I wanted to give a movie AU a try and write something not so angsty. Hope you enjoy this.

"'A man who once claimed that the air in America was 'a little too clean for optimum health', has been appointed to an advisory board of America's Environmental Protection Agency.' Can you believe this?!"

Henry couldn't say that this was the first time he woke up to his girlfriend marching around their little condo, reading the latest news. It was sure more effective than the alarm, "What's going on?"

She hopped on the bed. "And listen to this – 'Speaking to the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2012, Mr Phalen has also argued that the risks associated with modern particulate matter are 'very small and confounded by many factors'."

"Oh, yeah." he kissed her cheek. It was 7.30, "This country's going to hell."

"You know what this is? The end of the world as we know it."

"Hey, aren't you late?" he headed for the bathroom.

"I was on my way. Sushi tonight?" he heard as she was opening the door.

"Sushi. Buy."

She closed the door. He spat out toothpaste. He checked the door viewer peep hole. She was already gone. He then peeped through the curtains and saw Violet rush towards the subway entrance. Just to be sure, he waited 10 more seconds. Great!

He sat at his desk, opened the laptop and pressed the button. The most awaited part of the day could officially start, "Come on!" he whined. The old thing was taking too long. He really needed to buy a new one.

When the email account finally opened he hooted. There it was, "Patch, we've got mail!"

The dalmatian propped his front paws on the table and excitedly looked between the screen and his master. Henry wanted to believe that Patch understood everything.

After a whole long week, he got mail from SeattleGirl67. Subject read 'Fall'. The mail from her always got him feeling all excited and kind of nervous.

'Don't you just love Seattle in the fall? Every day, on my way to work, I pass this old, Italian street vendor – Beatrice. I recently discovered that her husband's name is Dante. Isn't that just incredible? I like to imagine they are the Dante and Beatrice who found each other in another life. Yesterday, I saw her wrapped in a red shawl with golden seams, roasting chestnuts. That sweet, earthy smell filled my nostrils and I knew – it's fall. I would send you a portion of the best roasted chestnuts, if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms.'

Henry smiled and hit the reply button. The keyboard typing sound filled the room.

'The fall is truly a magnificent time.' he thought as he walked the streets of Seattle.

"Good morning, Alice." he chirped.

"Good morning, Henry." his employee replied, looking up from the Rubik's cube.

"It's a beautiful day. Smell this." he handed her roast chestnuts, "Isn't it just the most beautiful day?"

"Sure… I guess."

The screeching of tires sounded through the streets.

"Watch it, you moron!"

"I got the green light!"

But Henry heard none of that as he opened his bookstore, "Isn't Seattle in the fall the best?"

Henry loved his little store. It had that antique-y look that reminded him of his grandfather's pawnshop. Only, it was far less gloomy. This was the place where he wrote his first published story. He took the vase to refill the water. The flowers were still fresh. Great! Then, he remembered, "Do we have Dante?"

"What?"

"Alighieri. You know… the Italian guy, Divine comedy, La vita nuova?"

"I know but…" Alice's curious expression grew. Henry was acting too strange, "this is a children's bookstore. What is going on with you?"

"Nothing." he went behind the counter to turn on the register.

"You're in love."

"What? No!" Henry took a bite of chestnut. It brought him back to his childhood days, "Yes, actually! I'm in love with Violet. I'm living with Violet. Hmm…. Did you get our Christmas mailer out?"

"I will by Monday, I promise. I have this paper due in couple of days and it's gonna drive me mad I tell you."

Beatrice and Dante. Henry chuckled. What were the odds?

Alice sat cross legged on the counter, "What is going on?!"

"Nothing, nothing at all."

"You know I'm just gonna stare at you until you tell me?"

"All right." he believed her, she was obstinate like that. And he really wanted to talk to someone other than Patch about it. Because he had doubts, he wanted to stop so many times. Well, he didn't want to but he did think it would be the right thing to do, "Is it cheating if you are involved with someone on e-mail?"

"First of all, e-mail? Are we in the 1990s? Second, have you had sex?"

"No! I don't even know her. And I happen to think email is an underrated form of communication. "

"That is not really a requirement for sex, but ok. And I meant cybersex."

"Oh… no."

"Well, don't do it. Is not as fun as it sound. Or do it. Maybe it's just not my cup of tea. "

"Um…" Alice's sex life was not something he wanted to know the details about, "But it's not like that, anyway. We just e-mail. It's nothing. It's less than nothing. I'm thinking about stopping actually because it's getting-"

"Out of hand?"

"Confusing." the most exciting part of his life shouldn't be a message from a stranger whose avatar was pink lipstick, "But it's not because it's nothing."

"Whatever you say. Where'd you meet her?"

"I can't remember… fine, that's a lie."

Alice grinned.

"Couple of months ago, I went on that blind dating site thing, as a joke of course. And there was 'turning thirty' tag. She was there and we started chatting about books and music and how much we like the city… and this sounded so much better in my head."

Alice agreed.

"It's meaningless and harmless." he chuckled again, "Beatrice and Dante."

"And now you lost me again."

"Forget it. The point is we don't talk about personal things. I don't know her name, age, what she does so it will be really easy to stop seeing her because I am not." it really would be, it dawned on him. So easy.

"That's why I go on Tinder. My dates may be mad as hatters but at least I know what they look like. Your girl can be the next person to walk into the store."

"I know." it was kind of exciting.

"She could be…" as if on cue, the bell rung and another employee walked in, "Bo."

"Mornin'."

"Hey, Bo." Alice hopped off the counter, "Are you online?"

'Please say no. please say no.'

"As far as I'm concerned, the Internet is just another way of being stood up or forced to pay diner because some bloody wanker forgot to bring you in on dine and dash. Why?"

"No reason. We were just talking about cybersex."

"Oh, come on!" Henry rolled his eyes.

"I tried that once. Kept getting a busy signal. One time-"

"Time to open up!" Henry shouted hoping to stop whatever that story was. Couple of kids were already waiting to buy school supplies, "Anna, Ellie what can I do for you today?"

"Hi, Henry." The twins rushed past by him.

The work day could officially begin.