When I looked at him again, he seemed worried, and after a moment asked me, “Are you too tired? Would you like me to take you back to the hotel?”

The lethargic feeling of the last few minutes evaporated at the thought of losing his company, and I sat up. “No, not at all. I’m excited for the music, but I’m feeling pretty relaxed right now from all the good pizza and beer.” I glanced around again, utterly charmed by the place. “This is a great spot. Thanks for bringing me. Addis is full of surprises.”

He smiled then, and it looked wistful. “Yes, it is. It’s hard for me to think of living anywhere else.”

The way he said it made me think he was considering exactly that. “Oh, are you thinking of going abroad?” I asked with way too much interest.

He didn’t answer immediately, considering my question as he twisted the wide silver band on his finger. “I’ve been accepted into a doctoral program at Columbia University, in psychology,” he said quietly before taking a long drink.

“Wow,” I said, genuinely impressed. “That’s great. Congratulations.”

After a moment he ran his hand over the tablecloth, smoothing the crease running down the center of table. I could tell he was trying to figure out what to say next. “I was accepted last year, but I deferred.” Something about the way he said it made me think the reasons for the deferment hadn’t changed much. “I have a few more weeks to decide. If not, I’ll lose my spot.”

Just the idea of Elias potentially living in the States did unsettling things to me. My chest fluttered, and I could practically feel the blood rushing to my face. Immediately, the possible career change I’d been agonizing over for the last year—and how it could mean a move to New York City—filled my head. A flare of annoyance at myself tamped down some of my inappropriate excitement, and I tried to focus on what Elias said. On how obviously conflicted he was about the decision he needed to make.

I leaned across the table, hoping my smile looked genuine, and not like I was freaking about my own shit like a selfish heel. “That’s huge, for real. New York City is a great place to live too. We lived in Upstate New York, about four hours north.” I pointed at myself as he listened with interest. “I’ve never actually lived in the city, but we went a lot when I was growing up, and my friend Lucía is there and loves it.”