“They sound amazing. Do you miss living downtown? That’s where the action is, right?”

“Not as much as I thought I might. I miss the sizzle—I mean, the streets can be electric at night down there, and that’s not the case here. But I like being near the park and my sister and her kids. And I met you.” He said this part in a low voice she wasn’t used to hearing from him, one corner of his mouth kicking upward. His usual confidence seemed to fall away for a moment, and the shyness that replaced it made her blush. “Plus, as was pretty clear at the party, I just broke up with my girlfriend, and it seemed like a good move.”

“Why’d you break up?” She was curious, but she wouldn’t have dared ask if he hadn’t brought it up.

“I wasn’t in love with her, and I’m not sure she was in love with me. She was in love with the image of me—the up-and-coming marketing executive and the cool parties and the scene. Plus, she was pushing me to work more, and I don’t want to.” He looked hard at her, as if daring her to question that.

She held his gaze as if to reassure him that she wouldn’t do that. “Why’d she want you to work more?”

“She thought I had a slacker attitude and I’d get farther ahead if I worked more.”

“But you’re a senior VP!”

“Ah, yes, but I could be an executive VP. There’s always another rung on the ladder to climb.”

“So, there is—if that’s what you want.” Although for her, making partner was the final rung. The rest was icing on the cake. “It seems you’ve found a good balance.” She only wished she could find the same.

“I try.” The silence lengthened. “Do you believe in a balance?”

“I believe in it, but achieving it is another thing. There’s so much to learn, and the only way I’m going to be good is if I get enough experience. Plus, now I’ve got five months until the partnership decision.” She piled up the plates. “Do you want any dessert? I don’t have any chocolate chip cookies, although I assure you that that’s rare. Ice cream?”

“We could go for a walk and pick up dessert,” he said. “I have to walk Biscuit anyway.” Biscuit thumped his tail and got up.

“That’d be great.” A walk outside in the balmy summer night air sounded ideal. When they both stood, he was close. Only inches away. To break the tension, she asked where he went to high school. High school was so defining in New York.

“Collegiate. Where did you go?”

“Stuyvesant. All boys school, huh?” she teased.

“No distractions.”

“Are you easily distracted?”