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“Um… Maybe one question. Just out of curiosity, are you Greek?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Just thought that maybe you were. Hair and eyes. My mom’s family was Greek, too. It’s a random question and doesn’t have anything to do with this interview, though.” Violet chuckled nervously.

“Oh, okay,” Rachel said, looking a little confused but also still smiling.

Three Weeks Later

There was a knock at Violet’s office door. She looked up and smiled immediately.

“Hi,” she said.

“I just wanted to say hello.”

“How’s it going so far? First day, right?”

“First day, yes. Going through the new-hire orientation stuff, mostly, and getting my computer set up. I’ve never had my own office before, so I’ll have to decorate that, too, I guess. Yours looks nice.” Rachel walked in.

“Thanks. So, what are you doing right now?”

“Lunch. And I came to see if you wanted to take me up on that lunch I owe you.”

“You don’t owe me lunch,” she replied. “And I can’t. I have a meeting in three minutes. Maybe tomorrow?”

“I’m having a working lunch with Mark and Angelo tomorrow.”

“Right. Wednesday?” she asked.

“I can check my calendar. I don’t have it installed on my phone yet. Can I get back to you?”

“Of course.” Violet looked at her own calendar. “I can do one, but I’m booked the rest of the day.”

“I’ll see if I’m free. If not… Maybe another time?”

Violet bit her lip and said, “If you want, I could buy you a welcome-to-the-company drink tonight. There’s a bar across the street. The drinks are good, and it’s usually not too loud or crowded.” She laughed. “I’m showing my age now, aren’t I?”

“Your age?” Rachel asked.

“Yeah. I haven’t been a fan of loud, crowded bars since I was in my mid-twenties.”

“How old are younow? You look–” Rachel paused. “I can’t believe I just asked you that.”

“It’s okay. I’m thirty-six. I’ll be thirty-seven in a couple of months. So, I think I’m past the loud-crowded-bar stage of life.”

“So am I,” Rachel replied quickly. “I also never really entered thatphase in the first place, to be fair. I was way too young to be asked to go anywhere with anyone in college. Then, I started working, but being at least ten years younger than anyone I worked with – so, not at all in the same phase of life as they were, yet again – not a lot of invites.”

“I just invited you,” Violet reminded.

“Okay. Yeah,” Rachel said. “After work?”

“Five-thirty? I have a meeting at five.”

“I’ll meet you back here at five-thirty, then.”

“Great.”

“Your next meeting is here,” Courtney said as she leaned into the open doorframe. “Want me to tell them to wait?”