She looked up–and there was Katrina!

Katrina was practically skipping as she hurried over, all smiles, while Naylor followed behind at an easy, unhurried pace, one hand in his pocket.

Jamison spotted his buddy and raised an eyebrow. “What are the odds? Can’t even get a meal without running into you?”

Naylor snorted. “You think I want to see your face? When I saw your car outside, I did a double take.”

The two men bickered as usual, but the women were all laughter and excitement.

Four people–two couples. The guys were best friends, the girls were inseparable. It was almost comically close-knit.

This was the first official dinner the four of them had since Katrina and Naylor became a couple.

Naylor, ever the charmer, called the manager over to order and said with a grin, “Tonight’s on me. Order whatever you like.”

Katrina looked down, a little embarrassed, and didn’t say a word.

Ivy caught the implication but played along. “What’s gotten into you, Mr. Wilson? Did you win the lottery or something? You’re buying dinner for everyone lately–shouldn’t we get an explanation?”

Naylor pressed his lips together and shot a look at Jamison, as if to say, See? Didn’t I tell you your wife’s got a mind like a chess master? Always three steps ahead.

Some things were better left unspoken, but Ivy clearly wasn’t letting him off that easy.

“Hey, Mr. Wilson, I’m talking to you,” Ivy teased, calling him out with a laugh. “Why are you looking at Jamison?”

Naylor could only shrug and laugh along.

By most standards, Naylor was definitely a good-looking guy, though his appeal was different from Jamison’s cool, sharp edges. Naylor’s charm was more roguish and unpredictable–his eyes always seemed to glint with mischief, giving him that irresistible, playboy allure. No wonder he had such a long list of exes.

Ivy worried her best friend might not be a match for someone like him, so she made sure to push him into publicly acknowledging his relationship with Katrina–at least that would give Katrina a little more confidence.

Naylor, realizing Ivy wasn’t going to let up, shook his head with a helpless smile and replied openly, “Honestly, I should’ve done this ages ago. If you hadn’t played matchmaker, Katrina and I wouldn’t be together. Is that explanation good enough for you?”

Ivy nodded, and from the look in her eyes, she seemed satisfied–at least for now.

But she added, “I trust Jamison, and because of that, I trust you. That’s why I introduced you to Katrina, so don’t let me down.”

Naylor’s response was loaded with meaning. “I’ve never let a woman down.”

His exes never had anything bad to say about him after a breakup.

Ivy caught the subtext immediately. What a sly fox, she thought. He’d managed to answer her warning without actually making any promises–essentially saying that even if things ended with Katrina, he’d make sure it ended well, no hard feelings.

If he really could do that, then maybe it wasn’t such a bad deal after all.

The guys knew this place well, so they worked with the manager to pick out the evening’s menu.

Meanwhile, Ivy excused herself to the bathroom, glancing back at Katrina as she left.

Katrina picked up on the cue right away and followed her.

Once they were out of earshot, Naylor shot Jamison a cool look. “Your wife’s probably giving Katrina a pep talk right now. Dating her feels like I’m in a chess match with her strategist.”

Jamison, ever the protective husband, retorted, “Paranoid much?”

But honestly, Naylor wasn’t wrong.

In the women’s restroom, Ivy emerged from a stall and saw Katrina washing her hands.

She joined her at the sink, turned on the faucet, and sighed lightly. “Naylor’s a smooth operator. I just worry you might not be able to handle him.”

Katrina, however, was completely at ease.

She smiled, unfazed. “Why should I think of him as an opponent? You know what they say–honesty is always the winning move.”

“But you’re honest with him. He might not be honest with you.”

“So what? I knew exactly what kind of guy he was before we got together. Why expect more? We’re just enjoying the present, not worrying about the future.”

Katrina spoke with such clarity and calm that Ivy was caught off guard.

Katrina looked at her, smiled, and added, “What’s wrong? Are you that worried I’ll get hurt? Relax. I won’t. After all he’s done for me–lending money for my mom’s treatment, getting his parents to pull strings for her surgery–I owe him more than I could ever repay. Even if he dumped me tomorrow, heck, even if he sold me off, I’d probably help him count the money with a smile.”

Katrina was truly clear-eyed about it all.

People suffer most when they want too much, when nothing is ever enough. That’s when you’re trapped in your own desires, never satisfied.

She’d found happiness with Naylor, her mother’s illness had been treated, and she’d never been left wanting for anything. What more was there to ask for?

If she started demanding marriage and forever after, wouldn’t that just be greedy?

Ivy’s eyes widened in surprise, but after a moment, she felt herself relax. “If you see things this clearly, then I have nothing to worry about. Naylor’s probably a great lover–enjoy it while it lasts.”