ick with the murmur of conversations and the clinking of champagne glasses. I wor

picture of a successful businessman. He kept his hand on the small of my b

shley a

, a little too short for a corporate event. She ma

l over for you," she coo

mile tightening slightly. "Y

icker of triumph in her eyes befor

g a rough time the other day. I told David he should have go

sympathy. She was staking her c

avid jumped in, his tone

n herself lately. A

table, justifying his act

David' s arm. "Don' t you two fight because of me. Y

concerned friend, the innocent byst

sed to give them the satisfaction of a reaction. My silence

voice a low hiss

to be having a good time? Y

d, David," I sa

me onto the dance floor. It was a perfunctory,

t we?" he murmured, a con

dance, years ago, where he had held me just like thi

ed by the cold reality of the present. He was onl

d against my hand. It was a gho

him. The muscle memory of our years tog

ing us from the table, a sm

pulled my

nd his jaw tightened. The dance ended,

he announced on the way home, as if it

t have to

insi

opened the passenger door, I was hit by a wave of chea

pink pillow with cat ears was propped against the headrest. A string

rritory. She had ma

. He had the decency

with me. You know, to save on

limsy excuse, no

passenger door and walked around to the

mirror, a flash of irritation on

her seat," I said, my vo

k in the car' rule for years, who had once yelled at me for leaving a newspaper on the b

pped at a drive-thru and bought t

f the coffees t

ew drops of coffee on the floor mat and he hadn' t spoken to me for the rest o

d. "No, thank you.

window, watchin

building, I got out of the

" he ca

ut didn' t

through thi

d lost myself in my work. It was my only refuge, the one place where I still felt competent and in control. The marketing cam