Zoey's jaw dropped as she took in Harriet's look, visibly stunned by the unexpected outfit. She blinked, covering her mouth as she stepped further into the office, slowly closing the door behind her. Harriet chuckled, leaning back casually against her desk, her hands braced on its edge, one leg crossed over the other.
Today, Harriet had swapped her usual crisp, professional attire for a black knit sweatshirt, gray denim tucked into platform boots, and her hair gathered into a half-messy bun with a few loose strands framing her face. Her glasses perched casually on her nose, giving her a relaxed, effortlessly cool look.
"What is this?" Zoey teased, her voice filled with amusement as she stepped closer. "I know I walked into Dr. Harriet's office, but... who are you?"
Harriet rolled her eyes playfully. "I'm still that doctor you're referring to," she replied with a smirk.
Zoey held her hands up like a photographer framing a shot. "I'm just not used to seeing you like this! You usually stick to button-downs and trousers. This is... different!" she said, her smile growing wider.
Harriet raised an eyebrow, chuckling. "Hey, this is my off-duty look. The button-downs are just for work."
Zoey tilted her head knowingly. "Let me guessâyou rode your motorcycle today?"
Harriet laughed, extending her arms. "You know me too well. Yeah, I figured I'd pick you up for a little ride. So, what do you say?"
Zoey laughed, remembering how Harriet had dropped her off earlier. "So that's why you offered to drop me off here first, huh?"
Harriet nestled her chin on Zoey's shoulder. "Caught me," she murmured. "So, you up for it? Or would you rather..." she leaned in closer with a mischievous glint in her eyes, "...ride me?"
Zoey spluttered, laughing as she lightly smacked Harriet's back. "Oh my God, here we go again! Shouldn't I get to do both, though?"
Harriet grinned. "Oh, you've got yourself a deal, sweetheart," she replied, laughing as she shook her head.
"Should we head out now?" Zoey asked, pulling back from their hug to look up at Harriet.
Harriet nodded, a warm smile crossing her face. "Yeah. You mentioned wanting to check out the Rue du Mont-Blanc Christmas Market, right?"
Zoey's eyes lit up as she nodded eagerly. Harriet chuckled, reaching out to gently pat her head. "Then let's go," she said, slipping on her coat before taking Zoey's hand in hers.
Zoey laughed as she spun around playfully, her eyes taking in the lively street market adorned with twinkling Christmas lights. They were in the motorcycle parking area, which was nearly emptyâmost people opted to drive cars in the winter, leaving only a few bikes around.
Chuckling, Harriet leaned on her motorcycle's tank, resting her chin on her hands as she watched Zoey with a soft smile. "Oh, right," Zoey exclaimed, noticing Harriet's pose. "Let me take a picture of you." She jogged over, extending her hand.
Harriet raised an eyebrow but handed her phone to Zoey with a small smile. "Thanks," Zoey said, happily stepping back to frame the shot as she opened the camera app.
"Strike a pose!" Zoey teased, and Harriet chuckled, striking a few playful and confident poses that made Zoey giggle. "Wow, you're hot!" Zoey said, walking back to show Harriet the photos.
"That's because I have an excellent photographer," Harriet replied with a grin. "Now, let's take one together."
Zoey looked around, puzzled. "How? No one's here to snap it for us."
Harriet grinned, reaching into her pocket. "Ta-da! I got us a phone remoteâthought it might be handy since you love taking photos of us." She shrugged, looking a little shy.
Zoey laughed softly, her head tipping back. "You really go all out," she said, shaking her head with a smile. She connected the remote, set up the phone at a good distance, and turned back to Harriet. "So, what pose are we doing?"
Harriet smiled, tapping her lap. "Come sit here."
Zoey raised an eyebrow, a bit hesitant. "How... you meanâ"
Harriet chuckled, "Sit here, facing me, like you're riding the bike," she clarified, scooting back a bit to make room.
"Oh," Zoey said with a laugh, catching on. Harriet helped her onto the bike so she could sit comfortably facing her.
"This is perfect," Harriet murmured, placing her hands on Zoey's waist. Zoey smiled, lifting Harriet's chin, and they leaned in, their foreheads touching just as Zoey pressed the capture button.
They did a few more playful poses, laughing and exchanging looks. Harriet sighed softly. "You're getting really good at this, sweetheart."
"Learning from the best," Zoey replied, her gaze softening. "I love you," she whispered, cupping Harriet's cheeks before leaning in to kiss her.
Harriet blinked, surprised but smiling as she melted into the kiss, pulling Zoey closer. Her hands tightened around Zoey's waist, securing her as their kiss deepened. "I love you even more, Zoey," she murmured, tugging Zoey closer, her fingers threading gently through her hair.
The kiss grew intense, Harriet's hand moving to Zoey's thigh, applying a gentle pressure that made Zoey shiver slightly. She responded by wrapping her arms around Harriet's shoulders, tugging her closer as if the space between them was still too much.
As Harriet's hand traveled to Zoey's pants zipper, pulling it down as she slid one finger inside, Zoey pulled back, gasping lightly as she caught Harriet's hand. "Harriet..." she whispered, her cheeks flushed. "We're outside, for goodness' sake," she added with a nervous laugh, glancing around. Although there was no one close by, the bustling market wasn't far.
"And?" Harriet teased, her eyes glinting with mischief.
Zoey shook her head, laughing softly. "Can we, I don't know, move this somewhere a little less public?" she whispered, her face still flustered.
Harriet laughed, removing her hand and zipping Zoey's pants back up. "If that's what you want," she said with a playful shrug.
Zoey rolled her eyes with a smile and leaned in to give her a quick, sweet kiss. "Let's save the rest for later," she whispered, brushing a strand of hair from Harriet's face.
"Oh, absolutely. I'll make sure that happens," Harriet replied, laughing softly as she helped Zoey off the motorcycle.
Zoey clicked her tongue playfully, jogging over to retrieve Harriet's phone to check the photos they'd taken. "We should print these," she said, grinning as she showed them to Harriet.
Harriet chuckled, tilting her head. "Or I could ask Nyx to paint it as a portrait instead," she suggested. "We could hang it up at home." She waggled her brows playfully.
Zoey's face lit up as she clasped her hands together in excitement. "That would be amazing!"
"I'll talk to her soon and get a quote for the painting," Harriet said with a smile, giving Zoey's nose a gentle poke.