It was almost 10:00 at night when Oliver reading in his home study heard the phone ringing. Concerned he hurried to answer. "Hello."
"Oliver guess what I finally was able to find the anthropologist we were looking for at a university in California. She's guest lecturing there."
Breathing a sigh of relief, "That's good. I was afraid something was wrong when you were calling this late at night."
"Oliver it's not even 10:00 yet." Shane responded confused.
"Normally if one calls after 9:00 one could be concerned that an emergency might have occurred." Oliver answered patiently trying to explain.
"Noted." Shane said offering up her own explanation, "Not realizing what one considered late, I got excited and called my boyfriend to share my excitement."
Grinning at her calling him her boyfriend Oliver settled in to talk, "At which University is our wandering anthropologist lecturing?"
"Berkeley." Shane answered before smiling teasingly, "What was Oliver O'Toole doing staying up so late on a school night?"
Chuckling Oliver answered, "I was reading."
"What were you reading?" Shane asked curious.
"A book on the Galapagos Islands."
"Really." Shane drawled.
"After it was brought up while following our intrepid anthropologist's travels, Norman mentioned his grandmother had spent some time there. I was curious."
"Oliver O'Toole curious. What is the world coming to?" Shane asked teasingly, "Oliver have I been a bad influence?"
"I can't imagine you bringing anything but good into my life Shane." Oliver said seriously. Struggling not to tear up Shane got quiet. "Are you still there?" Oliver asked.
"Yes…" Shane said sniffling.
Oliver grinned hearing the tears in her voice. "I enjoyed breakfast last weekend after I was eventually let through the front door. I didn't know you made such a, er, diverse omelet."
Shane grinned at Oliver's description of her omelets. Evidently, he thought more than two ingredients was excessive. "I enjoyed breakfast as well."
"I was wondering if you might be free next weekend for brunch at a less fraught time. I promise I won't arrive overly early." Oliver said thinking about how she answered the door. "There's a place downtown I thought you might enjoy."
"I think that sounds wonderful. I should probably let you go. I don't want to keep you up too late on a school night." Shane said smiling.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning Shane."
"Good night Oliver." Shane hugged her phone to her chest with a smile. It still thrilled her when he called her Shane.