Just like Tom

"I think it's funny that you feel threatened by Nate. Nate is no threat to you. Not by a long shot," Tina said.

I realized the similarities with the relationship my ex-wife had with a friend of mine. Those two had their buddy dates with increasing frequency towards the end of my marriage. It was beginning to make me uncomfortable. I knew Cris always carried a torch for Jessica. I imagined he helped push her along into divorce territory and once we were divorced, Jessica and Cris committed the cardinal sin of beginning a romantic relationship. Cris and I aren't friends anymore.

"He's your Cris. He's worse. Cris would never have even dreamed of asking Jessica to spend a night with him when we were married. Never in a million years. Where I come from that kind of thing gets your ass kicked."

She seemed disturbed by that notion. "I asked him."

"What?"

"I asked him if I could stay at his hotel."

I didn't believe her, but said "Where I come from, That gets you broken up with."

She nodded silently.

"Am I missing something? Is this a generational thing? Fuck, you're making me sound old, but in my day, none of this would be considered even remotely OK."

"No. It's not a generational thing. My friends would feel the same way."

"Then what the hell, Tina? Is this your way of forcing me to break up with you?"

She shook her head

"It's working. I don't understand what's going on here."

Maura came into the room. "Are you guys doing OK, here?" she asked, concerned.

Read the rest at the new Adventures of Dan and Tina.