Elle sat on the sofa with her heels off and toes dug into the shag carpet. It was a bright day, the sun high in the early afternoon sky, music blaring out of Bonnie's small stereo, causing Elle's feet to twitch to the music.

While Elle's computer exported the countless photos into a hard drive, the two of them lazed about the office that Friday afternoon since neither had recovered fully from the Van Belt trip. Elle had arrived in Armidale late morning, gone home, showered and changed, and then picked up Bonnie on her way back to the studio. They both hadn't wanted to work, but being the boss meant she had to pretend she was responsible.

Elle absent-mindedly twirled the wrinkled but dry business card in her hand. Dean's writing smudged now.

"You gonna ring him?" Bonnie asked casually, startling Elle from her thoughts.

"Thought you were sleeping."

Bonnie shrugged. "I think you should."

Elle stared at the card. "And say what?"

"Say you'd like to take him up on the offer. I mean, that's what you want to say, isn't it?"

Elle nodded. And that you're a gorgeous man whose mere sight sends my brain scrambled. "Yep, that's all."

"You want me to dial for you?"

Elle shook her head, took a deep breath, rose to her feet and marched up to Bonnie's desk with all the conviction she could muster. Any minute now, it was going to falter her false bravado. Before it could, she picked up the phone, ready to punch the number in, and then stopped. "You really think we can do this job?"

Bonnie gave her an incredulous look. "Don't make me smack some sense into you, Ellenor Grace!" She grabbed the weathered card from Elle's small hand and punched the numbers into the phone with furious speed and determination. "Now speak!"

Elle nervously listened to the ringing tone. One, two...

"Dean Stewart," he answered on the third ring, sounding as if he'd been in the middle of something. Elle opened her mouth to speak, but not a peep came out. "Hello?"

Bonnie waited anxiously, elbows propped up on the table, hands linked as if in silent prayer.

"Are you going to speak, Ellenor?" he demanded.

"How did you know?" she asked.

The sound became muffled for a moment before he came back on the line. "I've had your studio's number saved since our first meeting. Did you forget?"

Elle nervously laughed in utter embarrassment. She groped for the edge of the table and leaned as casually as she could against it, as if that would make a difference.

"So, what can I do for you?"

"I called to..."

"Say yes?" he interrupted eagerly. "I had a feeling you'd call soon."

"You did?"

"So is that a yes, Ellenor?" he asked. "I need to know. I've delayed making a decision, as I was hoping to hear from you, but I can't wait any longer."

Elle nodded.

"I need to hear you say it, Elle... Ellenor."

She took a deep breath and let go of the desk. "Yes, Bonnie, and I would like the opportunity very much."

"Excellent." She could hear the smile in his voice. "What say we meet for lunch tomorrow? How does one o'clock sound?"

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes. I can get there by early afternoon," he replied. "I've been craving that pasta from Connie's for a while now."

"Tomorrow is Saturday, Mr. Stewart."
Elle queried.

"Then we can have a relaxed catch-up. I'm not the key man, so we can only plan so much for Jared's wedding. I'd like to meet you again."

"We only just met yesterday," Elle blurted.

"Between then and now, hours have passed. I don't believe in wasting time. Right now, I am in the middle of something. But, say I pick you up around noon? I saw a fantastic winery just outside your town. It will make a great picnic spot."

"That sounds nice," Elle choked.

"Great. See you then." The phone clicked dead.

"See you then." She dropped the receiver into its cradle.

"What'd he say?" Bonnie didn't lose a beat. "Elle."

But Elle was in her own bewildered little world. "I don't know."

"What did he say?"

"Picnic at one tomorrow," Elle muttered.

Bonnie clasped her hands together in delight. "I knew there was something more between you two. I just knew it."

"It's not a date," Elle stated. "Merely a business meeting that falls on a Saturday."

"So, are you meeting him?"

Elle was too busy with her own jumbled thoughts to heed any of Bonnie. Why was he so insistent on a meeting? And what was she going to wear? She stared at her reflection in the partition glass and wondered if he saw what she saw, a petite woman whose sanity depended on busying herself with work and rearing a child. Did Dean see the faint wrinkles starting around her eyes? How about a few grey hairs she now covered with hair dye?

"What's wrong Elle?" Bonnie stood at the end of the corridor.

"I look like a disaster."

Bonnie chuckled. "He's so cute."

Elle walked to her desk and grabbed her wallet, still lost in thought. What do I wear? I have nothing impressive! She walked out to the reception area.

"What else did he say?" Bonnie followed. "Elle?"

"I was such a fool," Elle murmured. "Stood dumbstruck like a fool."

"I'm sure he found it endearing," Bonnie said. "I was dying to hear what he was saying to you."

Elle stared out the window at Connie and Cal's. He missed their pasta? That was it. He wasn't coming for her. He was coming for the food.

"Would you like pasta too?" she asked, eyes still fixed on the diner opposite the street. Her mind was miles and miles away in some winery, on a picnic rug with food and wine, and the charming Mr. Stewart to snuggle up to.

"We just had lunch, Elle."

"I'll get you one too." Elle walked out the door. She crossed the street, wanting to feel guilty about the emotions that swirled inside, the little flume of butterflies that seemed to flutter about her tummy. She ignored the feeling and tried to picture the items from her wardrobe that were suitable for a business meeting at a winery.

She caught her reflection again on the glass just before she entered the cafe and froze. She was looking more like a woman these days than she ever had. Did he think she was beautiful? That didn't sound right. Beautiful was a word that belonged to Chloe, not to her.

Wally opened the door. "You want to come in, Ellie?"

Elle nodded and stepped in.

"You've been standing there for a while. Everything okay?" He hobbled beside her.

"Thinking about what I should get," Elle lied.

"The usual?"

What did she usually order? Elle couldn't recall anything other than Dean's conversation. "Yes, Wally. I'll take the usual," she replied, "and something for Bonnie."

Moments later, she stepped out with two paper cups of mouth-watering coffee. In the sanctuary of the quiet studio, she handed Bonnie her cup, then resumed her meditative seat back on the sofa.

Bonnie took a grateful sip of her latte. "So, what are you going to wear? You should wear a dress, something sensual and playful."

"I'm not trying to woo the guy, Bonnie." Elle slumped further into the couch and shook her head. She was nervous as it was. "Why can't he just be normal and meet on a weekday in this office?"

"Office is no place for romance." Bonnie almost choked on her coffee.

"What do you mean?"

"The way he was with you at the wedding, I say he was more than interested, and it has nothing to do with his brother's wedding." Bonnie grinned.

"Interested in what?" Elle feigned ignorance. Dean couldn't truly be interested in her. Why would he? She didn't need to encourage herself further. It was enough that she'd nearly drowned in the bath the night before, all because she'd been so lost in her thoughts that she'd forgotten to resurface till her lungs begged for air.

He's a client, a client! Elle thought, feeling her cheeks blush. "I'm almost thirty, a widow with a small child. I'm a nervous wreck at the best of times. What is there to like?" she finally mumbled.

Bonnie sighed heavily. "You have got to stop comparing yourself to Chloe."

"What about Chloe?"

"You have a hard time accepting you are beautiful." Bonnie rose to her feet and stretched out. "Get up. I want to show you something."

"Fine." Elle put down her coffee on the table and followed Bonnie till they emerged into the wardrobe cubicle.

Bonnie positioned Elle in front of the standalone mirror and asked, 'What do you see?'

Elle stared at herself, confused. "A thirty-year-old woman?" she answered, taking a stab in the dark.

Bonnie sighed once more. She squared Elle's shoulders and clung to them. "I see a beautiful, vibrant woman, who looks great even with a small child. I see a woman who makes motherhood look sexy." Bonnie smiled at their reflection. "Stop comparing yourself to Chloe. It's not fair that some people look like Demi-Gods, but it's us, average folks who run the world with our winning personalities. So stop worrying and woo this Dean guy if that's what you want."

Elle laughed. No one ever made Elle feel better while seeking a compliment in return so candidly. "Don't play with me, Bonnie!" She stepped away from the mirror. "You know you're beautiful."

Bonnie smiled gratefully. "So, thought about what you're going to wear tomorrow?"

Elle shook her head. "Not a clue."

"Maybe he's into drab." She giggled.

"Maybe." Elle left the cubicle, still smiling. "The best he's going to get is this." She pointed out her current wardrobe, a grey tank top and a pair of navy blue jeans.

"If you chucked in a little colour on the lips, you would look like you put in some effort."

Elle dropped onto the sofa again and drained the cold coffee in one gulp. "The sooner he comes, the sooner this can end."

"You're afraid?" Bonnie whispered, shocked.

Of falling for a man I can't and shouldn't have, Elle's thought ran. She was, in fact, very much scared of that possibility. Not the possibility that Dean would ever return the favour, but genuinely scared of losing what little of her heart was left to a man who was officially off limits. After Blake, she was finally learning how to be alone.

"I'm just nervous, I guess. It's a big job from the sounds of it, and I'm afraid of disappointing both him and ourselves," she whispered, pulling herself back from her runaway thoughts.

"The job?"

Elle nodded. "It's a grand wedding we can't afford to stuff up on. Our entire future could ride on this one chance."

"The future, aye?" Bonnie winked, and Elle felt a knot form in her stomach.

"The business, of course," she stammered. "People don't get chances like this often."

"And here I was, hoping you were talking about the two of you." Bonnie laughed. "I wonder what his brother looks like." She added as Elle shook her head in disapproval. "How is Maya finding childcare?"

"It's only her second week, but the twins are there on Fridays so she says that's her favourite day," Elle said, glad for a change in the subject.

Bonnie slouched lower on the sofa, her long slender legs resting on the edge of the coffee table. "We should close up early and go rummage your wardrobe for tomorrow."

"What the heck, let's do it!" Elle rose from the seat, part of her insides fluttering. "It's not like we are busy."

"What's wrong, mummy?" Maya asked. The Wiggles played quietly on telly as she tried to watch around Elle, who was pacing back and forth, eyeing the door nervously, or checking her watch every so often.

"Mummy's just worried about the meeting," she replied, checking her watch once more. It was almost eleven. One hour before Dean was due. The soft tick of the clock's hands above the door sounded like drums beating to a crescendo.

"You got your books? Your crayons?" She sat down, attempting to focus on the TV. "I don't want you using the boys' again when you have your own." Maya nodded, singing along to a song, her little legs jutting out over the edge of the sofa.

"I'll only be gone a couple of hours, okay," Elle said, not that Maya was listening. "It's only a business meeting, nothing more."

Elle strode to the front door again, unable to get rid of Bonnie's suggestion that Dean may like her from her mind.

"Who are you meeting?" Maya asked, a zombie watching the screen.

"A friend."

"What's her name?" Maya turned to Elle, suddenly interested.

"He." Elle tried not to smile. "His name is Dean."

"What's he do?"

"Um..." Elle had no idea what Dean did. "I don't know."

"Can I come with you?" Maya jumped off the sofa and bounded over, eager, sending Elle wondering what if. Would he like her? Or would Maya's existence break things before they even had a chance? "Can I mummy?"

Elle shook her head. "Not today, okay? You already have plans with Neil and Nathan, remember?"

"Yeah, and we are making craft!" Maya squealed.

Elle sleeked Maya's hair just as a knock sounded on the door. "That'll be Aunty Anna. Go grab your bag from your room." As Maya rushed into her room, Elle swung the door open. "Maya's just getting her bag," she said, kissing Anna on the cheek.

"You're looking dolled up this morning," Anna said with admiration, kissing Elle's cheek. "Hope I'm not too early."

Elle opened the door wider. "No, not at all."

"You changed a few things around." Anna eyed the lounge room.

"Bonnie and Lachlan helped me move the lounge around last night," Elle said, walking into the kitchen. She didn't want to say that they did so because Elle needed a runway of sorts to trial all her wardrobe choices for today. "Makes it look more spacious. Would you care for some tea?"

"Aren't you going to run late for this big meeting of yours?" Anna followed Elle into the kitchen.

"Not for another hour." Elle fished out two mugs from the cupboard.

"Where are the couple from?" Anna took the milk out of the fridge.

"Sydney." Elle turned, feeling her cheeks heat a little. "I have only met the groom's older brother, though."

Anna's mouth made an O. "Heard he's quite a looker."

Elle's head snapped up. "How did you?"

"Connie told me this morning when I went to pick up some bread for the kids." Anna laughed. "The way she was on about him this morning," Anna lowered her voice and said in a hush, "I'd say the next time she sees him, she might just come."

The women laughed, and Elle struggled to keep boiling water from going everywhere as she poured. It wasn't a very farfetched idea, though. Easy for Anna to dismiss the man. She hadn't laid eyes on him.

"What's his name?" Anna sipped her tea.

Elle could tell Anna's curiosity was doubly piqued. First, Elle needed to leave Maya with her for a few hours, something that had never happened before on a weekend, and second, Connie had talked so rousingly of him that Anna wanted to gossip. Elle cleared her throat. "Dean."

"That's a really nice name."

"He's just a potential client of ours," Elle tried to sound blase about it, but Anna had already caught the oddness in her voice.

Anna plonked the mug in the sink. "Well, we better get out of your hair, seeing how you might have some work to do." She grinned. "You're going to have to nail this meeting, then."

"How do I look?" Elle couldn't help but ask, much to her own hesitation. She wanted to know if she looked dressed to impress.

"If he is half right in the mind, he won't say no." Anna smiled.

Maya rushed over at that moment, and Elle was glad. She walked them out to the door, handed the bag over to Anna, and gave Maya a kiss. "Thanks for doing this. I shouldn't be more than a couple of hours."

"Don't worry about it. Just enjoy yourself." Anna winked before walking away with Maya.

Elle had a feeling Bonnie had told anyone who'd listen that Elle had a hot date today. After all, that's what she'd been calling him all the while. She helped Elle narrow down her wardrobe till they both could agree on something; a pair of fitted jeans, with a floral top, and flat black ballet shoes.

They'd even practiced hair and makeup on her. Though this morning, Elle's hair looked only half as good as what Bonnie had achieved last night. A dash of pink lipstick was the best she could do on her own.

Before long, Elle grabbed her bag and key and stepped out of the house. It was already twenty past eleven, and she needed to go pick up an information package from the office that she usually gave to all potential clients, and Dean was just another potential client. In all her excitement yesterday, both the women had forgotten to grab one on their way out.

(Chapter 11 continues...)