The One Where The Lines Get Kinda Blurry

The One With The Sweet Hand Of Fate

"Do you believe in coincidence?" Jen asked as she sat behind the wheel of her car in the LA late evening traffic. She was on her way home from another busy day, this time at the Apple offices where she'd been going over the scarily long list of jobs that still needed to be done before Season Three of The Morning Show could begin shooting. For one reason or other things weren't quite running to plan, and she was feeling a little stressed and bothered when she'd rounded a corner in the corridor and literally run right into a long-time friend and ally.

"Not particularly, why?" David replied. He was sprawled out on the bed of his Chicago hotel suite where he'd spent most of the day at his beloved Looking Glass Theatre helping prepare for their 'Alice In Wonderland' spectacular that he was immensely proud of and excited about.

"Neither do I" she replied, "but I do believe in fate, and I think she's just dealt out a pretty sweet hand."

"Why? What's happened" he asked with intrigue. He could tell from her voice that she was pretty happy about something and selfishly, he hoped whatever it was included him and wasn't about work.

"So, you know how we were trying to plan some things to do and places to go when you're here next week? Well, how would you like to spend a few days up at one of Oprah's villas by the coast? I bumped into her today, literally... she almost knocked me off my feet as I'd just come out of a meeting. Anyway, we ended up having coffee and a brief catch up and she invited me up there for a few days to stay in one of her guest houses. She's in the middle of renovating a couple of properties that she's bought to sell on and she said she'd like my opinion on some design ideas while I'm there, which I was completely flattered and excited by. Anyway, I asked if it would be ok if I brought someone with me and she said she'd be more than happy for me to bring a guest. I didn't tell her who though... I want to see her face when she finds out it's you!" Jen paused as the queue of traffic she was stuck in suddenly began to move and therefore required her focus for a few seconds. "So, what do you think? There's loads of vineyards around we could explore, and we could take the dogs and... well, I figured it would be a nice little getaway, just the two of us and total privacy."

"I honestly can't think of anything I'd like more" David replied, a big grin on his cheeks as he pictured the two of them enjoying the luxury of time off together, away from the distractions of work and family and, well, just away from the realities of everyday life.

"Great, I was hoping you'd agree. I'll contact her and make the arrangements. God, I can't wait already. It'll almost feel like a mini vacation... our first ever, real vacation that's not combined with work."

It was just nine days later when David pulled Jen into his arms and briefly pressed his lips against hers as they stood together in the covered entrance porch of the sprawling, whitewashed, red roofed, Mediterranean style house Oprah had asked her to look at and tell her what she would do with. "I still can't stop laughing at the look on her face when she saw us walking up to her door, hand in hand, and realised we were actually visiting together as a couple and not just friends" he said with a giggle, releasing her from his arms so she could unlock the door. "I swear I've never seen anyone look such a mixture of completely confused yet happily excited before." They'd just come from a wonderful, three hour lunch at Oprah's house which they'd enjoyed immensely, and were calling into the vacant, partially renovated property on their way back to the cosy little guesthouse they were currently staying in. Oprah had been planning to go with them but had been called away unexpectedly, so she'd arranged for one of the site foremen to hand over the keys when they arrived instead.

"Like she said, we've never really looked like 'just friends' no matter how hard we tried" Jen replied with a warm smile as she pushed open one of the ornate double doors. "Wow!" she continued as they stepped inside and were instantly treated to a high, vaulted ceiling with multiple exposed beams and light pouring in from almost every angle.