Natalie appeared in Catherine's doorway carrying a neatly folded blanket.
"I have a question."
Catherine looked up from her laptop.
"Should I be concerned?"
"Probably," she answered with a big smile.
Natalie placed the blanket over the back of a chair.
"You've cancelled lunch four days in a row."
"I've been busy."
"So has everyone else."
Catherine sighed.
"I assume this isn't really about lunch."
"No."
Natalie smiled innocently.
"It is about the fact that a certain tall Italian gentleman has been asking remarkably casual questions about your favourite coffee."
Catherine stopped typing.
"He what?"
"And whether you like strawberries."
Catherine blinked.
"...Why?"
Natalie folded her arms.
"My theory? He intended to invite you for a picnic."
"A picnic?"
"Yes."
"We're both CEOs."
"I'm aware."
Catherine laughed despite herself.
Natalie leaned closer.
"I think he was trying to do something that had absolutely nothing to do with business."
For a moment Catherine simply stared at the blanket. Nobody had tried to plan something uncomplicated for her in years. Everything in her life came with expectations. A picnic sounded almost... reckless.
"What happened?" she asked quietly.
Natalie hesitated.
"You scheduled another board meeting."
Catherine groaned.
"Oh."
"He cancelled his reservation this morning."
Silence settled between them.
Natalie picked up the blanket again.
"For what it's worth..."
She smiled.
"I think he'll ask again."
After she left, Catherine looked back at her calendar.
For the first time in a very long time, cancelling a meeting suddenly felt like a perfectly reasonable business decision.
