"I mean--" Susan edges a step closer and lowers her voice. "The matter of the two of us." Sagramore is handsome and older, both of which square precisely with Susan's type, and at this point she considers him a friend, which certainly doesn't hurt. If he were any other man, she might develop and pursue an interest. But there is the rather complicated matter of their particular history.

She'd meant it the previous year when she'd told him his presence didn't factor into her decision to abstain - her decision was borne primarily of the fact that none of her lovers had been invited. Though the invite list hasn't particularly changed this year, she's entered into sexual relations with enough people on it that this is no longer her presiding reservation. Paradoxically, now that she likes Sagramore, he's one of several minor concerns that do give her pause.

She oughtn't overexplain this, though. "I mean - ought we make a point of avoiding one another, or ought we make a point of not avoiding one another, or ought we make no point whatsoever and allow the evening to go where it will? On my end, I expect any of those options shouldn't be an issue. I just shouldn't want to jeopardize what we've built between the two of us in the past year. I value our friendship and your well-being."