Charles was waiting for Liza in the conference room to begin their discussion. The spark of attraction between them was awkward but as usual, they overlooked it and got right to work.

They sat at the corner of the conference room table so they could face one another, but still be close enough for conversation.

They discussed various ideas; cover art, timelines, whether to use Empirical or Millennial for the publisher, which company to use for printing the pages, how many copies to print on the first run, distribution rights, foreign rights, whether to serialize the story for publication, electronic books, and their individual expectations for the editing process. Liza treated him like any other author and discussed his needs for the book and asked what he wanted to work towards for readers in the overall message of the book. They discussed marketing strategies and what Diana's thoughts may be on the subject. The conversation strayed into personal territory a few times when he asked about Caitlin and Maggie. She asked about Yaddo but avoided asking personal questions. She already knew it made things awkward, and she did not want to know the answers.

An hour later and her stomach was demanding fuel. She had ignored the rumblings until finally her stomach emitted a loud grumble and she could no longer deny her hunger. Neither could Charles as he looked at her stomach.

"Do you want something to eat?" he asked, looking at her and raising an eyebrow.

"We don't need to do that. We can wrap up and I'll find something in a bit," she offered.

"No, let's eat. I'm getting hungry too. We can order from the restaurant downstairs and eat it here. Besides, I have a couple personal things to discuss."

"Ok" she said somewhat guardedly. "I wanted to talk to you too."

Liza wanted to introduce the subject of what happened between them and resolve issues that were weighing heavily on her mind. They had promised to tell each other only the truth, even if the truth hurt, but both were guilty of breaking that promise. He knew Kelsey's venture capitalist proposal for Inkubator had gone to many investors but did not tell Liza. She admitted she may have chosen to spare his feelings had he not gotten into Yaddo. That made both guilty of breaking their promise and they needed to talk, but so far neither had brought it up. Although they had spoken about it when it happened, Liza had allowed the situation to roll around in her mind long enough and wanted to discuss it again. She had new thoughts on the subject since he had been away.

They ordered food from the restaurant downstairs in the lobby and while Charles went to pick it up, Liza swung by the kitchen area and bought a couple bottles of waters.

Charles returned with their food, they divvied up the containers and continued their book discussion with details about the program at Yaddo, the other artists who were with him, including some humorous moments, and a typical day for authors at the prestigious program in Upstate New York.

They had just finished eating when he said, "I have big news."

"Oh," she inquired.

"Pauline and I are officially divorced. It was final a few days ago. It's been a long time coming, but it is finally over."

"I know that's a weight off your mind, but bittersweet too," she told him sympathetically.

"It is," he nodded as he tapped the table absently, "You know, I wanted what my parents had. They were married for nearly 40 years," he said, smiling fondly in remembrance. "Mom was a firebrand, but Dad never did anything without consulting her. They were a real team and so close. It was beautiful to watch. I'm sorry they didn't get to spend as much time together as they deserved in this life, but they had some amazing adventures together. I thought Pauline and I were a good match. We started happy, but after Dad died, I took over the business and things got hectic. I worked long hours trying to fill the gaps in my knowledge Dad hadn't been able to teach me and Pauline and I drifted apart. We had the girls and suddenly we were so busy with our respective lives that we lost sight of each other. Pauline felt lost much of the time. I should have tried harder and noticed she was unhappy, but truthfully, I was unhappy too. I'm sorry for the part I played in our failure."

"I know. I felt the same when David and I divorced. Sad to leave that part of my life but a relief too."

"Yeah," he nodded, solemnly agreeing. "It really is."

Charles reached across the table to take her hand.

"I want you to know that you are so special to me and even though we aren't together, I still need you in my life. I am so grateful you did this amazing thing and gave me this opportunity that forced me out of my comfort zone. Thank you for my chance to imagine something else with my life. I would never think about trying this without you taking the initiative on my behalf. I had completely forgotten about that manuscript until you found it. Liza, I know things didn't work out, but I want to be in each other's lives and maintain our connection. We can be these extraordinary friends who encourage each other and push one another towards being the best we can be. Even when one of us is with someone else, that person will need to understand we are part of each other's lives. Maybe our relationship is indefinable and nebulous, and we figure it out as we go, but we are a fixture. Friends but special. I trust your judgement with Empirical, Millennial, and so much more. I need that with you. I hope you agree. Ok. I know I've monopolized the conversation, what did you want to talk about?"

He let go of her hand.

"Nothing. What you said was great," she replied. Liza lost her nerve when he made it obvious that, for him, the romantic relationship between them was over. She let it go for now, needing time to process what she was hearing and formulating what to say in response.

Then he continued.

"I'm not coming back to work just yet. The girls will be out for summer soon, and I want to take them on vacation. I missed them so much and want to be with them on our own. I guess I got used to always having them around when it was just the three of us. So, I am delaying my return until we get back. We'll be gone about a month or so."

"Diana will be disappointed. She keeps telling me not to ruin the company," Liza told him, and they both laughed. "I'm sure she's not the only one who feels that way. Where are you taking them?"

"We are going on that Harry Potter tour in Scotland I told you about a while ago. Then we drive through England touring some literary landmarks. Places like The Globe, Poets' Corner, Chawton house where Jane Austen lived, and of course Platform 93/4. Maybe a few other places like Beatrix Potter's home in the Lake District. There's an antiquarian bookstore in London called Sotheran's that I never pass up a chance to visit. The girls will finally be old enough to appreciate it. I'll throw in some fun stuff, and we'll stay with friends a couple times. I'll play golf and the girls can spend time with my friend's kids."

"Can you drive on the other side of the car and the other side of the road? On a manual transmission?" she asked him humorously, lightening the conversation.

"Of course!" he replied, laughing in return. "I spent six months in London not long after I graduated learning the UK publishing business from one of Dad's old college roommates."

"I always thought you started here right after graduation?"

"I did for a short time before going over there to learn from John, Dad's friend. John and his wife Patricia are gone now, but the girls and I will stay with their son Simon and his family for part of the trip."

"That must have been quite the experience. Did you enjoy your time? Leave anyone special behind when you came home?"

"Yes," he nodded. "It was a great experience learning the business from a UK perspective. It was the same philosophy, but different too, and I valued the time learning it. And, yes, I went out with a few ladies during those months. No one serious, but it was fun. Simon's sister Nicola and I and her friends went to a Rolling Stones concert at Wembley."

"Wow!"

"It was unbelievable," he told her with emphasis. "One of the best concerts I have ever attended. We were so close to the stage I saw Mick Jagger flare his nostrils," he laughingly told her. "In fact, it was the summer after this one," he said, pointing to the manuscript. "They could not have been more different. Amazing how life twists and turns, isn't it? None of us knows what the future holds," he said, contemplating life.

"Yes. It can be unexpected," she said thoughtfully, thinking of the last few years. "Sounds like a fun trip. Both, the old one and this one coming up. I am sure they're going to love it."

"I hope so. Oh, and by the way, although I am not coming back yet, I am going to take back responsibility with the legal team, investors and shareholders, so that will be off your plate."

Liza nodded in understanding.

"So, do you want to wrap up for tonight? she asked brightly.

"Yeah, that's good. Want to walk downstairs together?" he asked.

"No, you go on ahead, I still have a few things to do before I can leave."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine," she told him, waving her hand in assurance.

"Ok, have a good night. Thanks again."

"Yeah, you too. You're very welcome. Thanks for dinner."

He came in for a hug, kissing her temple and saying, "I know I did most of the talking tonight. Thank you for letting me ramble. I guess I have been alone too much. It was wonderful to see you."

She murmured her acceptance of what he said but was anxious to be alone.

After saying goodbye at the elevator and watching the floor indicator light showing he had made it to the lobby, she walked back to her office. She was torn. She wanted to talk about what happened but wanted to respect his wishes to move on. She needed to find a way. She laid her forehead down on the desk in silence for 30 minutes before packing up and heading home.


A/N: I promise, these two will get the happy ending they deserve. Don't be afraid by what Charles said this time. Two weeks: Liza and Maggie.