“Well, no. Not exactly. But the idea is that with a pretty small investment we can increase the attention on the brand by a lot. The more influencers are promoting LookBook, you know, the hotter it’s going to be...”
“Maybe I’ll come see for myself,” says Taylor. “If Mo and Michael are invited, I’m sure I’m invited, right?”
“Ofcourse,” says Juliana. “Please come.” She hesitates so briefly that Nicola may be the only one who notices it before adding, “Bring your husband.” Nicola tries to catch Juliana’s eye but Juliana is looking at Taylor.
“Maybe I will,” says Taylor.
Michael says, “You guys should come to The Oar with us. We might grab dinner after.”
Juliana says, “Oh, yeah?” She drains her glass, sits up straighter, looks at Nicola and says, “That sounds like fun.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I can’t, I have plans,” says Nicola.
“You can’t?” Juliana sends a pleading glance Nicola’s way.
“Jack’s in the Hamptons,” says Taylor, as though that leaves no other options for plans, and Nicola resents this.
“That’s such a bummer!” says Mo. “I was hoping to get a glimpse of him.” And Michael again says, “I’mright here,” and suddenly Nicola really wants to get away from all of them.
“My plans are with other people,” Nicola says jokingly (but also sort of seriously). “I’m allowed to have other people!”
“Who?” challenges Juliana.
“Work people,” Nicola says. “I have a work thing. It’s a Tuesday Talk.”
“What’s a Tuesday Talk?” Mo sounds skeptical.
Nicola explains that on several Tuesdays throughout the summer they bring in experts from the scientific community to talk about topics of interest. “You could come to that,” she suggests. “It’s for the public.” She doesn’t really mean it.
“What’s the topic?” Michael asks. “If it’s great white sharks I’mone hundred percent in.”
The Institute does bring in a great white shark expert, and it’s the most popular program of the summer, but that isn’t happening until August. Nicola clears her throat and says, “Tonight’s talk is on the benefits and progress of seaweed aquaculture in New England.” To a person, they wince. “It’s more interesting than it sounds,” she says. “All of our speakers are fantastic.”
“I’m going to pass on the seaweed,” Michael says, and Nicola thinks that if she got to know him better she might actually hate him. “Well, then,youcome out with us,” says Michael to Juliana. Once he started drinking he took his lager down in about three gulps. It seems to have enlivened him.
Taylor shoots Michael a look. Nicola doesn’t see how any of thiscan be anything but a terrible idea. She asks where David is, and Taylor tells her he’s out on Johnny O’Neill’s boat for the whole day. She says that like Nicola knows who Johnny O’Neill is.
“Johnny O’Neill’s boat isinsane,”says Mo. “I hope he’s here when we come back in August.”
“I can come!” says Juliana. “Sure, why not? That’ll be fun.” She looks down at her shorts. “I might just change.”
Taylor’s lips are pressed close together and she’s squinting out at the water. She opens her mouth enough to say, “You don’t need to change. It’s just The Oar.”
Allison reappears and quietly tells Juliana that Asia is on the phone.
“Allof Asia?” says Mo. Her champagne flute is empty.
“Excuse me, please,” says Juliana. “I’m so sorry, please excuse me, I’ve been waiting for this call. I’ll be right back, and I’ll be ready to go. Ten minutes, max.”
She follows Allison toward the house, and Nicola, thinking about it for only an instant, excuses herself from the group and catches up with Juliana.
“Hey!” she says. “What are youdoing?”
Juliana turns toward her, confused. “I’m going inside to take a call,” she says.
“Not that. Going to The Oar. Aren’t you playing with fire? Are you really looking to hang out with Taylor?”
Juliana tucks her hair behind her ears and straightens her spine. “These are the kind of people, Taylor included, who would never have given the old me a second glance, coming from where I came from. Now look. They invitedme. They want to come tomyparty.”
