"You won't believe this story because I don't believe it myself," she began as she poured the cream in her coffee. "If I don't then you won't. But I am going to tell it to you nevertheless. For the best stories are the ones that a person doesn't want the world to know about."

"Yes. I couldn't agree with you more." He sipped his coffee black.

"Six years ago," she began, "I became suspicious of men. Not all, but most."

"Are you suspicious of me?"

"No," Janet answered. She moved her cup and saucer away from her. "I am suspicious of most men. But not all. Not you."

"Mistrusting men isn't a dark side, Janet. That's playing it safe. Men don't even trust themselves."

"Wait. I'm not finished." She hesitated before giving away one of the secrets she'd been hiding from her family for six years. "There was this guy. Jeff. I met him at my gym. He was short but handsome. He had dangerous brown eyes. He approached me one day. I never saw a ring." She fingered the delicate handle of her cup. "I never saw a wedding ring, but I knew he was married. I knew it. So I became very suspicious."

"Because he's a man. Yes, you're smart to be wary of men."

"Please, don't interrupt me." Janet fixed David with a serious look and tapped the table. "The next thing I did was to ask him what city he was from. I wanted to have a better idea of who he was. I just knew that he was married with three kids."

"They usually are," said David.

Janet looked at the board. "I think we should start again." She picked up the doubling cube.