He did not push her into having sex. Instead, he went out of his way to make their time together companionable. On a gas grill out by the pool, he grilled chicken breasts and summer vegetables for their meal and served cold margaritas. He was pleased when she responded to his attempts at conversation. She gave every indication of enjoying simply being in his company. As the hot evening waned, he became cautiously confident that Winter had thought better about her decision to break up with him. They were relaxing after taking a swim when his cell rang. He picked it up and looked at the caller ID. “Excuse me, Winter. I need to take this.” He flipped open the phone. “Hello! How are you, John? No, no, that’s fine. I’ve got the file here at the house. Just give me a minute to get to my office.” He mimed to Winter that he would be back soon, and she nodded. He opened the French door and stepped through it, his attention already focused on the call. “Sure, I understand. It’s not a problem.”
