John rolled his eyes at both of them and headed toward the train alongside Mary. “So. Where out of town are you headed?”

It always baffled John, who’d been born and raised in New York City, when people left the city. He knew the world was wide, but what could possibly be happening out there that wasn’t already happening in here?

“To see my parents for the night. Which is why I’m dressed like I’m applying for a bank loan.” Mary scrunched up her nose as they swiped into the train station.

John’s eyes skated down Mary’s form, taking in the overnight bag she had tucked against her hip and her navy shift dress and sensible heels. He hadn’t noticed when she’d been standing in the security line. He’d been too distracted by her bright hair and brighter smile. But now that he really looked at her, she did seem a little muted.

“You dress up to see your parents?”

She shook her head. “I dress tame to see my parents. They’re neutral-palette people.”

He wondered briefly how neutral-palette people could have spawned such a colorful, exotic creature as Mary. He thought of the oft-stilted brunches with his own father in fancy restaurants. Once a month like rusty, resentful clockwork. He supposed lots of parents viewed their children as blocks of ice they could eventually chip into shape. “I’m not getting the vibe that you enjoy visiting them.”

“Um. I like being in my childhood home?” Her tone of voice suggested that she was searching for something that she did actually enjoy about visiting her parents.

“But...” John prompted.

Mary sighed, her shoulders sagging a bit. “But my mother isn’t the most accepting person. She has lots of opinions. And no grasp on the concept that her opinions aren’t, in fact, facts.”

John chuckled. “I know a great many people like that.”

“As a lawyer, you probably do.”

The train came riding into the station on a puff of stale air, and luckily there were plenty of seats available. Their conversation veered away from her parents and more toward the plan for the date on Friday. She’d told Estrella that she’d changed her mind about Elijah Crawford. So far, Estrella had not come clean, even going so far as to say that Elijah would be there at the restaurant at eight o’clock on Friday.