Two

"Late night?" Harvey asks, watching Mike rub his eyes with one hand and reach for his Red Bull with the other. Mike looks up from his computer and shakes his head.

"No. No, I've just been here since before seven going through these bylaws." He gestures at the three folders stuffed with paper on his desk. Harvey glances at the papers, then at Mike.

"And did you find anything?" He shakes his head, holding up a fourth folder.

"Not yet. Last one." Harvey nods.

"Okay. Hurry up."

"She's got a boyfriend," Mike adds through a yawn as Harvey turns away.

"What?"

"Nichola. She has a boyfriend. They've been together for like…five years." He sees Harvey's raised eyebrows and rolls his eyes. "Guys drool over her wherever she goes; I know what it looks like. You hid it better but…she has a boyfriend. Leave her alone." Harvey stares to smile.

"I'm not interested in your friend, Mike, don't worry." Mike narrows his eyes.

"Yeah, well, keep it that way." Harvey turns to leave and Mike takes a large gulp of his coffee before starting his reading again. This is so stupid. God, I don't want to read anymore.

Nichola's seventh floor apartment in Chelsea has a pretty view of Central Park from the south side. She takes her morning coffee to the rooftop terrace, watches the last of the sunrise from the east, and waits for a phone call. Her cats-Ragdolls named Shadow and Carly-hunt pigeons most mornings, although they've never caught anything.

"Matthew," she sings softly into the phone, smiling. He laughs softly.

"Hey, babe. How are you?" His voice is low and he speaks slowly. He sounds tired. It's midnight in London.

"I'm good. I miss you, but I'm good. How's it going over there?"

"I think I've almost straightened it all out. The editors are…trying to kill each other. If I have to I'll just…fire one of them or something." Nichola laughs.

"That's always an option."

"I wanna be able to leave tomorrow or Thursday, at the latest. So, we'll see how things go. I miss you, too. I'm sorry I had to leave." She smiles.

"It's alright. You'll be here soon."

"Yeah, I hope. Speaking of that, think you could clear your schedule for dinner Friday night?"

"Ohh, I dunno," she sighs. "I'll have to check my calendar. I'm pretty booked this week." He laughs.

"Yeah? Well I'd love it if you could squeeze me in." A smirk plays at the corner of her lips.

"Hmm. I might have a couple hours between boyfriend one and boyfriend three…"

"So I'm not even your number one boyfriend? I'm hurt." She laughs.

"Sorry. You were boyfriend number one but I docked some points when you had to leave our vacation early."

"Ahh. I see." Leaning on the wall around the terrace, she can't hold back a grin.

"Where are we going for dinner?"

"That is a surprise."

"Uh oh. I'm not forgetting an anniversary, am I? I have a few to keep up with."

"Since when do I have to have an occasion to spoil my number one girlfriend?"

"Oh, ouch, hit me where it hurts why don't you. I see. Well since you put it that way, I guess this mysterious surprise dinner puts you back in the lead."

"Thank you." She can hear the smile in his voice and she reaches for one of the necklaces around her neck. The gold Tiffany's envelope charm was a second anniversary present; the "I love you" pendant was a third.

"I love you, Matt," she says softly.

"I love you, too, Nicki. Um, I should probably go. Like I said, I'm gonna see if I can fix this and get on a plane tomorrow, maybe Thursday and if I can't get home by Thursday I'm going to kill an editor rather than fire them." She laughs quietly.

"Well don't do that."

"I'm trying really hard not to. So I'll see you later this week?"

"Yeah. I'll be here."

"Good. Try to keep Friday night free, okay?"

"Of course I will. I can't wait."

"Me, neither. I love you." She hears him take a deep breath and exhale slowly.

"I love you, too." She hangs up and sighs. Shadow leaps onto the wall next to her and she sets down her coffee to pick up the cat.

"How many times do I have to tell you, after a seven story fall it isn't going to matter if you land on your feet," she says, kissing the cat's head and setting her back on the ground. Purring, the cat walks a tight circle around her ankles. Nichola rolls her eyes. "Be as cute as you want, you're not allowed on that wall."