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of dark brown something rest on top of the lemon. I take a sniff. “Vanilla?”
    “Madagascar’s finest.”
    I take a small sip. “Mmm. Delish!”
    “You asked for cool and amber. This is amber.” He points to my beverage. “And this is oh-so-cool.” He waves a hand up and down his torso.
    I laugh. “You got that right.”
    The waiter plunks the Mezzaluna in front of Jonas. He bats his lashes. “And there you go!”
    “Thanks.” Jonas looks up at him and gives him a manly glare.
    The waiter smiles indulgently. “Don’t worry, sugar, you are so not my type. She’s the one who’s caught my eye. The name’s Magicka, by the way. Magicka Santorini.”
    “Hands off. She’s my friend.”
    “And she can defend herself, thank you very much,” I say, stopping the macho madness. “I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, Magicka.” I extend my hand to him.
    “Girl, the pleasure is all mine.” He kisses my hand before releasing it. “Mm mm mmm, you smell good.”
    Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Jonas bristle. “Let’s order.”
    After Magicka sashays away with our order, I turn to Jonas. “You’re always happy, Jonas. That’s one of the things I can count on. And I doubt that Jenner’s snark today was any different than usual. It’s what she does.”
    “You’re right about that.” He takes a healthy slurp of vodka. “It’s me who’s changing. I told you. I’m getting tired of it.”
    “Have you told her that?”
    “All the fucking time. So much so that I’ve given up. Now it’s just ‘yes, dear’ and ‘no, dear.’ It makes me sick. It makes me feel weak. And I tell you what—I do not like feeling that way. I’m a fucking man, goddamn it. I’m no one’s bitch.”
    I frown. I’ve known Jonas for about eight years. He’s been with Jenner half that time. Before that we both dated around, never with one another. I’ve never seen him this way. “Yeah, but you are a nice guy. I know you. You want to do the right thing.” I shrug. “Maybe it’s time for a switch. Maybe that’s what’s right.”
    He brightens, grinning at me. “I was hoping you’d feel that way.”
    “Not like that, friend .”
    “We’d have a wonderful relationship. You know that we would.”
    “We already do have a wonderful relationship. It’s easy. It’s not messy or complex. It’s something I can count on when I’m blue and delight in when I’m happy.”
    “And you could be howling with pleasure when you’re turned on.”
    I give him a smirk face and reach for my beer. I pretend to be all cool and together but my insides have decided something else. I’m wet where it counts, hot where it matters, and my heart is beginning to pound with a vengeance. “Off-limits topic, remember?” I wipe my lips with my soft napkin. Jonas says nothing so I take another swig of beer. “Remember?” I ask, facing him. When I meet his eyes I almost cough and choke. He’s looking at me with an openness that’s fall-in-and-take-a-swim enticing. It’s like he’s torn away any façade he puts up when we’re out goofing around. There’s this new Jonas—this undiscovered mystery Jonas—looking back at me. “Jonas, don’t…”
    “Don’t what, Vienna?” He continues to gaze at me.
    “You’re making me…”
    “I’m not doing anything except looking at you the way I’ve always wanted to look at you—adoringly, with a generous dose of desire.”
    I swallow, hard. I drink him in. I know I shouldn’t, but he just looks so fine, so delicious, so inviting, I’m at a loss as to how to behave right now. “Jonas, I told you I won’t be the excuse that lets you free yourself.”
    He nods but doesn’t look away.
    I wrench myself away from his gaze and stare at the other diners. My gaze lands on a couple in the shadowed corner across the room. I blink. “Isn’t that Jenner over there? I thought you said she was at art class.”
    Jonas’s head whips around to see where I’m looking. “So that’s what’s