"Pussy willow," he remarked. He felt a tingling sensation in his finger, where it had brushed hers. "Where did you get them?"
"Believe it or not, I found a bush of them in Woodside. I stole some for you," she said with a mischievous chuckle.
"Thank you," he said, able to meet her eyes only for a second. Her unanticipated arrival and the gift she had brought made him suddenly feel awkward and boyish. It was as if the room, his heart, had all at once changed seasons, going from the promise of spring to the all-out heat of summer. He watched her flip through his collection of slides, and he felt the light tingle return, this time in another place, as she keenly examined his illustrations.
She beamed at him and tapped the topmost slide. "Matthew, it's brilliant. Just three months, and you're already making important changes."
"Thank you. But you deserve some of the credit. Your coaching has been a great help."
"That's my job," she said. "Eileen said you have no other meetings this afternoon."
"None. I didn't know how long this would take."
She returned the slides to the manila folder, then circled her hands around the neck of the overhead projector. "Then how about lunch?"
"Good idea."
"Great. What do you say to San Francisco? I've got to run a few errands, and you can drop me off at home later in the afternoon since I don't have my car. It's being serviced."