James double-checked the address, and the house. It was not the kind of place he’d expected his ultra-efficient, super streamlined, precise to the point of painful project manager to live.

This little fairy-tale cottage, with a garden overflowing with flowers of all shapes and sizes seemed more suited to some artistic type, who wrote out shopping lists on the backs of old envelopes, and then forgot to take them along to the supermarket.

Maybe she was looking after it for someone, or caring for an elderly relative.

One way to find out, he let himself in through the front gate and ambled up the path to the door.

He knocked and stepped back to take another look at the entrance, and the garden.

He turned back as the door opened and somehow managed to keep his jaw off the floor.

Maybe Elise had a twin. That must be it, identical features but completely different styles.

The woman smiled and spoke, “James, so glad you could bring the documents by, do you have time to quickly run through them? I’d appreciate your summary.”

Nope, not a twin, that was Elise, his always in grey or black, not a hair out of place, spick and span, all sharp angles trouble-shooter. Except this version had her hair in a messy bun with a pencil through it, and was wearing a soft, swirling sundress in bright shades of pink, green, blue and white.

“Um, sure.”, He was way over-dressed.

He awkwardly stepped past her through the door. This version even smelled different, of sunshine and green, rather than pressed wool, paper and ink. He rather wanted to lean closer and breathe her in, but that was just plain creepy.

Inside could only be described as a comfortable mess. He stopped just inside the entrance and looked around, confused.

Elise squeezed back past him and looked worriedly at his face, “Is something wrong?”

“It’s all just so, unexpected, I mean when you’re at work…and now here.”, His gesture encompassed the room, with its tottering piles of books, abandoned knitting project, throw run halfway off the sofa, and her, in all her contradictory glory.

Elise smiled in comprehension, “Ah, yes, the work me and the home me. I forgot you haven’t come by before. A legacy of an early career in finance and then consulting. I learnt I had to be a robot to be taken seriously, and while that’s not really the case any more, it’s habit and I over compensate on the weekends so I can properly unwind.”

“Wow.”

“Come through to the kitchen, it’s not quite as bad as this, although I am in the middle of a baking spree, so it’s not really neat.”

James followed her into a large, light-filled kitchen, currently strewn with bowls and baking pans and pots and jars and bags of ingredients.

Elise steered him towards a chair at the table and put the kettle on.

“I’ll just finish this off and put it in the oven if you don’t mind.”

James felt every part of him relaxing, “No problem at all, take your time. I’m rather enjoying seeing this side of you.”

Elise gave him a slightly uncertain smile and got on with mixing, he felt the need to explain.

“It’s just that we’ve always been such a good team on the projects we’ve covered together and I’ve been amazed at your drive and ability to always be on top of things. It’s nice to see you completely switched off from work and relaxed. I wish I could do it as well as you.”

Elise’s smile widened and she gave him a mischievous look, “Well I could help you make a start, when was the last time you licked the bowl?”

James was startled into full laughter, “I have no idea.”

She plonked the now mostly empty mixing bowl in front of him, “Well there you go, chocolate cake.”

He grinned, hopped up to roll up his shirt sleeves and wash his hands, then took the spoon and had a taste, “Oh this is good.”

Elise was licking the beaters and gave him a sideways smile.

All too soon the batter was gone and, with the cake baking, they turned their attention to the project and problem that had brought James out here in the first place.

A movement outside caught Elise’s attention and her shoulders drooped, “Oh damn, I was hoping to avoid him.”

James twisted around to look at the bulky man currently poking at the plants as he made his way to the back door.

“Patrick’s a neighbour, arrived in the area a few months ago and has decided I’m the perfect candidate for the role of Mrs Patrick.”

James looked out at the as yet unaware man, across to Elise and back again, “Not seeing it.”

“But he will not take ‘no’ for an answer.”

“Is there anything I can do to help drive him off?”

Elise looked hopeful, then embarrassed, she paused, James nodded encouragingly.

“Well, could you maybe pretend to be my boyfriend? I’ve sort of made one up to keep Patrick away and, since he’s never met him, he’s starting to call my bluff.”

James gave her a naughty grin and stepped around the table to draw her up against him. A quick glance said the movement had caught the other man’s eye and he was now moving a bit more quickly towards the back door.

“Pretend you have no idea he’s there,” James murmured as their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss.

Elise gasped, then melted into him, twining her arms around his neck and pushing her fingers into his hair. James deepened the kiss.

Knocking at the back door broke them apart.