"You're moving in with him?"

Anna's tone was incredulous.

"I mean, it makes some kind of sense," I said, sitting back in the chair in our living room. "Plus, he said I can have this apartment for the rest of the year, so it's not like you're going to have to go anywhere."

"Darling, I'm not worried about me," said Anna. "I'm worried about just what's going to become of you. You're moving in with the man who broke your heart, and not only that, you're going to be practically joined at the hip with him while you two do this New York project."

"I'm a professional," I said, echoing the words that Sam and I had used during lunch. "We talked about this already; there's not going to be any…funny business."

"I don't know," said Anna. "It all seems like a recipe for disaster. Especially with his ex-wife still in the picture."

"But what does his ex-wife still being around matter at all if we're just going to be working together? Surely she'll understand."

"Oh, darling," said Anna. "You're so gloriously naïve at times. You're going to be staying with Sam and his daughter, correct?"

"That's right."

"Then this ex-wife won't be able to help but feel territorial. You could swear on your mother's life that you and Sam won't get up to anything, and she'll still view you as competition."

"You're just being cynical," I said.

"OK," said Anna in a sing-song voice. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

Anna cast a glance around the apartment at my bags.

"When is he going to be picking you up, by the by?"

"He's not," I said. "Sam said that he'd send his car."

"'Send his car'?" asked Anna. "My-oh-my."

"What?" I said.

"I just can't get over how far our little Samuel has come, and in so little time. But at least you two finally got to catch up and get on the same page."

"I know," I said. "I'm still wrapping my head around it too."

But before I could say anything more, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw that it was a text informing me that my ride had arrived.

"Alright," I said, taking a deep breath. "That's my ride."

"Well, let me at least help you take some of these things out," said Anna, getting up.

Bags in hand, we headed outside where a sleek, silver Mercedes greeted us, a driver clad in black standing at the back door.

"Not bad," said Anna, looking the car over. "Do me a favor- try not to forget about us little people."

I smiled and gave Anna a tight hug.

"I'll talk soon," I said. "Let you know how everything's going."

"Don't do anything that I wouldn't do," she replied.

"I don't know what exactly that means," I said with a grin.

"Mary Metzger?" asked the driver in a gruff, Cockney accent, his eyes hidden behind a pair of aviator sunglasses.

"That's me," I said.

He nodded, opened the door, and grabbed my bags. I stepped into the spacious interior of the car, which was arranged like some sort of fancy limo. There was a little TV, leather couches, and even a small bar. Soon, the driver was back into the front seat and we were off.

I settled into the comfortable seat, my eyes on the passing city. We drove further and further downtown, and I could tell by my surroundings that we were entering the ritzier part of the city. Eventually, we arrived at a tall, modern tower that was equal parts glass and steel. The car came to a halt in front of the lobby and soon after the driver opened the door for me, my bags next to him. The two of us made our way through the lobby, which was just as elegant and modern as the exterior of the building. A short elevator ride up later, the red display read "PH," and the doors opened.

I gasped as I beheld the apartment. It was modern, wide open, and with a view that looked out on the curving form of the Thames. The ceilings were tall, and contemporary art decorated the walls.

And right in the middle of the scene was Sam, in the midst of an argument with a slender, well-dressed woman with red hair tied back into a stark ponytail. The driver set my bags down, gave me a nod, and hurried back into the elevator. I got the distinct impression that he'd witnessed scenes like this before, and wanted nothing to do with it.

"I told you," said the woman, her hands on her hips. "I told you last week that I'd be dropping Grace off for the weekend."

"You said no such thing," said Sam, his voice low, but stern. "I believe this is one of those moments where you're so convinced that you did something that you're forgetting it never actually happened. That's not something that's exactly beyond the pale for you."

"Are you suggesting that I just made it up out of whole cloth?" asked the woman.

"I'm not ‘suggesting' anything; I'm telling you that you never made any such arrangements. I have nothing in my schedule, no email, and no text. Part of me is wondering if your plan was to just show up here with Grace, make one of your trademark productions, and hope that you'd raise enough of a stink that I'd just go along with whatever you wanted. This too, is something that's not exactly beyond the pale for you."

"I…never!" said the woman.

"Um, hi," I said, not wanting to interrupt, but feeling like I should make my presence known somehow.

The two of them stopped in their tracks, which was a relief to me; I wouldn't have been surprised if the woman's next move would've been to rip Sam's head clear off and toss it right into the Thames.

"Mary!" said Sam. "You've arrived."

The woman turned to me and shot me the sharpest daggers imaginable. Her hands remained locked on her hips, and I felt like I might melt under her glare.

"Is this the little hussy that's going to be living with my daughter?" she asked, her voice a prim, aristocratic accent.

"This is the assistant who's going to be staying with me for a time, yes," said Sam, his voice stern.

The woman strode over to me, her heels clicking on the ground. Once she closed the distance between us she looked me over with careful, cutting eyes. I felt like a gazelle that the mother lion had just chosen for her lunch.

"Hopefully she knows her place," said the woman.

"Ah, that's Mary, by the way," said Sam. "Mary, this is Evelyn, my ex-wife."

"Nice to meet you," I said, my voice as meek as imaginable.

Evelyn offered nothing but a gruff "hmm" in response. But before she could say anything further, a small figure stepped into the living room.

"Daddy," said the girl, "are you and mommy fighting again?"

My gaze flicked past Evelyn onto the girl. She looked to be about five, with dark hair and eyes so blue and piercing that they shone from across the room.

"No, no," said Sam. "The two of us are just having a little discussion, that's all."

"Then why are your voices so loud?" asked Grace.

"Because your father doesn't seem to be capable of staying on top of his schedule, Gracie," said Evelyn, finally taking her gaze off me; I felt instant relief as soon as she did.

"Now, what did I say about bringing Gracie into these sorts of matters?" asked Sam. "She doesn't need to hear about these things."

"I disagree," said Evelyn, walking over to Grace and scooping her off her feet. "I think it's very important that she knows her own father can't remember when he's going to have her."

"Ev," said Sam. "Now's not the time."

A little pleasured expression crossed Evelyn's face, and I got the sense she was satisfied with how far she'd driven in the screw.

"Fine," she said, grabbing her purse off the couch and starting towards the door. "But I trust this won't happen again."

With that, she blew past me, but not before giving me a final look, one that seemed to say "know your place, or pay the consequences." Then, she was back on the elevator and out the door. Once it closed and descended, a silence fell over the apartment.

"Well," said Sam. "I suppose that's one way to meet the family."

Sam came over and grabbed my bags.

"Sorry about all that business," he said. "Evelyn can be…quite demanding when it comes to certain things."

"I can tell," I said.

Now that Evelyn was gone, I went back to being bowled over by the apartment. My eyes tracked around the luxurious space, finally landing on Sam's daughter, who looked at me with bright blue eyes that were so similar to her father's that it was almost creepy. I'd never really felt myself to have much of a kid person, so I went back and forth between thinking I should say hello to Grace, and thinking I should just let Sam lead things.

"Ah, Gracie, darling, meet Miss Mary Metzger- she'll be living with us for a time while papa works on a very important project."

Grace's eyes still fixed on me, she rushed over to her father, grabbed his leg, and hid behind it, her brilliant blue eyes peeking out every second or two.

"She's not really one for greetings," said Sam, an apologetic tone to his voice.

Before he could say another word, Grace darted out from behind Sam's leg and ran down one of the hallways that led from the living room.

"She'll…warm up to you," he said. "She's just going through a lot, what with this dreadful situation with her mother and I."

"I can understand," I said.

"And…sorry that you had to walk in on all of that. Evelyn isn't the easiest person in the world to get along with, if you couldn't tell."

"She seemed like a real charmer to me," I said, letting a little smile form on my lips.

Sam matched my grin. "Believe it or not, she was a real docile little kitten when we first met. But you know how those things can go."

"I've never been married, so I can only guess."

"Well, I suppose some people turn into someone else as soon as that ring gets slipped on their finger."

A silence fell over both of us.

"Ahem, well, let me give you the tour of the place."

Sam gestured for me to follow him, and my eyes went right back to scoping out this incredible apartment. It was so large that it was less like a flat, and more like a house that'd been placed on top of a luxury condo building.

"A lot of space for two people."

"No kidding," said Sam. "I wanted something that we could raise a family in; it's hard to find such accommodations in a city like this. But with Gracie here only now and then, it ends up being far too much space for just me. Having you here should help alleviate that."

We walked down one of the hallways leading from the living room.

"That is," I said, "if I don't get lost somewhere in here."

"If that happens, just find one of the flare guns I've placed here and there. Give it a shot and I'll come running."

Sam flashed me that killer smile of his. Being on the receiving end of his smart-ass sense of humor actually did a lot to make me feel more welcome, believe it or not.

"This can be your wing, I suppose," he said, leading me down the spacious hallway. "There's a study here to the right, and this will be your bedroom."

He opened a large door, revealing a cozy little room filled with natural light. A bed covered with white sheets was against one wall, and matching furniture adorned the room. But the best part was the lovely view that looked out onto the city, complete with a little balcony big enough for a pair of chairs and a small table.

"This is…so nice," I said, stepping into the room and looking around.

"I'm just glad we can be putting it to use. There's a walk-in closet over there, along with a little washroom."

Sam opened the other two doors on the other side of the room, revealing just what he's said. I stepped into the walk-in, which was bare aside from dozens of empty hangers on the racks. A three-panel mirror complete with a little stand was in the center of the space.

"Never thought I'd have one of these," I said.

"Well, put it to good use. This room was originally intended as Evelyn's personal space, but she wasn't here long enough to even get that closet a fraction of the way filled."

I left the closet and stepped out onto the balcony, the cool evening air rushing up to greet me.

"This view is just amazing," I said.

"Isn't it?" he said, joining me out on the balcony. "I'd always dreamed of a view of London like this. So, naturally, when I could afford it I got what I could. This apartment had just been completed, so the timing was perfect."

I noticed that he was standing only a few inches from me, and I could feel something…almost like a little crackle of electricity. It was strange.

"I still can't believe how far you've come," I said. "This is all so amazing."

"Thank you, but all I can think about is the shambles of my personal life."

"It can't be that bad," I said.

"For me, it's fine. I mean, I wish that things with Evelyn had turned out better, but I'm more concerned about the effect all of this is having on poor Gracie. She's just a child; she doesn't need to be dealing with all of this nonsense."

"I'm sure you're doing your best."

"Thank you, but some days…I'm just not sure. And the person that Evelyn revealed herself to be was just a shock. I knew that she had a hard edge to her, but it just seemed like as soon as the divorce began the knives came out. It was like I was dealing with a different person."

I didn't know what to say. So, I just stood there with Sam, enjoying his company, along with the view. The sun was beginning to set, and the Thames was alight with orange twinkles. I could've stayed out here for hours.

"I could go for a little something to eat," said Sam. "How about you?"

"Food sounds good," I said.

"Excellent. Gracie has a friend in the building with whom she has frequent play dates; let me see if I can get something arranged here for long enough for the two of us to run out for a quick bite."

"Sure," I said. "I'm just going to enjoy the view in the meantime."

Sam left me alone, and I took in the quiet silence along with the view. But this being the first moment I was left alone since I'd arrived, I couldn't help but take note of just how strange this situation was. Here I was, with my former lover in a home that was something like a palace in the sky. The London that I'd dreamt about since I was a little girl was laid out before me. Who knows what it'd have in store?

The door opened just as I'd slipped even further into my reverie. A glass of wine entered my vision and was placed on the table before me. Turning, I saw that Sam was standing nearby, his own glass of wine in his hand.

"I figured you could use that," he said. "It's been a strange day for you."

"It has," I said, taking the wine and sipping. "But I think it'll all work out well in the end."

"Hopefully. We've got quite a bit of work ahead of us in these next two months. I hope you're ready for something of a trial by fire."

"I think I can manage."

The two of us drank our wine, taking in the view. When we were done, we headed back in.

"Gracie's off for the next couple of hours," said Sam as we rode the elevator down to the lobby. "I hope this isn't all too terribly odd for you, dealing with my family."

"This is who you are now," I said. "I'll make do."

Sam gave me a hint of a smile as the doors opened.

"So," I said, "where to now?"

We strode through the lobby, the employees nodding to Sam as he passed.

"Just a little spot down the road. Nothing too fancy; I figured you wouldn't be up for fine dining tonight."

"Sounds good to me," I said.

Exiting the building the silver Mercedes that had brought me here was waiting for us, the driver opening the doors for us as we approached.

"Thank you, Henry," said Sam.

The driver nodded, shutting the doors behind us.

We arrived a few minutes later at a charming little Indian food restaurant, where the two of us enjoyed one another's company over samosas and curry. And despite the expensive clothes that Sam was wearing, he began to remind me of his old self, the man that I fell in love with so many years ago. He was funny, charming, a little smart-alecky- it was all the pleasure of bumping into an old friend and spontaneously deciding to spend the evening together. When we were done, we stopped off at an ice cream place under the pretense that we were only going to grab something for Grace. We had our own treats, of course, and ate them as we strolled through the nearby park.

It was the sort of night that I hadn't shared with anyone in a long while. And during our evening together, Sam and I fell back into the sort of easy comfort that we'd shared with one another during our relationship so many years ago, the Indian food that we’d eaten so many times together doing even more to bring me back to our old relationship. But it was almost better than that; free of the confines of the usual bar scene where we'd spent so many nights, I was able to take in the pleasure of just his company.

"I think it's probably about time to head back," said Sam, checking his watch. "Gracie's playdate isn't going to last forever."

I nodded softly in agreement.

"It's still so strange seeing you as a dad," I said as we continued along the park path, the stars glittering through the angled branches of the trees above.

"What, that hard to believe that I would be doing something that would require a modicum of responsibility?"

"That's not what I meant," I said, playfully slapping his arm.

But maybe it was? I thought. Sam was always the kind of guy I could count on for a fun night out, but he'd never struck me as the sort to have a career and family. Sam took the comment in the spirit it was intended, however, and we made our way back to his apartment.

"Gracie will be back in a half-hour or so," he said, sticking her ice cream into the freezer. "Fancy a glass of wine before I have to be an adult again?"

"Sounds lovely," I said.

Sam then fetched a bottle from a hanging rack that was filled with various wines, all with labels that I didn't recognize.

"This is a very special wine that I'm about to open," he said. "Been saving it for the proper occasion."

"Well," I said, "I'm pleased to be considered such a thing."

"Come now," he said, "it's not every day you get to reconnect with someone who you thought you'd never see again."

"I suppose you're right."

Glasses in hand, we walked out to the balcony. The view of the city was beyond amazing. The angled streets of London spread out before us, and the full moon above was reflected in a silvery sheen in the curving body of the Thames.

"Here's to a wonderful working relationship," said Sam, handing me a glass and offering me a cheer.

We tinkled our glasses before taking a sip and turning our attention to the view.

"This is nice," I said, breaking the silence.

"Indeed it is."

A silence once again fell over us, and I felt wrapped up by a feeling of soft contentment. Out of the corner of my eye, I found my gaze settling on Sam, who was staring straight ahead. But once he noticed my gaze, he turned towards me. I felt the heat of his eyes on me, those beautiful, blue eyes that made me melt every time. My arms fell to my side, and I felt my defenses weaken by the moment. Sam moved closer to me, and a bit of tension began to form.

But then, suddenly, Sam spoke up.

"Ah, I believe I ought to get Gracie now," he said, taking a quick sip of his wine, as if he needed to put something between he and I. "Feel free to have another glass."

With that, he left the balcony. In a fingersnap's length of time, I was alone, nothing to accompany me but the cool evening air and the vast stretch of the city.