When had she done everything, changed everything, to accommodate him?

She met his eye, took in a breath. “I can.”

His face hardened, and he didn’t look like that boy at graduation. “You won’t.”

The swallow almost hurt her throat. The urge to say she didn’t mean it tightened her chest, begged to be said.

Maybe they could fix it.

A beep. He looked down at his watch. “I have to go. We’ll talk when I get back.”

And then he turned and walked out as if they were finished talking.

The door slammed, and she jumped.

The clock ticked behind her.

The thumping of her heart left her breathless, dizzy. She wrapped her arms around herself.

Really, Cora had no idea if she had managed to do what she had wanted or not.

* * *

Cora was Frazer’s friend, and that was fine.

Great, even.

Because, clearly, this woman needed one.

“Marriage, Frazer, is stupid.”

Clearly.

Though at least Cora was able to get married. Opening her mouth to say so, Frazer snapped it shut. It was an unhelpful comment, and her response would be unnecessary—Cora didn’t mean anything by it. This wasn’t about her. Being a good friend meant listening.

“Really stupid.”

Also, Frazer was beginning to think she had gotten her boss’s wife drunk.

Again.

Drinks had started easily. Being friends with Cora was not as difficult as Frazer had thought. It was clear that something was wrong. Cora was gnawing on her lip, her eyes darting around. However, after a pint of great lager Cora hadn’t really taken the appropriate time to savour, she’d calmed down and left a slightly awkward pause in its wake.

Slowly conversation built, and after two more beers, it was almost flowing.

When they’d arrived, all the decent tables outside had been taken. Unable to sit near the water, they didn’t bother facing the cooler weather without the great view, so they sat opposite each other in a booth. The bar was all smooth, with dark-red polished wood, cosy and warm. At some point, a flush had worked its way across Cora’s cheek, faint but accentuating her cheek bones.

Yes, Cora was attractive, but she was funny and, when not being strange, easy to talk to. Frazer had never been on the search for a new friend—she had her few friends, and she found large groups exhausting. When she went out, she went with a tight-knit group, all who liked to drink and party but also to sit around talking each others’ ears off.

But maybe a new friend wouldn’t be so bad. Someone at work who she could unwind with over a drink and rant about work-type things. Andy and Rob both worked in economics, and so after one night of talking about Australia’s apparently struggling economy, Frazer had started talking about a vaginal tear so bad that it had needed surgery. They had gotten the hint and didn’t discuss work anymore.

If Cora wanted to rant about her marriage, she could go ahead. At work, Frazer would just pretend it wasn’t Alec. She’d imagine Alec was some guy, her boss, and that was all. Like he had nothing to do with the man Cora was talking about.