“Oh. Are we sad?”
“No, it’s fine. I’m actually meeting—”
“Isla!”
It comes from the corner table. St. Clair is waving me down as Josh turns around in his chair. Everything transitions into slow motion. The maître d’, the noisy chatter, the smoky fragrance of the wood-fired pizza – they vanish as I wait for his eyes to find mine.
We lock.
The entire contents of my heart reflect back at me in his expression. Joy, pain, strength, wonder, sadness, beauty, hope. He is everything.
“Ah,” the maître d’ says. “Of course.”
He guides me towards the table as my heartbeat thumps in my throat. The room closes in. My soul aches with attraction. There are four empty seats, and the maître d’ pulls out the chair beside Josh. I’m shaking as I place my coat onto the back of it. I’m shaking as I sit down. I’m shaking as Josh glances at the maître d’ with a look of unmistakable gratitude. Does that glance mean what I want it to mean?
“Where’s Kurt?” Josh asks.
“He’s out with some new friends. Underground. It’s a long story.”
Josh lifts his eyebrows in surprise as the rest of the table beams at me – St. Clair, Anna and Meredith. “Wow,” I say. “The gang’s all here.”
“Everyone but Rashmi,” St. Clair says.
Anna gives him a swift kick below the table, but I catch it. “It’s okay,” I say awkwardly. At least it’s answered a question. They know about my history with Josh. I glance at the three empty seats. “Is she coming?”
“One of those was for Kurt,” Josh says, and I’m touched.
“The others are for our friends who got us into the Olympics,” Anna says. “We split up today, and they’re still out sightseeing. They should be here any minute.”
“Friends from California?” I grab the opportunity to show them that I’m not completely in the dark. Just mostly.
She nods. “Yeah, Lola and Cricket. Étienne and I—”
“Étienne,” Josh says, and Meredith cracks up.
“They’re teasing me because I’m the only person who calls him that,” Anna explains.
“You’re the only person allowed to call him that,” Josh says. “You and his mom.”
St. Clair smiles. “The only two ladies I need.”
“That’s sick,” Meredith says, but she’s still laughing. She has a wonderful, friendly laugh. A tiny nose ring catches the light and twinkles. Everything about her is cheerful.
It’s unreal to be surrounded here, in person, by his friends. Those faces from his artwork.
Anna is one of those naturally beautiful girls who has no idea that she’s beautiful. She dresses in jeans and T-shirts, and she has this gap-toothed smile and a bleached stripe in her long brown hair. She’s comfortable in her own skin. Her boyfriend is also beautiful, but he’s aware of it. Not that St. Clair acts like a jerk. He’s just loaded with confidence. He’s short, but it’s never gotten in his way. Nearly every girl at school was in love with him, not to mention most of the guys and half the professeurs.
But I was never in love with him. Not when Josh was around.
Anna clears her throat. “Anyway. Étienne and I—”
Josh and Meredith snicker.
Anna grins. “—work with Lola at a movie theatre. Cricket is her boyfriend, and Cricket’s twin sister is Calliope Bell. The figure skater?”
My eyebrows shoot up. “I’ve seen her face on about a billion advertisements.”
“That’s the one. She’s going for the gold.”