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"You sound pissed"

Staring into my drink, I told him, "On my way And miserable"

"Aw cos"

Max fell silent for several beats "She didn’t"

"Yeah, she did Our affair in New York cost her her job, whereas I got a slap on the wrist She thinks she ra hell"

"And I went to have dinner with Portia the night after Ruby and I finally shagged, not knowing Tony’d given Ruby an ultimatum: me or her job"

"And she chose you," ht-o"

"You idiot"

"Exactly" I finished as in lass and dropped it onto the floor "So, needless to say, she’s ended things withto drink yourself into a stupor of self-pity on your couch then?"

"You knohat my life with Portia was like," I started "And with RubyI’d never thoughtwhat you have with Sara, but I did with her" I stared out the , at the sky and the new leaves as they shook in the early spring breeze "But I will never be okay after this She changed o back" The line was quiet for ait "So drinking myself into an aht"

"Or," he suggested with a laugh that said, You twat, "you could get off that stupid arse and go talk to Maggie For fuck’s sake, Niall, you act as if you’ve got no resources Figure out what you can bloody well fix and fix it This is what you do, mate"

I had a bit of time to reflect--finally sober--on what I wanted to say while I took the train froaret Sheffield was a bit of a hero ofserved on my thesis committee and been more of a mentor to ie’s specialty was civil engineering, she had a hand in designing and overseeing the construction of s in crowded London neighborhoods, and I idolized the way her career easily straddled engineering, architecture, and broader urban planning One of the proudest moue had introduced aret Sheffield"

But I’d never been to see her on such a personal matter In fact, aside from the heated moment I’d stormed into Tony’s office last week, I’d never really been to see anyone froh the cold hipped around , I was flushed with nerves