BRIAN'S POV

"To what do I owe this surprise?" you ask, and he answers almost before you've finished asking. "Wanna go have lunch? At the loft?" You glance at your watch; you really don't have time to do this, but there's something about his demeanor that makes you reluctant to say no, so you smile and get up. You tell Cynthia you'll be back in awhile and walk out a few steps behind him. You make sure that you're there to open the door for him...every door. He's a bit overdressed for a lunch date at the loft so you inquire as you start the car, "What do you want to eat?"

"I don't really care, not that hungry."

You pull your phone out and text Cynthia, 'PLZ GET FOOD 4 ME IF U GO OUT.''

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"I forgot to tell Cynthia something. You just wanna go to the loft?"

"Yeah."

~*~*~
He stands a few feet away from you in the elevator. Your phone buzzes and you look down at the screen, 'JUST U?' You text Cynthia back, 'Y.' You enter the loft, grab a bottle of water from the fridge, and sit down on the sofa. He sits down beside you, borrows a sip of your water and places the bottle on your coffee table. You smile at him and put your arm around his shoulder. He turns his body toward you and starts to unravel your tie. You stop his hand, his face is just a few inches from yours when you ask, "Is everything okay?"

"It is now," he says.