"We could have called for a car," I said, chuckling as Jane tried to adjust the seat and steering wheel of my Land Rover so she could see over the dashboard.

"It wouldn't make sense to have to come back for your car when I am perfectly capable of driving you home before catching the train. It's not a big deal," she said as she pulled into traffic and began maneuvering between lanes.

"I will get you a cab or I will call Ricky to take you home," I insisted.

She was pursing her lips and keeping her eyes on the road.

"Thank you for coming," I heard the soft contemplation in my voice and wondered where it would lead if I revealed what I really thought out loud.

"I hope you know you can always count on me."

"I do. Honestly, there aren't many people I feel comfortable with right now. Not necessarily because of the story being out there, either. How do you explain to friends you've had as long as you've been married that your husband has moved out because he felt your assault made him appear weak? Will they see me as damaged, too?"

A few drinks and I had become even more self-pitying.

"You are not damaged, Jacqueline. You are extraordinary. What happened back then does not define you. Just as what Ian thinks of you telling your story now does not reflect on you."

I turned my body in the seat and watched her profile, lit up thanks to the city that never sleeps.

"Would you be capable of critiquing me in a negative way?" I wondered.

"What do you mean?" she set her jaw, proving my point. When she looked over, I was raising an eyebrow and smirking. "Oh, shut up."

"Did I say anything?" I feigned hurt as she chuckled.

"You never have to."

There was a reason she wouldn't look at me and as flirtatious as I was suddenly feeling, I thought it best not to tease further. I sat quietly watching her as she navigated the car expertly.

"Where do I…?" she asked, pointing her finger as we approached my home.

"If you go to the end of the block, take a right and there is an underground garage."

Nodding and doing as I said, she made her way to the automatic gate, drove through and took an open space, seemingly relieved to no longer be behind the wheel of an expensive car in a city she rarely if ever drove in.

"Come up for a drink? Or coffee?" I asked before unbuckling my seatbelt.

"A drink would be very nice."

It was too dark to know if she was blushing, but the way she quickly turned away from me made me suspect so.

We rode the elevator in silence. When we entered the apartment, I began turning on lights and made my way to the kitchen where I turned on the coffee machine.

"What would you like to drink?" I asked before turning around and noticing her eyes on me. There was a darkness to them that I had to force myself to drop.

"Scotch."

The way she spoke made it seem as though there was a specific reason for her wanting the smoky whisky that I usually drank and I had shared plenty of drinks with her to know that reason wasn't because it was her favorite. Again, letting it go, I poured her a drink and got my coffee mug and we moved into the living room.

"Thank you again, Jane. Both for coming to meet me and for driving me home. I must admit I am a bit embarrassed by my behavior."

As we sat down, I kicked off my shoes and stretched my legs until my feet were on the coffee table in front of me. I leaned back and rested my head at the top edge of the couch cushion.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of, Jacqueline. We all have moments where we behave out of character or when we simply do what feels right. You have been dealing with a lot. It's okay to deal with that in whatever way you need to. And if that means you need me to meet you at a bar and make sure you get some safely, that is the least I can do," she had this way of speaking with such passion even when about something as pedestrian as this.

I sipped at my coffee and held eye contact for a moment.

"I won't make it a habit, however." I winked at her. She grinned.

"I wouldn't imagine so."

If a couch held memories, mine was a novel-length history of moments along with Jane.

"Is the scotch passable?" I asked, watching her swirl and sip the liquid.

She nodded. Her coy grin made me smile. It felt warmer than it had when we arrived.

"Do I dare ask what you were doing when I asked you to fetch me tonight?" I had been wondering but didn't ask. I knew the answer would make me feel guilty.

"I was at home having a lively debate with Kat about how soon she and Adena will move in together," she shook her head at something. "Kat can be goaded quite easily. Sometimes I can't resist."

"Are they at that step?" I asked.

"No, I don't think so. Kat has always run from commitment. This is as serious as any relationship has been. With men or women."

I sipped my scalding hot coffee. Looking at her over the mug.

"She told me you asked about me," Jane said nonchalantly.

"Mmm…I did," I admitted.

We looked at one another for several long seconds. She seemed to be trying to parse my reasoning which I am sure she had been doing since Kat revealed my concern.

"Are you and Ben serious?" I found myself asking something I might not want the answer to and that shook me. Though, I had been wondering since the awards dinner. The question appeared to catch her by surprise. It also seemed to require some consideration. In my experience, if you had to think about it, a relationship wasn't yet anything more than casual.

"No," she decided. "He is a lovely man."

"But?" I pressed.

"It's complicated."

"One's love life tends to be," I sighed, thinking about my own marriage or whatever remained of it.

"Have you guys…?" she asked without knowing exactly what she wanted to know.

"Ian calls to speak to the boys before school and before bedtime."

She looked at me over the top of her glass, her eyes as smoky as I knew the scotch to be.

"I'm sorry, Jacqueline," she said. From the tone in her voice, I could sense she was apologizing for multiple unspoken things.

"James asked me if we were getting a divorce." I had no idea why I was telling her this.

"And?" She responded without thought and scrunched her face adorably as she regretted her bold question.

"Honestly?" she nodded for me to go ahead. "My marriage is over. I know it needs to be discussed, Ian and I will at some point, and decisions need to be made. It's a rude awakening."

"God, that's awful," she looked at me with sadness and concern. "Is he going to see things the same way?"

Jane had a way of leaving me stumped with her questions which I suppose is what made her an exceptional writer.

"He moved out, after all," I reminded her. "I don't doubt he feels the same."

She nodded at this and didn't lob any other questions for the time being.

"You never elaborated on why things with Ben were complicated," I circled back.

"Oh, they aren't complicated with him. He is great. You asked if it was serious. That is what is complicated. It can't be serious because…"

"There's someone else." I don't know why I was curious about this or why I felt the need to ask. It dawned on me that Jane had been in a relationship with a writer for another magazine in the building. Perhaps both relationships were casual. That didn't strike me as something the ever organized and ethical Jane Sloan would do. I didn't think, I simply plowed ahead.

"Is it a matter of deciding who is a better fit?"

The scotch was relaxing her, made obvious by her smirking at my question. I played it back in my head and caught the double entendre.

"Now it's me who must apologize," I tried not to laugh, but the coffee hadn't killed the buzz and I burst out laughing.

"You are terrible!" she said to me as my laughing slowed.

"You smirked first!" I countered.

She shook her head and finished her drink, a double.

"Would you like another?" I nodded to her glass.

"Umm…no," she looked into her glass and back at me. "I shouldn't."

"Afraid of what you might say? It can't be much worse than me saying my marriage is over and my friends might think me damaged," I shrugged.

"Jac…"

"I've failed you as your mentor and boss tonight, Jane."

Jane surprised me by moving toward me on the couch. She placed her hand on my knee.

"You haven't failed me," she noted.

"I've just failed?" I smiled, knowingly, and quirked my eyebrow. She knew as well as I did, we had shared these very words before.

"You haven't failed. Me, especially."

Her tone changed. Our closeness had changed. Her hand on my knee was now on my thigh. I felt my heart thundering in my chest. My breathing had picked up. I stared at her hand before looking up to see fire in her eyes.

"Jane…"

She sighed and began to pull her hand away. I grabbed it before she had reeled it back in entirely.

"It's not unwanted," I exhaled. God, it was far from unwanted. "You have to know that. I am a mess and the timing is terrible. Not to mention the—"

"Optics?" she nodded in gracious defeat.

The young woman continued to offer her hand as we looked at one another, both lost in our respective thoughts.

"I should go," Jane hummed.

"Yes," I reluctantly agreed.

When Jane released my hand, I wanted to ask her to stay. That was my sign that she absolutely had to leave. My feelings were very close to the surface. I stood and held my hand out for her glass. Our hands touched briefly and I had to refrain from gasping at the electricity. How had this spun out of my control so quickly? Perhaps because my feelings had been there for a very long time and I was only beginning to allow them to be present and acknowledged.

"Thank you again, Jane. You went above and beyond navigating the streets of this crazy city."

"I'm only happy I made it here without damaging your car!" she laughed.

I walked our glasses to the kitchen and grabbed some cash out of my purse. We met at the elevator.

We knowingly looked at one another for a long moment. Things had changed between us tonight and while the timing was terrible, the sentiment was not.

"I'm just going to—" I said, stepping toward her and pulling her into a hug.

I felt her inhale sharpy as I held her closely. Her hair smelled like coconut oil and a type of citrus. When her arms wrapped around me and settled at my low back, I felt my heart catch in my throat. I reluctantly began to release her but not before pressing a lingering kiss to her cheek.

"For the cab," I whispered as I placed money in her front pocket, an action that made her breath catch.

"Goodnight, Jacqueline."

She stepped into the elevator and smiled at me as I looked at her with adoration.

"Goodnight."

Well, that happened. I was in a lot of trouble. As I told Jane, it was not unwanted. It was—I laughed out loud—complicated.

To be continued…