I
A RIEL AND VERONICA WERE SITTING together at a fancy cafe in Beverly Hills. Waiters in white shirts and black pants served them fresh salads and sparkling water and white wine. Ariel sat back and watched the waiter. He was young and good-looking. Ever since sleeping with Jake she’d been feeling guilty but she’d also been feeling alive and vibrant and aroused. It was as if he’d woken up inside her something that had been asleep a long time. He’d brought back her desires for sexual excitement and risk.
“You’re staring at that poor waiter,” Veronica said, smirking.
“Am I?”
“Yes,” Veronica said, “you are!”
“I’m sorry,” Ariel said.
“Don’t worry about it. You’re single, you’re free. You can look at whatever you like.”
Ariel smiled. She knew Veronica was going through a difficult time in her marriage. She was trying to play the good wife, she was trying to be loyal to Hank, but Ariel knew she was finding it difficult. It was hard to be in a relationship like that where there was loyalty and friendship but no passion or excitement.
“You can look too,” Ariel said.
Veronica nodded, a little sadly. “I can look, but I can’t touch. That’s the difference. You can look and touch.”
“I don’t think that waiter will be letting me touch him any time soon,” Ariel said.
“But you know what I mean,” Veronica went on.
Ariel nodded. It was true. She’d been in a difficult marriage of her own for sixteen years. She knew only too well what it was like to be stuck in a relationship, to feel like all her options were shut off. She felt sympathy for Veronica, for her situation, but she wasn’t sure how she could help her.
“So it’s exciting that Hank wants you to open a restaurant,” she said, changing the subject.
“Yes,” Veronica said, glad to have her attention directed at something other than her difficulties. She pulled out a folder and opened it. It was full of pictures of different restaurants that she liked. There were different interior styles that she could consider, different furniture, different tableware. There were so many options.
Ariel pointed at one of the pictures. It was a sparse, white interior, very minimal. “I like that one,” she said.
“I love that,” Veronica said. “That’s exactly the kind of thing I’m going for.”
“I guess the first challenge is to chose a location. Once you know the neighborhood you’re in you’ll know what kind of style to go for.”
Veronica looked up from the folder. “Oh Ariel, how am I going to get through this?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know the history I have with Matt. You know how strong our feelings are for each other.”
“Yes I do, but I also know that you two never crossed the line.”
“But if he’s working with me, setting up the restaurant, think of all the time we’re going to be together. Think of all the opportunities. What if something happens?”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Ariel said. “You’re acting like something’s already happened.”
“No I’m not. I’m just being realistic. I’m thinking of my marriage. I know how close Matt and I have been in the past, I know there’s a real risk of something happening.”
Ariel shook her head. “You’re getting ahead of yourself. You should spend more time thinking about what has happened, and less time worrying about what might happen.”
Veronica looked up at Ariel. Ariel looked away. “Ariel,” Veronica said, “what is it? You look pale.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s something,” Veronica said. “I know that look.”
“What look?”
“Something happened. Tell me what it is.”
“Something did happen,” Ariel said.
“Well?” Veronica said. “Tell me.”
Ariel looked at her friend. She looked around the cafe as if someone might be watching her. Everything was normal. No one was paying her any attention. She took a deep breath.
“I slept with Jake Medeiros,” she said.
As
A RIEL AND VERONICA WERE SITTING together at a fancy cafe in Beverly Hills. Waiters in white shirts and black pants served them fresh salads and sparkling water and white wine. Ariel sat back and watched the waiter. He was young and good-looking. Ever since sleeping with Jake she’d been feeling guilty but she’d also been feeling alive and vibrant and aroused. It was as if he’d woken up inside her something that had been asleep a long time. He’d brought back her desires for sexual excitement and risk.
“You’re staring at that poor waiter,” Veronica said, smirking.
“Am I?”
“Yes,” Veronica said, “you are!”
“I’m sorry,” Ariel said.
“Don’t worry about it. You’re single, you’re free. You can look at whatever you like.”
Ariel smiled. She knew Veronica was going through a difficult time in her marriage. She was trying to play the good wife, she was trying to be loyal to Hank, but Ariel knew she was finding it difficult. It was hard to be in a relationship like that where there was loyalty and friendship but no passion or excitement.
“You can look too,” Ariel said.
Veronica nodded, a little sadly. “I can look, but I can’t touch. That’s the difference. You can look and touch.”
“I don’t think that waiter will be letting me touch him any time soon,” Ariel said.
“But you know what I mean,” Veronica went on.
Ariel nodded. It was true. She’d been in a difficult marriage of her own for sixteen years. She knew only too well what it was like to be stuck in a relationship, to feel like all her options were shut off. She felt sympathy for Veronica, for her situation, but she wasn’t sure how she could help her.
“So it’s exciting that Hank wants you to open a restaurant,” she said, changing the subject.
“Yes,” Veronica said, glad to have her attention directed at something other than her difficulties. She pulled out a folder and opened it. It was full of pictures of different restaurants that she liked. There were different interior styles that she could consider, different furniture, different tableware. There were so many options.
Ariel pointed at one of the pictures. It was a sparse, white interior, very minimal. “I like that one,” she said.
“I love that,” Veronica said. “That’s exactly the kind of thing I’m going for.”
“I guess the first challenge is to chose a location. Once you know the neighborhood you’re in you’ll know what kind of style to go for.”
Veronica looked up from the folder. “Oh Ariel, how am I going to get through this?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know the history I have with Matt. You know how strong our feelings are for each other.”
“Yes I do, but I also know that you two never crossed the line.”
“But if he’s working with me, setting up the restaurant, think of all the time we’re going to be together. Think of all the opportunities. What if something happens?”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Ariel said. “You’re acting like something’s already happened.”
“No I’m not. I’m just being realistic. I’m thinking of my marriage. I know how close Matt and I have been in the past, I know there’s a real risk of something happening.”
Ariel shook her head. “You’re getting ahead of yourself. You should spend more time thinking about what has happened, and less time worrying about what might happen.”
Veronica looked up at Ariel. Ariel looked away. “Ariel,” Veronica said, “what is it? You look pale.”
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s something,” Veronica said. “I know that look.”
“What look?”
“Something happened. Tell me what it is.”
“Something did happen,” Ariel said.
“Well?” Veronica said. “Tell me.”
Ariel looked at her friend. She looked around the cafe as if someone might be watching her. Everything was normal. No one was paying her any attention. She took a deep breath.
“I slept with Jake Medeiros,” she said.
As
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