“So you struck a deal?”

“We didn’t shake hands, but by the time we decided to get married we knew the rules. The door is wide open, just be discreet.”

Mercer shook her head and looked away. “I’m sorry, I’ve just never met a couple with such an arrangement.”

“I’m not sure it’s that unusual.”

“Oh, I promise you it’s very unusual. You just think it’s normal because you’re doing it. Look, I caught a boyfriend cheating one time and it took me a year to get over it. I still hate him.”

“I rest my case. You take it too serious. What’s a little fling now and then?”

“A fling? Your wife has been sleeping with her French boyfriend for at least a decade. You call that a fling?”

“No, that’s more than a fling, but Noelle doesn’t love him. That’s all about companionship.”

“I’ll say. So the other night when Sally Aranca was in town, was that a fling or companionship?”

“Neither, both, who cares? Sally comes through once a year and we have some fun. Call it whatever you want.”

“What if Noelle had been here?”

“She doesn’t care, Mercer, listen to me. If you called Noelle right now and told her we’re doing lunch and talking about having a nap and what does she think about it, I promise Noelle would laugh and say, ‘Hey, I’ve been gone for two weeks, what’s taking so long?’ You want to call her?”

“No.”

Bruce laughed and said, “You’re too uptight.”

Mercer had never thought of herself as being uptight; in fact she thought she was fairly laid-back and accepting of most anything. But at the moment she felt like a prude and hated it. “No, I’m not.”

“Then let’s hop in the sack.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t be that casual about it.”

“Fine. I’m not pushing. I just offered a little nap, that’s all.”

Both chuckled, but the tension was palpable. And they knew the conversation was not over.

6.

It was dark when they met at the beach end of the cottage boardwalk. The tide was low and the beach was wide and empty. The brightness of a full moon shimmered across the ocean. Elaine was barefoot, and Mercer kicked off her sandals. They walked to the edge of the water and strolled along, just a couple of old friends having a chat.

As instructed, Mercer was being thorough with her nightly e-mails, down to the details of what she was reading and trying to write. Elaine knew almost everything, though Mercer had not mentioned Cable’s efforts to get her in bed. Maybe later, depending on what might happen.

“When did you get to the island?” Mercer asked.

“This afternoon. We’ve spent the last two days at the office with our team, all of our experts—tech guys, operations people, even my boss, the owner of the company.”

“You have a boss?”

“Oh yes. I’m directing this project, but my boss will make the final decisions, when we get there.”