Chapter 2

Fitz arrived at Sunny's Up Side first. He called the afternoon before to reserve a table for their date. As much as he enjoyed their food, he was still a little nervous about whether Olivia would like his choice. She did not indicate that she had been there before, so he just assumed that she had not. Fitz checked his phone before silencing it and placing it in the pocket of his hoodie with his keys. He informed the host of his reservation, and she seated him in a booth with a window close to the front, but with an appropriate amount of tucked-awayness. Less than a minute later a server came by to make introductions, sat down two menus, and asked Fitz if he would like to place a beverage order while he waited for his companion. Fitz asked for two glasses of water to get them started and informed the server that they will place drink orders along with their meal choices.

Two minutes later, Fitz saw the host escorting Olivia to their table. Fitz stood and he and Olivia reservedly but instinctively hug before she sat opposite of him in the booth. They both thanked the host before she walked away.

"Did you have any trouble finding this place?" Fitz asked.

"Not at all. Although I don't frequent this shopping center, I'm familiar with it. I don't live far from here."

"Oh? Where do you live, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Actually, I'm right off of Red Junction Way. I'm neighbors with Defiance," She boasted.

Fitz's eyebrows drew up. "Really? I pass your home every day. I'm further down. I'm off Falconer Highway. On Bruner Lane"

"Then I pass your house whenever I go grocery shopping," Olivia said in shock at how close they live to each other. "I've driven down that road a couple of times. Those homes are pretty impressive. How long have you lived there?"

"Seven years. The previous owners were hit hard during the burst of the housing bubble. I bought it as a foreclosure. It was in pretty good shape, but I got it for a bargain, and was able to fix it up myself or with the help of a few carpenter friends. You must come by and hang out. Although it's not a mansion, it is a big place for one person, so I like to have people over from time to time. My kids don't come often enough," He concluded with the slightest bit of sadness.

Olivia wanted to ask about his pool, but she didn't want him to know that she and Angela had been discussing him. "I'd love to come hang out with you. Just tell me when. Shall we check out what's on the menu," she said grabbing a menu and handing him the other. "You said you get takeout sometimes. What do you normally order? What would you recommend?

"I absolutely love their lemon ricotta pancakes. If you like a traditional meal, I suggest the three-cheese omelet with hash browns and country sausage," Fitz affirmed.

"The pancakes sound other-worldly. I'll have that."

"I'll get the three-cheese omelet plate. You are welcome to try any or all of it. Do you have a preference of coffee, tea, or juice, or a combination of drinks?

"I'll have what you're having."

"That would be coffee. They use an amazing medium roast. French pressed."

"You have good taste, Fitz." Just then their server arrived with a breadbasket and freshly made preserves and whipped butter and proceeded to take their orders. Once she left the table, Olivia and Fitz continued their conversation getting to know one another. "So, is it Fitzpatrick, Fitzgerald, or Fitzsimmons?"

Fitz couldn't help but chuckle, "Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald Thomas Grant the third to be exact. I was determined to stop that nonsense when I had my son," he said rolling his eyes.

"You have a great name! Very distinguished."

"Thank you. And what's your last name?"

"Pope. Olivia Carolyn Pope."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful lady."

"I've always liked it. It will be my name until I die," Olivia quipped proudly.

"So, you know how I make my living. What's your line of work?" Fitz asked.

"I'm an attorney. Wills, trusts, estates, and taxes. I have my own small but successful practice. About twelve years into my law career, I decided I wanted to work for myself and hang out my shingle as we say in the legal profession. I've had the practice for about 8 years now. It's four of us in the firm. My two associates, Harrison and Quinn, and our tech guy Huck make up the team. Our office is in Baybrook."

Fitz was shocked, absolutely bitchslapped. She had been practicing law for about twenty years, which would put her age in her mid-40s. She looked so much younger. He was happy, because it meant she was even more age-appropriate for him, but he just couldn't wrap his head around the fact that she was actually closer to 50 than 30.

Olivia noticed the change in his expression and asked him, "Are you ok? You have this strange look on your face."

"Yeah, I'm just doing the math. Sorry, I won't ask you your age, but I was under the impression you were in your 30s."

"I'm 45. Are you disappointed I'm a middle-aged woman?"

"Not at all. I'm glad you are older. I didn't think about your age, but it feels better that you're closer to my age than my kids' ages."

Olivia giggled feeling better about this conversation. "So how old are you, Mr. Grant?"

"I'm 53."

"I would have put you in your late 40s, so you're not doing too bad for yourself either."

Just then their order arrived at their table. Fitz and Olivia enjoyed their meals and shared their orders with each other. Olivia was in absolute heaven marveling at her pancakes. She also agreed with Fitz about the coffee. This was the best coffee she's ever tasted. They enjoyed more light conversation as they ate and continued to get to know each other on the surface, discussing work a little bit more, as well as their college experiences and the basics about their families.

Fitz learned that Olivia is an only child, and her parents are both still alive and healthy and lived locally. Olivia learned that like her, Fitz is an only child. Both of his parents too are alive, but his dad's health was not great as he suffered from diabetes. His parents lived in James County, a county south of them, and he grew up there in a rural small town. Although Fitz seemed pretty cool, Olivia was aware of the mentality of people from that area which unfortunately had her feeling the need to move forward cautiously with Fitz. She knew all too well that liking a Black person did not equal liking Black people. She made a mental note to check with Marcus to get his honest opinion about Fitz and if she should shut this down now. Olivia decided to give him the benefit of the doubt until she had that conversation with Marcus.

Their server returned to clear their soiled dishes once they were done eating. It was close to noon, but the couple was not ready to leave, so Fitz ordered a pitcher of ginger limeade and homemade shortbread cookies for them to sip and snack on for the duration of their breakfast date.

"You mentioned your kids earlier. Most parents can't help themselves from talking incessantly about their kids, so tell me about them."

Fitz wiped his mouth and hands before speaking, "Jared is 26. He's an illustrator. He does freelance illustration for children's books and video production. He gets his artistic chops from his mother. She's an artist. My daughter, Kara, graduated from DePaul last year with a degree in Sociology, and she's working in Chicago right now for an organization that helps to reintegrate felons into society once they are released."

"Wow, your kids sound amazing! Is Jared local?"

"He lives in Philadelphia, but he visits me throughout the year. My ex-wife lives in Las Vegas, so she doesn't get to see him as often as I do. When the kids come to visit me, we try to arrange for her and her husband to come as well. We are one big happy family," Fitz explained.

"It sounds like you two had an amicable divorce," Olivia wondered.

"Very. Mellie and I began dating during our junior year of college and were married a couple years after graduation. Although we loved each other, it felt more like a good friendship rather than a marriage. We both realized over a decade into our marriage and two kids later that we were not and never were in love. We even began to grow apart as friends, so we decided divorce was the best option for the family since it was what was wanted by both parties. The kids were cool about it too. At the time of the divorce, we were living in James County. After the divorce Mellie relocated to Las Vegas and pursued her career in art. That's when she met her husband, Michael, and she got her happy ending. I'm still working on mine." They each took a drink of their ginger limeade and bites of their cookies. "She and I talk a couple of times a week. She called me this morning to ask about the bourbon festival. I mentioned you to her."

Olivia was a little shocked by this revelation, especially how close he still was to his ex-wife. She didn't feel any jealousy, though. Olivia herself had a close relationship with her friend Edison. When they hang out, people often mistake them for a couple. She had asked him to join the gang at the bourbon festival, but he had a prior commitment and couldn't make it.

"So, what happens now, Fitz? I'm categorizing this as our first date. Where do we go from here?"

"Date number two." On that note, Olivia smiled and excused herself to the restroom. Their server brought over the bill. Fitz placed three twenties inside the bill folder. When the server returned to the table, Fitz instructed her to keep the change. Olivia returned to the table as the server was walking away. "This was lovely, Fitz. Thank you so much for inviting me. I feel like I've spent an entire weekend with you already. I enjoy your company."

Fitz looked at Olivia with a shy smile. "The pleasure is mine. It feels good to take time out and not focus on work. I spend a lot of time, too much probably, at the distillery. Thank you for accepting my invitation. It has been a while since I've enjoyed the company of a beautiful, funny, interesting woman."

"Well, you know how to get in touch with me. I'm sure I can find time to do more like this with you."

"Let's aim for dinner sometime this week. I'll cook. And feel free to stop by the clubhouse on your way home from work. We lock down and leave the complex by 7pm. I'm still on the premises any time before then. You can always come by and hang out with the crew."

"I'll keep that in mind. Are you ready to go?" Olivia asked him.

"Not really, but I'm sure they are ready for us to leave," Fitz said sarcastically. He arose from his side of the booth and held out his hand to her, "Shall we?"

Olivia gathered her things and took his hand, getting up and straightening her tunic. "Before you leave, I have a gift for you. I'll be right back." Fitz walked to his car, opened the trunk, and retrieved the Presidential Suite gift box. He returned to her side, and they continued to walk to her car. Olivia was shocked, knowing exactly what the gift was. They reached her car, and she popped her trunk so that he could set the gift inside. "I wanted you to have the set. Don't drink it all in one night," Fitz joked.

Still stunned, Olivia looked over the mini half barrel lined with a navy velvet floor with cutouts the exact size of the bottom of each bourbon bottle. It was a beautiful and clever way to package the set of whiskeys. "Fitz, this is amazing. Thank you! This is very thoughtful of you."

Fitz nodded as he watched her run a couple of her fingers over the navy velvet. "Just try to enjoy it with good friends." Olivia nodded her head in agreement, closed her trunk, and walked to the driver side of her car. Fitz stopped her before she got in. "Hey, what do you prefer to be called? I heard Marcus call you "Liv" a couple of times yesterday and I didn't want to be presumptive and call you that."

"You can call me Liv if you like." Olivia thought it was cute how he was asking permission to call her by her nickname. She took his right hand in both of hers. "Thanks again for breakfast. I really enjoyed myself, and the food was amazing. We definitely have to come back here again. Thank you so much for the gift." She kissed him on his cheek and got in her car. Once she was settled inside, Fitz closed her car door, waved goodbye and watched her drive away.

XXX

Fitz went straight home after his date with Olivia. He felt really good about how things went and looked forward to the next time he was going to see her. He decided he was going to ask her to join him at his house for dinner on Tuesday. He didn't think he could wait a whole week to see her the following weekend. He changed out of his jeans and hoodie and slipped on some long jersey shorts and a plain white t-shirt. Fitz was a neat freak, so his house was always clean. He looked through his refrigerator and freezer to see what he had in stock that he could create a date-worthy homecooked meal. Looking through all the food in his kitchen, he knew exactly what he was going to cook in the event she said yes to date number two.

He thought about his brief conversation with Mellie that morning and dialed Jared's number. Jared answered on the third ring. "Hey dad."

"Hey J. How are things going with you?"

"Pretty good. I was just taking a break from working on the art for a new children's book from Duck Bill Publishers." Jared said while getting up from his drawing table to stretch. "How are things with you? How did the bourbon festival turn out?"

"Thanks. It was great. We had a sold-out event! Made lots of new connections, and it looks like we'll end up on more shelve very soon." Fitz paused for a few seconds before moving the conversation along. "I spoke with your mother this morning. She said you're coming here to visit soon?"

"Yeah, you do remember that Father's Day weekend is in less than a month, right?" Jared teased.

"Of course, I remember." Fitz had totally forgotten. "Well, I'm in desperate need of a new macaroni necklace. Maybe if you and Kara combine your resources, you can even throw in a matching bracelet."

Jared chuckled and shook his head at his dad's sincere corniness. As bad as dad jokes were in general, his dad's jokes were the worst. "I'm pretty sure Kara is planning on being in town that weekend too. I'll confirm with her. I need to call mom back tonight about something, so I'll see if she and Michael are willing to come join the party."

Fitz nodded as if Jared could see him. He was debating with himself if he should mention meeting Olivia. If things worked out well for them, she would potentially be around when the kids came to town. Fitz decided that as far as he is concerned, he is all in and now is as good a time as any to begin the conversation about his love life. "I met someone yesterday at the festival." He waited for a response from Jared.

His son knows him very well. He knows that if his dad is mentioning this after only knowing this woman for a day, he's smitten. "Go on," Jared approved.

"Her name is Olivia. She's an attorney. It turns out she lives less than ten minutes from here. I hope you get a chance to meet her when you are in town."

"So, you've known her a day and you already want to introduce her to the family?" Jared joked.

"Two days. We had breakfast together this morning."

"Go Dad!" Jared catcalled.

"No, Jared! We met for a breakfast date this morning. I'm hoping to see her in a couple of days for our next date. The more I'm around her, the more I like her. I'm starting to wish I had planned a whole day with her instead of just breakfast. I didn't want to overwhelm her. I'm not a dating machine. I don't really know how to do this. Any advice for your old man?"

Jared was stunned. His father called him to not only check in with him, but to get dating advice. Jared was an extremely handsome young man. He had his parents' blue eyes, his father's tall height and similar build, his mother's brunette hair color with his father's waves. In a better word to describe him, he was pretty. He was very popular on the dating scene when he was unattached, but once he met Griffin, he knew he was in love and only wanted to be with him. "My advice would be to stifle the dad jokes!"

"You're lucky I don't have much for you to inherit. I'd disown you for your lack of respect towards my sense of humor." They both laughed at the fact that that was actually a good one.

"Just be yourself, dad. You're one of the good guys. You also seem to be very discerning of the people you bring into your life, so I'm sure she's a great person too. I truly hope this works out for you. Be sure to let me know when you two have breakfast," Jared smirked.

"On that note, son, I'm going to let you go. Give my best to Griffin. Love you."

"Love you too, dad. Bye." Both Grant men ended the call at the same time. Fitz went into his family room, turned on the TV and searched for something to watch. He ended up on a classic tv show station playing old episodes of Perry Mason. He reclined on his sectional and continued his lazy Sunday afternoon.

XXX

Olivia returned home after her wonderful breakfast date with Fitz. She parked her car and popped her trunk. She always keeps a few different types of rolling carts in her car in the event she has heavy boxes or books for work that need to be transported. She took out the small metal upright dolly and placed the Presidential Suite on its shelf. She used short bungy cords to secure the gift box to the cart. After making sure she had her keys and wristlet, she closed the trunk and car door, locked her car, and headed inside. Once inside of her condo, she wondered where the best place would be to put her gift. She could display it on her dining room table. She also had a liquor cabinet, but the set was too pretty to place behind closed doors. Olivia decided to place it in front of the fireplace in her living room. It was the focal point of the room, and the warm weather precluded the use of the fireplace for the next several months.

Olivia texted Angela to see if she was up and about with her day.

O: How are you today? Five minutes later, Angela responded.

A: Nope! Get straight to the good stuff! I want to know about breakfast!

O: It was nice. We went to Sunny's Up Side. I really like him.

A: Did you two make plans for a second date.

O: No set plans, but I'm pretty sure a second date is in the works. I only have one concern. He's born and bred James County.

A: Oooohhhh. Did he make any off comments to you that made you uncomfortable?

O: No. Has Marcus ever mentioned anything to you? I was thinking of asking him his thoughts about Fitz, if he's witnessed or even suspects any bigotry.

A: He's here now. I'm going to call you and put you on speaker.

O: ok

Five seconds later, Angela called Olivia. Olivia answered and heard both Angela and Marcus on the other end.

"Hey Liv," Marcus said. "So, a birdie told me you and Fitz went on a date this morning!"

"Yes, Marcus. He and I went to breakfast. It was very nice, and he was a total gentleman. Everything went very smoothly, but when he mentioned he's from James County, my red flags peaked a bit."

"In all honesty, Liv, he hasn't done or said anything that makes me think he has racist or bigoted tendencies. I vaguely recall years ago, around the time that I first started working at Defiance there was an incident with his father who was visiting and a former co-worker who was Black. Fitz sided with his father and shortly after that, dude quit. Since I was new, I didn't want to ask too many questions in business that wasn't mine. I cannot say if the incident was racial, but I always felt like it was."

"Interesting. I'm just skeptical of white folks from James County. I've had a few clients recommend me to several potential clients who, when they come in for their initial consultation, found quick reasons to cut the meeting short. When I looked up that person or their business, they were all from James County. Every. Single. One. They never bothered to ask me about my education or credentials or even my strategy for successfully minimizing their tax liabilities. Nope. They only saw a Black girl and ran. Obviously, Fitz isn't this person, but to grow up around people like that and stay in that kind of community most of your life says something. Do you think he would mind if I brought up the subject with him?"

"He's pretty laid back, Liv. If anything, he'll want to do whatever to offer you assurances, and it sounds like that's what you're seeking from him. Just get yourself a Black king like me and you won't have that kinda shit to worry about." Marcus teased her with a hearty laugh.

"I know, right? But he's so cute and nice. He gave me a Presidential Suite gift set!"

"Whaaaaaat? Oh girl, that man is trying to marry you. That set goes for $450! That's the liquor equivalent of putting a ring on it."

"Shut up, Marcus." Olivia guffawed. "I told him I was going to buy some of the bourbon, so he was just being nice and saving me the trouble."

"Sure. Okay. Just be sure to give that man some good-good soon."

"Boy, bye. Angela, I will speak with you later after you exorcise that demon from your house." Olivia ended the call, still laughing hard. She changed into a sweatshirt and leggings and took out a piece of fresh salmon to season and marinate for several hours before dinner. She pulled up her Anita Baker playlist on her iPad and connected it to her Bluetooth speaker. She stretched out on her couch, pulled a throw over her lower body, and settled into a rare afternoon nap.

XXX

Olivia awoke two and a half hours later with the room brighter than when she fell asleep. The bright late afternoon sun was moving across the sky and its glare was beaming through her living room windows. She got up, folded the throw, and tossed it over the arm of the couch. It was such a carefree day for her, she decided to do the small load of laundry she'd accumulated since she did several loads last weekend. After placing clothes into the washing machine, she heard her phone ping, alerting her to a text message. Olivia checked her phone and saw it was a text from Michaela.

M: Are you sober and well-rested from yesterday's events?

O: Very! Did you and Russ enjoy yourselves? I thought the festival was quite nice.

M: Yes. Russ hopes to go again next year. Is it an annual thing?

O: I don't think so. It was the distillery's 10th anniversary. Maybe they host tastings, though.

M: I saw the owner giving you the eye. Angela told me you left with him during the festival. Anything you want to share?

O: He gave me a private bourbon tasting.

M: OMG

O: We met for breakfast this morning

M: OMG OMG OMG

O: Let's meet up for drinks later this week. Thursday or Friday?

M: Thursday works best for me. I'll see if Ange wants to come too. Let's plan on meeting at Roll Call's. 6:30pm.

O: Ok. See you then.

After texting with Michaela and planning their girls' night out, Olivia was ready to make her dinner of baked salmon, asparagus, and rice. She knew the rule was that she should pair white wine with her fish, but she had always preferred red. She may even get close to finishing her bottle of Bad Dad merlot. After cooking and eating her dinner, cleaning her kitchen, and finishing her load of laundry, Olivia checked to make sure her home was secured for the night. She was in the mood for a long, hot bath and one last glass of wine. She drew her bath and sunk into her deep-set tub. Olivia reclined on her bath pillow and let herself relax for the next 20 minutes. After her bath, she moisturized herself and climbed into bed with her sudoku book. No matter what, at the end of the day, Olivia loved working with numbers.

XXX

Fitz spent the rest of his day lounging on the sofa, watching classic tv sitcoms, eating Cheetos, and enjoying a couple of bottles of craft beer. He did these things in an attempt to get his mind off of Olivia, who kept creeping into his thoughts all day. He was planning to call her to ask her out for that second date, but he wanted to give her some breathing room after their first date. He was going to call her in a couple of hours to suggest a home-cooked meal and watching a movie. Then again, maybe she'd prefer to go out, get dressed up and have a night on the town. What about flowers? What kind does she like? Isn't marigold a flower? Maybe he'd fill the house with marigolds if she says yes to the home-cooked meal. Fitz sighed and got up to get a glass of water. Dating really was a young man's game.

After resettling back on the couch with his water, Fitz heard a text alert come through his phone. He checked it, and to his surprise he saw it was a text from Olivia.

O: I hope you enjoyed the rest of your day. Thanks again for a lovely breakfast and the awesome Presidential gift set!

Olivia waited for his text reply, but several seconds later, her phone rang with a call from Fitz.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Liv. It's Fitz."

"Hi Fitz. How has your day been?

"Well, I had breakfast with an incredible woman. Other than that, it was an uneventful day. I talked to my son, which is always a good thing, so overall, I had a good one. How about you?"

"I had a mostly lazy day. I did a few chores, but other than that, I got a nap in, and I had a long hot bath."

"I'm glad you were able to have a chill day today." Fitz smiled through the phone. "I'm calling to see if you'd like to have dinner with me on Tuesday. My place. I'll cook."

"I don't think I can say no to that! I'm there. What time works for you?"

"How about 7:30? I'll leave the distillery early that day."

"Sounds like a plan." Olivia said sincerely. She thought about bringing up her concerns with him. She went back and forth in her head for about ten seconds, and finally decided now was the best time to breach the subject rather than doing it in a couple of days. "Fitz, can I ask you something. It may be awkward or uncomfortable to talk about, but I think it's best if we discuss this now rather than later."

Fitz, sensing the seriousness of what was on her mind agreed to move forward with wherever this conversation is taking them. "Sure."

"We obviously come from different backgrounds and environments. Even though I grew up in a predominantly Black community, I've had to learn to navigate both my own culture and your culture. On the other hand, I'm aware that most white people I know never learn to navigate cultures outside of themselves. I've had bad experiences with people from James County, especially professionally. I walk through this world as a Black woman, proud of who I am and loving my culture. What are your thoughts on us moving forward? You may think it's pretty soon to think about a relationship, but we are both older and move faster in our romantic relationships since we probably are more self-aware of who we are in our lives now, and we have a clearer understanding of what we want and don't want as it pertains to partners. I want us to have this conversation now so that we don't waste each other's time trying to figure this piece out."

Fitz was a little taken aback. He wasn't expecting this to be the serious topic she wanted to discuss. He did understand, though, because he saw quite a bit of bigotry and racism in James County during his time there. She was right. He had never made any efforts to learn things about Black culture that were not brought to his attention by some external force. He had never read a book by a Black author. He didn't know Black artists, scientists, or historical figures other than MLK. He knew nothing about HBCU's, and only new of one, Howard University since it is local. He realized now that he could lose the woman of his dreams because he had shown such little interest and disregard for a large, instrumental part of American culture. How could he possibly salvage this conversation or keep her from shutting their potential relationship down? And the biggest question he had for himself made his heart ache. How would he handle a relationship with Olivia and avoid the bigotry of his father?

"Wow. You said this would be awkward and uncomfortable and you didn't lie. I will be honest with you, Olivia. You are right about the people in James County. I hate to say this, but my father is one of those people. He may never have used slurs, but he definitely meant to instill in me a sense of superiority, and to an extent, he probably succeeded. Although I never thought of myself as racist, prejudiced, or bigoted, I've never taken the time to learn about Black culture, and that's on me. I always saw myself as someone who likes people for who they are, but I'm just realizing that I've focused my knowledge on things that pertain to white people. I've kept myself in a bubble because it was comfortable." Fitz took a deep breath and sighed before continuing. Olivia was quiet, waiting for him to continue.

"Although we just met yesterday, and have spent a few hours together, there is real potential for us to have a relationship. I'll be honest, that's what I want. I see now that I have a responsibility to know you. As much of you as I can. I should be as knowledgeable about your culture as you are of mine. Your culture will be as important to me as it is to you. I won't do this just for you, but for us. And no matter what happens in our relationship, I'll continue to learn."

"Thank you for your honesty, Fitz. This makes me feel much better about us. I'm not worried about your father. You are not him. I'm not that girl who needs to be liked by my boyfriend's family." Olivia reassured him.

"Boyfriend? Are we there already?" Fitz questioned happily.

"Not yet, but like you said, the potential is there." She admitted.

"So, there's hope?"

"There's hope."

Fitz began to think of the progression of their relationship, and he became excited. He then realized that there was another serious topic that needed discussion. He knew this, too, could be a deal breaker for her.

"Liv, this morning we talked about my ex-wife and kids. Have you been married? Do you have kids?

"No and no."

"Do you want kids?" Fitz asked, nervous about her answer.

"I'm 45 years old, Fitz. I am not trying to mother babies at this point in my life. I've hit a stride with work, and I enjoy living my life on my own terms. Do you want more kids?"

"No. I had a vasectomy a while back. You're still young and can have children, and I know not being able to have kids could be a dealbreaker."

"It seems we are on the same page about living our best adult, child-free lives."

"So, it seems." Fitz agreed, relieved that they seemed to have made it to the other side of their serious talk. "I don't want to keep you. I'm sure you want to get to bed. Thank you for this talk. I really meant what I said. I want to know you. Really know you. Thank you for giving me that chance. Can we talk tomorrow?"

"I'd like that. And I'm looking forward to dinner on Tuesday. What are you cooking?"

"It's a surprise. Do you have any food allergies?"

"No, I don't. And don't go to too much trouble either. I'm a sucker for steak and potatoes or chicken and rice. The basics."

Fitz chuckled, "Then I think you will really like what I make. Would you like to make a wine suggestion?"

"I will let you make all the arrangements. Just like you'll let me do when it's my turn to cook you dinner. Deal?"

"Deal. Have a good night, Liv."

"You too, Fitz."