When Emma returned to the table a few minutes later, she found Zane still scrolling through pictures beside Nadine, who had a broad smile on her face.
“So, have you narrowed it down?” Emma asked as she took her seat.
“It’s between these two,” he said, holding up Nadine’s phone so Emma could see. One was a selfie, and the other was the photo Emma took.
“Oh! Emma took that one!” Nadine announced proudly. “I think that’s my favorite.”
“Yeah?” Zane smiled. “Well then, I guess that settles it.” He tapped on the photo and attached it to Nadine’s profile before handing the phone back to her. “I told you I had a good eye,” he purred. Then he turned his attention back to Emma. “So, what’s your deal?”
“My deal?”
“Are you single too?”
“Oh, I’m not dating.”
Zane laughed. “Right now or…?”
“Well, I’m graduating in the spring and trying to secure this really competitive position at the Met before then, so…” Emma shrugged. “I’m on indefinite hiatus.”
“What if the right situation came along?” Zane asked, his voice lowering a bit.
“I think the right situation is no situation.” Emma took a sip of her latte. “But that’s just me. What about you?”
“Hmmm…” He glanced between Emma and Nadine. “I’m really open to anything.”
Emma looked at Nadine. Her friend was biting back a smile, and for once, Emma was at a loss for words.
“I was thinking, we should all go out sometime,” Zane continued.
“Oh yes!” Nadine said.
Emma winced.Too eager, Nadine.
“Cool,” Zane said. “My buddy is having a party in a couple of weeks in Brooklyn.”
Emma’s heart dropped. “Brooklyn?”
“Yeah. It’s at a bar, but there’s a performance beforehand.”
Oh God, no. This was just getting worse.
Emma turned to Nadine, to somehow psychically transmit the awfulness of this suggestion, but Nadine was still staring up at Zane, her wide doe eyes transfixed.
“That sounds so amazing. What kind of performance?” she asked.
“It’s like… how can I explain it…” He looked out the window as if deep in thought. “It’s like an avant-garde interactive art experience with these glass bridges over water.”
Emma closed her eyes to avoid rolling them. None of those words were appealing. She had been to her fair share of black box high school theater, thank you very much. But when she opened her eyes again and caught Nadine’s unabashedly hopeful expression, she could only sigh.
“We’ll be there,” she said, forcing a smile. “Sounds… fun.”
No one else came into the cafe for the next hour, so Zane hung out at their table until it was finally time for him to close. He locked the door behind them as they all left, a guitar case slung over his shoulder.
Emma took a small step toward the curb, using the excuse of hailing Nadine a taxi to leave the two of them alone for a moment. When one pulled up, she smiled brightly.
“Here you go, Nadine,” she replied. “Are you headed downtown, Zane? You two could share a cab.”
“I’m good,” he said.
