Rafe hated that Eliza remained friends with Sandrine. He knew he could trust Sandrine with his life, but he was not as sure that he could trust that Eliza would not figure out one day that he had had many transgressions before Severine…including with Sandrine herself in the beginning of their relationship.

He had tried very hard to be only with Eliza, but it was just not natural to him. At first he thought he would be okay, but in an argument with Sandrine he fell apart.

“I told your new girlfriend as I am telling you, that you are not ever going to be faithful to her or anyone else. I did not even want it with you, and I could not keep you.”

The way she conceded, her eyes were wide but not moist. She just stared at him after she stated her truth.

He touched her face, and she put her hand over his. Being that close to her after she had been so honest, her soft scent that perfumed his thoughts even now. He remembered meeting her, being with her and he forgot everything in that moment. He wanted her. Sandrine was not yet friends with Eliza, so she had no problem letting him have her.

Even if he touched her now after all these years, it was like touching a live wire. But Sandrine did not want him now that she was friends with Eliza. She also did not think that what had happened that one time was anything to ruin her friendship with Eliza.

He lit a cigar in a bar where you could get away with that in New York City. Sandrine walked in, and he looked down at the table. They had made a conscious decision not to meet alone a long time ago, so when she summoned him he knew it was something serious.

The sound of her stilettos was the only sound he heard as she walked to the table, dulling out all the conversations and laughter about them. Dulling the sound of heavy glasses from hard drinks, there were not any elderflower or hibiscus cocktails here. Cigar in one hand, rye whiskey in the other was how he was armed as she sat down.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

He leaned over and kissed her cheek, felt the warmth flood where his lips touched her.

“Good to see you S,” he said.

“You sent Lizzie to me like a spy in the house of polyamorous love. You know Marcus has wanted to fuck her, if she wants a foursome are you prepared to handle that? What are you drinking?”

She picked up his whiskey and drained it, the heavy glass hitting the oak table with a thud.

Rafe set his cigar on the ashtray.

“I don’t make Eliza do anything. What I made her fuck this Oscar character? Marcus will have to get in line.”

“What did you do to her? She only wanted you, she was so in love with you and now she feels like she needs someone else? Of course you are fine with that, you probably waited to wear her down.”

Rafe ran his hand through his hair, then grabbed her wrist. Twisted her wedding band.

“Don’t you come in here preaching to me! What you think because you are married that you are some authority? Your marriage is open. If I came over to you and put my fingers in you, you’d lick your come off my fingers and be the same as you were when I was with you…and you know it.”

Sandrine laughed in his face, he let go of her hand.

“That’s all you have anymore isn’t it? You think you can hypnotize everyone with your dick, but that is all you are. A dick.”

She stood up, he stood up with her.

“You’re leaving?”

“I’m done.”

“You came all the way here to tell me I’m a dick?”

Sandrine put her hands to her chest as if for prayer.

“I am came here to meet a friend, but I do not know who you are anymore.”

The sound of her stilettos walking away from him was all he heard in the cigar bar.

He wasn’t sure who he was anymore either. What he wanted, what he was doing and he hated that Sandrine always called him out…

Correctly.

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whiskey via wikipedia