�Yes. I don�t know if he saw us, but he was talking to Steve, so we�re just going to slide out of the way and let Steve have him.� Claire whispered to Joel what was going on in the lobby with Steve, and Joel stood and led the second half of the meeting. Diane kept looking around, wondering if he would enter the room, worried he might choose to sit behind her, or worse, beside her.

�Diane,� Claire whispered, �do you need to leave? I see you�re distracted.�

�No, I�m fine. I�ll be okay,� Diane smiled at Claire, and renewed her attention to the business at hand. He never came into the meeting room, as far as Diane was aware.

When the meeting was over, Diane and Claire kissed and hugged the others, and gave a special hug to Angela for her timely story, joking that she was aptly named. They walked outside, arm in arm, bracing each other against the chilled evening air. While they were in the meeting, it had started to snow. Big flakes clung to Diane�s curly hair and heavy wool coat. They walked quickly to the SUV, chasing the little white clouds they expelled before them. Diane glanced around, wondering if the handsome, freshly shaved man in the heavy raincoat would be outside waiting for them. They made it to the car and jumped in. Claire turned it on and got the heater cranking.

�Are you hungry?� Claire asked, holding her fingers in front of the heater vents to warm them.

�No, I want to go home now.�

�Okay, home it is.�

After goodbyes, thanks and promises to see one another at work the next day, Diane dashed up to her apartment. She lit some cedar logs in her fireplace and snuggled on the couch with some hot tea, a warm lap blanket and a good book. She had read twenty pages when she heard the knock at the door. She practically flew off the couch and ran to the door. She looked out the peephole, but whoever was there had covered it with a hand.

�Who�s there?� Diane asked. No response. She heard a telltale clearing of the throat, and she knew it was he. �Denby, take your hand off the peephole.�

�How did you know it was me?� Harry asked when she let him into the apartment. He suppressed his playful urge when he noticed Diane was clearly in a more serious mood.

�You have to ask?�

�I guess not.�

�What do you want, Harry?�