“You guess?”
“Just don’t get your hopes up.”
“Why?”
“You know her,” he said. “She’s a floozy.”
“A floozy?” I repeated. “Who even uses that word anymore?”
“Come on, she’s always with a new guy,” he said. “If I knew this Greg, I would warn him,” he said with a chuckle.
“You would not. This is different for her. They’re like college sweethearts.”
“Whatever, Livs, I don’t want to talk about Gretchen. Are you sure you don’t mind that I go fishing?”
“No,” I said, clearing some of his hair from his face. “I don’t mind. Tell them yes.”
“Great.” He kissed my cheek. “You’re the best.”
“Do you want to go get dinner?”
“Shit, I really can’t. If I don’t keep on track, I’ll have to come in this weekend.”
“Okay.” I picked up my purse. “I’ll see you at home then.”
“Liv?” he asked.
“Hmm?”
“I’m really glad that you’re, uh, doing better. I hope losing the house won’t change that.”
“Um.” I felt the color leave my face. I could only think of one terrible reason for the improvement to my mood lately, and it hadn’t been the house. “Yeah,” I said. “I mean no. I don’t think it will.”
“Good.” He kissed me on the cheek again and glanced at the closed door. “Also . . .”
“Yes?”
“It’s been a while since we . . . you know.”
I nodded. “It has been alongwhile.”
“Think we could give it another go?’
The night of Lucy’s wedding flashed across my mind. I hadn’t been fair to Bill lately, even when he’d been trying to help. I had a lot to make up for. “Of course,” I agreed, stepping toward him. “How about right now?”
He laughed. “No.”
Something stirred in me. Or it had been since Lucy’s wedding. I’d been cold for months, and as warmth crept back in, so did my need. Maybe that was why I couldn’t stay away from David. Maybe I needed to remember my husband.
I let my handbag fall to the ground, walked toward Bill, and touched his crotch. His shoulders stiffened. “Why not now?” I asked.
“Liv, no,” he insisted, trying to push my hand away, but I was already undoing his pants. He glanced behind me. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
I raised an eyebrow and backed away from him, turning to lock his door. “The office is almost empty,” I pointed out.
“True . . .”
I crossed the room and went to sit on his desk when he stopped me. “Jesus, not on the legal briefs,” he said. “Over here. On the couch.”
