Tuesday morning, Fallon boarded her normal 6:40am train into New York City. She was already looking forward to tomorrow when she could work from home and avoid the hellish commute. It wasn't so much a hassle, just the train into Grand Central, and one subway ride and she was at her office. But the amount of time it took her to actually get to work and home was ungodly. She looked forward to her Wednesdays and Fridays, both days she got to avoid the train ride and start her work at a normal time.

She had gotten ahead on a few things yesterday on the train in. But she couldn't bring herself to stay late, still tired from the weekend. She anticipated at least an extra hour after her normal working day ended tonight. She sighed and rolled her eyes at the thought. She put in her headphones, hoping to at least catch up on the next episode of the podcast she'd been listening to lately. As she pressed the next episode, her phone vibrated with a notification.

Your ring should be arriving today.

Just as Trent had promised her. She had managed to evade Matt even questioning the status of her ring. He was wrapped up in other things, mostly his job. He was working at the docks with his dad, doing things that Fallon still wasn't sure of. Sometimes they were on a boat, sometimes they were fixing boats, sometimes they were selling boats. All Fallon knew was that boats were involved and Matt spent most days on the water. As the two of them were preparing to move though, Fallon watched as he dedicated more time and longer days to the docks, unsure if he was making the most of the time left to be working with his father or if he genuinely thought he would miss the job so much, he poured his heart and soul into it. Either way, Fallon believed that the water was his first true love.

Thank you again. I'm sorry you had to go through the trouble of getting it to me.

She texted back. She did truly feel bad for leaving it and giving Trent all the responsibility for ensuring it get back to her. It wasn't exactly just something you could toss in an envelope and put in the mail.

It was no trouble at all.

She leaned her head back and felt herself drift slightly as she listened to the soothing voices of the narrators in her headphones. She thought about how much fun writing for podcasts must be instead of writing articles for miscellaneous people and businesses. Maybe one day she would pursue that work.

When the train lurched to a halt it jolted her awake, just like it did most mornings. She made her way to the door and out on to the platform. She followed her usual path to the subway, it was sunny and somewhat cool out today, so she expected there to be less people in the train cars and hoped more would opt for some sunshine and a walk.

When the subway slowed on the tracks and eventually halted, she stepped on to the train and grabbed the metal pole. The initial movement forward always threw her off balance, no matter how long she had done this commute. She wasn't sure if she truly had no balance, or it was the heels she wore that really threw her off.

Finally, after the subway pulled up to the appropriate stop, she ascended the stairs out into the sun. It was a short walk from here, only about half a block. But when she finally reached the glass doors of the office building and took the elevator to the 25th floor, she was grateful to almost be to her desk.

Another set of the glass doors opened for her, the receptionist greeting her at the door like usual. Over the last year, she and Allison had gotten to be fairly close and she considered her now one of her very good friends.

"Hey Allison," Fallon stopped at the desk, slightly winded.

"Hi girlie, how are you?"

Fallon sighed, "I'm still extremely tired." She rested her head in her hand on Allison's desk.

"Aww, poor thing, you work too hard, you need to sleep!"

"I do sleep, my mind is just occupied with a million other things."

"I hear ya, well, I took the liberty of getting you a coffee this morning on my way in." She pulled a large plastic cup from the small fridge tucked under her desk and handed it to Fallon.

"Oh you are my favorite person in this entire world, thank you. Please let me pay you for it." She reached into the bag.

"Absolutely not. You can get me next time. I know you're tired, caffeinate!"

"Thank you Allison, I appreciate you in all your glory."

Allison smiled, "oh, speaking of, you have a meeting this morning."

Fallon coughed slightly after taking a long sip of her coffee, "I do?"

Allison nodded, "as a matter of fact, he was here really early. I let him in to your office already. He said you knew he was coming."

"I...don't have any meetings scheduled."

"Well, he's here to see you." Allison cocked her head sideways, "and I'll be honest," she took a sip of her own coffee, condensation from the ice dripping on her desk, "he's kinda hot." She giggled. "Come on, I'll walk over with you, make sure he doesn't kidnap you or something." She stood from her chair and walked around her desk to Fallon.

"I would have put myself together a little more if I knew someone was coming in, do I look okay?" Fallon flattened her pencil skirt and blouse, hoping it would give off some bit of professionalism.

"It's giving, business and beauty," Allison smiled and walked with Fallon to her office. She opened the door and stepped slightly in front Fallon, "sorry about that wait Mr. McBride, she's here now." She stepped aside for Fallon to make her way in.

Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of his name. "Did you say McBride?" Fallon whispered to Allison before stepping forward.

"Yes, that's his last name." Fallon inhaled an extra breath. "What's wrong? Do you want me to get rid of him?" Allison now looked genuinely concerned.

"No," Fallon stepped past her, "it's fine." She entered the office and locked her gaze with the familiar amber eyes that were again, reflecting the sunlight of the morning and felt like they were looking right through her.

"Fally..." the corner of his lip turned up as he stood to greet her.

She couldn't help the visceral reaction her body had when she saw him. As if the rest of the world around her didn't exist, as if life hadn't restarted normally since she'd returned home. "Trent!" Her eyes lit up as she ran the few steps between them and threw herself into him, his familiar scent filling her nostrils as she sank deeper into his arms.

She heard Allison make her exit and close the door.

He held her tight, the missing piece of him that he was feeling, finally filled again. "Surprise."

She pulled away from him slightly, admiring his black three piece suit. She wasn't quite sure if it was the same one from over the weekend or if it was different, but she did recognize the shirt as being the one she had put on after the bath that night. The memory made her smile. "What are you doing here? In New York? In my office?"

He reached into his pocket and produced a small plastic bag containing her engagement ring. "I said you'd have it back by Tuesday."

She felt her smile fade slightly, "oh right, thank you." She took it carefully from his hand. "But you could've just put it in the mail. You didn't have to bring it all the way here!"

"If I lost that thing in the mail, you would never forgive me, hell, I'd never forgive me."

"Thank you." She put her hand on his cheek and briefly ran her thumb across the 5 o'clock shadow. "How'd you find out where I work?"

"Google," he shrugged, a full smile on his face now. He realized that she was still holding tight to him, despite having stepped slightly back. He pulled her back to him entirely, ran his fingers through her dark waves of hair, "I missed you when you were gone." He whispered, cautious to anyone hearing him, despite being in an enclosed office. "My house is empty without you walking around it."

She shifted in his arms, unsure but unwilling to let go just yet. Though it hadn't been long since she had last seen him, she did miss him too. But returning home had brought her back down to Earth, and with her engagement ring back in her hands, the reality of her wedding, only a two months away, had set it. She finally relinquished her grip, turning her blue eyes to meet his gaze. She fiddled with the ribbon on her blouse, the silence deafening between them. She wanted to say that she missed him too. She wanted to run back into his arms and stay there. But she also knew that the weekend's events couldn't continue into her current life. "I miss you too," she whispered, staring at his feet.

He took his finger and slid it down her jawline and under her chin, tilting her face up to meet his, "why do you seem so sad?" The concern in his voice, genuine, as she felt herself shiver slightly at his touch.

"You shouldn't be here." She rubbed her eyes with her fingers, catching any tears that were slowly pooling their way towards over flowing. "Shit!" She muttered, remembering her make up. She stepped away, wiping under her eyes, hoping to get any smudges of mascara.

"Why not?"

"Because, I'm getting married. Because I have a fiancé, because, we shouldn't have done what we did this weekend. It was a mistake, a lapse in judgement." She crossed her arms and stood back from him, moving so her shoulders touched the wall behind her, "I should have been better."

He stepped towards her, pinned her between his well suited chest and the wall of her office. "It took two of us to make those choices, and I would do it again one hundred times over if I was given the chance."

His scent assaulted her again, it made her knees weak, her mind cloudy. "You aren't engaged to someone else."

"If the ring is the only issue, I'll take care of that like I wanted to before." He growled into her ear. "I wanted to smash it to pieces when I came across it, I can still do that if it would make you happy." His mouth was inches from her neck. She wanted him to lean in and fill the space. Her breath quickened and he took notice. "Am I making you nervous?"

Nervous was hardly the word; excited, yes, intrigued, yup, turned on, absolutely. But she continued to fight off the reaction her body was having. "No, not nervous," she managed to chirp out.

He ran his fingers through her hair and then down the back of her neck, causing her to shudder before he stepped away from her. She felt the oxygen fill the space again.

"Let me take you to lunch."

"I have plans with Allison for lunch today."

"The girl at the desk?"

"Yes, she's a good friend of mine."

He nodded, "dinner then."

She rolled her eyes, "I have to work Trent, I'll be here long past five."

"I'm staying at the hotel across the street, let me make you dinner. There's a full kitchen, practically a small apartment really, you can work from there too."

"You're staying across the street? Those rooms are like a thousand dollars a night!" Trent shrugged, Fallon shook her head. "No, it's not a good idea."

"Are you scared to be alone with me now?" He smiled a devious grin.

"I'm not afraid of you," she walked around him and sat down at her desk. She opened her laptop and navigated to the last article she was working on. "Even if I did get dinner with you," she didn't move her focus from the computer screen, "what am I supposed to tell Matt?"

"Tell him that you're working late," Trent slightly closed her laptop, trying to catch her attention.

She debated it, "aren't you supposed to be working?"

"Oh I am, I work from anywhere. I could work right here in your office if I really wanted to." He looked around, as if he was assessing the space for where he could best fit.

Fallon smiled slightly, "get out Trent."

"I like this feisty work Fallon." He leaned his hands on her desk, coming down to eye level with her. "Dinner tonight, I'll be gone tomorrow. Text me."

She paused her work and stared at him. She allowed herself too much time to look at him. "Fine, I'll text you."

He chuckled and tap her desk twice, "I'll see you later then." He turned on his heel to exit her office.

"I can't believe Allison let you in here."

"Now is that anyway to talk to a possible investor? A possible future boss?"

Her eyes got wide, "you didn't buy this place did you?"

"Of course not, I hate the city. But the view isn't bad here," he said smiling as he looked her up and down, studying everything from her head to her toes. "It's almost as good as the one you left me on my camera roll," he leaned forward slightly. 

Fallon giggled, "you found my pictures?"

"You were in dangerous territory taking those."

"Why? Because I took your phone?"

He stood up and walked to stand behind her desk chair. She could see his reflection in the screen of her laptop. He placed a hand on her shoulder, "no, not because of that," he slowly slid his right hand from her shoulder, to her collar bone, then lightly, his thumb and pointer finger to each side of her neck, he felt her head drop back slightly as she closed her eyes, "because now I'll never stop thinking about that weekend, I have a constant reminder." A diabolical grin on his face, "have dinner with me."

She nodded her head, "thanks for stopping in Mr. McBride."

"Text me," he opened the door to exit her office, stepped out and quietly closed it behind him.

Fallon put her head on desk and groaned.

No sooner than Trent walked out, her office door swung open again, causing her to look up. In the doorway was Allison.

"Um, who was that?" She whispered, stepping into the room and sitting in the chair across from my desk.

Fallon sighed, "that is the friend I went to be with this past weekend."

"That's your best friend that you lost contact with after all these years and now you're rekindling your friendship by coming to his rescue because his mom died?"

"More or less."

"...Was he always that...hot?"

The comment made Fallon smile, "he's always been...attractive."

"No, no, no, no," Allison tapped her finger on Fallon's desk in synch with each 'no,' "attractive is like...Matt. He's handsome, well put together, cute baby face. That man is, rugged, sculpted, he seems so wild and slightly unhinged. He's hot."  Allison giggled.

"Did you just say my future husband wasn't hot?" Fallon let out a slight laugh.

"I mean, it's what you think that's truly important." She shrugged, "if you think your husband is so hot...can you hook me up with your friend?" Fallon shot her a silent glare. "Did you just side eye me?"

"There was no side-ing or eyeing." Fallon typed aggressively on her laptop.

"Oh yes there was," she paused for a moment and Fallon was thankful. "Oh my God!"

"What?"

"You think he's hot too."

Fallon rolled her eyes, "I didn't say that."

Allison chirped with excitement, "so tell me everything about him." She slid closer to Fallon's desk.

She sighed, "it's a really long story, best told over lunch." She smiled.

Allison clapped her hands together as if she was a small child who had just been told they could get their favorite toy from the toy aisle. "I can't wait for lunch!" She got up and exited Fallon's office, leaving the door open behind her.

Fallon dropped her head so it rested on the keyboard of her computer. "Great." She whispered, as she slowly got up to close the door.