Matthew knew that she had feelings growing for him every moment they spent together. He had already fallen for her, from the moment they met. It was love at first sight. He never believed in that fairytale, at least not until they met. It wasn’t just Jessica’s looks, or her quirky personality. It was everything about her, from the way she contemplated what she would eat in the mornings to the way she laughed, to her angelic face when she slept at nights. This was the dangerous type of love he’d heard his father speak of when he was younger. The only thing that could tear them apart was what they were striving for. She wanted to start a family. He wanted to achieve the top dog of the food chain in his line of work, which would require 85% of his time. He dreamed of a family life, but not for another several years. Matthew would question why they met so soon. He was faced with the reality of making a decision to entertain her, or follow his dreams. Jessica worked too, but she was ready to settle down. If everything was about timing, as Matthew had heard most of his life, then meeting Jessica happened too early. He knew that in order to keep his focus, he’d have to let her go. But to give up on love for his own selfish gains is a lesson he’d learn later down the road. Matthew planned to tell her of his plans to move forward with his life and her exclusion. It wouldn’t be the easiest conversation they’d had, but it would be to both of their benefits. At least that’s how Matthew saw it. He wanted the world on a silver platter, and to be able to give that world to his wife was his dream. He couldn’t do that with her as a distraction. She would cry, they would both leave each other’s presence heartbroken. He would go on to do great things and she would have a child by someone else. He knew how it would play out. She was a great catch, but he couldn’t give her what she wanted. So the scene picks up at an Italian restaurant, one of her favorites. The required attire was formal. The ambiance was dimly set lights with candle fire to accentuate the environment. The wait staff was dressed in a professional white top and black bottom and silk ties. A chocolate fountain sat in the foyer. Jessica looked radiant as always, but was absolutely stunning in the blue dress Matthew bought for her the year before. The waiter had just taken their dessert order and removed the soiled plates from the table. Matthew and Jessica were having a great time, conversing and exchanging jokes. He fixed his mouth to tell her what had been on his mind when another waiter arrived to top off their wines. It was a 1990 bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. Again, another of Jessica’s favorites.

“Jessica. I...” he was interrupted when she leaned in to hear what he had to say. She batted her eyelashes and her makeup caught his attention.

“Yes, baby?”

He noticed how her green eyes shone through her purple eyeshadow. Her plump lips looked delicious the way she decorated them with lip gloss and she barely had to smile to reveal her deep dimples. Her dirty blonde hair was icing on the cake.

Matthew let out a sigh, “I have something to tell you, and you won’t like it. But we’ll get through it.”

She replied, “What is it? You know you can tell me anything.”

She meant it, too. Matthew knew that whatever they discussed stayed between the two of them. Their relationship was their business. Their friends could never tell when they had a disagreement or a fight. Their relationship was the definition of Vegas. He stared into her eyes, as she stared into his. The waiter placed the dessert in between the two of them. A New York style cheesecake with a blueberry-lemon drizzle with enough strawberry syrup at the tip of the cake for dipping.

They continued to drown in each other’s eyes when Jessica said, “This is your favorite.”

Any other day, her comment would have triggered a witty remark about a second serving of dessert both physically satisfying and emotionally pleasurable. He stretched out both hands on the table, and she placed hers in his. Was he about to make a mistake?