"I understand the salmon here is superb," Edward was saying, reading over the Boathouse menu. It was a well-known restaurant in Manhattan.

Alice scanned the list of entrées, which featured fresh seafood, then chose the grilled salmon—the same dish she'd ordered that night with Jazz. Tonight, though, she wasn't sure why she was even bothering. She wasn't hungry, and Edward was going to be wasting good money while she made a pretense of enjoying her meal.

"I understand you've been seeing a lot of Jazz Whitlock," he said conversationally.

That Edward should mention Jazz's name right now was ironic. Alice hadn't stopped thinking about him from the moment he'd dropped into her office earlier that afternoon. Their conversation had left a bitter taste in her mouth. She'd sincerely believed their relationship was developing into something…special.

Yet Jazz had gone out of his way to give her the opposite impression.

"Alice?" Edward stared at her.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

"Simply that you and Jazz Whitlock have been seeing a lot of each other recently."

"Uh, yes. As you know, we were childhood friends," she murmured. "Actually Jazz and my older brother were best friends. Then Jazz's family moved to the suburbs and our families lost contact."

"Yes, I remember you mentioned that."

The waitress came for their order, and Edward requested a bottle of white wine. Then he chatted amicably for several minutes, bringing up subjects of shared interest from the office.

Alice listened attentively, nodding from time to time or adding the occasional comment. Now that she had his undivided attention, Alice wondered what it was about Edward that she'd found so extraordinary. He was attractive, but not nearly as dynamic or exciting as she found Jazz. True, Edward possessed a certain charm, but compared to Jazz, he was subdued and perhaps even a little dull. Alice couldn't imagine her stalwart boss carrying her piggyback out the back door because her high heels were too tight. Nor could she see Edward bantering with her the way Jazz did.

The waitress delivered the wine, opened the bottle and poured them each a glass, once Edward had given his approval. Their dinners followed shortly afterward. After taking a bite or two of her delicious salmon, Alice noticed that Edward hadn't touched his meal. If anything, he seemed restless.

He rolled the stem of the wineglass between his fingers, watching the wine swirl inside. Then he suddenly blurted out, "What do you think of Bella's leaving the firm?"

Alice was taken aback by the fervor in his voice when he mentioned Bella's name. "Frankly I was shocked," Alice said. "Bella and I have been good friends for a couple of years now." There'd been a time when the two had done nearly everything together. The summer before, they'd vacationed in Mexico and returned to New York with enough handwoven baskets and bulky blankets to set up shop themselves.

"Bella's resigning came as a surprise to you, then?"

"Yes, this whole thing caught me completely unawares. Bella didn't even mention the other job offer to me. I always thought we were good friends."

"Bella is your friend," Edward said with enough conviction to persuade the patrons at the nearby tables. "You wouldn't believe what a good friend she is."

"I…know that." But friends sometimes had surprises up their sleeves. Bella was a good example of that, and apparently so was Jazz.

"I find Bella an exceptional woman," Edward commented, watching Alice closely.

"She's probably one of the best Fashion PAs in the business," Alice said, taking a sip of her wine.

"My…admiration for her goes beyond her keen business mind."

"Oh, mine, too," Alice was quick to agree. Bella was the kind of friend who would trrudge through the blazing sun of Mexico looking for a conch shell because she knew Alice really wanted to take one home. And Bella had listened to countless hours of Alice's bemoaning her sorry fate of unrequited love for Edward.

"She's a wonderful woman."

Jazz was wonderful, too, Alice thought. So wonderful her heart ached at his indifference when she'd announced she would be dining with Edward.

"Bella's the kind of woman a man could treasure all his life," Edward went on.

"I couldn't agree with you more," Alice said. Now, if only Jazz would realize what a treasure she was. He'd married her once—well, sort of—and surely the possibility of spending their lives together had crossed his mind in the past few weeks.

Edward hesitated as though at a loss for words. "I don't suppose you've given any thought to the reason Bella made this unexpected decision to resign?"

Frankly Alice hadn't. Her mind and her heart had been so full ofJazz that deciphering her friend's actions had somehow escaped her. "She received a better offer, didn't she?" Which was understandable. Bella would be an asset to any firm.

It was then that Alice understood. Edward hadn't asked her to dinner out of any desire to develop a romantic relationship with her. He saw her as a means of discovering what had prompted Bella to resign. This new awareness came as a relief, a burden lifted from her shoulders. Edward wasn't interested in her.

He never had been and probably never would be. A few weeks ago, that realization would have been a crushing defeat, but all Alice experienced now was an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

"I'm sure if you talk to Bella, she might reconsider," Alice suggested.

"I've tried, trust me. But there's a problem."

"Oh?" Now that Alice had sampled the salmon, she discovered it to be truly delicious. She hadn't realized how hungry she was.

"Alice, look at me," Edward said, raising his voice slightly. His face was pinched, his eyes intense. "Damn, but you've made this nearly impossible."

She looked up at him, her face puzzled. "What is it, Edward?"

"You have no idea, do you? I swear you've got to be the most obtuse woman in the world." He pushed aside his plate and briefly closed his eyes, shaking

his head. "I'm in love with Bella. I have been for weeks…months. But for the life of me I couldn't get her to notice me. I swear I did everything but turn cartwheels in her office. It finally dawned on me why she wasn't responding."

"Me?" Alice asked in a feeble, mouselike squeak.

"Exactly. She didn't want to betray your friendship. Then one afternoon—I think it was the day you first recognized Jazz—we, Bella and I, were in my office and—Oh hell, I don't know how it happened, but Bella was looking something up for me and she stumbled over one of the cords the construction crew was using. Fortunately I was able to catch her before she fell to the floor. I know it wasn't her fault, but I was so angry, afraid she might have been hurt.

Bella was just as angry with me for being angry with her, and it seemed the only way to shut her up was to kiss her. That was the beginning and I swear to you everything exploded in our faces at that moment."

Alice swallowed, fascinated by the story. "Go on."

"I tried for days to get her to agree to go out with me. But she kept refusing until I demanded to know why."

"She told you…how I felt about you?" The thought was mortifying.

"Of course not. Bella's too good a friend to divulge your confidence. Besides, she didn't need to tell me. I've known all along. Good grief, Alice, what did I have to do to discourage you? Hire a skywriter?"

"I don't think anything that drastic was necessary," she muttered, humiliated to her very bones.

"I repeatedly told Bella I wasn't attracted to you, but she wouldn't listen. Finally she told me if I'd talk to you, explain everything myself, she'd agree to go out with me."

"The phone call," Alice said with sudden comprehension. "That was the reason you called me, wasn't it? You wanted to talk about Bella, not that business article."

"Yes." He looked deeply grateful for her insight, late though it was.

"Well, for heaven's sake, why didn't you?"

"Believe me, I've kicked myself a dozen times since. I wish I knew. I suppose it seemed heartless to have such a frank discussion over the phone. Again and again, I promised myself I'd say something. Lord knows I dropped enough hints, but you weren't exactly receptive."

She winced. "But why is Bella resigning?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Edward asked. "It was becoming increasingly difficult for us to work together. She didn't want to betray her best friend, but at the same

time…"

"But at the same time you two were falling in love."

"Exactly. I can't lose her, Alice. I don't want to hurt your feelings, and believe me, it's nothing personal—you're a trustworthy employee and a decent person —but I'm simply not attracted to you."

Edward didn't seem to be the only one. Other than treating their relationship like one big joke,Jazz hadn't ever claimed any romantic feelings for her, either.

"I had to do something before I lost Bella."

"I agree completely."

"You're not angry with her, are you?"

"Good heavens, no," Alice said, offering him a brave smile.

"We both thought something was developing between you andJazz Whitlock. Like I said, you seemed to be seeing quite a bit of each other, and then at

the Christmas party—"

"Don't remind me," Alice said with a low groan.

Edward's face creased in a spontaneous smile. "Jazz certainly has a wit about him, doesn't he?"

Alice gave a resigned nod.

Now that Edward had cleared the air, he seemed to develop an appetite. He reached for his dinner and ate heartily. By contrast, Alice's salmon had lost its

appeal. She stared down at her plate, wondering how she could possibly make it through the rest of the evening.

She did, though, quite nicely. Edward didn't even seem to notice that anything was amiss. It wasn't that Alice was distressed by his confession. If anything, she was relieved at this turn of events and delighted that Bella had fallen in love. Edward was obviously crazy about her; she'd never seen him more animated than when he was discussing Bella. It still shocked Alice that she'd been so unperceptive about Bella's real feelings. Not to mention Edward's…

Edward dropped her off at her building and saw her to the front door. "I can't thank you enough for understanding," he said, his voice warm. Impulsively he hugged her, then hurried back to his sports car.

Although she was certainly guilty of being obtuse, Alice knew exactly where Edward was headed. No doubt Bella would be waiting for him, eager to hear the details of their conversation. Alice planned to talk to her friend herself, first thing in the morning. Alice's apartment was dark and lonely. So lonely the silence seemed to echo off the walls. She hung up her coat before turning on the lights, her thoughts as dark as the room had been.

She made herself a cup of tea. Then she sat on the sofa, tucking her feet beneath her as she stared unseeing at the walls, assessing her options. They

seemed terribly limited.

Edward was in love with Bella. And Jazz…Alice had no idea where she stood with him. For all she knew—

Her thoughts were interrupted by the phone. She answered on the second ring.

"Alice?" It wasJazz and he seemed surprised to find her back so early. "When did you get in?"

"A few minutes ago."

"You don't sound like yourself. Is anything wrong?"

"No," she said, breaking into sobs. "What could possibly be wrong?"