I watched Ceirra as she berated Shyam on the phone. Her voice held a cutting edge I’d never heard before. Her face, however, was surprisingly calm, only her eyes (and voice, obviously) betrayed her anger. After a five minute conversation (consisting of much swearing and name-calling), Ceirra snapped her phone shut, “That ought to do it. Who’s paying for the popcorn?”
Jake looked worried, “Are they on their way?”
Ceirra stared at him blankly, “Of course not, his car’s broken down, silly. They’re at the french cafe on 70th. We’ll pick them up after the movie.”
Jake blinked, “But—”
“And while we’re at the cafe, we can say hello to my older brother,” Ceirra smiled at him softly, “He’s acting as chaparone.”
Jake stared, “How did you manage to arrange all that in five minutes?”
She chuckled darkly, “Shyam and I have an understanding.”
I silently held the door open for her with a strange feeling of awe. Plus, I was having difficulty looking at her without picturing what she’d done in Shyam’s ‘favorite spot.’