“I thought we agreed this wouldn’t be a sit-down dinner date?”
“Yes, you did stipulate that, so I have another idea in mind.”
Ten minutes later, we round a corner, and I’m left stunned and speechless. We’re now standing on a cobblestoned street, and there’s nothing but food vendors for as far as the eye can see. We’re not even in the thick of things yet, just standing on the outskirts, but I can already read signs for the first three stalls: Greek souvlaki, Spanish padrón peppers, and Turkish rice pilaf. A cacophony of aromas storms my system and beckons me forward like an old-timey cartoon.
“What is this place?” I ask in foodie wonderment.
“The Strutton Ground Market. It’s only open on weekdays, and I like to pop in for lunch or an early dinner every month or so.”
“I want to live here.”
“Many people do, but I don’t think they issue permits for that.”
I smile as my eyes continue to wander hungrily. “How do you pick which cart to eat from?”
“Yes, that is indeed the tricky part. Most times, I just go with what calls to me. Other times, I’ll set a short timer on my phone and then see which vendor I’m standing in front of when the alarm sounds. There are so many good spots to choose from that it’s often best to let the Fates decide.”
“I’m game for that.”
“I thought you might be,” Liam says with a grin. He then pulls out his phone and sets a timer for eight minutes. I clap my hands together in eager excitement as we start off down the street.
“So, if you come here that often, I take it that you’re a pretty adventurous eater?”
“Not by nature, though I have been trying to broaden my horizons lately. I traveled to Italy for about seven months last year, and now I regret how little I branched out.”
“You were in Italy for seven months?” I ask, forcing my eyes away from the specialty coffee stall that’s nearly causing me to salivate. “How’d you swing that?”
“I took an extended leave of absence after I sold my company. I should technically be working for them now, but...”
“But here we are,” I finish for him.
“Here we are. I admit I may be dragging my feet a bit.”
“Slacker. Though I should hardly be one to judge. I like to think of procrastination as my unhinged roommate who I always have fun with but then hate because she somehow convinced me to watch four hours of some dude building his dream hobbit cottage in the woods on YouTube when I should have been working on my play instead.”
Liam snickers as I look off to the side, continuing to take in the vibrant buzz of the street and all the people milling about. And it’s not just food stalls that dominate the area. Bakeries, sandwich shops, and even small restaurants line the space as well—not in competition but in a pleasant kind of harmony that I doubt would exist if we were back in New York.
“Yes, your play. What is it called, by the way? I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
“I stink at titles. In my head, I think of it asDeath of a Prom King.”
Liam smiles in earnest then, and I suddenly feel oddly exposed. I can’t believe I just said that out loud. I haven’t revealed my possible title to anyone. Not even Juliette.
“Ah, the famous American prom. Tell me about it.”
“About the prom? Its depiction in movies is pretty spot-on. Gowns and suits, barf in the hair, shattered dreams. As you can probably surmise from my description, I had anamazingtime at my prom.”
“Clearly. No, I meant tell me about your play.”
“Oh,” I say, feeling a little hesitant. “You don’t want to hear about that.”
“Of course I do.”
He slows down his pace in our already leisurely stroll, physically showing me just how intent he is on hearing about it. Taking a breath, I figure there’s no harm in telling him.
“Well, to sum it up, it’s about four quasi-outcast friends who are all locked in a jail cell together on the night of their ten-year high school reunion after they’re suspected of killing the former prom king. Throughout the play, we learn that they each have their own unique emotional tie to him and their own specific reasons for potentially wanting him dead.”
“Wow,” Liam says. “It’s a little darker than I expected, but sounds exciting. Is it a drama?”
