"I haven't seen him," he said.
The lie came out more smoothly than I expected.
"Something is wrong with the bank," Sarah said. I could hear restaurant noise behind her, glasses clinking, voices, music, the contained chaos of a Friday night place where everyone had dressed to be noticed. "My cards are declining."
"Both of them. The gold one and the platinum one. I tried twice. It's humiliating."
Dave kept his expression neutral.
"Maybe call the card company."
"They're Mark's accounts. He handles that."
There it was. He handles that. The sentence described the entire problem more efficiently than anything I could have said.
"Then call Mark," Dave replied.
"I have been calling him. It goes straight to voicemail. I think he blocked me."
Dave looked at me again. I said nothing. Sarah continued, speaking faster now.
"And my Uber won't work. I tried another card and that one is locked too. I need him to fix this. Can you call him? Tell him I'm at SDC with Jessica and Brooke and the waiter is standing here waiting."
Her voice dropped for a second.
"This is so embarrassing."
I imagined the table. Jessica, who had once joked that I was Sarah's "silent investor." Brooke, who told Sarah she needed a partner with more visible ambition. Three cocktails each, probably appetizers ordered for photos, a dinner Sarah had likely offered to cover because generosity played well when the money was invisible.
I did not feel triumphant. I felt tired. Dave said, "Sarah, I'm sure you'll figure it out."
"No, you don't understand. He has to call the bank."
I leaned slightly toward Dave and mouthed, End it.
"I have to go," he said.
"Wait. Dave, don't you dare-"
He hung up. For several seconds we sat in silence. Then Dave said, "She still thinks the card malfunctioned."
"Apparently."
"You didn't tell her?"
"Management emailed her. The carrier emailed her. The account changes generate notices."
"That isn't the same as telling her the relationship is over."
I looked at him.
"She told me I was replaceable and left for Jared's."
"I know. I'm not defending her. I'm asking whether you actually said the words, 'We are broken up.'"
I thought back to Tuesday. I had said, If I'm replaceable, so is what I provide. She had said, Don't wait up.
I had dismantled the structure. But Dave was right about one thing. I had not sent a breakup speech.
"No," I admitted.