I decided that the matter would be better discussed over lunch. So, the two of us headed to a chic little bistro not far from the office. Over sandwiches and just a bit of wine, I did my best to bring Mary up to speed on just what'd been going on with my life over the last several years. I told her about everything: Oxford, Evelyn, Grace, the new job- all of it. And by the time we were done I looked down and noticed that neither one of us had taken a single bite of our meals.

"That's going to get cold," I said, gesturing to Mary's ham and Swiss.

"You were married?" she asked, her gorgeous green eyes going about as wide as they could. "And had a kid?"

"Now, I thought you were going to congratulate me on going back to Oxford," I said in a wry tone.

Mary pulled off a little piece of her baguette and tossed it at me.

"I can't believe you just dropped off the face of the earth like that," she said, sitting back in her chair. "Anna told me that people were wondering if you still even existed."

"That was by design," I said, sitting back and taking a sip of my drink. "I mean, I wasn't looking to fake my own demise or any such thing, but I wanted to make it clear that I wasn't going to be living that sort of life any longer."

"Oh?" asked Mary, leaning closer. "And what was the thing that changed your mind?"

"Well, a multitude of things, really," I said. "But I'd be being dishonest if I said that how things turned out with you and I didn't play a large role."

"Really?" she asked, her green eyes widening a bit. "You're a captain of industry because of me?"

"Now, now," I said, raising my palms. "Let's not get too carried away. I'd been thinking that I ought to get my life together for some time. Going on and partying all night, sleeping in until noon, nursing my hangover until I was ready to do it all over again- that was just wearing a bit thin, you see. And dating someone like you who seemed to have a clear direction to her life, well, it was a little inspiring."

"I'm touched," she said with a grin.

"And when I learned that my party lifestyle was starting to pull you into my orbit, you know, distracting you from your studies and all that, I was a little beside myself. I don't know what I would've done with myself if I knew that your studies were irreparably harmed due to my influence."

"Not to mention the whole thing with you and that…girl," said Mary, the last word of her sentence positively dripping with venom.

"And that was how I knew that I needed to get my house in order. Nothing happened between her and me, but knowing that my carelessness had hurt you so…it was a real wake up call."

"So, you decided that right then was the time to get married."

"Oh, we're on that, are we?" I asked, a little amused that she'd go right for that particular subject.

"Might as well," said Mary. "Now that we're getting it all out in the open."

"I suppose we are," I said. "Well, Evelyn and I had something of a whirlwind romance. We had several classes together, and things…just kind of took their own course. We figured that since we were both on the same path, generally, that it only made sense that we get married."

"Just seemed like the smart thing to do?" asked Mary, teasing me a bit.

"Now, now," I said. "I'd been letting my passions drive me for so long that I felt a more…calculated decision couldn't really hurt. After all, she was attractive, smart, ambitious- it just seemed to work."

I realized right then that those three particular adjectives described Mary perfectly. But I put that thought aside as best I could.

"But it didn't," said Mary.

"Wow," I said. "Cutting right to the heart of the matter, eh? Well, you're right. For a multitude of reasons, our marriage fell apart. Quite catastrophically, really. It all began sometime after Grace was born."

"I still can't believe you have a daughter," said Mary.

"At times, neither can I," I said. "But you always hear about how no one is really ready to be a parent, right? That was certainly the case with Evelyn and I. However, the difference between her and I seemed to be that while I fell naturally into the role of father, she seemed to feel constrained, almost like a prisoner. She was happy at first, sure, but once the reality of being a mother set in…well, she never seemed to really take much satisfaction from it."

"My thoughts exactly," I said. "I think the difference is that while I came into my new life eagerly, knowing how unsatisfying a life of wanton hedonism could be, Evelyn had always been on the track to traditional success. Her parents were the type to make sure that she was always on the straight and narrow, and I think she never really got a chance to sow her wild oats, as it were."

"Grass is always greener," Mary said.

"Quite. So, about a year into our marriage, it became clear that things weren't going to work out. It was a…most difficult period. But we both came through the other side. And thankfully, Grace was so young at the time that she was spared seeing Evelyn and me at our worst. That didn't make the process any easier, however."

"I'm sorry," said Mary.

"Oh, don't be," I said. "It was for the best. Though because of Grace, we still remain in one another's lives. An unusual situation, but I do my best to make it work. Grace does need a mother, after all."

A moment passed as the two of us picked at our food.

"But enough about me," I said. "Tell me all about your life after our little affair. I'm curious what you've been up to."

"Well, there's not really much to say…"

Mary told me about the rest of her time in London, how she was lucky enough to work on a project with one of her professors, and how she went back to the states to finish her education and eventually acquire her MBA from Harvard. I knew all of this, for the most part, from the information that I had access to, but it was lovely to hear her describe her life in her own words.

"…and now I'm back in London."

"Indeed you are," I said.

Another moment passed.

"And you and I are going to be working together quite a bit," she said.

"Indeed."

Another moment passed, our eyes lingering on one another's.

"So, that brings me to the other thing that I wanted to discuss with you."

"And what's that?"

"As Mr. Langford said, we're going to be going back and forth to New York quite a bit over the next few months. It's going to be a very hectic process, and I think it might be easier if you just stay with me at my flat until this whole thing is finished up."

"Stay with you at your apartment?" asked Mary, incredulous. "I mean, your flat?"

I couldn't help but crack a little smile as she corrected herself into speaking the Queen's.

"Yes," I said. "It just makes sense. You're essentially going to be my shadow for the next few months anyway. And I'm sure that we'll be sharing a place in New York. This way you won't have to run all around town between your place, my place, and the office. And I'll speak with logistics and have them put the apartment where you're staying under your name for the full year, so you don't have to worry about moving or anything of that sort."

Mary thought it over, biting down on her lower lip in an absolutely sexy manner as she did.

"You don't think that this is a bad idea? I mean, we…do have a history together and all."

"What, you think you won't be able to keep your hands off me or something?" I asked with a grin.

"No!" she shot out. "I mean, I can if you can."

"Of course," I said. "We're both professionals here. And my place is big enough that you'll have plenty of space for yourself."

"That's right," she said. "We're both professionals."

Another moment hung in the air, and as we both turned our attention back to our food, I couldn't help but wonder what sort of situation the two of us were getting into.

One way to find out, I thought.