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afternoon.
    “I fell hard for him,” Nicole continued. “Within weeks we were having copious amounts of sex. Within months we were married.”
    Ryan’s face remained impassive.
    “Then after two years of seemingly married bliss I discovered Stephen was having an affair with one of the bridesmaids at our wedding – a really good friend of mine, actually. They’d been screwing each other’s brains out for almost a year. I had no idea.”
    “So what did you do?” Ryan watched her carefully.
    Nicole shrugged. She could do that now. Act like she didn’t care. And she didn’t. Not really. It still hurt, or rather the memory of what her husband had done to her still hurt, but any feelings she had had for Stephen were long gone.
    “I divorced the bastard.”
    “Oh. Of course. Sorry, stupid question.”
    “I divorced my friend, too, in a manner of speaking. Never saw her again. They live in New Zealand now.”
    Ryan sat up straight. “He sounds like a piece of work. You’re probably better off without him.”
    “Hmm.... I didn’t think so at the time, but now I’m relieved. At least I don’t have to put up with his derogatory comments and controlling nature. I only answer to myself now. It’s wonderful.”
    “He obviously isn’t interested in his daughter,” Ryan observed.
    “Oh, Olivia isn’t Stephen’s,” replied Nicole, with only the slightest hesitation.
    “What?” Ryan looked confused. Nicole didn’t blame him. She exhaled. How to explain this one?
    “Olivia isn’t Stephen’s daughter,” she reiterated. “Olivia’s dad is a polymer chemist. He works in a different branch of the same company as me. We met the year after Stephen and I got divorced.”
    “So you had a relationship?”
    “No,” she scoffed. “Nothing as serious as that. I was on the rebound, still reeling from Stephen’s betrayal. It was a purely sexual fling that turned out to have some rather long-lasting consequences.”
    “I see.” Ryan drained his full glass of beer. Then he swallowed. “And do you still see him? Olivia’s father?”
    “Not romantically,” Nicole was quick to assure him. “We communicate about Olivia, of course, and he sees her every second weekend, but that’s it. He’s got a girlfriend now and I believe they’re pretty serious.”
    “How old is Olivia?” asked Ryan.
    “She’s three,” Nicole told him proudly. Three glorious years with her daughter. Three years without sex. Not even a hint of a liaison, illicit or otherwise. To say she was sexually starved was an understatement.
    Ryan cleared his throat. “What about now?” he asked. “Are you seeing anyone?” He supposed he should have asked that question before he’d whipped her away on a week’s holiday.
    “Oh, I gave up on all that years ago. I suppose I’d like to meet a man I can settle down with one day, but I’m in no rush. Besides, he’d have to be pretty special to make me share the time I have with my daughter. I work full time – Olivia goes to daycare - so the time we have together is precious. It would have to be someone really special to make me give that up.”
    “I don’t have kids,” admitted Ryan. “So I don’t know what that feels like, but I can understand not wanting to incorporate anyone new into your life.”
    Nicole shrugged. “I’m happy the way things are. I don’t need a man to complicate them.” She looked into the distance. “I have to admit, it would be nice to go on the occasional date, or out to dinner, but I don’t want anything more serious than that.”
    To get laid occasionally might be nice too, but she didn’t add that. Three years was a long time.
    Ryan nodded like he understood. Nicole picked up her drink and took a long satisfying gulp. She felt drained after talking about her personal life.
    “What about you?” she asked, redirecting the focus onto him. “I don’t know anything about you.”
    Ryan looked uncomfortable. “There’s not much to tell.”
    Nicole chuckled.