Wayne Hurte, eight years Phil’s senior, was one of three founding partners at Hurte, Dunlop and Smith and a man Phil highly respected. Three inches shorter than Phil’s six-foot-three height, he was noticeably fit and despite his receding hairline and fifty-one years, still gave off a youthful energy. He’d hired Phil out of law school, served as his mentor, and promoted him to full partner before his thirtieth birthday, making him the youngest associate to ever obtain the status. His wife, Diane, was one of Lina’s closest friends, and the couples often socialized together.

“Love the dress,” Diane said after greeting them in the foyer. “I can’t believe you’re old enough to have a daughter graduating from high school.”

“Me either,” Lina laughed. At five foot six, Lina and Diane were the same height, but there the similarities ended. Diane was blonde and blue-eyed with a curvy figure prone to put on weight if she wasn’t careful, while Lina had dark, wavy hair and deep brown eyes, with a slight figure that looked even smaller next to her broad husband.

Over the course of the next thirty minutes, Lina noted that Phil and Wayne barely interacted, conversing with the other couples in attendance—two other partners and their wives—but not with each other, so when they disappeared into Wayne’s study before dinner, Lina asked Diane what was going on.

“I didn’t notice anything,” Diane said. “Are you sure you’re not imagining it?”

“I don’t think so,” Lina answered. They were alone in the kitchen and although she hadn’t planned to, she blurted out the suspicions she had been harboring since the night before, telling Diane about the tie, the text and the sudden drop in their sex life.

Diane’s eyes widened as she faced Lina, her hands on her hips. “You can’t be serious.”

Lina lowered her chin to her chest, sighing. “I’m being ridiculous, aren’t I?”

“Yes.” Diane gave an exaggerated nod. “You’re being ridiculous. This is probably your reaction to Megan turning eighteen. It’s your version of a midlife crisis.”

“So Wayne hasn’t mentioned anything about a Kim?”

“Lina!”

“Sorry.” She held up her hands. “I just—I had a bad feeling when I saw the tie and then all these things kept coming to my mind.”

“The man loves you. I promise you, he isn’t cheating.”

“You’re right.” Lina nodded. “I’m being silly.”

When the last of the dinner dishes were cleared away, the group moved to the patio to enjoy the cool May evening, sitting around a fire pit as music flowed through outdoor speakers. Whatever chill Lina had thought she witnessed between Phil and Wayne earlier was no longer evident, and she decided Diane was probably right. She’d been imagining it.

“Did you see the pitcher the Orioles pulled up? He almost had a no-hitter last night,” Wayne said.

“No.” Diane waved her hand. “We are going to go one evening without the conversation digressing to sports.”

“Seven innings isn’t bad,” Phil said. “If he—”

“Did you hear Diane?” Lina said, squeezing Phil’s thigh. “No sports talk.”