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“I’ll help, Maria.”
    “Oh, no, I couldn’t let you do that,” Maria told her. “You’re our guest. The rule when we have guests is: Jack cooks, I clear up.” Lucy helped anyway, so when Jack excused himself, Lucas was left to his own devices. He picked up some of the empty plates and brought them to the kitchen where he was met by Maria.
    She was smiling warmly. “Oh, no, not both of you in this kitchen!
    Did Jack leave you alone?” She rolled her eyes. “Typical! Listen, Lucas, I bet he’s on the porch smoking a cigarette. I’m sure he won’t mind some company, if you can stand the smell of cigarettes, that is.” Lucas nodded and smiled at her.
    She handed him two tulip glasses of brandy. “Why don’t you take these out to him?”
    “Surprising how warm it still is out here, after this cold week.” Lucas started as he found his host sitting on the bench outside, leaning against the brownstone wall of the house.
    Jack took a long drag of his cigarette and simply answered,
    “Yeah,” without looking at the young man.
    “I thought all Americans had given up smoking by now,” Lucas tried to tease as he handed Jack one of the glasses he was holding.
    Jack shrugged, his gaze still out towards the garden. “Well, I can quit anytime, just never know for how long. Maria keeps asking me to, but I guess that’s not enough of an incentive.” 30 | Z a h r a O w e n s

    Lucas sat down on the opposite side of the simple wooden bench, careful not to come too close to the other man. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.
    “Nice garden.”
    “Yup, the last Ambassador had a wife with green fingers.”
    “Well, Maria seems to know her way around pruning shears as well.”
    “Yeah.”
    There it was again. Lucas couldn’t help feeling that every time Maria’s name came into the conversation, Jack went silent. Or was it just his imagination?
    “I’m sorry, Jack.”
    “No, you’re not,” Jack rebutted without hesitation.
    “You don’t even know what I’m apologizing for.” Lucas sat up straight and looked over at Jack, who was still reclining, staring out to the horizon where the sun was setting.
    “You were apologizing for almost getting caught.” Lucas stared at the American for a long time, searching for confirmation, wanting to know if he understood Jack right, but his stare was not returned.
    “Actually... I’m not sorry,” he found himself saying, deciding to be brave for now.
    “Thought not,” Jack answered and a small smile spread across his lips. He took a swig from his brandy, got up from the bench, and walked around Lucas on his way back inside.
    As he passed the young man, he let his index finger brush lightly against Lucas’s jaw and then squeezed his shoulder, before disappearing again into the living room.
    Lucas was dazed by the gesture as he let his head fall to the side, in an attempt to recapture the feeling of the older man’s hand against his face.
    He replayed this evening’s events in his head over and over again and kept coming to the same conclusion. That was not the way a man behaved if he wasn’t interested.

    D i p l o m a c y | 31

    Jack walked inside the house again, a smile on his face as he raised his hand to his nose, catching the faint residue of Lucas’s aftershave left there by the brief touch.
    Despite his resolution to not get carried away, the young man had invaded his heart, and he knew it was not going to be easy to work with him from now on. Even though there was no way he could ever give in to these feelings, a part of him still enjoyed them. And why couldn’t he indulge himself? Lots of men had affairs, slept around behind their wife’s back.
    From the dimly lit living room, he could see Maria in the kitchen with Lucy. Could he be unfaithful to his wife? Lucas clearly wanted more; Jack could practically see the lust in the young man’s eyes when they were pointed at him. He knew the ball was in his court. He didn’t think that