A Kiss Too Late. Ellen James

to city editor, then to managing editor. She seemed well liked by other staff members, but in fact, she was too afraid not to be liked. Take the problem with Russ Billington. Sandra hadn’t wanted to be the one who would come down hard on Russ. It was fully within her authority to do so, but she had backed off from being the bad guy and had deferred to Adam.

      Adam knew he had to find a way for Sandra to become more resolute in her job. She was denying her own talents, her own chances for greater success. He considered the matter, but then caught himself. It seemed, he was subjecting Sandra to an employee review tonight. Maybe he should just try to enjoy a decent meal and some congenial companionship.

      Sandra, however, deferred to him again when it came time to order the wine. “Whatever you’d like,” she said. “Anything’s fine with me.”

      How different it would be if Jen were sitting across from him. Jen would have argued with him about the merits of different wines. And when at last a vintage could be decided upon between the two of them, she would have required to taste the wine herself, never accepting that it was Adam’s prerogative to do so. He smiled a little.

      “You’re thinking about your ex-wife, aren’t you?” Sandra asked abruptly.

      He gave a reluctant nod. “Yes…I was thinking about Jen. I seem to be doing more and more of that lately. I’m sorry to be so distracted….”

      “Don’t be,” Sandra said with obvious relief. “I mean, I think about my ex-husband far too much myself. Isn’t it crazy? I brood about Don a lot more now than I did when I was actually married to him. I brood about him and that twenty-year-old he’s taken up with…”