About a week

It took almost a week for Lauren to return to your office, and by the time she finally did, you were starting to worry that she wouldn't come back at all.

"It's not like I made a bad impression on her or anything," you reason with yourself, just about to give up on her when Lauren comes into your office in a short white skirt and a plain black shirt.

"Lauren, welcome back to my office. I assume this means you're signing with me?" you ask her as she hands you a signed contract and sits down on your couch, crossing her legs and waiting for you to make the next move.

"I thought about it long and hard, John. But yeah, I'm ready to be a part of your team," she tells you, smiling up at you as you walk over and sit next to her on the couch.

"I normally ask my new clients if they want to go get dinner or something to celebrate the new arrangement, Lauren. But something tells me you wouldn't be interested," you tell her as you spy her wedding ring, and the way Lauren is twisting it nervously around.

"I'm not "that" kind of girl, but I'm not the kind of girl who turns down a chance to better her career, either," she tells you as she agrees to dinner with you, eager to talk about the future of the partnerships he has entered to with you.