"I know that, but –"
"No, you don't, otherwise you wouldn't be saying this crap."
"Well, how would it be if the shoe were on the other foot, huh? Would you care if I was hanging around with a woman who wanted to get me in the sack?"
"I wouldn't be thrilled about it, no, but I'd trust that you loved me and wouldn’t do anything to betray me."
"I do trust you."
"No ... you don't. You're getting hung up on some petty manufactured rivalry with Julian, and it has to stop. Julian isn't the anti-Christ. He's a nice guy, and if you can't accept that I'm not going to screw him just because you're not around, then I don't even know what to say to you right now."
"For fuck’s sake, Angel, that’s not what I –"
"No, Josh. This conversation is over. Go back to your party. I don't feel like talking to you anymore."
"Angel, wait –"
When the line goes dead, I slam my hand down on a console table next to me. "Goddammit!” I shake my head in frustration. “You fucking idiot, Kane. What the hell are doing?"
"I agree. You could have handled that better."
I spin around to see Erika sitting in a large leather armchair and sipping a drink. She looks like a Bond villain.
"Hello, Mr. Kane. Welcome to my library of solitude."
"Oh, hey." Great. Now someone other than Angel knows I'm an out-of-control asshole. "Sorry, I didn't know anyone was in here."
"Clearly. Trouble in paradise?"
I rub my eyes and sigh. "Please tell me relationships get easier over time."
"Can't do that. The best ones are the hardest, but they're also the most worthwhile." She gives me a sympathetic smile. "Would you like to join me in a drink? You look like you could use one."
I walk over and sit on the couch next to her chair. "Well, I shouldn't really drink and fly, but what the hell. Hit me."
She gets up and goes to a well-stocked drinks cart in the corner. "What can I get you?"
"What are you having?"
"A mid-life crisis. Plus, whiskey."
"Okay, I'll have a whiskey, hold the crisis. Already have one of those, and it's a doozy."
"Want to talk about it?" She pours us both generous servings then sits back down and hands me a glass. "I'm guessing Angel didn't take kindly to being told what to do."
"You heard that, huh?"
"You weren't exactly whispering."
I slump back into the couch and look down at the phone. "She's working with this guy who makes me crazy. I'm usually pretty chill, but this dude ..." I take a mouthful of whiskey and relish the burn. "I want to pummel him. A lot."
She nods in understanding. "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy. It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on."
I look over at her. "Shakespeare, right? Othello?"
"Yes, and if you know the play, then you know jealousy leads to nothing good."
"I'm starting to see that, but I don't know how to stop it."
"Is this an ongoing issue for you? Something that's happened in other relationships?"
I laugh. "Yeah, haven't really had one before. This would be my first."
She looks surprised. "Ahh, I see. Then maybe you should take a step back from the situation? Look at it from a distance."
"How do I do that?"
She crosses her legs and leans forward. "Imagine Elissa started hanging out with a guy who was crazy for her. He flirted and bought her gifts ... made it clear he wanted more. What would you say to Liam if he asked her to stay away from him?"
"I'd say, 'Damn straight. Get that asshole out of her life as quickly as possible.'"
"But that doesn't demonstrate a lot of faith in Elissa, does it? Are you saying that if Elissa doesn't stay away from the guy, she'd inevitably cheat on Liam?"
"Of course not. Lissa loves that giant oaf more than life. She wouldn't have sex with someone else if you paid her."
"So then what difference does it make if there are people around her who want to take her bed?"
I look at her as I try to grasp the concept and apply it to my own situation. Erika tilts her head and smiles. "Do you see now why Angel was so mad? By voicing your jealousy about Julian, she thinks you're doubting her love for you."
"But I'm not. I just –"
"That's how it seems. You don't think she loves you enough to resist temptation."
"But you haven't seen this guy. You don't know how attractive he is."
"It doesn't matter. That's like saying she'd buy something from a shop because the storefront was pretty. Window dressing may be nice to look at, but it's meaningless unless she loves what's inside.
"Okay ... you may have a point."
"I'm glad you think so." She gives me a smile. "You and Angel will work through this. Give her a few minutes to cool off, then call her back."
"What if she can't forgive me?"
"Why wouldn't she?"