One day later…

I was in the middle of reviewing some documents when the doorbell rang, a sound that was rare enough to be surprising. Setting the papers aside, I walked to the door, wondering who could be visiting unannounced. When I opened it, there stood Emma, her presence immediately shifting the atmosphere from mundane to charged.

"Emma," I said, my surprise evident. "This is an unexpected pleasure."

She wore a simple ensemble that seemed effortlessly stylish – a ...