The Dinner Date — Cathi Hanauer

From the New York Times bestselling editor of The Bitch in the House and the author of the novels Sweet Ruin and Gone comes an original short story about a young doctor whose wife has just left him and the woman whose chance with him has finally come. Set in Manhattan, it showcases Cathi Hanauer's talent for capturing the nuances of modern love. Just as the main character, Adam, is devastated by his wife's very recent abandonment, he finds himself drawn to the attractive co-worker he knows has a crush on him. It's anguish and excitement all at once and brilliantly told. Originally written nearly twenty years ago, it eventually partially evolved into Gone, Hanauer's incredibly compelling new novel about a middle-aged woman whose husband drives the babysitter home one night -- and simply doesn't come back.