Ruth had gotten a phone call from Albert, who also lives in Houston, and she mentioned to him that she had business in Houston on Thursday. Albert said, “Great! Let’s have dinner Thursday evening. I’ll keep Thursday evening free!” Ruth felt a tightness in her chest—a sign that things were going in a way she didn’t want—but she began instinctively to adjust her plans to accommodate this new development. She could see Emma on Friday night. Why didn’t Ruth just say no to Albert? She wasn’t prepared to deflect his offer because his way of making it was unexpected to her. Ruth expected him to make
...more
Jeez that Albert is a big no for me. I would have said a big fat "No" to his face
