Page 10 of Two Marlboros

I put my arm around her shoulders and squeezed her. “Thank you, you really are a friend. So far no one has shown such regret about my moving to California.”

“Maybe because it’s not certain yet? And to whom did you tell?”

Hit and sunk. She cracked a smile at me.

“To no one I care about.”

“You mean your father? It could be a strategy. If he sees you leaving, maybe it’s gonna be a good time for him to wake up.”

The smile died on my face, and it also took me a few seconds to move up the line as the spots in front of us became seventeen. In imagining myself in California, on the ranch where I hoped to be hired, I had always seen myself as happy to be able to take care of the animals and the crops, free of any negative thoughts, but it had never occurred to me that my father’s indifference might have catch up with me on the other coast.

“Whatever, speaking of something else,” I said to divert the conversation, “did you know I was involved in a robbery?”

“The one on Lexington Avenue?”

“Yes! How did you know?”

Nelly opened her mouth wide to say something, but at first nothing came out. “They talked about it on the news and you work nearby,” she replied without looking at me, after which she lifted her head to see where we were at.

“Anyway,” I continued, and our gazes met again, “in the end it was no big deal. I did run into one of the robbers, though, who, by the way, had green eyes like mine, sort of.”

“A good clue for the police, no?”

Guilt resurfaced from my stomach and spread throughout my body as the line still flowed.

I cleared my throat. “Let’s say I haven’t made any statements on the matter yet.”

Nelly opened her eyes wide. “What? Are you crazy? Why?”

I thought back to Agent Stoner’s kindness and the discomfort his colleague had put in me instead. I had not read even an ounce of empathy in those eyes, let alone understanding of what I had experienced only the day before.

“There was a grumpy cop who I think hates humanity. He advised me to call him if I had anything to tell him, but I don’t know, I don’t want to talk to him.”

Nelly sighed, and we advanced a few more steps. Fourteen more people and I was finally going to get those damn tickets, for which I had saved so much.

“You can’t just let a criminal go free just because you dislike the cop.”

I gave her a little shove and she giggled, “You’re overreacting.”

“I still think you should talk to him. It’s not like he’s going to eat you up.”

“You say that because you don’t know him. Although, come to think of it, even the nice colleague had left me his number. I could call him.”

“That sounds like a very good idea,” Nelly replied, shifting her gaze to the line. I took advantage of her eyes turned away to observe her a little, and I caught an expression that told me she was wandering into thoughts that seemed far away from her present. It was not the first time this had happened, but on no occasion had I been able to learn more. I had several aces to play, and I tried to pull one out.

“Speaking of close encounters,” I said therefore, “how’s it going with the new intern? Noah, right?”

She looked at me for a moment and let go of a smile, which she hid right after, as not to give me too much satisfaction.

“He’s a good colleague,” she replied, but when our eyes met, I let her know that it was not the answer I expected. She sustained my curious gaze for a while, then had to give in.

“Alright,” she continued, “he’s nice and we had a good time the other night. Happy?”

“Of course I’m happy, at least you’re not thinking about your ex anymore.”

Nelly widened her eyes. “What ex? There is no ex.”

The crowd advanced a little. I grabbed her by the wrist as if to suggest that she took a few steps forward, abetted by the grim look of the man standing behind her.

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