‘What is it Tina? You haven’t been… you… for ages and I’m not just talking about this journey.’ He spoke quietly, distracting her from her thoughts.

‘Eric..’ She met his eyes once again, her heart still pounding and her mouth dry. ‘You are a lovely man and a wonderful guy but this isn’t working for me.’ The band aid had been ripped off. There was no patching it up now.

‘I know things have all been crazy since I started preparing for my show but I just feel that we haven’t been connecting. We live in such different places and move in such different circles that I just don’t feel like we have anything in common anymore.’ She held his eye contact, shifting it occasionally as the car was rocked by a passing vehicle. He looked down as she finished, playing with his fingernails. She saw his jaw clench. He swallowed and took a breath before speaking.

‘I figured this was where we were heading.’ He moved his eyes back to hers. ‘I even understand, I’ve been feeling distant from you for a while.’ He sighed again. ‘Ok, truth?’ He looked at her with a trace of a grin on his face. They always had a policy to be honest with each other and it normally started this way.

‘Truth’ Tina nodded. She took a deep breath and her fingers started to shake against the leather of her seat. She expected to be quizzed about whether there was anyone else? How long had she been feeling like this? The normal questions asked during a break- up.

‘Ok, well you know I’ve been working on the Burnstein account and that it’s been driving me crazy?’ He paused as Tina nodded.  He moved in his seat, his trousers sliding against the leather. ‘I’ve been working on it with Sarah, she’s been helping me and I guess I have started to think that, well, maybe that… umm… she and I.. Well, I like her I guess is what I’m trying to say.’ He looked at Tina and tried to gage her reaction.

Tina’s mouth dropped slightly, surprised mainly at the overwhelming relief that surged through her. She exhaled a long breath and laughed. She laughed until her sides hurt, the confused look on Eric’s face just added fuel to her laughter. Head thrown back, her blonde locks pressed up against the window of the car, she wiped tears from her eyes as she tried to calm herself to be able to add a little explanation to poor Eric.