The wheels of change don't take long for Brittney. She's busy preparing for the new BRASS warehouse and quality control center building to be complete. Interviews and product placement are the essential things that focus on the new location.

One evening she's texting back and forth with LaTisha, who's still trying to convince her to call the guy who left his card. LaTisha wants her best friend to move on after Brittney told her about the fight with Jordan.

"Girl, call that guy and get the skinny on him." Brittney reads aloud in a soft low tone.

"I kind of want to, but it's still way too soon since Jordan and the stunt he pulled. I mean, it's only been a few days now, and well, you know." Brittney says as she types out her message and places her phone on the desk.

Silence goes on for a few minutes until LaTisha comes through her door.

"Britt! There is nothing wrong with getting out there just to have dinner and a good time. I ain't saying you gotta jump right into bed with this guy but tickle that fancy."

Shocked at first, Brittney sits there and stares at LaTisha. Nothing comes to mind, and LaTisha enters the office and shuts the door.

"Get up and off your scrawny little ass to call that guy! I'm not leaving until you do!"

After a roll of her eyes mixed with a sarcastic look on her face, Brittney gets her purse and wallet to take out the card. She flips it to show LaTisha then gets her phone to dial the number while her heart beats a mile a minute in the process.

"Hello?" The man's voice answers as Brittney nearly freezes when he picks up.

"Uh, yeah, hi, this is Brittney, the lady from the coffee shop the other day. You smiled at me and left me your card on my table."

"Oh, yeah, hey! I was beginning to think you weren't interested. I saw you smile at me, and well, I thought that maybe while I'm in town, I could make a friend or meet someone who knows a good restaurant." The guy tells her as LaTisha tries to eavesdrop on the call.

"Well, I'm not exactly from here, but I do know a few spots."

"So, can I trust your decision one evening? I have meetings the rest of the day. I'm free tomorrow evening; I have some vendors to meet with and a couple of people to meet with for a new building for the company I work for; I'm a corporate trainer from Houston, Texas. Oh, and where are my manners? Please forgive me; my name Benjamin Maxwell."

"Pleasure to meet you, Benjamin, I'm Brittney Goodman, and I work in human resources for a manufacturing company, and yes, tomorrow evening sounds great. Text me when you're out of your meetings and such, and we'll make a date of it." Brittney says, nearly giggling in her seat as the sensation returns from the coffee shop.

"Done! I'll text you soon; bye, for now, Brittney."

The call comes to an end, and the girls squeal like teenagers in Brittney's office.

"Oh, my, gosh! He is a corporate trainer, that's like a high salary and a half. Now, that's the kind of guy I could see myself being with for a long time." Brittney expresses with a glowing aura.

Benjamin's voice wasn't that of a Texas twang. Brittney noticed that the instant he answered his phone. She could hear a bit of a West Coast accent in his voice. Either way, she could care less as she recalls his eyes and posture. He's a man who knows who he is and walks with pride. To her, that speaks volumes about being able to hold your own in a world of chaos.

Brittney continues to think it over; tingling sensation pulses through her body. She's excited all over again, but this time she knows it won't be a lasting thing since this new guy is only in town for business. Something for once that might work to her advantage.

The workday comes to an end, and Brittney finds herself at her apartment going through clothes, searching for something sexy but not too revealing. She digs in her closet and comes across a wine-red dress covering most of her thighs but gives a decent view of her breasts. Not willing to change at work, she pulls out a light autumn jacket to go with her ensemble and lays them out.

At work the next day, she's preparing for a high-profile meeting with human resources from corporate. It's a live video meeting, and soon Brittney meets up with LaTisha to walk over to the administers part of the building to get this meeting underway. Little did she suspect that Benjamin is the liaison for the new building when she walks through the door.

"Well, as luck would have it, hello again, miss Brittney Goodman." He welcomes her as she fights to keep her jaw from scraping against the floor.

Benjamin turns his attention to everyone walking into the meeting room and soon introduces himself.

"Good afternoon everyone, I am Benjamin Maxwell, the corporate trainer here to share guidelines along with my coworkers from Houston as to what to expect with the new layout of our warehouse and the capacity Quality Control will be handling when we get it up and running."

While the meeting waits for corporate to come online, Benjamin goes into a bit of his background.

"For those of you who haven't met me before, I'm originally from Seattle, Washington. My parents own a bakery there, and it will be handed over to my older sister. That explains what I am doing here. I interned for BRASS Eye Care while attending Cal University at the Burbank campus. I fell in love with what we do, and I was supposed to go into engineering. I found that I like training people better. I enjoy getting to travel to all the locations. I've spent time in Europe, Asia, and even our newest location in Israel."

By the time he finishes, the laptop begins to chime. Benjamin connects the call and transfers the live stream to the Bluetooth projector. The meeting goes on as expected, but Brittney is impressed with what all Benjamin has accomplished and looks to be around Jordan's age. Her body begins to respond in a way she's never experienced when she's met any other man. Her knees feel weak, and her palms nearly start to glisten. She sits there and struggles to keep her lightweight jacket on as her body begins to feel the heat cascading toward Benjamin.

Everything takes over an hour and a half. By the time it ends, and all questions are answered, Brittney decides she will hang behind to talk to Benjamin. She's afforded the chance when everyone leaves, and she's left sitting in the seat.

"Miss Goodman, is everything alright? You seemed a little startled when you came in earlier." Benjamin begins with the same smirk from the coffee shop.

"Yes, everything's fine, just ugh wanted to ask if this is weird. We both work for the same company but didn't mention it when we spoke on the phone."

"Goes to show that our corporate guidelines work well. If I'm not mistaken, you're in the running for one of the next corporate human resources positions."

What he says next blows her world away.

"If you wouldn't mind, I could speak on your behalf. I'll be honest after we spoke on the phone, I did a little research and knew you would be here today. You have an impressive resume. This is your second stint at a different manufacturing site. I know corporate admires an employee to be well-versed with all types of experience from different locations. That though is a traded secret; so, don't tell anyone as we don't need an influx of transfer requests. You know how it is. People see a spot in Houston and want that big payday." Benjamin describes with a slight shake of his head when people abuse that insight.

"Your secret is safe with me! Yeah, I'd love to go down to corporate and travel more. Life's too short to sit in one spot and not feel the thrill of the world." She breaks down, which gives Benjamin a new outlook on her.

Together they walk out of the meeting room. Brittney prepares to make her way back to the office while Benjamin heads over to Quality Control to meet with employees.

"So, as for this evening, I'll meet you at this location. I did a bit more research than I'll admit." Benjamin winks with his right eye and leaves Brittney to ponder what he said with the address to a restaurant in hand.

Not willing to be surprised, she nearly sprints to her office, where she Googles the place. The results pop up on her phone that leaves her in awe when she sees it's the most delicate French Cuisine restaurant in Johns Creek. She nearly gasps out loud, but a knock at her door brings her back to reality.

"Hey, so how'd it go with mister too hot for his own good?" LaTisha teases after shutting the door and takes a seat.

"Check out where he's taking me for dinner!" She turns her phone around, and LaTisha almost feels a bit envious.

"Damn, girl! Talk about going high-class. If you don't accept, I'll go accept it for myself!"

They share a laugh for a moment as Brittney begins to describe how something's different from how she felt about Jordan. She details how Jordan's built and how her body enjoyed being with him, but his lifestyle and dreams are not the main driving factor that killed his chances.

"Wasn't Jordan trying, though? I mean, isn't he like going for a supervisor and some job in city hall managing his department or something or another?" LaTisha questions trying to recall.

"It's something like that, but it's not high-end like I want in a man. Take Benjamin, around the same age from how it seems. He has travel experience, and he's driven, intelligent, and damn near perfect so far."

"Sounds like your mind is made up on this guy. When should I start booking the reception hall?"

Both ladies chuckle while they kill time until the end of their shift. It doesn't feel like it takes no time when Brittney clocks out. She heads over to the restaurant, where she's greeted and taken to a private table in the rear of the restaurant. Again, she's blown away at the expense Benjamin is willing to take to make a good impression.

The host stops at the table and prepares to announce Brittney's arrival.

"Mister Maxwell, your date has arrived sir, is there anything I may snatch for you from the kitchen while you wait for your server?" The host provides his services.

"Yes, bring us a bottle of your best red wine, please." Benjamin orders with a gesture of a head nod to the host.

Brittney is blown away and left speechless. She's helped with her chair, and then the host returns in moments with a bottle of red wine.

"Please, enjoy your dining experience with us tonight." The host departs the table to return to the position at the door.

"This is a very pricey place. You sure you want to dine here?" Brittney asks, knowing it's even out of her price range.

"If I had second guesses, I'd wonder that myself, but sit back and relax. Dinner and tonight's festivities are my treat. Consider this a preview of things to come if you make corporate HR."

Benjamin's confidence isn't like anything she's seen in anyone. He's calm, cool, and collective with a passion for life that Brittney nearly melts when she locks eyes with him. This is the third time her body reacts with the tingles and weakness that Brittney's never experienced before.

"Do you think I stand a chance? I mean, I'm only a few years out of college."

"With my recommendation, you're in for sure. Don't worry, and tonight is not about getting you in bed either. I may be several things, but a playboy I am not. There's something about you from the time you smiled at me that I haven't been able to shake. You have this glow about you, and I can feel it. Is that weird?"

"No! I feel like there's more than just sparks between us. I've never just jumped at dinner like this with someone I essentially met over the phone per se. I've also never been on a date with a coworker; much less someone in a superior job position." Brittney admits with new vigor to her voice.

Benjamin smiles and reaches for her hand. When they touch, Brittney tries not to gasp with the instant connection. She begins to wonder if this is the very touch and connection she's been hunting for since she started reading the cheesy romance novels she loves.

"Good evening, you two, I am Becky, and I will be your server. Is there anything I can get for you?"

"Yes, we're ready. I'll have the Basque-style Chicken with a chef salad and potatoes au gratin. The lovely lady here will enjoy a Filet Mignon, medium well, a chef salad as well with Pommes Anna with a chocolate souffle for desert please." Benjamin orders without breaking eye contact with his date.

"Absolutely, I will give the chef your selections, and they will be the freshest tastes this side of Paris." The server assures the couple as she slips away from their table.

"Wow, no one has ever ordered for me like that before, and are you sure I'll enjoy any of that?" Brittney teases with a look of uncertainty to see how Benjamin will react.

"If there is one thing I know, it's food and fine dining. Remember I've been to Europe." Benjamin reminds her with a glow that comes from her cheeks.

As dinner continues in the quaint little restaurant, they sit and talk more to discover all that they have in common. Brittney doesn't have the experience traveling like Benjamin, but she shares a similar passion for getting out there before fully settling down.

"You know, if you find the right fit for a partner, you can travel together. I mean, I wouldn't mind a travel partner. I've seen places that have been romantic by myself that if this turns into something somewhere down the line, I will enjoy the company to see the sunset over the Roman Coliseum. Maybe share the lighting of the Eiffel Tower at night with a glass of champagne in France. Someone to share the world." Benjamin mentions moments before the soufflé arrives.

"That sounds perfect, and yes, I want to stay in touch with you after this when you return to Houston. I want what you want! I want to see the world and taste everything it has to offer. The fresh wine of Italy, the fresh markets with freshly baked bread and whatnot."

Once the tab is settled, the couple strut outside, where Benjamin hails a horse-drawn buggy as they share a clear night's sky and point at the stars, bonding in away neither of them ever thought possible and begin to build a foundation between what they want in the other.