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takeout, and he was telling me a funny story of something that happened at work. He made me laugh—like he always made me laugh—and I was still chuckling when I speared some of his lemon chicken and shoved it in my mouth.
    When I looked up at him, he was quiet and looking at me funny. So with a mouth half-full of food, I said, “What’s wrong? I’m allowed to steal some of your dinner. You ate half of mine.”
    He smiled slowly. “I love you.”
    I almost forgot to swallow my food, and somehow managed not to choke. “Huh?”
    “Do you need hearing aids, old man?” he said with a grin. “I said I love you.”
    “No, I don’t need hearing aids,” I told him. Then I giggled. I think I even blushed.
    Cooper leaned over the Chinese food and kissed me with smiling lips, then just carried on his conversation about his co-worker like nothing extraordinary had happened.
    Except it had.
    He loved me. He’d said so. Twice.
    He told me he’d had one of the best days of his life, but he said he needed to go home—he had to be at work early and had no work clothes here. I called him a cab and kissed him at the door. “You could always move in,” I said again.
    He rolled his eyes. “We’ve been through that,” he said and gave me a quick peck on the lips and walked towards the elevator with his suitcase.
    “And you turned me down,” I called out down the hall.
    He pressed the button. “I did,” he said, looking back at me with a cheeky grin. “Because you asked me all wrong,” he added, then stepped inside the elevator and the door closed.
    I asked him all wrong. What the hell did that mean?
    I gave him about twenty minutes to get home and settled, then I sent him a text.
    What do you mean I asked you all wrong?
    His response took less than a minute. Aren’t you in bed yet, old man?
    I replied, I’m not old, thank you very much. But I won’t sleep if you don’t tell me.
    Are you sore? Do you feel okay?
    I’ve never felt better, thank you.
    You’re very welcome. And thank you for a great weekend and an amazing day.
    You didn’t answer my question.
    You noticed.
    Cooper, I need to know. How did I ask you wrong?
    Because you didn’t ask me right.
    You like to challenge me, don’t you?
    You said it was one of the things you loved about me.
    I smiled. It is.
    Goodnight, Tom. WYWH.
    I had to Google what the acronym was, and before I could reply, another message came through.
    Did you just Google that?
    Little smart ass. Shut up. Yes, I did. And you wouldn’t have to wish I was there if you moved in with me.
    LOL Oh but Tom, you’re asking all wrong again.
    I sighed. Goodnight Cooper.
    Goodnight Tom. ILY.
    Just as I smiled at my phone another message came through. That means I love you.
    I gathered that much, smart ass.
    I think we’ll need to work on your terms of endearment.
    I shook my head and laughed. I doubted I’d ever win with him. ILY.
    ILY2.
    * * * *
    Jennifer greeted me with her usual morning message update and the reassurance of hot coffee on my desk. Then she smiled warmly at me. “You look refreshed. I trust you had a good weekend?”
    “My weekend was wonderful,” I told her.
    “How was Sofia?” she asked. Jennifer knew everything there was to know about me, and she knew my ex-wife had met my boyfriend over the weekend.
    “Well, she wasn’t overly impressed, no.” I shrugged, and said, “But we had a lovely time. Ryan loved his gift, so thank you for helping me with that.”
    She smiled. “My pleasure.”
    “Well, considering I had the weekend off, I’d better get to it,” I told her.
    “Yes, looks like a busy week,” she said, back to her professional best. “I’ll give you twenty minutes to check emails and then we can discuss your weekly schedule.”
    “Thank you, Jennifer,” I said, walking into my office.
    I checked emails, responding to anything urgent, then Jennifer and I mapped out the next two weeks’ worth of appointments, meetings and deadlines. It was busy, and