“I hope not.” Frank turned to glare at the agent. “It was a terrible match. He’s ruthless.”

John raised an eyebrow.

“We started at the same agency, same mailroom. Let’s just say he didn’t get where he is with hard work and respectable connections.”

Frank was always diplomatic. This was more emotion than his friend usually displayed.

“Why do you care if Anna Kovács is back with her ex-husband?” Frank wrinkled his brow. “Are you sure you’ve never met her? The look you gave her...”

“No, I thought she was somebody else.”

#

ANNA WILLED HER HEART to stop racing. She had never expected to see John again. At this point, she wasn’t sure if she’d hallucinated the entire afternoon at the bar. It had only been three days, but it felt long ago and dreamlike. She had remembered that John was attractive, of course, but she had downplayed it in her mind: the age difference, his overall hotness factor, and his back, apparently. Chatting with him, she’d been happy for the first time in a long time, content with whatever terrible choices had left her single, jobless, and enjoying a drink in a bar on a Monday afternoon.

She knew it was unfair to get upset over John calling her ma’am. He was just doing his job. But she didn’t feel like herself in this gown, with this makeup, and this poufy hair. She was no longer the Anna who had laughed with him and kissed him. She was the Anna who was divorced and wore clothes that someone else had chosen for her and whose career had fizzled out after showing early promise.

Anna studied her ex-husband. Tom could’ve stepped off a movie set, dressed in the role of a reluctant prince accepting the throne, but Tom would never hesitate. He had made his way to the top of the business with hard work and by doing anything, underhanded or not, that would assist his climb.

Not much had changed since she’d last seen him. His blond hair was styled perfectly, as if he hadn’t spent time on it at all. Anna knew the truth. He wore a dark handmade suit from Hong Kong and a crisp dress shirt. As usual, he looked impeccable. On paper, Tom was perfect. His conviction of his own opinions, necessary in his career, had made for a challenging marriage. Anna didn’t blame him—he’d always been himself—but she’d found the space left over for her too confining.