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with him. Keeping Eric at arm's length seemed to be the best of both worlds for her. She didn't have to deal with a constant day-to-day relationship with him and she got to enjoy an occasional outing to lunch or dinner, or a ballgame. However, it was Ben, not Eric, who occupied her mind this morning as she attended classes. She could not pay attention to the professor writing on the whiteboard or the class discussion. She absentmindedly stared at her blank notebook page.
    After classes she drove to the architectural firm of Stone and Associates to perform the duties of her internship. About a six mile drive from campus, the Fiat wound through Portland traffic getting her there by 1:30. She always wore business attire at school because she would go directly to work after classes. Today she wore a green tunic over a matching green skirt, topped by a burgundy jacket. She added vintage dangling diamond earrings. The antique gold played off her dark hair. Eliot beckoned her into his office as soon as she entered the reception area of the historical stick-built 1902 building. Stone and Associates inhabited a magnificently restored structure with huge floor to ceiling windows filled with wavy glass. She smiled and swiftly moved into Eliot's lavish office and closed the door. "What's up?" She asked tilting her head slightly. Eliot was standing next to his desk. "I just wanted to know if you would be available tonight for a work-related chat." he probed. Lara replied, "I have an appointment late afternoon and that could drag on…." She knew Ben would be waiting for her to walk Einstein and she was secretly hoping she could stretch the walk into something more. Eliot seemed disappointed with her answer. "Maybe tomorrow then…" he dangled the invitation tentatively. Lara said she would think about it and get back to him. She knew what he wanted. He was chomping at the bit to go over a project she had just picked up from him.
    For the last two years, Eliot Stone was her mentor, of sorts. Although, Lara knew almost as much about renovation and restoration as Eliot did at this point, she went along with his little game of being her tutor. She trusted Eliot and didn't believe the rumors at the firm that he was motivated by pleasure, instead of business. He had always been a gentleman and she genuinely enjoyed his company. He was a clean-cut man, mature, intelligent and often humorous. She enjoyed the good-natured sparring they sometimes carried out regarding design elements. They debated about whether a building should retain its Gothic Revival features or lean more toward Edwardian style. Eliot visited salvage yards with her in the quest to discover the perfect elements to finish historical restorations. They called it treasure hunting. As she turned to exit Eliot's office she heard him say, "Lara, there's one other thing. Someone delivered flowers to you today…they're on your desk." Lara's green eyes lit up. She opened the door and stepped into the hallway filled with anticipation. Who sent her flowers? Usually it was Eliot for a project well done. Or, maybe Eric had sent them. The firm was a bustling hive of activity. She slipped into her small office which felt like a fishbowl of glass. Only eight by ten, her office contained an antique desk and an office chair. One other chair for visitors was next to her desk. A long narrow table ran the length of the windowed wall, its purpose was to view design plans with clients. That was it.
    Lara's eyes were immediately drawn to the fresh pink peonies in the middle of her desk. Her favorite flower filled the office with the aroma of summer. She snatched the card from the bouquet and tore it open, aware that several eyes in the office were upon her. "Hope this brightens your day, Ben." was handwritten on the card. She instinctively slipped the tiny card into her pocket. She sat down at her desk and inhaled the lovely aroma as she closed her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Eliot