But nothing especially interesting or original jumped out, other than testing the waters with a run-of-the-mill puff piece based on what little information she’d gleaned from their last meeting.

Much to Hannah’s relief, the installation finished without fuss, and having said goodbye to the crew, she snapped a picture of the finished job and quickly sent it off to Sara, certain that she and her boss would be keen to see how it all turned out.

The end result was indeed dreamy. The luxurious countertop stretched all the way down to the floor on both sides, which the foreman described as a waterfall finish, adding an extra layer of finesse to the already breathtaking kitchen upgrade. Hannah decided that if she ever won the lottery and bought a place of her own, she’d upgrade the entire house with this stuff.

As the photo swished off, heading into the ether and its intended destination, a brainwave hit; her train of thought echoing and perhaps even prompted by Ed’s written words from earlier.

I personally don’t believe in upgrades if everything works just fine as it is …

Inspiration striking fast and hard, she took out her phone and quickly hammered off another missive, this time to a different recipient.

Possible to meet today? I have an idea.

Chapter 27

WARD

Ward sauntered down Fifth Avenue to the address Hannah had provided, and when he spotted the store she was standing in front of, his expression immediately became guarded.

‘This is your big idea?’ he asked, defensively shoving his hands in his jeans pocket.

‘You said you were on board. Time to prove it.’ She offered him a winning smile and held out her hand. ‘The first step in our great Ward McKenzie upgrade. Hand it over.’

He groaned. ‘How did I know you were going to say that … ?’ He pulled the Nokia out of his pocket. ‘This thing and I go way back, you know.’

Barking a laugh, she took the device from him. ‘I’m honestly surprised it still works. It even looks like a hockey puck.’ She shook her head. ‘At some point, the service will just stop, so let’s pull the plaster off and get this over with. Come on.’

She turned on her heel and opened the glass door of the famed flagship Apple store.

Ward sighed and took a few slow steps forward, a slight smile playing across his lips. ‘I’m assuming I don’t have a choice … ’

‘Not even a little one. Time to stop the dinosaur act – if you still want a career, that is.’

Inside, an Apple Genius had already spotted the flip phone and zeroed in on his mark, knowing a sale and a new monthly subscription were easy pickings.

Ward threw her a rueful glance over his shoulder, though she noticed that, despite himself, his eyes flickered with intrigue as he turned the latest phone model over in his hands, considering its sleek design.