Jaya floated into the restaurant ten minutes after the hour, dressed in an unassuming, crisp cotton Indian outfit—not overdressed, yet out of place amongst the cocktail dresses and suits. A demure smile graced her face when she spotted him, and he stood up to greet her, touching her shoulder and leaning in to kiss her cheek. She smelled faintly of green apple and roses, a familiar scent. They took their seats and Keith gestured at her wineglass. His palms were moist and he wiped them on the cloth napkin in his lap.

“How was India?” he asked.

“Wonderful,” she said. “I’m planning to go again next year, make it an annual trip.”

When was the last time she’d described something as wonderful? “And your parents?” Keith asked.

“Good, fine,” she said, in the moderated way he was accustomed to. “Have you spoken to Karina lately?”

“It’s been a week or two,” Keith said, as he thought back. “We’ve exchanged text messages, but I haven’t actually talked to her live.”

Jaya laughed lightly and he watched her entire face brighten. “I know what you mean,” she said. “Sometimes we exchange ten text messages in five minutes, and I think, Wouldn’t it just be easier to pick up the phone?”

The waiter arrived to take their order, and Jaya glanced briefly at the menu before ordering the only vegetarian entrée, while Keith asked for his regular salmon. After the waiter left, Keith took a deep breath and placed his wineglass on the table. “Listen,” he said. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

Jaya’s expression turned serious, mirroring his.

“There’s some trouble at work. I . . .” Keith clenched his teeth, preparing himself for her judgment. “I . . . I made a mistake. A pretty big one.”

Jaya leaned in a little closer and placed her folded hands atop the table. Keith felt frozen, his voice caught in his throat. He still cared a great deal, he realized, about what she thought.

“I conducted a stock trade last year that was . . . it turns out . . .” Keith exhaled heavily. “It wasn’t entirely above board. I was privy to some insider information, which tainted the purchase. I didn’t . . . I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong at the time, but I shouldn’t have done it.” Now that he had admitted it, he felt a rush of relief and the words continued rolling out of him. “I should have just played it safe and stayed away from the company entirely.” He ran one hand through his hair as he shook his head, then dropped his hands on the table.

To his surprise, Jaya reached across the table and cupped her hands around his. He forced himself to meet her eyes and saw that, unexpectedly, they were full of understanding. She nodded gently for him to go on.

“The SEC started an investigation into the trade, and . . .” Keith looked at her and shrugged, his throat tight. “I have a good attorney. We’re hoping to settle the case and pay a fine.” He desperately needed a sip of water, feeling the perspiration under his shirt, but he didn’t want to break the grasp of Jaya’s cool and calming hands around his.