Close your eyes for a moment. You'll know just who I mean here, and it's okay. You don't need to say his name aloud. Maybe you're married. Or he's married. Or both. But you've envisioned a parallel life -- one you will never live, and won't ruin your perfectly wonderful life for -- with this one. And this is no idle daydream. It's just a little bit dangerous. When your eyes meet, you both feel it. Some small part of you wants to know what it would be like to be with him. You find yourself thinking: what harm could there be in a stolen afternoon? Of course you know the answer to this. So you need to keep your distance. A friendship doesn't feel safe or possible. Dear reader, you need to lose him. You can't keep him around. Okay. Now open your eyes. And count your blessings.