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“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.”

“I just…god. I didn’t know I was going to have to

bring Tildy and we’re already outside of

an office, so I know

that it looks like this is some kind of joke and it’s extremely

unprofessional, but I can assure you that—”

“It’s not. I know it’s not a joke and it’s not

unprofessional. I really appreciate that you still kept the

meeting, even though it probably stressed you out. That means

a lot. I hate offices. I hate formal settings. I didn’t want this to

feel like an inquisition. I wanted it to be natural. I liked that

you suggested coffee. I like that your agency is different. That

it’s new and innovative. So please. Don’t worry. Everything’s

going to be fine.”

Adley’s knuckles whiten as her fingers grip the pen just

a little bit harder, but I can see the tension drain out of her

shoulders. Her smile might be faltering, but it’s genuine, and

as I suspected, it transforms her face. At ease, she’s even more

beautiful.

“Thank you,” Adley breathes. She jostles her notepad

on her lap and clicks her pen. It’s one of those that has a bunch

of different colored ends that you can push down to change

out. She clicks the green one down. “I, well, if we’re going to

start, I guess we should. I don’t have a list of a hundred

questions or anything like that. You’re right when you said

that we’re different and we like to take a different approach. I

won’t ask you what your favorite color is or if you like long

walks and candlelit dinners. I know that life is about more than

that and I want to help you find someone who truly fits.