"Marina." He rubbed my shoulders, his voice patient, placating. "Rebecca's your best friend, isn't she? I treat her like a friend too. That's the only reason we grabbed coffee."
"I'm just trying to get along with her so you don't feel stuck in the middle."
"If it bothers you, I won't see her again."
After that, he stopped meeting Rebecca openly.
And because I wanted to preserve our friendship, I decided to set Rebecca up with a suitable boyfriend. The young man I had in mind was an assistant at my father's company. Fresh out of college, he'd already been promoted three times. A rising star.
I never expected what happened next. The moment I explained what I had in mind, Rebecca burst into tears and screamed at me.
"Marina, do you really think I'm only good enough for some blue-collar nobody?"
Jacob had frowned too, his voice sharp with reproach.
"Marina, what you did was completely out of line. You overstepped."
In the end, I was the one who went to Rebecca to apologize.
I told her I'd meant well but made a mess of things. Rebecca smiled and said she knew I hadn't meant any harm.