“You drive a hard bargain.” Derek replied, “See you tonight.”

They kissed and Sophia opened the door of his private office. Walking past Danni’s desk, her mind filled with Derek’s affection and playful banter. As she turned toward the impassive gaze of his private assistant, Sophia summoned her sweetest voice and said, “Thanks, Danni. Bye.”

From gritted teeth, Danni replied, “You’re welcome.”

Walking along the still crowded sidewalk, Sophia felt the sensation of floating. Had someone really offered 2.3 million for her art work? It didn’t seem possible. And her conversation with Derek went in such an unexpected direction. She’d expected him to be supportive, yet reserved about missing the dinner. After all, how important could attendance at a fundraiser really be for a Fortune 500 company?

Despite his executive pretense, he was just a man. Sophia told herself; she needed to remember that. After all, she was just a woman. That makes the two of them compatible in a remarkable way.

Wanting to speak to Mr. George in person, Sophia drove back to Palo Alto. She wanted to let him know she and her husband would be packaging her work and getting it west as soon as possible. Before facing Mr. White Teeth, Sophia decided to stop for a cup of tea and some lunch. Working her way into a bustling cafe on the same street as the Art Studio, Sophia scanned the crowd looking for an empty seat.

The cafe hummed with the drone of conversations at most every table. The aroma of freshly baked bread, rich coffee, and tangy spices made her empty stomach twist with anticipation. She stepped toward the counter to read the menu above, when a woman near the window with an electronic tablet, cup of coffee, and salad caught her attention. She looked vaguely familiar. Sophia didn’t want to stare. It just seemed strange that she’d know anyone eating in Palo Alto.

*****

The chatter of the busy cafe surrounded Claire, soothing her aching temples. She mindlessly picked at her half eaten salad while simultaneously skimming the latest news on her iPad. Relishing the temporary reprieve, she enjoyed one of her first free moments in the last week. She realized the irony of solitude in a crowd.

Last Saturday, her sister, Emily, and brother-in-law, John, arrived in San Francisco. Since then, she’s hardly had a minute alone. Wistfully she thought about Harry; they hadn’t had a minute alone either. Actually, since San Diego, a week and a half ago, they’d only had one opportunity to utilize his procurement of resources from that drugstore.

Multitasking, Claire read each headline on her newsfeed. However, her thoughts were of her sister and brother-in-law. They’d asked to borrow her car and take a day trip into San Francisco. She was thankful for them to get some time to themselves.

The face-to-face reunion between the three of them washed away all doubt and hard feelings from their past. When Emily walked through the archway at San Francisco International Airport last Saturday and their matching green eyes met, they melted in a sobbing embrace. It was minutes before John was able to separate the two of them, before he got his own chance to hug Claire.

Being the ever accommodating hostess, Amber offered the Vandersols the use of her third bedroom. It meant re-filing all of Claire’s research, but it was worth it. For five days Claire’s sister and brother-in-law would be only a door away.

It also thrilled Claire that Emily and John got along so well with Amber and Harry. The ease of conversation and similar interests created a comfortable atmosphere, very dissimilar to the one while she’d been married to Tony.

After a few days, Amber began to talk business with John. The two shared similar philosophies and work ethics. What started as discussion over a few interesting Rawlings Industries dealings soon turned to SiJo Gaming strategies. While the two talked shop, Claire and Emily enjoyed one another’s company. The sharing and camaraderie was wonderful.

Nevertheless, Claire couldn’t understand why she continued to fight her aching head. She was being more open and honest with her family than she’d been in years, yet she had the strange feeling of teetering on the edge of a looming argument. Her emotions felt stretched. Truthfully, she had no idea what the impending argument entailed or why it was stressing her out.

Looking up from her iPad, Claire scanned the cafe. People moved about in every direction within the cafe and outside on the street. Sitting by the window, she watched people pass the glass. Occasionally she would have the sensation of being watched. It was both annoying and familiar. In a moment of self-reflection, Claire asked, when in the past three years haven’t I been watched? Or did it date back further than that?

Later tonight Claire, Emily, John, Harry, and Amber had reservations at a local restaurant. They were going to meet Amber’s new friend. She met him a few weeks ago, at an out of town conference. He works for Google. Amber claimed it wasn’t serious, but the gleam in her eyes as she mentions Keaton made Claire smile.

It also made the idea of telling Amber about her and Harry easier. Claire reasoned if Amber were also involved with someone, she’d take the news much better. Claire assumed Amber and her family had suspicions. But no one asked, and Claire and Harry hadn’t volunteered. For the most part, the two of them kept their new familiarity private.

Claire looked up again and saw Phil Roach standing in line behind a pretty blonde woman. Her nervousness quelled. That nagging feeling of being watched was easier to deal with when you know the voyeur, or as Claire liked to refer to Phil, her bodyguard.

She wondered how he handled losing her at the airport back in San Diego. Smiling to herself, Claire realized she sometimes too thought of parts of her life as a game. And unquestionably, she enjoyed controlling the metaphorical chess board.