Liza collapsed into her chair at her desk, sighing heavily. Glancing around, she was relieved to see that Diana wasn't at her desk. Her mind was spinning, and she wasn't sure that she could process her thoughts and deal with Diana at the same time.

The Chick(y) contract, stuffed haphazardly into her purse, caught her eye as she tucked her bag into the drawer where she kept her belongings. She'd just come from the meeting with Cheryl, which had left her exhausted and torn. She absolutely did not want to leave Empirical. It had been her home for two years and she didn't want to leave her friends, the people who had undeniably become her family. But she knew she needed to. It was the only way. She and Charles could be together and she wouldn't have to lie about her age. The secret that was being kept wouldn't loom over Kelsey and Millennial like a dark cloud ready to burst.

Did she want to work with Cheryl? Absolutely not. Did she want to become Kelsey's competitor? The thought made her sick. But did the pay make her eyes pop? For sure. She could pay off her debt, David's debt, and be free of that weight. It'd all been so much at once, and she had come up with the excuse about having her lawyer review the contract to buy some time.

She heard a commotion behind her and glanced up to see Diana leaving the conference room and heading towards Kelsey's office. Glancing over, she saw Charles exit the conference room behind Diana, a weary expression on his face. His eyes brightened as he caught her eye, exchanging a brief smile before another editor came up to him. They hadn't really spoken since returning from Frankfurt 3 days ago. Liza knew he was trying to give her the distance she had requested, despite their night together in Europe. Just thinking about it made her toes curl. But for now she put her thoughts aside, rising to deal with whatever drama was unfolding inside Kelsey's office.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Do you know what he wants to talk to us about?" Kelsey whispered to Liza at the coffee bar as she rinsed out a to go cup. Kelsey had an anxious look on her face as she pestered Liza about the vaguely worded email Charles had sent a few minutes prior, asking the two of them to come to his office to discuss something.

"I don't know, Kels. I haven't talked to him much since we got back."

Kelsey dried her hands with a paper towel and scrunched it up into a ball before tossing it into the trashcan, scrutinizing Liza's face at the same time. "You two hooked up, didn't you?"

"I, ah, how?"

Kelsey smirked as she picked up her phone. "Girl, it's all over your face. You're a smitten kitten."

"You know me too well."

"And I want details."

Liza laughed, pushing her friend in the direction of Charles' office. "Later."

Moments later they sat opposite Charles, who was leaning back in his chair, a look of pleasant anticipation on his face. Liza twisted her hands together, feeding off of Kelsey's nervousness.

"I just had a very interesting lunch with Quinn Tyler. She's, uh, very impressed with Millennial. The two of you in particular. "

"She's pretty impressive herself." Liza added, despite the thought of Charles and Quinn spending time together making her stomach churn.

"Well, get ready for what I'm about to tell you," Charles sat upright in his chair, leaning towards his desk. "She wants to make a significant capital infusion into the company, predicated on making Millennial the prime driver of the company's business."

"Oh my god." Kelsey gasped, her eyes going wide. Liza herself was stunned, but the questions were coming fast and furious. "What does that mean for the company?"

"It means that, uh, Millennial and not Empirical would become our flagship brand. Obviously, I need to think about it, but I wanted to speak with the two of you first and foremost." Beside her, Liza could feel the excitement rolling off of Kelsey in waves, but Liza could see the apprehension in Charles's face. "I'm stunned," she said for lack of any other words.

Kelsey reached out suddenly, clamping on to Liza's arms like a vice. "Okay, you cannot leave now. She is investing in us." The emphasis was heavy on the last word, the look in Kelsey's eyes pleading.

"Kelsey, this is all the more reason why I should leave. I'm a ticking time bomb." She glanced between the two. "You both know the truth. I've been perpetrating a fraud here. You're both part of it. As much as I hate it, you're as liable as I am. If I'm not here, Quinn's investment would be clean."

"I don't know if I could do this without you, Liza." Kelsey said quietly, her voice honest and raw.

"Kelsey, can I have a word with Liza?"

Kelsey nodded and stood. "I'll be in my office, trying not to pass out."

Liza waited until the door shut behind her before turning back to Charles, who had moved around to the front of the desk and was leaning against it, his longs legs stretched out between Liza's chair and the one that Kelsey had just vacated. "You know I'm right," she said quickly, looking Charles squarely in the eye. "I don't want to leave, but if I take this job, I'll have a career and we'll have us. And if I stay and you take Quinn's investment based on me misrepresenting myself it's not going to end well."

"And you think that Kelsey can run Millennial without you?" Charles asked quietly. He knew Liza was right.

"I do. She's amazing. And no matter what you call it, Empirical, Millennial, at the end of the day, it's still your company."

Charles smiled at her as she reached out to take his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. She was amazing. And now there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Soon they could be together. Honestly together. Hold hands on the street and go out on dates and be a honest to goodness couple. "All right, I'll tell Quinn."

Liza stood, leaning over to kiss him gently. "No. I'm still her editor. I'll tell her myself."

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Charles rocked back and forth on his heels as he glanced down the sidewalk, looking for a flash of Liza's long brown hair in the sea of people bustling up and down the street. Tonight was one of those early warm spring nights, and people were taking advantage of the momentary lapse in the cold winter weather to enjoy the outdoors. He himself had pulled his tie loose and slipped off his suit jacket, savoring the light breeze. He leaned forward again and utilized his considerable height to glance down the street. She had texted him when she left her meeting with Quinn, and he was both anxious and excited to hear how things had went. If they were able to pull this off, if he was able to save his family business and find a way to be with Liza publicly and she wouldn't have to leave Empirical? Well, it would be small miracle indeed.

"Hey you." A voice said from behind him as long, slim arms wrapped around his torso. He glanced down, smiling at the lilac painted fingernails.

"Diana! Thank goodness. I've been waiting for you for hours, darling." He felt Liza laugh, smelled her light perfume and strawberry scented shampoo.

"Hah. Wouldn't she love that," Liza said, slipping around to his front and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. She had changed sometime between when he had seen her at the office and now, and was wearing a short flowery skirt that put her long legs on display. Her leather jacket was slipped on over a white shirt. His white tee shirt, in fact. He felt a stirring inside of him at the thought of her wearing his clothes.

"You look beautiful." He whispered in her ear as they intertwined their fingers and started to make their way down a path towards the Bryant Park fountain. Liza smiled up at him and rested her head against his shoulder for a moment. "How did it go?" he asked, cautiously.

"It…..went," Liza said slowly. "She was surprisingly…I don't know if supportive is the right word. Impressed, maybe. Embracing. But, Charles," she paused as they stopped by the edge of the fountain. "There's no good way out of this. I mean, if I go, Quinn could pull her investment. If I stay, we're in the same mess we're in now." Liza raked a hand through her hair and Charles reached up to tuck a strand behind her ear.

"But it won't be the same." At her quizzical look, he continued. "I discover that the 20 something former assistant is not a 40 something editor. I'm very surprised. I look at her completely differently. I maybe even ask her on a date and my only question will be, will she say yes?"

Liza's eyes twinkled, amused. She bit her lip, contemplating. "Hmmmm. That's tough. They still have a reporting relationship."

"But she's not an assistant anymore. She's a Millennial co-founder. She's an executive. People meet at work all the time." He added, grinning.

"And these people have no secret past?"

"None whatsoever."

"Huh, well, hmm. He's a little stuffy. Recently divorced. Will they have any chemistry? Is he fun?" Liza thought out loud as she wrapped her hands around his waist.

"She'll just have to see for herself."

"Well, let's say she says yes. They go to dinner and maybe they click."

"Maybe," Charles agrees, as he slides his arms around her shoulders, casually playing with her hair. "And maybe he can hold her hand at the office. And in the street. Everywhere. The way that he as wanted to do for as long as he can remember." The moment stills for both of them as his words linger in the air. Liza can feel herself falling even further in love with him.

Her phone beeps, once, twice, three times.

"Is she going to get that?" Charles asks, as Liza reaches down to silence her phone.

"She'd rather not. Damnit," she curses, as it beeps again. "I'm sorry." She glances at the screen, sighing.

"Everything all right?"

"Of course not. It's Cheryl Sussman." Liza starts to type, but Charles reaches down and swiftly pulls the phone out of her grasp and slips it into his back pocket.

"You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs." They both laughed as they continued to walk arm in arm. "Let's go get some food. I'm famished."

"Anything but eggs."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Liza scanned the crowded office floor, searching the mass of people in the bullpen for Charles. Her heart was beating so loud she could almost feel it in her ears. Was what Diana had just told her right? Was Charles being pushed out of his own company? Why?

She heard the ding of the elevator and turned her head just in time to see the doors close on his tall form. She began to weave her way through the crowd, impatiently sighing as she pushed past a few interns helping themselves to some champagne. Yanking open the door to the stairwell, she slipped inside and down the steps, her heels echoing on the cement steps. She felt warm and anxious all of a sudden. Her white dress felt too tight, her heels too snug. Nothing was right.

Pulling open the door to the first floor she scanned the lobby, spotting his tall form crossing the street, heading into the park. She cursed his longs legs and quick stride as she weaved in and out of the crowd and onto the street.

"Charles!" She called out as soon as she was within earshot.

He turned, smiling at her when he saw her. She looked almost ethereal in that dress and the cutouts on the side gave him a glimpse of skin he desperately wanted to touch. His whole world was shifting, but Liza was his anchor. She stilled the shifting waters. She was home.

She clasped onto his arm tightly as she reached him, her eyes anxious. "Is it true? Did they force you out? Why would Quinn do this?"

Charles smiled serenely at her. "She found out about us." He said calmly. "And that didn't sit well with her investors."

Liza slanted her eyes downwards, exhaling slowly. This was all her fault. "Oh my god, Charles, I am so sorry. I…."

He cut her off with a chaste kiss, resting his forehead against hers. "The company survives. It's a good thing."

"This is not a good thing," Liza protested, her voce cracking. "This is your life!"

"It was. And maybe it's time for a new one. With you. With my kids. My father's company is still alive and I get to watch you help run it." He smiled again at the thought. The idea of not getting up and going to work scared him, but he was picturing all the good things that were going to come out of this. He could make breakfast for his girls, all three of them. And it was time to introduce Liza to the girls as his girlfriend, he had settled on that. He could read the newspaper in the morning, catch a Yankees game now and again. And maybe, just maybe, he might start writing again. He'd started one manuscript and never finished it, but maybe it was time to put pen to paper again.

Liza started to protest again, but he cut her off. "Liza. I have got everything I want. I'm happy," he said firmly, searching her eyes. He was happy and at peace with this. It had been his idea, after all, to back away from the company.

Liza stilled, her eyes meeting his and she saw nothing but honestly in his. God, she loved this man. She hadn't said it yet, but she knew it in her heart. He was home for her. "Then so am I."

Charles smiled at her, taking her hand in his as he leaned in to kiss her, cupping her neck with his free hand. This wasn't the ending, he knew, but the beginning of something great.