There was a noise and the door clicked open; she’d been buzzed in. Minnie stepped tentatively into the lift and pressed the button for the fourth floor, her heart pounding in her chest. She hadn’t meant to come here, she’d meant to call him and apologise over the phone. He was going to think it was weird, her showing up at his office unannounced.

The lift doors opened and Quinn was standing in front of her with a beaming smile, arms held wide in greeting. She’d forgotten how tall he was.

‘Hi!’ he said, then his neck retracted and his arms dropped to his sides. ‘Oh, it’s you.’

‘Sorry,’ Minnie blinked her eyes closed and shook her head. ‘I was just passing and the lights were on and I just … I wanted to apologise about the other day. I don’t want to intrude if you’re expecting someone else. I can go … ’

‘No, it’s fine.’ Minnie looked up from the floor and Quinn gave her a perplexed smile, ‘Come in.’

He led her over to the reception area, and waved an arm towards one of the low brown leather chairs. ‘Sit, sit.’

In the glass-walled meeting room beyond, Minnie could see an open laptop and a sprawl of papers fanning out across the table. Minnie sat on her hands to stop herself from biting her nails. She couldn’t get comfortable so decided to stand instead. This felt awkward, so she settled on splitting the difference and perching on the arm of the chair instead. Quinn watched this self-conscious dance of hers with amusement.

‘Look, I’m just going to say what I wanted to say, then I’ll leave you in peace to get on with your work. I was rude the other day. I don’t know why I was so angry with you when you’ve been nothing but nice to me and, well, I’m sorry. Maybe you are right, I do have a bit of a chip on my shoulder.’

‘You don’t need to apologise,’ he said, tidying the papers on the coffee table between them.

‘I really do.’

‘OK, maybe you do.’

‘I probably am doing a crap job with the business – I guess you hit a nerve.’

‘Well, I’ve had calls from clients asking how they can order from “the pie lady”. You’re clearly doing something right.’

She acknowledged the compliment with a nod. He sat watching her for a moment. His blue eyes looked soft, unfocused. ‘Anyway, it’s nice to see you … not shouting at me,’ he grinned.

Minnie’s lips twitched, she didn’t want to laugh.

‘I’m not usually a big shouter. You bring out the worst in me.’

‘It’s not all bad,’ he said, picking up a pen from the coffee table and twiddling it between his fingers. ‘You have a very sexy indignant face.’

‘A what face?’ Minnie felt herself scowl.