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him to the grand staircase and told him to take the second door on the left at the top of the stairs. He thanked her and slowly made his way up the staircase soaking in the details of the place.
    It was as if he had stepped back into 1902. Everything was perfectly preserved. The elaborate Victorian trim work and mouldings were exactly as they had been originally. The ceiling medallions were cast in plaster with high relief. The floors and windows and doors were all circa 1902. As he stood in front of the mahogany doorway of Lara’s office, he felt sweaty and slightly nauseated. Hawk knocked softly on the thick door wondering if she could even hear him.
    The door swung open and his eyes met Lara’s and she beckoned, “Come in, please, come in.” His nausea disappeared and all was right with the world. As she turned to close the door he took in every detail about her noting she looked perfect in green linen.
    “Sit and relax. Coffee?” she gently asked.
    He couldn’t take his eyes off her and felt ridiculous staring as he did, “Yes, please.” He felt Lara’s eyes sweeping over him, as she offered him a blueberry muffin. He scooped one up with a napkin and sat on the sofa. She sat across from him in the chair. On the coffee table was a binder.
    As Hawk finished the muffin, he focused on Lara’s words, “On the table is a proposal. I want you to look it over and let me know your thoughts. Take your time and don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
    He tossed the napkin on the table, opened the binder and started reading. The firm would provide clients, but he could bring in his own, too. Most appealing were three items, fifty percent of the project profit would go to the firm and he’d keep the rest. Plus, his insurance bond would be covered by the firm. The big bonus was he’d get to use the bungalow to run his business out of. He could store his equipment in the fenced lot out back. That would be a huge financial burden lifted from him. He scanned the rest of the document, licking his fingers. Then he took a long drink of the freshly brewed coffee. He looked into Lara’s green eyes filled with anticipation and whispered, “Yes.”
    She seemed pleasantly surprised, “Yes? Just like that ? Oh good!”
    Smiling, Hawk signed the agreement and handed it to her as he repeated her words, “Just like that. It’s perfect.”
    He was now going to have a stream of projects provided by Stone and Associates and he would inhabit the bungalow that Lara had been utilizing for her renovation business. He would expand his workforce to encompass all that Lara could send his way. No longer would he be working the excavator and digging holes with a pick and shovel. His fingernails would finally be clean. He wouldn’t smell like cow manure. But the biggest perk of the job: he would be with his best friend, Lara, every day. He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.
     
     
    ~ Lara ~
    She was thrilled that Hawk signed the contract so quickly. It was, after all, written in his favor. She made certain of that. If he wanted out at any time, he could pull the plug. She wanted him to be comfortable with the arrangement. She would be his boss, but she knew he would need very little supervision. He was a brilliant designer and digging in the dirt could be relegated to young men with strong backs needing work. Hawk was meant to use his creative energies in proposals and impressing clients. She sensed his bashfulness would be a bit of an impediment at first, but she would help him overcome that if he would let her.
    “You look professional today, Hawk. That suit is perfect.” She knew he felt uneasy dressing up. He had worn his landscaper’s jacket to Eliot’s funeral. She had been thinking since she’d opened the door and seen him standing there in that gray suit with his blonde hair slicked back, he’d never looked so good.
    She glanced away as she became aware of the smile on his face. The cleft dimple in his chin was visible. His