I let out a huge sigh and ran my hand through my hair, settling back in the chair and gathering my thoughts. “I have a lot to think about,” was all I could manage to say. She nodded silently, and I could tell she wanted to dig deeper but was holding herself back. I raised her hand and kissed it lightly. “Thank you for inviting me.”

The shy smile I was used to seeing stretched across her face. “Thank you for coming.” The mischievous glimmer in her eyes had been replaced by the glow that had always been there before the night she’d kissed me. I’d missed it.

The door opened, and Greg entered, Styrofoam cup of steaming brew in hand. “Ah, so we do meet again, Mr. Harrington!” he laughed. “Would have brought you coffee if I’d been thinking. My apologies.”

“No problem; not much of a coffee drinker, to be honest.”

“Well, that’s probably a good thing. Grace, can I get you anything?”

“No, thanks, Greg, I’m fine.”

He took his seat behind the desk and propped his feet on the desk blotter. “Well, my duties here are done, so if you have any questions, Jack, I’m more than willing to tackle them with you.”

I nodded and thought for a moment. “I think I’m good for now, but thanks for the offer. And thanks for the help you’ve already given me, I really do appreciate it.”

“Not a problem, Jack.” He reached into a drawer and withdrew a business card. “If you ever have any other questions, you can call me here. I’d be glad to talk with you anytime.”

I accepted the card and tucked it into my pocket, impressed with his generosity. I turned to Grace. “Is there more you need to do, or are you ready to go?”

“I’ve got a reception thing, for all the musicians. I think it’s supposed to be about half an hour or so. But I’ll leave as soon as I can.”

“Well, how about I go back to your place and make you dinner?”

She smiled. “You know me, I’d never turn down a free meal.” We bade Greg good-bye and slipped through the hall and out the door, where Grace offered to walk me to the car.

Neither of us said much on the way out, and once we were at the car the awkward silence persisted. I felt as if there was so much to say, but I didn’t know how to start. The look on her face was a cross between sadness and confusion and something else I couldn’t decipher. I wanted to ask her what was wrong, but something about her posture and face caused me to hold back my thoughts. “This is silly,” she finally said. “I’ll see you in, like, forty minutes.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Have fun.”

“Drive safe.”