Richard

When she finally returned, her face was flushed, her hands shaking slightly.

“Is everything alright, darling?” I asked with concern. “You look upset. What happened?”

“A friend,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself. “He is having some problems.”

“He?” I let my eyebrows rise slightly. “I thought you said you didn’t have any male friends.”

“What? No! I said, ‘she’—” She caught herself, realizing her mistake. “My bad. I misspoke. Yes, a female friend. I’m just flustered.”

“I see. What kind of problems is this friend having?”

May hesitated, clearly weighing how much to tell me. “Business problems. Her company is having some trouble. Investors are pulling out...