Alice

The warmth of the resort didn’t leave my body right away, even after we stepped out of the car in the parking area of Lance’s condo.

I felt the change immediately, not because of the place, but because of him.

“I have a meeting in an hour,” he said as he took my bag from the trunk. His tone was direct, still gentle, but threaded with urgency. It was obvious that his mind was already elsewhere.

“Oh,” was all I managed to say.

The elevator ride was quiet. He carried our bags with one hand while holding mine with the other.

When we reached his unit, he immediately set...