to get to the one woman who's gonna make all this worth it.

At the end of the day, you gotta jump.

~ Jim Halpert

“Is it a blood moon?”Charlie whispers to me.

We’re huddled over my laptop after spending the day finalizing some concepts to send to a potential client.

“What?” I ask him.

“The zombie apocalypse? Armageddon? Friday the 13th?” Charlie crosses his arms and looks at me with his eyebrows raised.

“What are you talking about?”

“You and Logan.”

A smile breaks across my face so quickly, there’s no way I could suppress it. I look down at the laptop.

I redirect us to the concept board open on my screen. “So, I think the pink and green colors are great together for branding. It’s not traditional for a sandwich place, but it gives off such a fun vibe, and we can have condiments in contrasting colors subtly woven into the ads. Little bottles of mayo and mustard, rolls, slices of cheese, various deli meats all staggered around the background with the logo front and center.”

“Deflecting? Really, Olivia? After six years of working together, you won’t deign to give me a direct answer?”

“Answer to what?”

“You and Logan. All these little glances at one another across the room which end in you erupting into a smile that makes me think you’re going to break out in song any minute. You’ve gone from hiding from him in a broom closet to this beaming, slightly distracted, weak-kneed version of yourself. I’m missing the memo here. Are we team Logan now?”

“We are.” My voice feels airy.

I should be embarrassed, but I can’t even muster an inkling of shame. I’m floating on air. Walking on sunshine with stars in my eyes. There’s no denying the effect Logan is having on me.

“Oh, wait. You … and Logan?”

Charlie points to me and then across the room, where Logan is standing with one hand casually in a pocket and the other on his hip talking to Suze about something. He’s got his serious business face on. I picture him chasing Rhett around the couch and smile even wider, if that’s possible.

“Yeah,” I say to Charlie without taking my eyes off Logan.

“Did he drug you? Are you okay? Blink twice if you are under the influence of something against your will.”

I look at Charlie. I’m still smiling like a fool. “I’m not being coerced, Charlie. He’s just not what I thought. I’ve seen a new side of Logan, and it changed everything.”

“I’ll say.” Charlie laughs lightly. “You’re unrecognizable.”

“I’m still me,” I tell Charlie. “Just me in love.”

“In love?”

“No. What? No. Just me … in something.”

Darwin saves me from evaluating my subconscious declaration.

“Will the Untethered team members join me for a minute?”

I whisper to Charlie, “Not love.”

“Riiiiight. Justsomething.”

“Exactly.”