Ainsley woke with a smile before frowning. It was Monday morning, and she had to work. Yawning, she had stayed up later than she should have, but it was worth it. Ian broke her old rating system - two equaled kissable and one meant more than kissing. Her scale was inadequate and ran in the wrong direction. He wasn't a zero or a negative number.

She hoped to see him on the sidewalk but entered the station disappointed. If he Ubered, offering her a ride would be outside the rules. There were unwritten rules to casual relationships. Thinking of their weekend, they probably broke a few. It was okay, they could distance themselves during the work week. The distance thing was weird since they lived in the same building. As for working together, she had made it clear she didn't want his director status to give anyone ammunition. She planned to keep their relationship, friendship, or better yet, their thing private.

Nina looked at her and smiled. "Did hot, younger guy work out?"

Ainsley furrowed her brow. Ian was older. "What?"

"Friday night. Your date. You walked in smiling."

Had she? "Can't I be happy it's Monday?"

"No one is ever happy for Monday. Spill." Ainsley looked around. She had arrived early, so no Henry. Maybe that's why she hadn't seen Ian. Nina stared at her. "Something's up."

Friday night felt like a lifetime away. A lifetime with awesome sex. "Younger guy was a dud as his eyes caressed the pregame on the screen. He ignored me, so I left."

Nina snickered. "That bad? Why are you so?" She waved her hand in front of her like the fairy godmother with her wand.

"So, what?"

"Relaxed. Happy. You had sex!"

"Shush. People will hear." A huge smile had permanently implanted on her face at the mention of sex. "I finally met the hot guy who lives near me."

"Mystery man?"

She nodded. She had to give her something. "He lives in my building."

"Wow! And so that was enough for sex."

"And some dinners and a lunch. We spent a lot of time together this weekend."

"Some dinners? I want deets."

Ainsley turned her head. Henry stepped off the elevator. "I need to log on."

She hadn't sat at her desk yet and she hoped to have been working when Henry arrived.

Nina's cheerful voice made Ainsley's eyes roll. "Hi Henry. How was your weekend?"

"Great. Yours?"

Ainsley waited for her email to come up while Nina told Henry about her dog and dinner with her boyfriend's parents. Why was he nice to Nina and not her?

After a minute, she realized her internet connection was down. She wanted to smile. Ian had told her to call him directly. She lifted her phone and dialed his extension. It rang and his voice mail clicked on. As she listened to his voice, she wondered where he was.

"Hi. This is Ainsley Douglas, and my internet is not working. You told me to call you, so I am. Bye."

When she hung up, she stopped the groan that wanted to come out. "You broke your laptop again." She let her groan fly. Not only was Henry aggravating, but she sounded like an idiot on the phone.

She jumped when her phone rang with his extension displayed. "Hello."

"Sorry, I was in a meeting. I'll fix it. I'm not sure if I should be happy or annoyed, but yours is the only one."

"What can I say? I was nice to acne boys before I knew the truth."

"I'm. I'll be right there. I have to go."

"When...?" He hung up on her.

She stared at her useless screen. Was Ian jealous of the help desk guys? Did he blow her off? As she tried to sort through her thoughts, Henry walked by and sneered. "Not working again."

"My." She sealed her lips. He didn't require an explanation.

She smiled as her laptop connected to the network. Ian had fixed it as he promised. Maybe it was better that he didn't need to come upstairs. Ainsley started with her email and immersed herself in work. She looked up when Henry walked off.

Nina said, "Let's go to the cafeteria."

"Okay. I never shopped this weekend." She had packed a peanut butter sandwich on expired bread.

The minute they sat down with their food it became clear Nina wanted to grill her. Ainsley didn't want to give too much away before she knew what it all meant.

"Tell me about this guy who is making you smile."

"He's two years older."

"Never married?"

Ainsley froze for a moment. Had she asked? She smiled Brooke would have said. "Nope. He's not looking for anything serious either, at least that's what he said."

"What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing. He's close to his father, but it's not like the momma's boy. I think they are friends, except."

"Except, what?"

"He was put out because his dad has a girlfriend."

Nina frowned. "Based on your smile, the sex is good."

Ainsley couldn't stop another wide grin. "He's really fun."

"Fine. Have fun, but don't expect anything lasting if his daddy comes first. I'd hate to see you get hurt."

Ainsley frowned. She liked him better than anyone she had dated since college. Would it be hard to not see him knowing he was in the building? "We're casual. It's fine."

Nina waved her yogurt spoon. "When will you see him again?"

"I don't know. Tonight, maybe?"

"What does he do? Does he have a decent job?"

Ainsley swallowed a bite of salad. "He's in IT, so he's smart and educated."

"IT! Maybe he can tell you how to use your laptop."

"Hahaha." If only Nina knew the truth, she would lurk around his department trying to see him.

"Let's hope he knows more than the puppies who pant around you."

"The acne boys."

Ainsley couldn't tell Nina about the help desk scam because Ian told her in confidence. She wouldn't want Catrina talking about her to others. Catrina wasn't a director. There was a director of marketing who she reported to.

"How was your weekend?"

"Loki ate one of my shoes."

"What else did your fur ball do?"

"He's grown."

She scrolled through a picture of her Labrador puppy. He was cute but full of trouble.

"Cats are easier." Dogs and kids required work.

They returned to their desks before Henry, but Ainsley didn't care. Let him prove he had what it takes. His work for the Gibbons's book hadn't impressed her or Catrina.

Later that afternoon, Ainsley met with Catrina to discuss some ideas to promote a children's book. When she returned to her desk. Nina was leaning against Henry's desk grilling him about his weekend.

"Are you going to see her again?"

"Maybe. I don't know. I don't want to give her the wrong idea."

"What idea?" Nina laughed.

"You know I don't want to get serious. I'm saving that for my thirties."

Nina laughed. "You sound like Ainsley."

"She's already in her thirties."

Ainsley rolled her eyes.

Nina used her syrupy voice. "You know. If you wait too long, you'll be stuck with divorced women or..."

"Or ones like Douglas."

"What's wrong with me?" Ainsley jumped up to Henry's desk.

Henry scanned her from head to toe. She felt like a science specimen. She was too angry to notice him spreading his legs.

"Yeah. She's beautiful." Nina stood ready for battle.

"She's a pain. Bragging about knowing people. Higher than mighty."

Ainsley clamped her mouth shut and turned around. "I have work to do."

She ignored Nina's sympathetic glance and kept her head down the rest of the day. Just after five, her phone buzzed. Her heart rate slowed to normal when Lilli's face appeared. Three or four times a month they had a girls' evening. After they had lived together for years, Zach had to share his woman. Ainsley had thought their nights were over after the wedding. In a few texts, they agreed on the following night.

Once again, out on the street she looked for Ian before walking away on her own. She needed to go buy some groceries and the market she bumped into Ian wouldn't do. She walked to Whole Foods. On the way, she tried to make a list. At least, she could buy a prepared meal for dinner. Shopping was one of the most inconvenient tasks in the city. It was a nice fall night, so she didn't mind the fifteen-minute walk. It felt good after being inside all day. She was proud of herself for buying the ingredients to make shrimp tacos with Lilli. Maybe she should make them for Ian too. She picked up a second lime and avocado. With too many bags to manage on the subway, she ordered an Uber.

By the time she made it inside, she was ready to sit and eat, but first she had to feed Gunther and put her groceries away.

When her phone rang, she jumped. Frowning it was her mother.

"Hello." She added a little cheer.

"You sound happy."

Ainsley laughed. "I'm putting groceries away. I'm happy I have lunch for tomorrow."

"Did you eat today?"

She chuckled. "I ate in the cafeteria."

"Oh! Did you see James?" Carolyn acted like her son-in-law was a rock star.

"Mom, JJ doesn't eat with the peons in the cafeteria." She used his nickname because her mother didn't prefer it.

"Oh well. Your sister spent the weekend with your Lilli."

"Mom, I know. She is my best friend."

"What did you do?"

Had sex. "I had a date on Friday night."

"Oh? Is he from a good family?"

"I don't know."

"How do you not know?"

Because he didn't talk to me. "It doesn't matter. I won't hear from him again." Was Ian from a good enough family for Carolyn. He was cultured, but he wasn't wealthy like the Sumners.

"You need to settle down."

"I need to eat dinner. I'm going to tell Violet to have a baby so I can stay single. Bye, Mom."

Her phone rang immediately. "I said goodbye."

"Goodbye? I called to say hello."

Her heart lept. "I just finished talking to my mother."

"Sounds like the call ended abruptly."

"Maybe, but only because she thinks if she tells me often enough, I'll settled down."

"I've had a few of those conversations myself."

"I love my mother, but she can be overbearing, but that's not why you called."

He chuckled. "What are you doing?"

"I stopped at Whole Foods, since I was too busy this weekend to shop. I'm just sitting down to eat. What about you?"

"I ate. Do you want some company?"

Ainsley smiled. "Sure."

"Okay. Good."

Ainsley took a few bites of her Thai chicken. She didn't want to eat in front of Ian. It was different if he were eating too. She ate half her meal and put the lid on before the knock on her door. After putting the container in the fridge, she wiped her mouth and went to the door. Why had she eaten a meal with garlic?

He smiled. "Hi." Then he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

Ainsley smiled. "Day four."

Ian put his hands up with a laugh. "Guilty."

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