"Sure," Amber said, nodding to the pad and paper next to her kitchen phone. She then glanced at the microwave clock: time was up, she had to be out the door. "I get off work at five, but I'll need to come back here and change. And clean up." She glanced behind her shoulder to beyond the kitchen. She'd left her clothes all over the living room, not to mention the unchanged bed sheets. While not happy about abandoning the mess, it'd have to wait. "Pick me up here at six." They’d gone in separate cars last night, but that was because they hadn’t known what to expect from each after five minutes’ conversation. …They hadn’t talked much more since then, but now they had more to go on, and Amber was certain they’d leave Shank’s together.

“Okay, this is it, I gotta go.” Stepping right up to Eric, she held his face between her hands; his breath smelled of the breakfast they’d just had. Amber smiled grand and wide, like she’d just been announced the winner of a contest. “I had a great—no, a fantastic time. And I can’t wait to see you again.” Slowly she brought her face to his, brushing their lips at first, then kissing him lightly. It wasn’t true that she couldn’t wait—if that were the case, she wouldn’t be heading out—but it almost was.

A few seconds of very, very pleasant kissing, and then it was time. “I’ll see you later.” Amber strode to the living room, her heels clacking against the wood panels, to get her keys and wallet.