Laura made a face. “Nothing. That’s the point.”

Polly considered this. Then she said, “I go to the movies with Libby and Anna sometimes.”

“Are they dating?”

“No,” Polly replied. “It’s a romance of the mind only. I think, anyway.”

“Lots of Scrabble?”

“Yeah. And other games. Do you play bridge?”

Laura nodded. “Yes, actually. My grandmother taught me when I was a teenager, so I could make up a four when one of her friends failed to show up for their weekly game. I’m no good, but I do love playing cards.”

“Well, don’t admit it unless you want to play. They’re hustlers.”

“Bridge hustlers?”

“Making tricks and taking money.” Polly grinned. “They play competitive bridge as a team, which strikes me as bizarre. Not to mention how weird it is that the universe put each of them in a house with the only other young person in Los Angeles who was looking for a bridge crony.”

Laura shrugged, not finding it all that weird. “Maybe the universe likes card games?”

Polly said, “Doubtful,” and stuffed another taco in her face. That done, she said, “And did you meet Impossibly Handsome Bob?”

Laura coughed, having inhaled a piece of lettuce.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” said Polly, thumping her on the back. “Yup, he’s disarmingly attractive.” Her smile was benign but her eyes were sharp as she watched Laura coughing.

Laura got her breath back. “Sorry, yes. Or at least, I think I saw him in the garden.”

Polly raised one eyebrow enviably high. “Laura, if you’ve seen Bob, you’d know it. The fact that you nearly choked to death tells me everything.”

“And what’s his deal?” asked Laura, purely interested in information gathering.

“Fancy him, do you?” said Polly, looking unsurprised. “I don’t blame you, though he’s not my type.”

Laura was blushing. “What is your type?”

“Eclectic,” replied Polly airily. “Bob’s only been there a few months, and he’s a cool customer, I know that.” She drank some more of her horchata. “What’s your deal, while we’re discussing deals? Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Neither or both?”

Laura stayed red. “Neither. I was . . . engaged, kind of, but we broke it off before I moved here.”

Polly widened her eyes. “Ooh, a tragic past, tell me all about it.”

Laura laughed. “It’s not tragic at all. We’d known each other a long time, we’d grown apart, I wanted to take a break, he didn’t, so I came here.” She hoped she sounded more confident than she felt. “I’m pretty sure he doesn’t think I’ll make it and will show up back home in a few months.”

“Why?” Polly was amazed. “You’re going to grad school, right? Not joining a death cult.”