Author's note: Thank you all for your kind words after chapter 1. Here's chapter 2 which delves a bit more into the development of Shane and Steve's relationship. As I write this I keep hearing Shane's words that Steve's "not a bad guy." I always took issue with that but as I'm writing I'm starting to see why she says that. Hope you enjoy the next chapter. I think there will be two more to follow. As always, I appreciate constructive criticism that can only help me be a better writer.

These wonderful characters belong to the amazing Martha Williamson. I hope I'm doing them justice.

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Six months passed and Shane was frantically trying to get out the door on time for her first day at her new job at the DC headquarters of the USPS. Three months prior Shane had come to the realization that, while she loved art, working at the gallery wasn't as fulfilling as she'd hoped it would be. One aspect of her job at the gallery she did really enjoy and excelled at was searching for and tracking down unique pieces of art that clients requested. She loved the surge of adrenaline she felt when her computer screen lit up notifying her that what she'd been searching for had been found.

Oddly enough, those were the skills that got her the job in Direct Line Operations at the USPS. At first Shane was a little put off by the notion of working for the post office. She would be going from a career in the art world to being a government employee. She applied more for the interview experience and to see how her skills matched up to other candidates so when the call came with the offer to join Direct Line Operations she was surprised and still a little unsure about accepting the position. But, after some heavy contemplation aided by a very hefty pour of cabernet Shane decided to take the leap and accept the job. Thinking pragmatically, the salary was a decent bump from her current job, the hours were more regular which would give her an opportunity to socialize more frequently(not that she socialized much anyway.) She wasn't signing up to be a lifer at the post office so she decided she would learn as much as she could, stay as long as she felt challenged and thankfully, she didn't have to wear a postal uniform. After making the decision Shane vacillated between excitement at the new opportunity and worry that her abilities wouldn't stack up to her co-workers. Her nerves that first morning had her doing some deep breathing exercises as she stood in line at the coffee cart located next to USPS headquarters.

When Shane finally got to the front of the line she quickly placed her order for a skinny vanilla latte. Checking her watch she listened to the hissing of the milk steamer doing its work creating the perfect velvety texture to add to the shot of espresso which would provid her a much needed shot of caffeine. She was just pulling cash from her wallet when she heard a voice behind her. "Let me get this for the lady." Had she heard that voice before? She thought so but she couldn't place it.

Shane turned quickly to say thank you for the kind gesture and ready to greet whoever was behind her with a smile. She didn't expect to find herself face to face with none other than the extremely handsome gentleman who, six months earlier, had been on the receiving end of her clumsiness and a glass of wine. Her blue eyes grew larger and her cheeks heated up as he smiled at her.

"It's Shane isn't it?"

"Uh, yes, yes it is." Shane stammered surprised that he remembered her name. She racked her brain trying to remember his. She certainly remembered his rugged good looks and those blue eyes but, darn it, what was his name?

After placing his own order and handing the barista some money he turned to Shane. "Steve Marek" he said with a curve of his lips. "We met…"

"I know. Yes, I remember." Shane said hesitantly. "You were on the receiving end of my lack of gracefulness and a glass of wine." Shane smiled meekly hoping to hide her renewed embarrassment. "Thank you for the coffee. I'd love to stay and chat but I can't be late. I'm starting a new job today."

"And where might that be?" he asked casually.

"I'm working at the USPS." Shane quickly responded. "Um, thanks again for the coffee." She turned and made a quick getaway not wanting to be late on her first day and not wanting Steve Marek to see the hint of a smile on her face. She'd thought of Mr. Marek from time to time. How could she not? He was incredibly handsome and had been kind to her in spite of the mishap she'd created. Yes, she thought of him from time to time but never expected she would run in to him in a city of 600,000 people. She looked up to the skies. Okay universe…what just happened?

The first day of any new job is a rather boring expanse of time. Lots of HR orientation and paperwork to fill out. She did like the woman in HR who somehow managed to make the process a bit more enjoyable. Rebecca Starkwell was just a few years older than Shane but had worked for the USPS for several years after going through the executive intern program. Shane had been introduced to more people than she could possibly remember and did her best to commit to memory as many names of her new co-workers as she could. Her cubicle was at the far end of a room filled with identical cubicles and occupied by a mix of men and women all working busily in front of large computer screens.

It was 4:00 by the time Shane finally had a chance to get back to her work station and her eyes brightened seeing a rather large bouquet of flowers on her desk. Her eyes darted around wondering if any of her new co-workers might have seen who made the delivery but all heads were down and no one was paying attention to the new girl or her bouquet of flowers. The only people who knew she was starting her job today were her mother and her sister but she doubted either of them remembered it was her first day or that they would think to send her flowers.

Shane grabbed the card that was jutting out from the stunning bouquet of pink roses and white lilies. She trailed her finger over her name written on the envelope. The writing definitely looked masculine. She slid into her seat quickly and ran her finger under the flap of the envelope. She pulled the card out slowly and as she read the note her mouth dropped.

"Hope your first day went well. Meet me for coffee in the morning? It's your turn to buy."

Steve

Shane read and re-read the note. A slow smile crept across her face. Was this her answer from the universe? Should she be put off or flattered by Steve Marek's boldness? She was more curious how he'd tracked her down at the USPS. Reading the note one more time had her feeling giddy as she replayed this morning's meeting at the coffee cart. Would she meet him tomorrow morning? Should she meet him tomorrow morning? Looking up she noticed Rebecca Starkwell from HR making her way toward her desk.

"Wow, those are some beautiful flowers! Someone wanted to make sure you had a very good first day." Rebecca leaned over to smell the fragrant roses.

Shane wasn't sure what to say so she just stuttered "Oh, uh, they're just from a…they're from uh, a friend." She wasn't sure what to say about Steve, after all, she'd only met him a couple of times and their time in each other's presence totaled less than ten minutes.

Rebecca smiled. "Well, it's always nice to have a friend who sends flowers. I just came by to see if you had everything you need and let you know we're happy to have you on board with the USPS."

Looking back on the day between her morning coffee cart experience, the friendliness of the people at the USPS and the beautiful flowers sitting on her desk, Shane decided it had been a very good first day indeed.

The following morning Shane paid a little more attention to her hair, a little more attention to her makeup and stood in front of her closet a bit longer than usual trying to select an outfit that not only would she look good in but would feel good in too. There was something about looking her best that gave her a confidence and today she knew she would need all the confidence she could get. The black pantsuit she'd chosen fit her like a glove and the blue silk blouse underneath set off her eyes perfectly. Now the question was, should she arrive early, the same time as yesterday or a few minutes late so she didn't look overly eager? She decided to split the difference and arrive at the same time as she did the day before. As she walked her nerves had her stomach twisting and turning until she thought she might be sick. She began some self-talk in an attempt to calm herself. It was a technique she'd learned in college when she had an exam or presentation to do. She found that while it worked in school, meeting Steve Marek for coffee wasn't the same and she found little relief.

When she arrived, she glanced around and saw him standing off to the side of the cart with his back to her. Shane closed her eyes, took a deep breath, opened her eyes and walked straight over to him before her nerves could stop her.

Standing behind him she leaned forward and said. "May I buy you a cup of coffee?"

Steve spun around and flashed her a smile. "I wasn't sure if you would show up or not."

Steve's smile caught Shane off guard. She couldn't help but do likewise. "Well, I wanted to say thank you for the flowers and I always need my morning latte."

And so, a new routine was born. For the next two weeks Shane and Steve met every morning before work for their morning caffeine and conversation. They usually had about half an hour and spent it sitting on a bench close to the National Mall. While Shane found herself looking forward to their time together she did her best to maintain a distance both physically and emotionally. As much as she enjoyed Steve's company and as attractive as she found him, she wasn't sure she was ready to open herself up to the possibility of heartbreak like she'd experienced before. She limited her side of the conversation to benign stories about her new job, art, and her other hobbies.

As for Steve, he spent most of the time listening to Shane. She'd asked him where he worked but he was a bit cagey in his response. His only answer was that he worked for the government. She worked for the government too so it didn't make sense that he couldn't expound on his answer. Was he in politics? His expensive suits led her to believe that he could be a congressman or senator. Her curiosity had gotten the best of her so one evening she finally googled both Steve Marek and Steven Marek with no results. She'd even employed some of her higher-level computer skills to dig deeper but she still came up with nothing so him being a congressman or senator was out. It was frustrating, intriguing and worrisome all at the same time. The most information he'd divulged about himself was that he liked baseball, cooking and was a big Ian Fleming fan and had read all of his James Bond novels.

On Friday of the second week instead of going their separate ways after their morning ritual, Steve offered to walk Shane to her office. "Are you sure you have time? I don't want to make you late."

"No worries, I've actually got a meeting with someone at the USPS." Shane wanted to ask who but given Steve's tight lips with regard to his job she doubted he'd tell her.

Before walking into USPS headquarters Steve turned to Shane and took her free hand in his skimming his thumb over her knuckles. The jolt of electricity that shot through from her head to her toes threatened to throw Shane off balance. "I was hoping you would have dinner with me tomorrow night if you're not busy." He gave her his boyish grin and she thought again how incredibly handsome he was.

Shane tried to keep her face void of expression as Steve waited for her response. Was she ready to date again? She'd already stepped out of her comfort zone with her new job and the coffee routine she had with Steve, was she ready to step even further by going on a date? She'd pretty much been on her own for years and had become very skilled at keeping people at arm's length. Would going on a date mean she was starting to put those arms down and let someone in her life? Was this the universe's way of telling her it was time to open up again? One date could be an opportunity to test that theory.

"No, I'm not busy. I think dinner sounds lovely." Shane gave Steve her address and he plugged it into his iphone.

"Great, I'll pick you up at 7" was the last thing Steve said as he left her at the elevators while he went to check in at the reception desk. Shane stepped into the elevator, pushed the button for her seventh-floor office and slumped against the back wall thankful no one else was riding with her. "Okay universe, you seem to be talking to me a lot lately. I just wish I could understand what you're telling me!"