Cohen had finally gotten his dissertation topic approved and had begun formulating studies to carry out the necessary research to complete it. Obtaining one’s PhD seemed like a grueling process, and he had at least another year to go before it was completed.

“It’s taking too long to find the subjects for the study. Why these people won’t just take what’s being offered to them is beyond me,” he responded, disgusted and pouting. He continued on, complaining about how all of his research participants were just looking for a hand out and therefore couldn’t be trusted with his precious study.

Not for the first time, I stared across the table at Cohen and tried to remember what it was that had drawn me to him in the first place. He was handsome, I would give him that. With his somewhat shaggy blond hair, hazel eyes, and square jaw. And I wouldn’t lie, I also liked the fact that he was six foot one, towering over me by a few inches. And like I said, we had some of the same values in common, but whereas I considered myself a go-getter, Cohen had a bad habit of complaining that the people around him were out to get him somehow. It was becoming a turnoff.

“Hey, I left my wallet back at the office. Can you get lunch this time?” he questioned as we finished up.

I refrained from displaying the frown that attempted to cover my face. This, too, was becoming something of a habit. And while I was a woman all about the progression of women’s rights, and I did just get a promotion at work, granting me a much higher take home pay than what Cohen made on his student-teacher salary, I was getting a little tired of always footing the bill.

“Sure,” I stated rather tersely, not wanting to make a fuss about it right then since I needed to get back to work.

“Thanks.” He smiled and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “You’re the best.”

A year ago that little display of affection would have elicited a smile from me, but I felt nothing as I watched him out of the corner of my eye.

“I gotta go.” He gave my left arm a squeeze before heading off, not even waiting for me to rise from the table after paying the check.

“See ya later,” I mumbled and rolled my eyes. What was I doing with him? Maybe I was just being a bit cranky because of all of the extra hours I’d been putting in. Cohen hadn’t been lying when he indicated my new promotion left me with less time for our relationship. There were weeks when I was clocking sixty or even up to seventy hours. But the cosmetic company I worked for had just acquired another smaller company, and we were working to integrate our two different systems, as well as train some of the employees of the other company on our systems. The acquisition was what had brought about the opportunity for my promotion, so I wouldn’t shun it or the work. But it did leave me with less of a social life for the time being.