“So the takeaway is that boys are stupid?” Kimmie asked, only half joking.

“Yes,” Anna said, laughing. “My work here is done!”

Kimmie looked up to see Marta carrying a silver tray. She placed a teacup and saucer filled with steaming hot chocolate in front of Kimmie, along with a heart-shaped crystal candy dish with several large marshmallows. She placed half a pink grapefruit in front of Anna along with a grapefruit spoon, the kind Kimmie had first seen at the Mandarin Oriental hotel when she traveled with her mother to London. She remembered being so fascinated with the beautiful tiny jagged-edged spoon she slipped it into her purse at the end of the meal.

“If you were in Lolly’s situation, would you forgive him?” Kimmie asked. “You know, if he wasn’t your brother and all.”

“You mean, if my boyfriend cheated on me could I forgive him?” Anna asked. She had wondered the same thing herself last night when she was counseling Lolly.

“I’m sorry, was that rude? I didn’t mean to make you feel weird.”

“It wasn’t rude at all,” Anna said, thoughtfully. “I have to be honest and say I don’t know. Luckily, I’ve never been in that situation. I suppose it depends.”

“But is there ever a situation when cheating is okay?” Kimmie asked.

“Probably not. But I’m hardly an expert on the matter. I’ve only ever had one boyfriend myself. But relationships are complicated, Steven is my brother, and I’ll support whatever Lolly decides to do.”

“Me, too,” Kimmie said. She desperately wished for Anna to like her and had no problem changing her tune. “I know my sister loves Steven. She says it all the time. Maybe—” She paused. “—maybe this will make their relationship better? Stronger, I mean?” All this talk of love brought Dustin to Kimmie’s mind, but she dismissed the thought of him quickly, assuming he’d popped into her head because of the hot chocolate. Her thoughts then jumped to Vronsky. Since meeting him at New Year’s, she had seen him at least once a week, first for tea at the Plaza, then a walk through the park, and twice more in the evening for coffee.

Anna noticed Kimmie’s smile and asked her who was on her mind.

“How did you know it was a who I was thinking about?” Kimmie asked, blushing with embarrassment, but happy for the opening to discuss what she really wanted to talk about. She assumed Anna knew Vronsky and was eager to get her opinion. Kimmie knew Anna was the girlfriend of the Greenwich OG, which basically made her royalty, like America’s own version of William and Kate. Perhaps Vronsky and I could be Harry and Meghan.