Sylvia had insisted that the two of us go out after I told her what I had been told by the chief at the station. I am devastated, and Sylvia knows that. She wants me to be distracted. I decided that that was a good thing –that I needed it. I told her I wanted to plan a nice date for us, and I went all out. I needed something to occupy my mind during the day, so I thought up fun date ideas. We always do something wild and crazy, so I come up with something a little more romantic this time around.

We take my company’s yacht out of the bay, and I cooked us a fancy lobster dinner. Yes, ladies, I cook too. Sylvia is dressed up in a long, black dress with her blonde hair pulled up on her head in a messy bun –a piece of silver jewelry was keeping her bun on top of her head. It was a diamond encrusted dragonfly clip, and it looked really fancy tucked up on the side of her head.

She laugh and joke around with one another as we sat at the table out on the deck of the ship, looking out into the harbor while under the stars. It really is nice. She makes rude comments towards me about our orgy with Lillian and Daisy –mostly teasing me, but also she admits to having had a good time. Sometimes I just don’t understand her. It’s like I can do no wrong. She’s always in a good mood. She’s always happy around me. She’s always looking for ways to make me happy. In a way, it’s almost too perfect.

Halfway through enjoying our fancy lobster dinner I click a button a remote I had been hiding under the table, and music starts playing. She smiles and props her elbows up on the table, resting her chin in her hands. “Music too? Don’t tell me you’re taking me dancing, Mr. Mont?”

I smile this ridiculously big smile. I’m sure she can see that I’m really fascinated and infatuated and a little obsessed with her. I’m sure it is plastered all over my face as I lean forward, take her by the hand, and lead her to the deck of the ship to have a private dance.

I’m going to have to give my mother a shout out for this one. She had always wanted to take dancing lessons with our dad, but he had refused time and time again –too busy with work. She made Eddie and I sign up when I was fourteen and forced us to this dance hall every Thursday night. We were always the only kids there, and most of the adults were twice the age of my own mother, and while neither of us would have ever admitted it out loud –we kind of had fun. The old men would enjoy having us there because their wives would give them a break on occasion saying, “Oh you know Mrs. Mont always brings both her boys –I’ll just dance with one of them tonight if you’re back is hurting you.” Mom always told us we would appreciate the dance lessons one day. The big smile on Sylvia’s face is making me appreciate it now.

“You dance too?” She laughs as I spin her around.

“I guess I’m a man of many talents,” I say. I pull her in closer, and we start swaying a little slower as the song changes.

She wraps her arms around me and lays her head on my chest. “You know, when you first asked me on a date, I had been so nervous.”

“Nervous? Why?”

“Because you’re James Mont. The guy I had gushed over for a while because of a damn advertising poster you were on. The billionaire playboy. I suppose I had just convinced myself not to be too excited –that you were probably not this sweet fantasy guy I had worked up in my head.” She looks up at me and smile.

“You know I thought the same about you. When you ran into that coffee shop I about lost my mind. I had stared at your picture every day on my way to work on that billboard. Honestly, I just thought you were a pretty face and that we would just have this little fling for a while… and yes, you’re beautiful, but you’re so much more than that to me.” I lean down and kiss her lips, and we stay embraced like that for a while, still swaying to the music. “I love you,” I say, and I say it with actual intent unlike the enthusiastic and spontaneous words I had said to Éclair.

She smiles. “James, I love you too.”

“I want to be with you, Sylvia,” I say. “And I’m sorry it took me so long to figure that out. No more dating around. I just want you.”

Sylvia raises an eyebrow at me. “What about your friend Éclair?” she says the name like it leaves a bad taste on her mouth.

“Next time I see her I’m telling her that we’re through. That I can’t see her anymore –at all. She’s too toxic for me.” I grab Sylvia’s hands and hold them up, kissing her fingers as I look her in the eye. “I just want you, Sylvia.”

Her face turns bright red, and she just smiles at me. Without saying a word, we head below deck to one of the luxury rooms and find a bed. We’re both so quiet as we remove our clothes and lay down next to one another, gently kissing one another’s lips. I tell her I love her probably five more times –excited to say those words to someone. A part of me has this feeling of guilt because I know I’m not just going to be breaking off sex with Éclair. I literally cannot see her anymore –the friendship has to end too if I’m ever going to make things work with Syliva. Éclair has always been my favorite little temptress –there is something about her that just draws me back to her time and time again. And it’s not like I’ll just be breaking up with some side chick. I really meant it when I told her she was my best friend. Things with Sylvia are just so much easier. We never fight. We actually talk about our feelings, and it’s like they always line up with one another. Not to mention I’ve been fantasizing about her ever since that billboard went up almost two years ago.

I put my mouth around one of her nipples, giving it a gentle suck –she giggles. “James, stop that, it tickles…”

I kiss her perfectly toned stomach and run my hands all over her, giving her a nice massage before we get going. She’s incredibly receptive of the gesture. I plunge into her, and I have got to say that there are some serious sparks flying tonight. “God, I love you!” I say, and she takes my face into her hands as I hover over her, our pelvises tightly intact.

She strokes my eyebrows and the side of my face with her thumbs. She just looks so happy. Honestly, truly happy. It’s hard to believe that a man like me could make someone smile like that.