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admitted it to herself so gradually that at some point it simply became a given that she was in love with Cam, that she had been in love with Cam since the night she’d met him. It didn’t really matter when she’d known it, because there was nothing to be done about it. Cam had never shown even the slightest glimmer of being romantically interested in her, and there was no way in hell she was going to make a fool of herself by saying or doing anything to call his attention to the fact. As long as they were friends, he’d be in her life. She wasn’t about to give him a chance to reject her.
    When Randa and David broke up, three days before her thirty-third birthday, Cam took her out to dinner, to “mourn or celebrate, whichever you want.” They’d gone to an Italian restaurant on Melrose whose only distinction was that it was possibly the darkest restaurant in the greater Los Angeles area. Randa always complained that every restaurant in LA was lit like a Kmart, and Cam wanted to prove to her that she hadn’t been going to the right places. They’d sat on the same side of a large red-leather booth and picked at whitefish while Randa complained about her lousy luck with men.
    â€œYou don’t have bad luck,” Cam informed her. “You have bad taste.”
    â€œGee, that cuts deep, coming from someone whose entire romantic history combined couldn’t produce the IQ of an Irish setter.”
    â€œWe’re not talking about me.” He was swirling the ice cubes around in his margarita; he seemed oddly serious. “Do you think you ever really loved this jerk?”
    Randa didn’t have to think. “No. I loved the idea of being in love with a tortured artiste. I figured that out months ago.”
    â€œThen why didn’t you break up with him months ago?”
    â€œI don’t know. I guess I didn’t feel like going through all the drama. Not to mention having to find another apartment.”
    Randa was still living in the apartment she shared with David, sleeping on the couch. Not a comfortable arrangement on any level.
    â€œWhy don’t you buy a condo in my building? There’s one for sale right below me.”
    â€œRight. All I need is to move into your lovely, crime-infested neighborhood.”
    â€œWe could see each other more often.”
    â€œTranslated: I could feed your cat when you go out of town.”
    He smiled. “You’re such a cynic.” He put his fork down and stared at her for a moment, suddenly quite serious. “You know, you really look pretty tonight.”
    She smiled back. He was just trying to make her feel better, but she appreciated it. “Thanks. I guess self-pity becomes me. Enough of my stupid life. How are you?”
    â€œOh, you know. My usual cheery self.”
    â€œHow’s Patty?” Patty was Cam’s latest girlfriend. She was a waitress at a health-food restaurant (which didn’t explain where Cam had met her) who fervently believed there wasn’t a problem on the planet that couldn’t be cured by the right combination of herbs. Randa and David had gone out with them a couple of times. Randa was still trying to be open-minded.
    â€œI don’t know,” Cam answered. “I guess you’d have to ask Richard.”
    â€œWho’s Richard?”
    â€œThe New Age weight trainer she dumped me for.”
    â€œOh no.” Randa could not possibly bring herself to say she was sorry. “Are you serious?”
    Cam nodded. “She doesn’t know if she loves him, but she thinks they have karmic debts to settle. And he’s going to teach her how to have an out-of-body experience.”
    â€œCam, Patty has never had an in-body experience.”
    Cam smiled. “Yeah, she is a little bit out there.”
    â€œLike Pluto.”
    They sat in silence for a moment, then Cam got that serious expression on his face again. “Do you realize this is