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Rio's point of view: Coffee with Jennie in the afternoon
The coffee shop is one of those places where rich people go to be alone. Private booths, pricey coffee, and complete privacy. Jennie is sitting across from me with a smile that makes it look like she's been planning this for a long time.
She stirs her coffee and says, "You look tired."
"It was tiring to be on the honeymoon."
"I'm sure it was," she says, leaning forward a little. "Rio, I'm going to be very direct with you because we've been friends our entire lives. Your marriage is suffocating you. Lina doesn't understand you. She can't give you what you need. And you're slowly dying inside trying to maintain something that was never real in the first place."
I don't answer. I wait for her to go on.
She asks, "What if there was another way?" "What if you didn't have to choose between living your life and keeping your reputation?"
"I'm paying attention."
