“Thanks for the dinner and movie. Let me walk you out.”

Jake looked like he was about to get up and accompany them, but Audrey shot him a look: Don’t you dare!

As they entered the hallway, Tim said, “So I gather that guy doesn’t live here, or we wouldn’t have been preparing for a robber in this hallway, but he certainly seemed comfortable here. Is there something up between you?”

That was direct. I should be so direct with Jake.

“We’re very close friends and neighbors, so we have keys to each other’s apartments. But I mean, we’ve just been friends.”

Tim kissed her lightly on the cheek and said he’d see her tomorrow at the office.

As she re-entered the living room, she confronted Jake. “What are you doing?”

“What do you mean? I offered him a beer and even quiche, following the old maxim that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”

“Does that work?”

“Competition works. Wasn’t that your first date after he saw us dancing at your party?”

“Yes,” she said reluctantly.

“I just provided a little competition. If he’s really interested, he’ll be back.”

“And is that what you want? What about us? Is there any us?” Audrey asked.

“Is there? You just went out on a date with another guy.”

“You left last night to comfort your ex-girlfriend.”

“Just because I care that you don’t date that corporate robot …” he said. He grabbed his coat and strode to the spiral staircase. “Maybe I’ll leave you to it, then.” He disappeared down the stairs. She followed him down, reaching the bottom step as he slid open the glass door and, without looking back, walked out into the dark. A cold blast of air hit her as the door slid closed.

She stood in shock. That answered the question about whether he liked her romantically. But it was not the response she’d wanted. Her shoulders slumped. She didn’t understand why she could never move from the “fun friend” to the girlfriend. She turned around to get ready for bed. At this point, she just wanted to collapse in the soft sheets and give up on dating entirely—again. And retreat to the sanctuary of work. But that felt empty too now.

She heard the door slide back open, and she whirled around. It was Jake. He strode across the floor and stood in front of her, his eyes searching intently into hers. He bit his lip. “Except I think there is an us. Don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t date that android. Date me. Please. Yes?”

“Yes,” she said, almost at the same time as he asked. She gazed into his eyes, depths of blue that she could get lost in. The radiator sputtered in the background as the heat came on.