She hesitated before she slipped the DVD and the book with its note into the inter-office envelope. Maybe she shouldn’t send the movie because it was just make-believe. She wasn’t sure Colette had a sense of humor. She still believed in its message, though.

Her phone beeped. Jake was texting to ask if she wanted to have dinner together later. He was meeting someone for a quick drink first. Business, he added. She immediately said yes. She put the inter-office envelope in the pick-up tray, pulled on her coat, and left.

Jake texted that he’d stop by Fairway to pick up some food for dinner. She texted back that she’d meet him by the subway station as she was already on the way home.

She waited by Gray’s Papaya, looking for him. It was dark already at 7 p.m., but the street lamps lit the sidewalk. She pulled on her hat. She spotted him first. He was wearing this blue scarf that brought out his eyes. She suspected an ex-girlfriend had bought it for him, but he did have an innate sense of style, so he could’ve bought it.

Their glances suddenly met and he waved. A huge smile lit his face. He put away his earbuds and quickened his pace. He lightly jogged to make the light, and he kept jogging right on up to her, crushing her in a big hug.

“Got you!” He laughed and he kissed her hard. As soon as his arms hugged her, she cared less about Colette. That contact was better than a workout.

“But have you a shopping list?”

“Definitely. I’ve my priorities. You and food. I need to stock up for a few days, at least.”

They walked hand-in-hand over to Fairway. Jake chose some apples from the carefully stacked rows of colorful fruit on the wooden green display stands outside while Audrey commandeered a cart. As she wheeled the cart inside and turned into the fresh vegetable aisle, she suggested a salad.

As they passed one of the freezer sections, he put his arm around her. “Let’s grab frozen cookie dough. It’s a chocolate chip cookie night, given your voicemail message about Colette.”

She sighed. “It was also Hunter’s reaction. I was just so surprised that he was so easily persuaded by her arguments. And he seemed so distant and almost hostile when he first came into my office.”

“Inwardly defensive and outwardly offensive.”

“I think I persuaded him that this is still the right strategy.”

He rubbed her back. “I’d like to have been a fly on the wall when you pulled out your flow charts.”

“Are you mocking my flow charts?” she asked, half-joking.

“No, honestly, they sound brilliant. I do project management charts all the time as I plan marketing campaigns. I’m a huge believer. But I got some resistance persuading the lawyers to adopt them.”

“But you did?”