an episode in desperate housewives S3

tom and lynette recently opened their own business, an italian restaurant. tom becomes injured, debilitated and they hired a gorgeous, hunky chef/manager. the 'dance' between lynette and chef start at day 1, instant attraction. but all subdued, all within a safe zone between friendly and flirty. and it was slowly progressing. from subtle compliments to after-work dinner for two, winding down. the attraction is palpable yet deniable.

up until a situation puts them in a compromising stance. husbands smells something fishy, surreptitiously confronts chef to stay away. chef is defiant, aware that the attraction is strong.

he finally confronts lynette, openly acknowledges what has been transpiring between them. but contrary to his expectations, she fires him.

why did you have to say it? it was going on just fine the way it was. neither of us had to leave our comfort zones. leaving the emotions unspoken allowed me to dream my dreams without hurting tom. i was feeling beautiful and special again. but now all that is gone. i will never leave tom for you. that's your dream, not mine. and not you've ruined mine.

i thought we could continue with this ambiguity, with this amorphous thing we had. only because i didnt want to presume anything. i didnt know whether the attraction was there. had i known it, and had we acknowledged it, i would have nipped this in the bud. not because you are not attractive. on the contrary, you are quite a charmer. but. but. but.

now that is out in the open, it must be severed. it cannot go on. i will bleed a little but i will move on.

interesting turn of events. it had me puzzled, too, thinking that it was going to become a full-blown affair for lynette. but hearing her made me realize where lynette was coming from. and i totally understood.