Ari reaches out with her left hand and Josh feels his muscles tense at the possibility of being trapped in a steel box while watching them embrace. But Ari’s index finger swerves to the close door button, which she mashes repeatedly, her face blank.
This act seems to confuse the elevator. It makes a loud buzzing noise, as if to shoo them out. Cass throws her arm against the door, keeping it from sliding closed. There’s nothing to do but step forward into the Rare Book Room.
“Fine,” Ari says, keeping her arms stiffly at her sides as her ex-wife forces her into an awkward embrace. Her voice is hollow. “I’m fine.”
Cass looks refreshed. Glowing. Josh tells himself it’s Botox.
She’s wearing a dark blazer （likely a more expensive one than last time） over a gently distressed Hole T-shirt. Clear frame glasses, Blundstone boots. Every aspect of her feels precisely curated. She places her hands on Ari’s shoulders, taking her in: smudged eye makeup, messy bun, a giant men’s parka. Objectively speaking, it’s not the way anyone would care to run into their ex.
And yet…he can’t help but wonder if Cass thinks he and Ari are together. Is it wrong for him to take some pleasure in the slight amount of annoyance that might cause?
Cass looks at Ari, letting her gaze run up and down her face. “Did you set up a time to meet with my broker about the move-out dates?”
“Um, working on it.” Ari remains stock-still. No fidgeting, no shifting weight. “I’ll figure it out.”
She’d never mentioned anything to Josh about a broker and move-out dates.
Cass loosens her grip on Ari’s shoulders. “Good,” she says, with no trace of conviction. She glances around the space like she’s looking for someone. “It’s so weird to see you here. I was just meeting with the events director.”
“Are you…giving a talk?” Ari asks, still wearing a vacant expression that Josh has never quite seen from her. It’s like she’s looking through a portal into another reality.
“No, actually—”
“Did you see the dressing rooms, babe?” The new voice belongs to a young woman in an oversized, unbuttoned cherry-red coat who appears in Josh’s peripheral vision. Cass grabs the woman’s hand, pulling her forward. Ari visibly flinches before managing to regain her composure. “Oh. Hi, Ari.” The woman gives her a limp, awkward nod. “Katya Kulesza,” the other woman says to Josh, while nestling closer to Cass.
There’s silence all around as both women shift their attention to Josh. He waits for Ari to say anything—introduce him, provide some conversational lubrication to move them all over this hump.
She doesn’t move. Doesn’t breathe.
He nudges Ari gently.
Still nothing. She barely seems to register his presence.
“Josh,” he says finally, extending his hand to Cass, even though it’s the last thing he wants to do. “We’ve met before.”
“Have we?” Cass regards him with a steely, even gaze, tilting her head slightly, the faintest hint of a smile forming at the corner of her mouth. She steps forward as if to demonstrate that they’re approximately the same height, gripping his hand firmly. Her chunky ring presses uncomfortably into his palm.
“My sister was one of your students,” he adds. “Briar Kestenberg.”
“Oh, Briar. Of course!” Cass nods, clearly having zero recollection. “This is new for you, Ar.” She gives Josh a once-over, conveying both skepticism and pity with a subtle raise of her eyebrows.
Ari seems to wake up from a trance. “Oh, we’re not tog—”
“Babe,” says Katya, “we need to ask about swapping out the folding chairs.” She turns to Josh and Ari. “We’re scoping out venues.” Under the coat, she’s wearing a blazer and a vintage T-shirt, like a shorter, curvier, younger version of Cass. “Engagement party.”
Ari’s face flushes red. She’s frozen, mouth open just a centimeter or two, staring at the two women in front of her, knees locked, muscles tight with pure tension.
Something catches Katya’s attention across the room. “Excuse me!” she shouts to the ponytailed woman who must be the events coordinator, before excusing herself by telling Ari “you look great.” There’s no real malice in her tone, which somehow makes it more cutting.
Maybe Josh should also occupy himself elsewhere with some fake book-shopping task, but he can’t bring himself to cede any ground, physical or otherwise, to Ari’s ex. Instead, he grabs the basket off the floor and plants his feet.