Auggie stopped by Annie's desk on his way out, but she was on the phone. He felt weird about how that afternoon had gone. Was she really upset with him? Over this? It wasn't as if he was going on a real date, this was just chaperoning Barber. And besides, she'd wanted to keep things under wraps as much as he had. It had been for the sake of preservation. If they'd worked for any other organization, Auggie would've shouted their newfound relationship from the rooftops, but getting the agency involved in your love life was a notorious mess. Keeping it between them kept it intimate, gave it a chance to grow without being trampled by bureaucracy and nosiness.

He rode with Barber to the event, which was being held at some awful tapas place in Georgetown. He wondered where it sat in relation to Annie's place, if she had eaten there before or not. He guessed not, just from the way the restaurant smelled. He couldn't picture Annie there at all.

Barber clapped him a little too hard on the back. "You ready?" He was audibly nervous, slightly out of breath, radiating heat like a broken furnace. Auggie gave him his most reassuring smile as they took their seats.

"Cool as a cucumber. These things are all about just being yourself."

"When I ding this bell, the women move one chair to their right. Men stay where you are," announced the nasal event coordinator.

*ding*

Joanne. Wore too much Jean Nate to cover up her cigarette habit, a facade that came crashing down when she broke into a hacking cough and had to excuse herself.

*ding*

Cynthia. Wore Vera Wang Princess and grabbed his knee under the table. Then, Not His Knee.

*ding*

Deb. No perfume, demanded to know why he didn't make eye contact. Awkward moment of the year.

*ding*

After four or five, Auggie stopped skirting the issue of careers and started making some up.

"I'm a deep sea explorer," he told one Julie from Newark.

"But... isn't that hard? Because you can't see?" her voice was laced with syrupy concern.

Auggie flashed her a Most Interesting Man In The World smile. "SONAR."

"Okay, you are not being yourself," Barber groused as the women transitioned after the bell.

"I'm not exactly seeking the rainbow connection here," Auggie whispered. "Don't worry about me."

...

Annie figured tonight was the perfect night to call Danielle. She hadn't told her anything- about Amsterdam or Auggie. Danielle didn't like to admit she worried, but she worried. She invented worry.

"Hello?" her sister's voice was still bright and awake, reminding Annie that it was only 6 p.m. on the West Coast.

"It's me," Annie sliced up some strawberries at the kitchen counter, balancing the phone between her chin and her shoulder.

"I miss you so much!" she heard Danielle stifle the receiver. "Girls! It's Aunt Annie!"

The girls' voices erupted in the background.

"They're eating dinner right now, but they miss you too."

"Aww, I'll have to Skype you later this week," Annie said, popping a berry in her mouth.

"So what's up?"

"Well... I have some news," Annie held her breath. She knew Danielle would blow up in her face the second the words left her mouth.

"Spill it."

"Um, you remember my friend Auggie?"

"Hero of the Smithsonian."

"Well, he and I-"

"You didn't."

"Yeah."

The scream was piercing. Annie couldn't help but laugh.

"Danielle..."

"Oh my god what happened tell me everything are you engaged yet are you living together how long has this been going on or is that classified can you tell me that?"

Annie sighed. "It just sort of happened on Friday. He came over and we decided to give it a shot."

"Shot, nothin. Where is he? Is he there? I want to talk to him."

There was the catch. "Um, he's not here..."

"Where is he?"

"Out. Speed dating."

"...I'm confused."

"We decided not to tell anyone at work about us because we didn't want everyone finding out," Annie said, just as it occurred to her that she'd probably just broadcast the information by saying it over the phone. "So tonight he accepted an invite to go speed dating."

"You sound upset."

"No, I'm not. It'd be ridiculous to be upset, right?"

Danielle took a rare pause. "Well, I think it depends. What about it really upsets you?"

"I don't know," Annie said, pacing around her kitchen. "Maybe the part where we just started acting like a couple and he's acting like we're not even involved."

"Did he ask you if it was okay?"

"Yeah."

"So what are you afraid of?"

"Losing him," it came out of her mouth on autopilot, before she'd even mulled it over. "I'm afraid of losing him. Um, Danielle, I'm sorry, but I've got to make a phone call. I'll Skype you tomorrow."

"Love you."

"Love you more."

Annie looked at the phone for at least a minute before she dialed Auggie's number.

It went straight to voicemail.

"Hey, Aug... Um, it's me. I know you're at that thing with Barber, so... Yeah don't worry about it. I'll probably see you tomorrow."

She sank down to the kitchen floor, back against the fridge. Figuring out the hangup in her relationship had only made her feel emptier. Auggie was her rock, he was her man, he always had been. But the men she'd fallen for in the past had always left her. Ben Mercer, Simon Fisher, even Jai Wilcox by some standards. It was a pathological fear that was putting a wedge in her present relationship and she hated it.

It was then that she heard a light rapping against wood from outside.

"Hey, Walker? You home?"