“Is it true you guys were married?” Zanne asked while there was still time. She didn’t know why. She’d seen the divorce decree. She already had the facts. She was looking for something more—a connection to this woman she’d admired and maybe to Ted, as well.

“I was naive, too,” was all Phoebe said, which told her nothing and everything at the same time. Inside Zanne, something sank gently but swiftly, like a pebble to the bottom of the ocean.

She pointed to the Adirondack chair on the porch outside Ted’s office. “Wait there, please.”

Ted was in the screening room where she’d left him. She turned on the lights, and he squinted. He had his chair tilted back and the footrest up. There was a hole just beginning to form in the heel of his left sock. He looked so vulnerable. He counted on the staff to handle everything for him, even to change out his socks, and they did. She did. Zanne never let Ted down. So why had he posted that ad for her job?

“Ted, there’s been a change to your schedule. There’s a visitor here to see you, and I’m moving back the call with the second unit to tomorrow.” She kept the name of the visitor to herself, letting some suspense build.

“Hmm. You’ll need to review with Dawn the procedures for when to grant a meeting,” Ted said. “A lot of people will tell you it’s urgent when it really isn’t.”

Zanne felt it starting, his education of her, but she knew what she was doing. “Absolutely. I’ll be sure to discuss that with Dawn when she returns. Would you like to meet with Ms. Lee in here or in the sitting area?”

Zanne waited for the flicker of recognition. Ted looked puzzled.

“Ms. Lee?”

“Phoebe Lee. She’s waiting on the porch.”

“Phoebe?” Ted said. He tried to stand up, but it was comically impossible with the chair tilted back.

“Here,” Zanne said, “let me help you.” She reached for the lever that hid the footrest and popped the seat back up. Ted bolted upright. He combed his hair forward with his fingers to hide his receding hairline. It was a tic of his, his one insecurity.

“Phoebe’s here? Now?”

“She came a little early, for the party. She asked if she could have a minute with you, and I thought this would be better than trying to catch up in public. Would you like a minute to put on a clean shirt?”

Ted looked down at himself and Zanne saw that the self-inventory that women were continuously engaged in was about to start for Ted.