It was just a throwaway line

It was just a throwaway line,

casual, over ice in a glass.

'Did you hear about Sarah?

She got that commission,

the one you mentioned once.'

My stomach went cold.

No, I hadn't mentioned it to her,

not that specific one, not really.

Just an offhand dream, I guess,

to someone else, somewhere else.

She shrugged, sipped her drink,

no malice, no knowing,

just a small, clean cut

I had to pretend wasn't bleeding.