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As I entered the bakery, the scent of warm pastries permeated my nostrils. I couldn’t just get coffee when there was a case of chocolate-and-almond croissants in front of me. I would numb my feelings with baked goods.

As I waited in line, my phone buzzed. Michael was having trouble finding a parking spot for the van and asked if I could get him a bagel and an espresso. Just as I had finished paying, he came in and helped me take the food and drinks to a table.

“Thanks for buying me breakfast,” he said, devouring half of his bagel as if he hadn’t eaten in two days. I took a bite of my croissant and wanted to enjoy the buttery warm feeling in my mouth, but instead the croissant got stuck in my throat. It took a moment to clear my airways.

Michael grimaced when he realized how hot the espresso was. “I’ve been worried about you. What’s going on?”

“A lot of things, but mostly my father.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really.”

“Got it,” he said in between blowing on his drink.

He went back to munching on his bagel. We both got quiet. It was the first time we’d been together when we weren’t saying anything. The silence was making me anxious, and I started fidgeting. I cracked my knuckles and twirled my ring until I blurted out, “So, how was your date the other night?” I hoped my voice didn’t betray how distressed I was about seeing him with another woman. He’d think I was crazy and needy, which I was, but I didn’t want him to know it.

“Good.”

“The woman you were with seemed … nice.” Realizing I hadn’t even met her, I added, “I mean, she looked nice.”

“My friend Eric fixed us up. Amanda’s a lawyer at his firm.”

Great, she’s younger than me and more successful. Hit me where it hurts.“Cool” was all I could muster. I sounded like a teenager. I stuffed my mouth with croissant to stop from saying anything that would reveal how jealous I was.

“We’ve gone out a few times, but I’m not really into her,” he said. “I would’ve rather been with you.”

As upset as I was about my father, his words made me feel a little better. “I was thrown seeing you with a woman.” I shouldn’t have said that. I wasn’t doing anything to stop our relationship from progressing further.

“I assume that was your husband you were with. Or you have a really old son,” he said.

“Yes, I’m actually eighty.”

“You hold up well for an old broad.” He lifted the lid on his espresso and added two more sugar packets. “Your husband looked different than I’d imagined.”

“Different how?”

“I don’t know, just different.”

“I could’ve introduced you, but it would’ve been awkward since I haven’t told Jim about you.”

“I got that from your expression at the restaurant.” The look on his face surprised me. He was intrigued. “You said Jim was fine with us hanging out.”

“I lied.”

“Would he be mad if he knew?”

“I wouldn’t be happy if he was hanging out with some woman.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t tell him,” Michael said pointedly.

My heart began to beat out of my chest. I didn’t want to tell Jim. I wanted to keep Michael my little secret. I knocked over my chai tea. As it was trickling down toward my purse, Michael jumped up to get napkins, leaving his phone on the table. The phone vibrated, and I couldn’t help looking at the caller ID. Well, I could have, considering the phone was not facing me. As it rang, a picture of the woman that he was with the other day was displayed. He already had her picture in his phone? He came back, and I motioned toward his phone.

“Your phone rang,” I said. He took a quick look and then slipped it in his pocket. He wiped up the table. “Anything important?” I asked, trying not to sound like a jealous girlfriend.

“It was Amanda. I need to tell her what time I’m picking her up tonight.”

“I thought you weren’t that interested in her.”