“Nothing to talk about,” Meena said. “Besides, my arm was in a cast for the last two months, and I was stuck inside. It wasn’t as if I could do much.”
“There are many interesting possibilities with one hand.” Bernie smirked.
A quick laugh escaped her. They were being so nice, she didn’t want to be churlish. “There is someone. Maybe. I’m not sure.”
Their silence was quick and acute.
Meena awkwardly kept going. “He lived, uh, lives, across the hall from where I was staying in Boston. He’s nice and cute. And he has an awesome dog.”
“I love a man with a dog,” Paul said. “I want one, but . . .”
“It’s a big commitment,” Aiden added.
“Forget the dog,” Zoe said. “Tell me more about the neighbor.”
Meena laughed. “We became friends.”
“Name,” Paul said.
“Sam.”
“Profession.”
“Special effects,” Meena stated. “For movies and television.”
“Good kisser?”
Meena blushed. “We didn’t . . . uh, it wasn’t like that.”
“But you wanted to.” Zoe grinned.
“Yeah,” Meena said. “It got complicated.”
“Always does.” Bernie sighed.
“Besides,” Meena said, “I’m on the road. He’s the type that enjoys being in one place. We’re very different.”
“But you like him,” Fiona said. “I can hear it in your voice.”
Meena touched her warm face again. “It’s like I’m a teenager with a crush.”
Zoe touched her knee. “I hope we never stop being fifteen when we like someone.”
Meena gave her friend a wide smile. “Yeah.”
“Ask him to come join you for New Year’s Eve,” Paul urged.
“Like a grand gesture,” Fiona said. “Buy him a plane ticket, get him over here.”
“That would be very premature.” Meena couldn’t imagine ever doing such a thing.
“Show us a picture, then.” Bernie waved her hand for Meena’s phone.
Meena opened the gallery app and handed it to Bernie.
Paul looked over Bernie’s shoulder. “These three women are magic.”
“The aunties run that building. In a way they are the building.”
“Is this the guy?” Fiona asked. “A disheveled man in a tux is really sexy.”
“He dressed as James Bond for Halloween.”
“I’ll swap you,” Fiona suggested. “You with whoever Zoe has me with, and your James Bond with me to ring in the New Year.”
Meena felt a twinge of possessiveness for Sam. She wanted to be the one to kiss Sam at midnight.
She put away her phone as their meals were served. Meena dug in. The beef was perfectly cooked, dark on the outside, pink on the inside. The gravy with the Yorkshire pudding was made to be sopped up. Meena didn’t feel like an interloper. Today, for this brief time, in this red chair, she felt she had a place at this table among these people.
As the afternoon wore off and the gray sky turned dark, Meena huddled back into her coat and scarf. She said her goodbyes and headed back to the apartment while Zoe went to Aiden’s.