“Hm, kind of,” he says.

“But it’s so stupid.”

He waggles his finger in front of me. “Oh no, it most certainly is not.”

“Even if it’s not stupid, it’s still impossible.”

“Nothing is impossible, just untried.” He uses his serious television voice.

“I can’t stop thinking about her.” I bring my hands to my head. “If only she was from New Zealand, or some godforsaken settlement in the Northern Territory, but not Paris. That’s too far. You know how long the journey is from Sydney to Paris? Twenty-four hours! And that’s the best-case scenario.”

“But surely the fact that she’s from Paris adds to her attraction.”

I sigh. “Oh god, yes.”

“You can’t have one without the other.” He drums his fingertips on my desk. “Hey, don’t worry. In between forecasting the weather, I will dedicate all my waking hours to concocting a plan to make you forget about her as quickly as possible. If”—he holds up his finger again—“that’s what you want.”

“Ask me again in a few days.”

He shuffles his chair closer. “Just so you know, these things happen all the time. People fall in love with other people who live on the other side of the world all the time. If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”

“I’m not falling in love, okay. That’s a bit too… I don’t know. Inaccurate. Perhaps I’m falling in lust. Well yes, I’ve definitely done that. But love? That’s just ridiculous.”

“I said in love.”

“What’s the difference? Please, explain it to me, Jason.”

“I don’t think you need me to explain anything to you at all. You are one of the smartest people I know. And the hottest—for a woman. I don’t even need to have met this Camille to know that she is pining for you right now.”

If anything, Jason makes me laugh with his exaggerations. “She just sent me this.” I show him a picture of Camille in front of the Opera House, pretending to sing.

“She’s thinking of you at the very least.”

“And I’m thinking of her.” I expel another feeling-sorry-for-myself sigh. “Even if I were falling in love with her and we embarked on something long-distance and impossible, I’m the very first woman she’s ever been with. She’s not just going to sit around and wait until I go to Paris once a year. She’ll want to explore.”

“Have more of what you gave her a taste of.” Jason breaks out into a sweet smile. “But you have thought about it.”

“Ever since this morning, it seems to be all I can think about.”

“Talk to her.”

I shake my head. “No. There’s no point. We both know what this is.”

“But what if it’s more than you’re both willing to admit?”