AUGUST

"Are you sure a commercial with the two of us is the best way to publicize the contest? We wouldn't want to turn anybody off." With Sora's approval numbers trending down, she worried that too much associating with company ventures would be a death sentence for their profit margin.

"I can't see how you could turn anyone off." Ravi rubbed her arm. "I may be biased, but you're much better at the opposite."

"Down, tiger. We're pretending to be serious businesspeople."

"Acting not's really my strong suit, but I'll try anything once."

She slid her hand under his jacket to caress his silk-covered chest. "My kind of guy."

He wrapped a suave arm around her shoulder. "Watch it, Trouble. There are cameras this time."

She snorted. "There are cameras everywhere. If I let a few cameras keep me from touching you, I'd be... very frustrated."

"I'm already there."

Sora was cooking up a number of discreet ways to test Ravi's frustration when a subtle clearing of throats interrupted their rap session.

The director was whistling to the rafters as if he and three dozen others weren't present to watch them flirt. Sora wondered if he'd been the one in the park with them that day, like a headmistresses at a girl's school Sora had read about but not attended.

Back to work, I guess. She didn't get to flirt with Ravi nearly enough for her liking.

"Do we have a script?"

"Editorial has come up with something."

The producers gave them a once-over, at which they both shared a quizzical glance. Once they'd conferred for another moment with more cast and crew, the director stepped forward. "I'd like to give something else a try. Let's improvise first."

Sora blanched. Ravi scowled.

"I haven't done improv since high school," she murmured to him.

"You did theater? I took Home Ec."

She looked him up and down, thoughtfully.

"I don't think they still taught that when I was in high school."

Ravi grumbled, "You trying to make me feel ancient?"

She rubbed his chin where the odd grey whisker showed through. "You can't blame that on me, honey." Ravi groused and caught her hand at its mischief. She wasn't deterred.

The director clapped. "That's what we want! Give us the chemistry. Sell us the love story."

Ravi's expression was skeptical. "This is an advertisement for a poetry contest. We're not selling us."

"In a way, we sort of are. This is our contest, our baby in a sense and it wouldn't exist if we hadn't fallen in love over a shared passion for poetry. We're asking them to tell us what makes them love life, shouldn't we be willing to share what makes us love life, too?"

"Let me just, can we talk a second?" Ravi pulled her aside, shooting the director a sidelong glance. "It's just you and me here, are you okay with this?"

"Are you?"

"Don't deflect. My job is secure, yours is the one I'm worried about."

"As of now, it is. The situation," as Sam had termed it, "has been dealt with."

"No more pictures of my ass on the back page of OK! Magazine?"

"No," Sora acquiesced, smiling at his relief. "I'm sure their female readership is in mourning."

"My ass will be usurped by a younger one in no time. They'll adjust." He massaged her shoulders. "So we're okay with this?"

"We're okay."

Ravi signaled the director where he was consulting with the first grip and the cameraman.

"It's time for our close-up. God help me if it's in HD."

...

...

Sora watched from the wings and waited for her cue.

Ravi flipped through her old copy of Shelley.

"Ama la vita. Means 'love life.' It could mean anything."

Sora stepped to his side to pluck the dog-eared tome from his hands. "It can mean everything."

"Love does."

She had to suppress a laugh, more loving than mocking though it was. Every trite sentiment was believable coming from him. She flipped the pages, comforted by the sound and the wafting smell of printer ink.

"I found my best friend over a book of poetry. I found laughter and confidence and safety in words that someone else wrote long ago and that spoke to him as they spoke to me."

Sora recited a portion of their poem from memory:

"Nothing in the world is single;

All things by a law divine

In one spirit meet and mingle.

Why not I with thine?-"

Ravi's seductive baritone picked up her train of thought effortlessly and spoke into the camera.

"Loving life is not about loving to breathe or loving the sun or the earth, or not just those things. It's about the experience. The people, the heartache, the joy, the stinging indifference. Love of life isn't about the doing, it's the feeling. What makes your heart soar? Who? In 1000 words or less, tell us. What do you love? Who do you love?"

Sora chimed in, teasing, "Who do you love, Ravi?"

He set those fathomless eyes on her and Sora momentarily forgot how to breathe from the intensity of them.

"The only woman I see."

He dipped her just when she thought he would kiss her and she laughed, overcome and overawed for love of him.

There were two more takes featuring slightly altered dialogue and no kiss, but for her part Sora thought the first one was picture perfect.

...

...

Sora and Ravi were waiting for the valet to bring his car around outside the Himura atrium. They were taking the free moment to compare schedules for the weeks to come. Single parenting and work are murder on date nights.

"The CQ event is at the end of the month. Will that interfere with your road trip with Dhiren?"

Ravi swiped through the calendar app on his phone.

"I don't think so. We can start out earlier and come back sooner."

"Are you sure he won't mind?"

"He'll mind, but I'll try to make it up to him."

"I'll have to bake him cookies to make up for it."

"Couldn't hurt."

Sora tapped a reminder into her Smart Note app. She'd had the worst time with Siri since Tommy had gotten ahold of her iPhone in one of his possessive tantrums and lobbed it in the pool.

"Mmm, can you come by my place tonight?"

Sora glimpsed his odd expression from the corner of her eye.

"Sure. Should I bring anything?"

"Just yourself. There are some things we need to talk about."

"How worried should I be?"

"I can't tell you that."

"In that case, I should be very worried."

"Don't get distracted driving from work. I want you in one piece."

"If there's anything you want tell me..."

"I want to tell you that I love you more than words."

"I love you, too." She scrutinized this face she was coming to know as well as her own. "You're happy, aren't you?"

He kissed her lightly. "I'm deliriously happy with you. This isn't gonna be that kind of conversation."

Sora wasn't so sure. "Okay...I'll see you tonight."

He kissed her again, slow and deep, cradling her face in his hands. "Just to tide me over."

I may have expected too much from August.

Sora missed his lips the moment they were gone from hers. She hoped she wouldn't have to miss them ever after.