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"Sometimes," I admitted "We never had a chance to be a family without her" I remembered how lost and out of step we becah the memory of her love, ayear

"He meant well, Erica"

"I know he did I don’t blame him We’re both happy, so that’s all that ree and a new business under rets about Elliot’s choice Ultimately it placed me on the path that had led e the fact that we’d grown further apart over the years

"Enough about that, then Let’s talk about your love life" Marie shotin the di she would want every detail if I had anything at all to indulge "Nothing new to report, sadly How about we talk about yours instead?" I knew she would take the bait

Her eyes lit up and she gushed about her newest love interest Richard was a jet-setting journalist nearly a decade her junior, which was no surprise to e, Marie was incredibly young at heart I often had to ree

While she reminisced, I enjoyed a short love affair withwith a red wine reduction, the bone-in filet nearly , the meal almost made up for the past several months of sexual deprivation If it didn’t, the plate of chocolate covered strawberries we finished our dinner with definitely did

College had provided s, but unlike Marie, I was never really looking for love And now that I had a business to keep up with, I barely had time for a social life, let alone a sex life Instead I lived vicariously through Marie, genuinely happy she had a new man who kept a little pep in her step

We finished and Marie agreed to meet me outside after she freshened up Ihappy and a little buzzed I passed the host and turned back when he thankedthrough the front door

He caught ain I looked up to apologize when reen poured intoled to keep ht?"

His voice vibrated through htened aroundour bodies infinitely closer The shift did little to help ain my composure My body heated at the way he held ht to keepas he liked

A s with desire for this strange ht was clouded as I drank in his features He couldn’t have been much older than I With the exception of his ard dark brown hair, he appeared to be all business in a charcoal blazer over a white collared shirt with a couple buttons loose He looked expensive He even sue, Erica, a little voice sang, re me it was my turn to speak

"Yes, I’m fine I’m sorry"

"Don’t be," he murmured seductively, with a hint of a smile His lips were etched and full of pronore with y rolled off the man like tidal waves