“Talk about Jessica,” Dr. Hall spoke.

“I didn’t mean to fall in love with her, or even to cheat on my wife.”

“Why did you?” Sheila asked.

“We shared lunch. Mostly, I let her talk – about her job, her friends, this guy she’d never really dated, but still had feelings for -.”

“She’d have been better off -.”

“James is speaking now, Sheila,” Dr. Hall’s spoke in a parental tone.

“We traded e-mails. She sent me a joke; later I sent her one, we didn’t trade personal information. After a few months, I told her I was going to Boston, and she said we should meet for dinner.”

“Did you really have to -?” Sheila began.

“I had a meeting with a client. It did not go well. I met Jess, and -” Sheila flinched that I had a nickname for her. Oops. “This time, I did all the venting. At the end, she said I was right. I made some joke, and she laughed. She has a great laugh. I just – kissed her.”

“And didn’t think of me,” Sheila whispered.

“I did. I was going to tell her, but she kissed me again.”