picked it, so I figured it would be fine. Zion waited outside and waved as we approached.
Ash’s motor mouth restarted. “Who’s that? Is he in a band?”
“That’s Jo’s friend, Zion. And no. He’s a photographer like Jo.”
Her shoulders sagged, and I felt like I’d had to tell her the Ferris wheel was closed. “Sorry. But he’s a really nice guy.”
Jo came running up from behind us. “Layla! Wait up.”
We stopped, and Ash reached into her back pocket for her phone. Before it hit me what she was doing, she clicked a photo of Jo rushing up the street, in sweats and an old T-shirt. If Jo noticed the invasion of privacy, she didn’t say. She caught up, out of breath, and I worried for a minute about her health. I knew nothing about diabetics, but I’d seen the whole tribe surround her when she’d gotten lightheaded before.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
She smiled. “Yeah. Thanks for asking. Just running late as always. Is this your friend?” Her hand was already out. “I’m Josie Wilder.”
Ash said, “Yeah. I know. I’m Ash.” Her eyes were moons. “Do you mind if we get a picture together?”
I couldn’t take much more. “Not right now, Ash. Let’s go eat.”
Jo said, “If you don’t mind me looking like a wreck. I’ve been working at the studio and lost track of time until Zion texted.”
“You don’t have to.” I wanted to smack Ash, but she’d already swung around and held the camera up, oblivious to Jo’s hints that she wasn’t exactly presentable for a picture.
Jo said to me, “Really. I guess I should be flattered. I don’t get this kind of attention much anymore.”
Zion gave me and Jo each a hug and shook Ash’s hand. “I’ve been here forever. Let’s eat!”
At least for the time it took to order and eat, Ash stopped behaving like she was starstruck. I tried to imagine how she’d behave if she actually met Adam and remembered I’d completely lost the ability to stand normally when I’d first met him. Adam and Eden seemed to roll with it. I figured I needed to learn to do the same thing, but then Ash blurted out, “You’re so lucky to have snagged Micah. He’s amazing.”
Jo laughed. “He really is.”
Zion tried to wrestle the conversation back to a common topic. “Have y’all seen the latest Star Wars?”
Instead of volleying back, Ash asked, “Where are you from, Zion?”
He pressed his lips together, but the corners lifted, and I could tell his controlled smile threatened to erupt into laughter. “Georgia.”
“Oh, is that how you know Jo?”
“As a matter of fact.”
Jo caught my eye, and I saw something there that made me wonder if she felt pity for me that my friend was behaving like she’d just ridden into town on the dumb-ass train, or if she was starting to wonder why she’d ever thought I was cool.
Unaware that Jo’s demeanor had grown unusually chilly, Ash turned toward her, elbow on table, back now to Zion, and began to question her about how she’d met Micah. “I mean, I know about what the papers said, but how’d you first get introduced?”
Zion said out of the corner of his mouth, “Looks like Jo has a new best friend.”
I realized what was going on, what Ash wanted. I could see her moving in on Jo, trading me in, trying to follow the same path I had to make friends and get in. Unlike her, I hadn’t premeditated the whole thing. I’d become friends with Jo because I’d befriended Jo as Jo and not Jo as Adam’s wife’s brother’s girlfriend. Did she count the degrees of separation? Did she think she’d hang out with me until she could make the jump?
I didn’t want to make a scene, so I didn’t interfere with her misguided attempts to draw Jo out. Jo shot a glance to Zion once, looking for an escape. Zion made a valiant attempt to change the topic by asking how my apartment search was going.
I sighed. “I want to be settled by Sunday, before Shane gets home. I checked out a place in Jersey City, but—”
Zion shuddered. “Why haven’t you come over to check out my place yet?”
“Uh.” I winced. “I got the feeling you weren’t really looking for a roommate.”
“What? No. I’m just worried it might be too busy for you there. But you’d be welcome to take Jo’s old room. Why don’t you come over after dinner?” He cast his eyes at Ash with a headshake, then added,