food she truly enjoyed. "I don't like being in debt. You were gracious enough to get me breakfast and it was delicious. It'll drive me crazy if I don't return the favor. So either you get what you want or I'm going to order every item on this menu for you."

"You're joking." Pam stared at the other girl, shocked.

She sweated when Jane didn't hesitate. "Want to find out?" Her finger hovered over the device, ready to press down. Then, the finger moved.

"Stop!" Pam grabbed Jane's hand. "I'll pick!" 'She's crazy! Who threatens someone like this?!' Taking the kiosk, she picked the bacon mac and cheese with an apple as her side. Upon fearing Jane's wrath, Pam opted for the cappuccino to drink. "There."

Jane nodded, satisfied. She paid and the two girls sat down in a booth to wait for their meals. Jane sipped on her juice. Though Pamela said she had to maintain her current weight for her job, Jane didn't believe it. Not fully anyway. The taller woman was more than the shape of her body. Jane had seen some of the drawings the other girl had left on her desk.

They were drawings of outfits Jane had never seen before. Beautiful and intricate designs, ranging from show-stopping dresses and edgy streetwear. Pamela had a keen eye for fashion - it was a shame she chose to model other people's works instead of her own. Jane had also sensed that Pamela didn't think that highly of herself. Hearing the woman's reason for choosing salad had confirmed that suspicion.

Soon, their order was called. The smell of cheese and bacon tickled Pam's nose, causing her to salivate again. Pam had looked like a cartoon character. Jane chortled, snapping her friend out of her moment."Enjoy." But Pamela didn't dig in right away. Jane frowned, noticing how Pam's hand shook a bit.

She was scared to eat.

Jane felt bad now. She sighed, searching her brain for anything to show Pamela that she wasn't worthless. Putting aside her food, Jane blurted out "Have you ever thought about creating your clothing line?"

Pam's eyes widened. "What?" She did not expect something so random to come out of Jane's mouth. It did the trick. It successfully halted Pam from spiraling down the stairs of existential crisis. "Why would I do that?" She eyed her companion warily.

"Because you have talent." Jane deadpanned. She opened her purse, producing Pam's drawings. A smile tugged at her lips when Pamela's jaw dropped. Admiring the drawings, Jane explained why she had them in her possession. "You left these sitting on my desk. They are breathtaking, Pamela."

"Those are just doodles." Pamela shoveled some mac and cheese into her mouth. The taste could've made her cry - it's been a hot minute since she's eaten this heavenly dish. Too bad, the exquisite taste didn't override the embarrassment she felt.

Jane scoffed. "Doodles? Yeah right. I know for certain an industry would kill for these kinds of designs and I also see you're great at sewing." She indicated Pamela's outfit for the day. It matched her hair: plum with prints of black roses on it.

That made it unique but Jane had noticed how Pamela pulled out either pens or makeup from various places. She also noticed how the model never carried a purse. She figured that the pantsuit had hidden pockets. Jane wanted an outfit like that.

"No, you don't." Pamela denied it, figuring that Jane was trying to comfort her in some way. Those drawings couldn't be that good. Pamela wasn't as talented as her older sister and younger brother. All she had was her looks and a temper. It was discouraging. "It's just a hobby...doesn't mean anything."

Carefully putting the drawings away, Jane declared she would prove the plum-haired model wrong. These designs were beyond excellent. How could a talented person be so wasteful? "You'll see. If this is 'just a hobby', then I can't wait to see what you create when you put forth effort."

"You flatter me," Pamela replied dryly. "I'm not my brother or sister. They're extremely talented. I don't measure up."

"I can't speak for your sister - I don't know her, but I can assure you that Mr. Evens isn't as talented as you think." Jane nodded sagely as if she were some old Chinese master. "The man got blindspots - a lot as matter as factly and who has to keep an eye on them; Me." She pointed to herself. There was a lot she could rag about her boss. "It's rather daunting. However," She paused, thinking for a second. "Mr. Evens is the 'talented' lawyer he is because he works hard at his job. He puts his whole heart in every case. It makes him vulnerable but also that's what makes him one of the best in his career."

That quality of his was something Jane could admit that she admired about her boss. He was a pain, but he cared for people. When on a case, her boss wasn't a slacker. Especially when a case involved the clients who had nobody in their corner to support them. Ricky fought for them with unhindered passion.

Giving Pamela an unwavering stare, Jane gently pressed the topic. "I see that same fire in you, Pamela. In my opinion; you need to think hard about what you truly want and when you find it, chase it at full speed."

Jane's friend went neon pink. She began to see why her brother fell for the dark-haired woman. Jane had a piercing stare. Some found it unnervingly hostile, but Pamela Evens could see the hidden emotions that swarmed in those brown orbs. They were fiercely determined and raw with a kind of yearning that Pamela strangely understood.

The way the secretary spoke to her - it felt as if she was trying to set herself free. In her whole life, Pamela had been compared to her siblings and she wasn't the same as them. Why she couldn't do better like them? People had always compared her to Tammy and Ricky, leaving her stripped of her worth. Yet here sat Jane, ripping that apart before Pam's eyes, insisting that she was worth more than the world had priced Pamela.

Pamela was straight. She knew she was straight but if Jane was a man, the model would be head over heels in love with her. 'Why couldn't you be a dude?' She felt seen. Jane saw her. Flustered, Pamela lightly slapped her cheeks, hoping it would expel the ferocious blush that consumed her face.

The ladies continued eating but now it was in a comfortable silence. Sneaking a peek at the younger woman, another thought struck Pamela. As she ate, Jane stared out the window. The light illuminated Jane's silhouette and her eyes became a more maple color.

Pamela held her breath. At that moment, Jane reminded Pamela of a kid she had admired in high school.

A peer who was revered among delinquents for her prowess. That kid was two years younger than Pam. 'She might be Jane's age...if I recall.' Her heart raced. 'She was merciless too, like Jane. Could it be...' Pam dismissed the thought - for now.