she asked hopefully , wiping fruit juice from the corners of her mouth . he was in need of sleep and tired of waltzing the two-step with eric . when he sat down she forced a smile , looked away , and took a sip of her wine before speaking . the lie slipped easily off her tongue as she glanced at him . would the message even be understood ? he scrubbed at his eyes with his fists , trying to rub out the sting of grief . i had to close my eyes to say , `` what business ? '' 