She stiffened at the reminder. “Before I came back and over Facetime.” She clasped her hands tightly on the table in front of her.

“I guess we both did what we thought was best at the time.”

She jerked at his parallel use of her words and scowled at him.

“You still haven’t explained why you’re not flying high on your success now,” he said.

The server returned to their table. “Are you ready to order?” she asked, politely.

“Can you give us another few minutes?” Xander wanted this conversation over and done with, not to be revisited.

“Of course,” the woman said.

Once she left, he met Sasha’s gaze.

“I’m just tired,” she said. “Not with acting. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to me playing Amanda. It’s just some of the other things that go with the career that are draining me. It’s been like a merry-go-round lately, going from one film to the next, one country to another.” She lifted her shoulder and lowered it again. “But I know how lucky I am to have achieved so much so quickly. I’ll just take a break after this movie and I’ll be fine.” Her gaze darted from his, and he had the distinct sense she wasn’t telling him everything.

But she didn’t owe him an explanation, and now he had a better understanding of… nothing. He’d asked the question, hoping for insight into the woman he’d once loved, and he’d wound up being the one who rehashed the low points of their relationship. Once he’d started, he hadn’t been able to stop, barely giving her a chance to talk.

He ran his hand over his head and, not for the first time, debated growing out his hair. At least he’d have something to pull on when shit went south.

He glanced at her. “I think we should arrange for a car to pick us up after we eat. Hopefully we can avoid fan craziness if someone posts you’re here on social media.”

“I already texted my assistant and she’s taking care of it.” A wry smile lifted her lips and she shrugged. “It’s part of my life.”

He nodded, hating that she lived this kind of life all the more.

When it came time to order, Sasha chose a chicken breast paillard, and Xander opted for a pizza with prosciutto, tomato, and mozzarella.

They changed the subject to the character of Amanda in his novel, spending the meal and their coffee discussing the strong woman he’d written to be Steele’s new dynamic female lead. A woman who could stand up to the Marine, much more than his wife ever had, and one who would ultimately become a partner in his adventures. Sasha asked intriguing questions, forcing Xander to think about the character from an entirely different perspective.