“I’m so sorry,” Lina said as waiters swarmed their table to clean up her spilt wine. “The glass just slipped out of my hand.”

“I’ll get you another wine,” Nick said.

She let her eyes drift over him as he stepped to the bar, taking in the play of muscles in his upper back, visible through his shirt, and then her eyes dipped lower, lingering on his butt. She quickly looked away when she realized she was thinking about how nicely it filled out his jeans. It was as if his declaration had given her permission to look at him in a different way.

“Are you okay?” Nick asked when he rejoined her, placing a fresh glass of wine on the table

“Yes, I just…have I been…did I do something?”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Lina. You were being authentic. It’s all on me. I let my professional wall slip.”

She felt a million different emotions running through her. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say.”

“I’m not looking for a response.”

They both looked up as a waitress appeared beside the table. “We need another five,” Nick told her before returning his attention to Lina. “Do you have time for dinner?”

She knew she should say no. Phil would be furious if he knew she even spoke to him, but the pull she felt towards the man across the table at that moment trumped all else. “Yes, I’m on my own tonight.”

As they looked over their menus a band began playing a James Taylor song, and Lina felt herself begin to relax. “I feel comfortable around you,” she admitted. “I have since the first day.”

He didn’t comment as he continued to scan his menu.

“Do you feel like you’ve known me longer than eight months?” Lina asked.

“I don’t really think in terms of time.”

“What does that mean?”

“Lina.” He set down his menu. “There’s no need to analyze this. I told you so you would know I’m not a safe confidant for you. That’s the only reason. I know you’re still in love with your husband.”

She let her gaze stray to the band. “What does this mean for us?”

“It should mean I sever all communication with you.” He shook his glass, his eyes tracking the swirling liquid. “But frankly I don’t want to.”

“So we can be friends?”

“Yes, we can be friends.”

After the waiter left with their order, Lina told him about the text messages she received from Kim. “Seeing his words written to another woman—knowing he was sending her texts while he was in the house with me. It was powerful in a very bad way. I hated him.”

He began tapping the fingers of one of his hands against the table as he watched her, his eyes unreadable.

“What are you thinking?”