SUSAN
She sensed a shift in the atmosphere, almost as if the air had unaccountably thickened. Her silverware clattered to the plate as she looked up at Ross. Her breath left her when she saw his expression. His gaze was a mixture of tenderness and regret and some deeper emotion she refused to name.
"I'm doing this all wrong, aren't I?" He stood and Susan saw his napkin flutter to the floor. "I wanted to give you romance tonight. I wanted to show you that there's more than just physical attraction between us. But I'm looking at you, at how beautiful you are, and I just realized something very important."
She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "What?"
"I can't force you to feel anything for me." He rounded the table, grasped her elbows, and tugged her out of her chair. He cupped her face, and then he kissed her.
