Finn had just finished dinner at his sister's, a simple child-friendly three course meal that had turned into a lengthy debate on something concerning Sylvie's or Harrison's work and Christmas arrangements concerning all of their kids - who was spending it with which parent. Finn had really just observed, pitching in on occasion by commenting on something or other.

"Hey, Finn - I thought about asking you - maybe you could babysit tomorrow evening? We were thinking about going out for a movie with Harrison," Sylvie asked, after Harrison and the kids had scattered to the rumpus room to check out a new video game.

"Umm.. tomorrow I can't actually. I have a date," Finn replied, feeling unsure whether he would now be subjected to a lengthy questioning by having admitted something like that. He usually would've just used the phrase 'going out' which was perfectly nondescript but then again not reason enough not to help his sister out.

"I'll guess I'll just ask Veronica," Sylvie replied. It wasn't like she didn't have other options for babysitting, her kids just liked Finn the best. "Is it with, what was her name - Charlie? Mum mentioned something," Sylvie replied cryptically, adding a sneaky smile, having not previously let on that she knew anything. Besides Finn had posted at least one picture on his Instagram, which she'd seen, though it wasn't like those pictures didn't often contain women in various stages of 'friendly'.

"Of course she did," Finn grumbled, rolling his eyes. Now likely half the family had their hopes up for him finally settling down. This really wasn't the added pressure he needed. He wasn't even sure what his end goal was here. He knew he wanted something different - companionship and friendship on top of the physical - but whether that actually translated into the classical sense of settling down, he really didn't know.

"So what's she like?" Sylvie asked and took one last bite of grilled cherry tomato with goat cheese that was left on the serving plate.

"She's…," Finn pondered, thinking what was the best way to put it. "Different. Unpretentious, lively, strong, funny, brave…," Finn listed, the usual word choice of 'cute' and 'nice' being left behind. It wasn't that she wasn't cute - she certainly was that - but there were just layers to her that Finn saw unlike with many others before her.

"Umm...Am I sensing a crush?" Sylvie teased his little brother, sipping on her Little Creatures Pale Ale.

Finn shrugged. She may well have been right, but he wasn't stupid enough to confirm it - he wouldn't hear the end of it, their banter ofter resembling that of teenagers when it came to things like this. Besides it was still very new - while the number of hours he'd spent talking to Charlie had already been quite impressive, there was still a lot to learn.

"I think mum mentioned her being a foreigner..." Sylvie continued to probe.

"Canadian," Finn replied simply.

"Right..," Sylvie noted, taking a sip of her wine. "So what is this - a holiday romance or what's the big plan?" she asked, getting ahead of things.

Finn hadn't wanted to think about any of that. They really weren't in that stage yet to talk about turning one of their lives around. But still he'd done the math already. New York and Montreal were at best an hour and half flight away - it seemed a lot less impossible than London and New York or New York and Australia for sure, which he'd seen people do also if needed. But it was too soon.

"We'll see...," Finn replied, wanting to get her off his back.

"For what it's worth, I think it's good. And I really don't care if you are doing this for the reasons mum is hoping you do, you know… I just hope you find your person," Sylvie said well-meaningly.

"Yeah…," Finn sighed. That did sound good, secretly he'd always envied the way Rory and Logan had each other - it had gone beyond being physically in the same place or even together - they'd just always had that unmistakable connection. But everything that came with it - joint responsibilities that came with the other person's jobs, families and kids… those he was still glad to forgo. He'd been almost relieved to hear about her inability to bear children, meaning that at least that topic wouldn't be hurried by her biological clock, like he'd experienced on many dates with other women, many bringing it up as soon as on first date.

"So where are you taking her?" Sylvie inquired curiously.

"I was thinking something fairly casual actually - dinner, a walk, maybe a live music bar later. She's travelling light," Finn replied, having perhaps already begun to over think the whole date. Knowing that her whole wardrobe consisted of two dresses, as she'd explained to him one time, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable by insisting on taking her somewhere too fancy. He would've been happy to just hang out with her - it didn't even matter where or doing what.

"Right..," Sylvie mumbled.

But Finn could sense that his sister was not terribly impressed with his initial idea.

"What?" Finn wanted her to spell it out.

"You're the master planner, Finn - anyone who knows you would know to expect something more - gondola rides, horses, Michelin star restaurants, flowers, experiences…," Sylvie listed. "You've organized hot-air balloon rides, scavenger hunts for people you've spoken a lot less deeply about. And I know it's not about throwing money around, it's about doing something you'll think she'll love. You've obviously already spent some time with her so you should know…," she added. "It just doesn't sound like you," she said.

Finn opened up another bottle of beer for himself, unsure what to say. He was certainly more careful with Charlie than he'd ever been. Was he holding back?

"You either really like her or maybe she's just a friend… maybe you're struggling to differentiate the two," Sylvie suggested.

"She's a friend but it's definitely not just that...," Finn explained. His stomach still felt hollow just at the thought of that kiss in the water. It had been so exhilarating, so natural - there was definitely good chemistry between them.

Sylvie observed his brother for a minute. She hadn't really seen him like this before - unsure of himself, second guessing his choices, even holding back on laying all of him out there when it came to date planning.

"You haven't slept with her yet, have you?" Sylvie asked, sounding actually impressed.

Finn's lack of response was response enough.

Sylvie was well aware of his brother's track record. It was always sex first and if there was anything left that after maybe there was some companionship. Clearly something was going on with Finn. She hoped that this wasn't just a rebound of what had happened in the States that had also driven him to Australia a month earlier than usual, but whatever it had been - it certainly had shifted something in him. She could only hope it was a good change.

It was early Saturday morning and Rory and G had just driven off, heading back to New York, Rory already missing her babies. Celeste had gotten up to have breakfast with them, while Jess still slept upstairs, and now, while still tired, she didn't feel quite like going back to bed having already had her coffee and knowing Jess needed to rest.

Celeste still worried about G, despite having assured her again to call her some evening, so they could talk some more - she felt like she'd let her down by not really finishing their talk last night, the conversation having taken another turn.

But moreover what she realized was that she really didn't know enough to help her. Hence she opened up her laptop in the living room and began looking for articles and books. The keywords were teenage sexuality, self-destructive behavior, approval-seeking, self-acceptance and so on. She didn't just read the psychological or health part of this but found quite a few fictional books that people claimed to have helped them in similar situations. She knew G wasn't the most typical of teenagers, being a lot more independent and perhaps also more resilient in some ways. But she was still just that - a teenager that was struggling.

She ordered at least a dozen books. Among them were 'Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher, 'Saving Daisy' by Phil Earle, 'The Lonely City" by Olivia Laing, 'Good in Bed' by Jennifer Weiner and a few others that dealt with the feminist, self-help or parental aspects of G's issues, or at least the idea she'd gotten from it. She wasn't even sure why - but somehow she felt responsible to at least try to help her with something more than her gut feeling. Even if it was just one thing off Rory's plate, surely she could try. But there was another reason - many of these aspects G had mentioned, she recognized once having gone through herself - but she really hadn't fully dealt with them back then. It gave her something else to think about as in many ways she needed the distraction herself right now.

Finn had yielded to his sister's suggestions to spruce up the date a little, while still sticking to the idea of a fairly casual Middle-Eastern place that had an outside terrace. His idea of sprucing things up was the Tesla model S he'd rented with the driver, but he knew that this would still be one of his more modest attempts. He wasn't sure what she'd like, he was still testing the waters, having a feeling like she wasn't the most traditional kind of girl - but he could be wrong.

But as he stepped out of the flashy red sedan, texting her that he was downstairs, at the same moment seeing her stepping out of her apartment building, momentarily he was hit with fear.

Charlie was dressed in a gorgeous mango yellow dress that accented her sun-kissed skin beautifully. The dress was a lightly laced knee-length in sheath silhouette and had a deep V-neckline, bringing out all the best of her curves, making Finn hold his breath for a moment. The whole thing was topped off with black high-heeled strappy sandals and her slightly wavy hair left half down, just one broad yet relaxed braid decorating her hair almost like a beautiful headpiece. It was the first time he'd seen her with makeup on, dressed up and in heels. And what a sight she was. It was obvious she'd made quite an effort, she'd shopped for this - even Finn understood this. Suddenly he felt panic and guilt - some half ass-restaurant just wouldn't do it for her. She deserved more.

She stumbled a little as she took a few steps closer to him.

"Hey," Charlie greeted, smilingly, her lips painted beautifully with matte deep red lip ink, giving him a small peck on the lips in greeting. "I'm sorry, I haven't worn these in a while," she added with a giggle, dissolving some of the pre-date nerves, referring to her heels. They were roughly of the same height like this - which too was kind of refreshing, most of the women he's dated, having been quite small and fragile. He wasn't going to claim that those features didn't have a certain appeal, but he loved how Charlie was so confident like this, incredibly sexy - like she could stand up for herself, like she didn't need to be rescued despite that having been the situation they'd first met in.

"Hey beautiful! You look bloody incredible," Finn said, unable to get his eyes off her, and handed her a dark violet Singapore Orchid in a vial.

"My thank you. You're not so bad yourself," she replied. Finn had gone with his favourite outfits for going out - a slim fitting dark green suit vest and a pair of dark chinos along with a black dress shirt, with his sleeves rolled up. There was no way he'd wear a suit in this heat, and this was the next best thing, yet relaxed enough to adapt to a variety of situations.

"I'm sorry, I need to make a quick call to my sister, but if you'd like you can wait in the car," Finn gestured towards the Tesla, opening up the door for her himself. At least the car was nice a cool.

"What - a different car for every day of the week?" Charlie commented half teasingly.

"Just for tonight," he replied with a smile.

He stepped back to the side walk and quickly called his sister.

"What can I do for you, Finn?" Sylvie answered her phone, having eventually decided to stay home that night.

"I need your help. Any chance you could make a call Hellenika for me and get me a table real quick? I need to upgrade the plan here real quick," he pleaded.

His sister had recently just finished Hellenika's interior and had been promised a table on standby whenever she wanted just for that.

"I told you…," she smirked in response. "I'll make the call," she added.

"Thanks. I owe you," Finn replied and walked back to the car.

"I'm sorry, darling. Sylvie was having a bit of a crisis with her car, but it's all sorted now," he fibbed, continuing to give the driver instructions where to head.

The place really wasn't very far, even kind of embarrassingly close to having even bothered with the car, but then again this hadn't been the original plan.

As they got out of the car in front of the restaurant Finn suddenly noticed a hint of hesitation in Charlie's face.

"What's wrong?" Finn asked with concern.

"This is a Greek place, right?" she guessed from the place's name.

"Yeah," he replied. "My sister Sylvie did their interior and she said the food is divine," he added.

"I'm sorry, I should've told you - I am highly allergic to walnuts. And these Greek places often use walnut oil. I'm honestly very sceptical of them keeping things separate enough to dare to eat here, I'm sorry," she added, feeling horrible for ruining his plan.

"Hey, no need to be sorry - I didn't ask," Finn replied apologetically. Making her risk an anaphylactic shock really wasn't in the recipe of a good date, hence he suddenly felt thankful for not having cancelled the Middle-Eastern palace just yet.

"I'll just go in real quick and tell them not to hold our table," Finn suggested. He felt incredibly nervous. He wasn't used to his plans failing him like this. He simply needed a moment to get his act together.

As he emerged a minute later, Charlie was waiting for him at the sidewalk, clearly fretting a little about screwing up his plans.

"I'm really sorry..," she began, but what Finn then did instead of saying anything was simply pull her close and kiss her. She hadn't been expecting it, but it was deeply satisfying, making their hearts race and at the same time steady as their tongues explored each-other. It worked like magic - taking another notch off the tension.

"Don't worry - I'm not risking your health," Finn said with determination, adding, "I have a plan B - it's less fancy but still good," leading her back to the car with his hand on the small of her back.

They drove perhaps ten minutes, Finn holding her hand, while she brushed his palm gently, each gentle touch calming him a little more.

"It's perfect," Charlie told Finn as they arrived, still holding his hand, seeing the cute little restaurant which had it's back yard turned into a little magical oasis, string light hung above their heads, while the seating was mostly made up of wood pallets and some humble pillows.

Finn smiled and let the waitress guide them to their table. They were seated at a corner table that was a little quieter.

"I'll admit, I haven't been this nervous in ages," Finn confessed as they were left alone.

Charlie smiled. "Me too," she exhaled.

"It's the good kind of nervous, I think - I hope," he added. It was as much of a statement as a question, feeling like he simply needed to be honest, hoping it would at least to some extent explain his more erratic behavior than usual.

"Definitely," Charlie replied, smilingly.

Their menus were brought to the table and Finn began to browse the wine list.

"You're okay with white again or…?" he asked.

"Sure," Charlie replied. "So you don't like red at all or…?" she pondered.

"I just have a thing with it being warm outside and red - just doesn't work for me," Finn explained. "But white on the other hand - perfectly chilled - it's just the perfect summer drink," he added.

"Maybe this one?" Charlie looked over the wine list with him.

"It's good, but this one is better," Finn pointed a few categories lower the wine list at the more expensive ones.

"Finn - you don't need to, really. I really appreciate all the gestures, but you don't need to impress me with money - cars, wines…," she felt she needed to say. She saw how much he was trying to impress her, and it was very flattering, but all she wanted was to get him to relax.

"Fine," Finn sighed. "You just deserve it, you look amazing - I want to live up to that," he added.

"I like you already, these details won't change it," Charlie smiled, stroking his hand again.

Finn kissed her again, truly appreciating her attempt to to calm him.

"Fine, but I'm still getting the wine," he insisted. "You'll thank me later," he added with a smirk.

She simply smiled, and continued to choose what she wanted for the main course. They ended up getting a snack plate to share, Finn choosing some braised lamb with herb rice and Charlie a persian chicken with lime and turmeric, making sure it contained no allergens.

"So, are there any other allergies I need to know about?" Finn asked.

"Walnuts are the main thing. Macadamia nuts too, but they won't kill me - just make me all puffy," she replied. "I always carry the EpiPen just in case," she added.

"Right, I'll have to remember that," he replied.

Next, their wine was brought to the table, and their glasses were filled without offering to taste first. But this Finn knew, this wasn't that kind of place, hence he'd known that taking the pricier bottle of local wine maker's wine was the wise, safer, choice.

"Hmm.. this is good," Charlie commented on the light white Chardonnay with a slightly salty aftertaste.

"So Finn… I know you're from New York, I know you went to university in New Haven, I know a lot about your US friends, a little about your family… but I guess it's still a little fuzzy what is it that you actually do," she continued. They'd talked a little about this that night on the boat, but Finn had essentially gotten away with claiming to be a consultant of sorts, still unsure how much he dared to say. But here - he was beginning to realize that truth really was the only option.

"My family has a company - it's quite big and quite well known. My brother Jamie is mostly taking care of it these days. And I am sort of their representation in the States. It's mostly about simply keeping an eye on things, sitting in on a few meetings. And it's no doubt convenient - I essentially just delegate whatever needs to be done. But the part of it that I actually like involves event planning or setting up recommendations for our clients on what to do in New York. Private parties, concerts, getting tickets to exclusive events. I've developed a pretty good contact network for that - if there's anything worth seeing or hearing in New York, I usually know about it," Finn explained.

"What's the company? Do I know it?" she asked.

"You probably do… And this is sort of my thing that I don't really like to tell people as that usually changes the way they see me," Finn added.

"Like me being a lawyer," she commented.

"Kind of...," he sighed.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to…," she added, not wanting to push, seeing him hesitate.

"No, I do..," he replied. "You maybe know the Marriott in North America, here it's under the brand name of Empodium," he explained, biting his lip. He'd seen it happen before - the moment the women realized in what ball-park his net worth was, they tended to become clingy for the wrong reasons. Charlie was bound to have an understanding of his family's wealth by now hence he hoped it wouldn't make much of a difference, but one never really knew about these things.

"I think I've stayed in a few of those actually," Charlie mused.

"I wish I could say that it's a prestigious job or a lot of responsibility - something noble, but really I'm just doing odds and ends. I've always sort of been this guy that appreciates a good party rather than hard work in its classical sense and that's how my brother and father have treated me in this. They've made sure I'm solid, employed and they're using what I was educated for, but they see that I don't really have a whole lot of ambition in this. They need me to be in North America for them, so they don't need to travel as much, and I just… do what they tell me," Finn explained honestly.

"In a way that sounds like a nice way to live… being covered like that, but I have to say you don't sound too excited about it," Charlie commented, sensing the undertone he spoke with.

"It's the event coordinating aspect of this that I like, if there wasn't that I'd probably have moved on to something else - maybe made my own business or something - but I am kind of lazy, I'll admit - I like sleeping until noon if I feel like it and working odd hours when it is necessary, I like the flexibility it gives me," Finn explained.

"My day to day, what it used to be and well.. What I have been doing here is like day and night," Charlie replied, shaking her head in disbelief. "I worked, what, 16-hour days?" she recalled. "I work best in the evenings so mornings were mostly meetings, gym…," she trailed off. "I guess I really didn't stop and enjoy what I had. Even when I worked out I didn't do it for the sake of feeling good or to have fun, I just did it to squeeze into some standardized image of a corporate woman, always feeling like I wasn't good enough. And now I've just let go. And I guess it shows," she replied, glancing down at her body. "But don't get me wrong - I like myself a lot better now, it just took me a while to get here - to accept and feel comfortable like this. And I know this...," she said, gesturing at her body, "is not really what you usually go for..," she added, clearly having made that conclusion based on what Finn's social media posts showed. "I'm really not saying this to draw out compliments. I guess I am just trying to explain the backstory of why perhaps in the past people's opinion have mattered to me and that has influenced a lot of what I've done," she explained.

"I meant what I said earlier - you look really hot - you're confident and strong. I don't want you to fret about it, not one bit," Finn replied, feeling now a little embarrassed for having many of his conquests up on the internet like that. Well the good thing was that at least it wouldn't be a big surprise to her if she found out what he had been like. But he felt bad for making her compare to those women who really hadn't meant much to him. She was gorgeous - if anything she reminded him of the famous Australian model Kate Wasley, though she might actually be a little smaller in her form, though it really wouldn't have mattered. A few pounds here and there didn't matter if one looked like she did - she had the curves, the symmetry of the feminine features, and that amazing hair to top of her personality. She had nothing to worry about.

"Thanks," she said smilingly, taking a sip of wine. "Anyways, I guess I trailed off a bit. But I really don't know what I'm going to do with my work when I go back," she replied, blabbering a little, Finn making the logical conclusion that she was still a little nervous as well. Finn could've picked apart that sentence - the 'when' she was going back and so forth, but he just didn't want to go there, not yet.

"Yeah, I guess it's a little tricky doing a career change after working for something as long as you must've," Finn commented instead.

"Yeah, I guess in theory I have a fall back in our family business. My dad... he owns a real estate development company. I guess he's pretty well off, though he only really had a breakthrough once I was out of the house so to speak, so I am not really used to thinking of him as someone wealthy, though I guess he is," Charlie shared.

"And what does your mum do?" Finn asked.

"She's divorced from my dad and well.. She is very different... She was never really drawn to that kind of life of success. She's a meteorologist actually. She works for the Atlantic Storm Prediction Centre in Dartmouth," Charlie explained. "But I get along with my dad better to be honest. It came down to taking sides when they divorced and for a while I blamed her for splitting them up. Now I of course know things were more complicated, but what can you do…," she explained with a shrug.

"So your dad lives in Montreal with you? Or what do you have back there besides the job?" he inquired, quite liking the way she talked - starting off at one thing and trailing off to reveal even more interesting aspects of herself.

"Yeah, the suburbs there. I have my condo Downtown, I sublet it for the year. Nice small two bedroom, 16th floor - I have a thing for good views. I know it freaks some people out when they're too far off the ground, but not me," she added.

"You'd love my place then - 15th floor penthouse, Park Avenue South, rooftop pool," Finn described proudly, finally letting his true self shine through.

Charlie smiled, that prospect certainly not seeming like a bad one, and took a sip of her wine.

It was then their food was brought to the table, offering them some lighter topics as they tasted the different appetizers. It was mostly finger-food or food on sticks - olives, different kinds of hummus and pita chips, tabbouleh and small falafel balls, adding a certain sensuality as they fed each other a couple of bites on occasion.

They continued to talk a little about Finn's brothers and sisters and how his mother had stayed home to raise five kids and mostly volunteered and how he'd always wondered what it'd be like to have a mother that did something else as a career, something important like Charlie's mother, which she complimented with stories from her childhood, among other things extreme storms they'd had in Nova Scotia.

"What's with you and the dogs? You've mentioned them a few times," Finn asked, as they continued on to their main course.

"My grandfather had dogs when I was growing up, and later there just wasn't really any opportunity to have one - we were either moving or I was travelling between mom and dad, and some city center condo really isn't the place to have one when one works for 16 hours a day. So I spent a couple of months volunteering for a shelter after I realized I needed to take a step out of my life. And it really was good - they don't say for nothing that dogs are excellent therapy substitutes," she explained.

"My mum was always too busy with us kids, even with help, to even entertain the idea of any one of us getting a pet, let alone a dog, but we did have a possum that lived in our yard, and he was kind of like a pet I suppose," Finn explained with a chuckle.

"I definitely want to have a dog someday - it may take a while, but I like having a long term goal," Charlie said determinedly. "The short term goal is just to figure out what to do.. I mean I am technically still young enough to change careers if that's what I really want to do," she added.

"One of my friends, Rory - the one I told you about, she was an English major, determined to become a reporter and she's an excellent writer. But it just didn't pan out the way she'd hoped. She recently just did her master's in Education. She thought that maybe teaching what she loved would be it, but it wasn't. But what she did find was that research was it - she's taking a bit of a break right now with the kids but I think she's stubborn enough to return to it," Finn discussed.

"I kind of hoped this trip would help me figure it out, but honestly - it hasn't left too much time to really reflect. I've always been busy with something here and it's been a wonderful distraction - showing me that a different life is possible and it isn't in any way horrible. And I guess for many people the end goal in getting their careers set up is to settle down and 'live happily ever after'," she said with air quotes. "But if that illusion is not there anymore, the career part really loses a lot of its meaning," she explained.

"I sometimes feel like I've been stuck in some post-college version of me and I haven't really been looking ahead, but just looking back - I haven't really set many goals for myself at all. I don't know why now, but I guess I am now slowly beginning to figure things out. So I won't even pretend to know what I want out of life just yet," Finn explained honestly.

"An honest man," Charlie commented approvingly.

They finished their meal and Finn took Charlie to a beautiful Downtown cocktail bar next, it's entrance with its lion-themed graffiti at its laneway painting a very different picture compare to place that awaited them inside. The place was intimately lit, and exposed a four meter high grand back bar with hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of bottles. The place was bustling with people, but it was a relaxed crowd making Charlie's sexy yellow form stand out beautifully.

Later at the back room a band started to play and the two listened at the bar, Charlie taking a seat to rest her feet that were already a little sore from the heels, while Finn stood behind her, his hand around her back. The band wasn't anything super-famous, but still a Australian newcomer band called Cool Sounds that had gotten some very good reviews. They played a slightly dreamy, gauzy indie pop with some spruiky vocals, their sound carrying one into a dream like state. They lingered at the bar for another drink after the band finished, but as it was getting more and more crowded and it became difficult to hear the other over the chatter, so they decided to head off.

As they finally emerged from the bar, Charlie hanging onto Finn's arm, to not get separated from him in the crowd, the fresh air hit them hard, almost having not realized how warm it had been inside.

"Huh, that was fun," Charlie commented. "What now?" she asked, swallowing and licking her lips as she looked at him, keeping her contact with him the entire time.

"I was thinking of a walk, but I think you might not really feel up to it," Finn said, his arm wrapped around her, knowing how she'd scolded herself for wearing a brand new pair of shoes just a short time ago.

"But I don't want this to end… you could come back to my place," she whispered to his ear, causing a shiver down his spine, the best possible kind.

Finn might have outdone himself by delaying this course of events to not rush this, to savor this, but he wasn't made of steel. Having a woman, especially as gorgeous as her, with the sexual tension that had lingered for weeks, suggest it - he was completely defenceless, not needing to be told twice.