He glanced over at the cash register. There was just one customer there, and Peter was taking care of him.
“Don’t mind if I do.” He carefully unwrapped the package to reveal a painting Katrina had done on the Brooklyn Promenade. It featured a lone empty bench, seen from the back. The Brooklyn Bridge rose up in the background on one side of it, the skyscrapers of Lower Manhattan on the other, but they were intentionally blurry, almost too blurry to make out at all. Only the bench was in focus—in addition to two items sitting on top.
A New York Times and a paper coffee cup.
Justin studied the painting. “Wow. It’s beautiful, Kat.”
She blushed. “That’s kind of you to say.”
“No, really, I’m not just saying it.”
“I thought it might be nice for you to look at New York City from a different angle, especially now. For, um, you know, a couple of reasons.”
“Thank you. I love it.”
She pointed to the paper cup in the painting. “That’s a skim latte, by the way.”
He laughed. “No blueberry scone?”
“Maybe in the next one.”
“I hope there is a next one.” He held her gaze for a moment, and her pulse began to quicken. Could he tell how she felt?
Just before the silence turned awkward, he broke it. “I sincerely appreciate the thought, Kat. Thank you again.” He stood up and tucked the painting under his arm.
She smiled. “You’re welcome.”
Katrina was just descending the front steps of her building when the town car pulled up to the curb. “Thanks for picking me up, Enrique. I’m so glad I didn’t lose your card.”
“That makes two of us, Miss Katrina. Did you have a nice time in New York?” He loaded her bags into the trunk, then opened the door for her and closed it behind her as she buckled her seat belt.
“I did, thanks. A wonderful time.”
“Sad to be leaving us?”
“Not really.”
He frowned as they pulled into the street. “Had enough?”
“The opposite, actually. I’m not headed home for long—just enough time to pack up and move back here.”
“Is that so? For good?”
“I’d say for . . . indefinitely.”
“I guess you’ll have to hang on to my card then.” He winked into the rearview mirror.
She smiled back. “I guess I will.”
As the sedan rolled out of Manhattan toward JFK, Katrina mulled over how much had changed since she’d taken this trip in the opposite direction.
Professionally.
Personally.
Physically.
Her whole life was different now.
She wondered what else the future might hold for her, and the uncertainty was exhilarating.
“Did your parents freak out when you told them you’re packing up and moving to New York in a few weeks?” Deb put her car in reverse and craned her neck to look behind her as she pulled out of the parking spot. It was eight hours later, and they were in the short-term lot at SFO. “I bet your mom lost it.”
Katrina scrunched up her nose. “I sort of . . . haven’t told them yet.”
Deb snapped her head back around. “You’re joking.”
Katrina pressed her palms against her cheeks. “I couldn’t do it, Deb. I really wanted to, but they were so excited about the job offer, especially my mother. When I told her about it, she sounded so, I don’t know, proud of me. And you know she’s never proud of me.”
“Oh please, she’s proud of you. She just has a hard time showing it.”
“Hard is an understatement.”
“So you choked and didn’t say anything about anything?”
“You could say that.”
“Why didn’t you just e-mail them the news?”
Katrina sighed. “I couldn’t. My father ingrained in me that important conversations must involve a human voice.”
“How about voice mail? You could have left a message when you knew they weren’t home. That’s what I would have done.”
“Not helping, Deb. I need to tell them in person, or they’ll forever hold it over my head how rude I was.”
Deb laughed. “Remind me to be far, far away when that conversation takes place. As in on the moon.”
“Ugh. I’m so glad they’re out of town right now. I’m not ready to face them.”
“Where are they?”
“They had a wedding to attend in Santa Barbara over the weekend and are taking a few days to explore the coast on the way home. They get back the day after tomorrow.”
“So that gives you time to give notice on your place? That way there’s no turning back?”
Katrina nodded. “That’s my plan.”
“Not a bad one, actually. It’ll force your hand a little bit, not that you need any forcing these days. You’re like a new woman.”
Katrina looked out the window as they merged onto the freeway. “Thanks. I kind of feel like a new woman.” Finally.
“Are you going to ask your parents to start calling you Kat?”
Katrina coughed. “Can you imagine? Talk about pouring gasoline on the fire. My mother would throw a fit.”
“Where are you meeting them?”
“Sundance in Palo Alto.”
“Sweet. Nothing like a fat steak dinner at Sundance, regardless of who’s on the other side of the table.”
Katrina put a hand on her stomach. “Unfortunately, I have a feeling I’m not going to have much of an appetite.”
“What about now? You hungry?”
“Starving.”
“Want to stop by Stephens Green for a bite?”
“Can we pick up my car at my parents’ house first?”
“Sure. I cleared my whole evening for you.”
Katrina looked at her. “You did?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’m flattered.”
“It’s not every day my best friend comes back to town. And besides, I have nothing to eat in my fridge, so with or without you, I’m going out to dinner.”
Katrina laughed. “Now I remember why I’ve missed you so much.”
“Wow. This place is empty,” Katrina said.
Deb glanced up from her menu and looked around the restaurant. “It is?”
“There are exactly four other people here.” Katrina gestured to a couple sitting a few tables away from them, then at two men sitting separately at the bar, both of whom were watching a soccer game on the wall-mounted TV.
“So? It’s a Tuesday at six o’clock.”
“Was Stephens Green always like this?”
“Like this what?”
“This, I don’t know . . . dead?”
Deb laughed. “We’re in Mountain View, my friend. It’s always like this.”
“It is?”
“It is. Look who became a big-city girl.”
Katrina thought of her first night in Manhattan, when she’d gone for a beer with Shana, Josh, and Grace. The memory replayed in her head like a movie—hearing the story of how Shana and Josh became a couple, seeing Grace’s jewelry for the first time, being overwhelmed by her new surroundings. That had also been a Tuesday, and she’d been shocked at how crowded the bar had been. Stephens Green tonight seemed like a ghost town by comparison.
Has it really always been like this?
The place also looked different, but she couldn’t put her finger on how.
What is it?
“Hello? You there?” Deb snapped her fingers.
“I’m sorry, what?”
Deb cocked her head to the right. A waitress was standing there, notepad in hand, waiting patiently for Katrina to order.
“I’m sorry. I’ll have a garden salad with chicken and a Sprite, thank y
ou.”
“Got it.” The waitress turned on her heel and left.
“Are you okay?” Deb gave her a look. “You’re acting weird.”
“I’m fine. Just a little disoriented, I guess.”
“Culture shock?”
Katrina laughed weakly. “Maybe a little.”
“I thought that might happen.”
“You did?”
“Of course. New York and Mountain View might as well be on different planets.”
Katrina nodded. “I expected it going out there, but I never really gave any thought to what it would be like when I came back.”
The waitress set down their drinks and left again. Deb held up her glass of wine for a toast. “Here’s to new beginnings.”
“To new beginnings.”
Deb clinked her glass against Katrina’s, then frowned. “I’m so jealous. I can’t believe I never got to visit you out there. Stupid promotion.”
“Don’t say that. You worked hard for that promotion, and you deserved it. Plus I suspect you love your fancy new title and everything that goes with it.”
“Okay, maybe I do. But I still feel like I missed out.”
Katrina took a sip of her Sprite. “Well, you’ll have another chance to come visit me. I love my new neighborhood.”
“What’s it called again?”
“Brooklyn Heights. It’s right across the Brooklyn Bridge, super quaint, lots of brownstones, very Sesame Street.”
“And your new apartment is just a few blocks from where the studio will be?”
“Yep, practically right around the corner. My street is a lot like the one I was on in Gramercy, only less busy. And cuter. And cleaner. And a bit cheaper.”
“We all know how much you like clean, and what’s not to like about cute and cheap? I can’t wait to see your new place. It’ll be months before I can get away though. My schedule keeps getting busier and busier. It’s like the curse of the promotion, you know?”
Katrina smiled. “Actually, I don’t know. And I don’t want to know.”
“Touché.”
“If it’s going to be a few months before you can get out for a visit, maybe you can come for the grand opening. That would be perfect timing. I’d love to have you there.”
Deb sipped her wine. “Have you set a date yet?”
“If all goes according to schedule, it will be the fifteenth of May.”
“That’s not very far away. I mean it is, but it isn’t, you know?”
Katrina nodded. “And we have a lot to do. We got a great deal on the lease, but part of that was because we agreed to take the space as is. It needs a lot of work to turn it into what it already looks like in my head.”
“Sounds like this Justin knows his way around a tool shed. I’m sure he’ll turn it into something spectacular.”
Katrina hesitated for a moment before responding.
“What?” Deb asked.
Katrina waved a hand in front of her. “It’s nothing.”
Deb set down her wineglass. “You’re lying.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Okay, maybe I am.”
Deb rolled her eyes. “Of course you are. You’re like the worst liar in the whole world, did you know that? Literally on the entire planet.”
“I’m well aware, thank you very much.”
“Then what is it?”
Katrina sighed. “Well, the place needs a lot of fixing up before we can open for business, but lately, well, lately . . . I’ve been wondering if Justin will be fixed by then too.”
“Fixed? You mean like neutered?”
Katrina laughed. “I just mean I wonder if he’ll be healed from how much his wife hurt him.”
Deb raised her eyebrows. “You mean . . .”
Katrina gave her a sheepish look. “Maybe.”
“Crush?”
Katrina nodded slowly.
“Ooh, do tell.”
“There’s not that much to tell, really. It’s just that I’ve been thinking about it lately, or him, I guess. I mean, thinking about him in a way I never did before. When we first met, I thought he was good-looking, but I saw his wedding ring like two seconds later, so I never thought of him that way, and we became friends.”
True friends. Justin is a true friend.
The waitress appeared with their food, and they both dug in.
“Since when have you been thinking about him that way?” Deb pointed a curly fry at Katrina.
“Since the day I first talked to him about the studio. I was so excited to share my idea with him, not just as a potential investor but also because his opinion means a lot to me. But when I got to the coffeehouse, his wife was there. I think . . . I think seeing him with her made me look at him in a different way. It’s like something suddenly kicked in.”
Deb nodded knowingly. “The sudden kick-in. I’ve been a victim of that.”
“And then later, as he and I were talking about the studio, I realized that I was as excited about the idea of working with him as I was about the idea itself, you know?”
Deb kept nodding. “Does he know?”
Katrina put a hand over her heart. “Oh gosh, I sure hope he doesn’t. I don’t even know. I mean, I didn’t even really know. I mean . . . you know what I mean. Ugh. I’m not even sure I know what I mean.” She slumped her shoulders.
“I totally know what you mean. And I think it’s spectacular.”
“You do?”
“I do. But tread carefully. That poor man’s been through the ringer, and men take even longer to get over a broken heart than women do, at least according to Cosmo.”
Katrina laughed. “Don’t worry. It’s taken me nearly thirty years to stand up to my parents, remember? And who am I kidding? I haven’t even done that yet. I’m hardly an Olympic sprinter in the game of life. Plus he may not even like me back. To be honest, I’m afraid that if I slip up and let on how I’m feeling, he’ll shoot me down, and then everything will be all awkward and terrible.”
“I don’t know the man, but he’d be a fool not to like you back. And as for timing, I’m sure we can figure out a plan. And speaking of your parents, did I tell you to remind me to get the hell out of Dodge before that conversation goes down?”
Katrina held up her Sprite in a mock toast. “Here’s to getting out of Dodge. You have no idea how much I wish I could be in the car with you.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Two evenings later, having officially given notice on her apartment, Katrina pulled into the parking lot of Sundance. It was 6:58 p.m. She spotted her mother’s Lexus a few cars down and wondered what time her parents had arrived. She checked her face in the rearview mirror, adjusted the pink silk scarf around her neck, and applied some lip gloss before stepping out of the car.
You can do this.
You can tell them.
You’re different now.
As she walked toward the entrance, she mentally went over her prepared remarks, which she’d been rehearsing all afternoon. She’d also practiced in the shower, while getting dressed and drying her hair, and during the entire drive to Palo Alto.
Opening observation about the restaurant and the evening in general.
Main statement and supporting points.
Closing expression of conviction and excitement for what lies ahead.
Just before she reached the entrance, she stopped, closed her eyes, and pressed her palms together, as if in one of Shana’s yoga classes.
She inhaled deeply.
You can do this.
She opened her eyes and opened the door.
Katrina gave her father’s name to the hostess. The young woman gestured toward her parents, who were having a glass of wine at the bar. Katrina glanced down at her coffee-colored sheath
and walked toward them, forcing the corners of her mouth upward into an awkward smile.
“Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.”
They turned to face her at the same time. Though her mother stayed seated, her father stood up and gave her a hug. “Well, hello there, sunshine. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”
Katrina leaned toward her mother, who gave her a light kiss on the cheek. “I’m glad you made it home safely. It’s good to see you back where you belong,” she said.
Katrina nodded but didn’t respond.
“What can I get you to drink?” her father asked.
“I think I’ll just have some sparkling water.”
“That’s all? No wine?”
She shook her head. “Water is fine, thanks, Dad.”
Her mother picked up her wineglass. “Is that a new dress?”
Katrina nodded. “I bought it in the East Village. What do you think? I got these boots there too.”
“And those? I’ve never seen you wear jewelry like that.” She pointed to Katrina’s earrings.
Katrina’s hand flew self-consciously to the hoops she was wearing. “My friend Grace designs jewelry. Do you like them? I thought they went well with the dress and boots.”
“It’s a nice outfit. I’m not convinced it’s your style though. A little flashy for you, if you ask me.”
Katrina’s father handed her the sparkling water and sat back down on his stool. “I think you look beautiful. I especially like that scarf you’ve got on. Did you get that in New York too?”
“Sure did.”
Her mother put a hand to Katrina’s cheek. “Your face looks a little thinner. Have you lost weight?”
“Maybe a little. I’ve been walking a lot, and doing yoga.”
Her mother raised an eyebrow. “Yoga? I’ve never heard you mention that before.”
“I just started. One of my friends there is an instructor.”
“Doesn’t that take a lot of coordination?”
“I’m not very good at it, but I’ve grown to like it. I like it a lot, in fact.”
Her father noticed the hostess, who was walking toward them. “Looks like our table is ready. Shall we?”
Katrina forced a smile. “Sounds great. I’m starving.”
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