“Eventually.” Jake smiled. He pulled her around and put both hands on her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. “And you’ll persuade Colette. It makes more sense to work together.”

“I hope so.” Audrey shook her head. She didn’t want to dwell on Colette when she was with Jake. “It didn’t sound like you had a bad day.”

He looked down and smiled at her. “That’s the beautiful thing about chocolate chip cookie dough. It works for both bad and good days. But it was challenging trying to get everyone on the same page with this marketing campaign.”

“Did you succeed in the end?”

“Yes, but legal was giving me a hard time.” He steered the cart nimbly around some others that were nearly blocking the narrow aisle.

“Don’t they always?” she asked.

“Some lawyers are feistier than others.” He held her hand. “They insisted on certain cuts made to the video. The artistic director said they were killing his creative vision. It was brutal. Legal was being too conservative.”

“What’d you do?”

“I showed a cat video—the one you showed me that you used once to raise morale in a meeting with associates who were depressed after working the weekend.”

“You did not!”

“I had to. It was tense, and both sides were yelling.”

“And?”

“It worked. Both sides laughed. Ultimately, I said we’d compromise: we’d cut some scenes and take the business risk on others.” He shrugged. “I also showed some music videos I’d found where the content seemed equally close to the line—with no repercussions. Legal seemed more comfortable then.” He added chicken to the cart. He wheeled the cart into the narrow breakfast food aisle. They squeezed past another shopper. “I had drinks with the lawyer just now—to show no hard feelings. What happened with Colette?”

She explained the day’s events. She picked up some chicken soup for Eve, who had said she was getting a cold, while Jake added penne to the cart. They joined a check-out line behind other customers.

After she relayed Colette’s parting remark, Jake said, “Ouch.” They checked out.

Each took a bag, and holding hands, they walked out. Passing a newsstand, the Halloween-themed front cover of Time Out reminded Audrey that they needed to shop for Halloween costumes for Rory’s costume party. Jake suggested they shop for them tomorrow night.

They stopped at a red light and waited for the cars to pass.

Jake said, “Colette might be able to do a lot of damage.” A taxi cut off another car, provoking honking and a screeching of brakes.

She shrugged. “I’m still sticking with my approach.” She wanted to make partner by being nice and working together and using humor. She didn’t want to have regrets about the way she made partner.

“I find humor more persuasive.”

“So do I, but I’m not sure Colette does.”