Henry froze for a second before pping the table. "Are you sayingn is trying to win Eleanor back? That he wants to get back together with her?"


    Xavier closed his eyes, his expression pained. He didn''t have to say a word.


    Henry''s hand clenched into a fist. "Ifn wants to reconcile with Eleanor, then what about Vanessa?" He suddenly understood why Vanessa had been so upset earlier. She must have sensedn was pulling away and hade to him forfort, only for him to say the exact wrong thing. He had poured salt in the wound.


    "If he was thinking about this, why didn''t he say so sooner?" Henry fumed. "He''s wasting your time with Eleanor and stringing Vanessa along."


    Xavier lowered his head. "You like Vanessa, don''t you? This is your chance. You should take it."


    Henry''s hand paused mid-sip. He set his ss down and looked at Xavier. "And you thinkn would be okay with that? He might be pursuing Eleanor, but have you seen him let Vanessa go? She''s been by his side for ten years without any realmitment. Doesn''t he owe her some kind of exnation?"


    Even thoughn was his best friend, Henry couldn''t stomach the injustice of it. Xavier just stared nkly into the distance, seemingly lost in thought.


    "Xavier, Eleanor isn''t right for you. Why don''t you find someone else? It''s not like you''re short on options," Henry advised, trying to steer his friend away from the heartbreak he knew wasing. He''d never seen Xavier so torn up over anyone.


    Xavier sighed, looking down at the table. "Would you?"


    "Are you saying if I move on, you will too?" Henry leaned forward, his eyes fixed on him.


    Xavier shot him a re, as if Henry were mocking him. "Could you show some respect? Women aren''t clothes you can just change whenever you feel like it."


    Henry recoiled slightly, rubbing his nose. "Th''s not what I meant. I was


    trying


    to help and now you''re yelling


    at me. Fine Keep hanging on to her


    See where it gets you."


    Xavier silently poured himself another ss and drank it down, as if hoping the


    burn of the alcohol could numb the bitterness in his heart.


    "You know that''s not what I meant," Xavier said, his voice tinged with a wry sadness.


    "Then what''s the n?" Henry asked.


    "Ifn really wants to get back together with Eleanor, he should announce it and stop messing with everyone''s feelings. If he wants to marry Vanessa, then he needs to Leave Eleanor alone and give other people a chance."


    A shadow crossed Xavier''s face. "Ian always has his reasons, his own way of doing things. As for Eleanor... if she''s willing to take him back, then I wish them well."


    Henry raised his ss. "You''re right. When hasn ever needed to exin himself to us?"


    Xavier looked up at him. "Henry, if you really like Vanessa, this might be your moment. Don''t miss it."


    His words stirred aplex mix of emotions in Henry. If it hadn''t been for that night with Selma Quigley, maybe he would have thrown


    won


    everything he had into winning


    Vanessa ?ver.


    But what if Vanessa found out? Wouldn''t that hurt her even more?


    Henry threw back arge gulp of wine. "Forget it. Let''s talk about something else. How are things at thepany now?"


    Xavier pulled himself together and shifted the conversation to work. Henry, in turn, vented about his own recent frustrations.


    Before the food even arrived, both men were well on their way to being drunk.