“For who?” I tilted open one of the bags.

She slapped my hand. “For you. So do not peek.”

“What did you get me?”

“Why do you always want to ruin surprise?”

“Did you get Alexa something too?”

“Of course. One of those new iPads.”

“Like she doesn’t spend enough time on her iPhone already.” I glanced past Elizaveta to the woman in the sweater and skirt. She was still staring at me.

“What?” Elizaveta asked, turning in her seat.

“Don’t,” I said quietly.

She turned back. “Don’t what? Are you checking out that girl?”

“She has the hots for me.”

“Has the hots for you?” Elizaveta laughed. “She’s about half your age, Jack.”

“I guess she’s a fan or something. She’s still staring at me.”

“You’re encouraging her. You keep looking at her.”

“Not on purpose.”

“You can’t control your eyes?”

“It’s weird having someone stare at you.”

“She’s very pretty, Jack. Perhaps I better go see what she wants.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Maybe I better have a word with her.” She stood.

“Eliza!”

She ignored me and crossed the room. She spoke with the woman briefly, then gestured to the spare chair at the table and sat down. She said something else, then pointed at me.

The woman smiled and waved.

Mortified, furious, I focused on the newspaper and waited for Elizaveta to return. What was she talking to the woman about? Was she telling her how I thought she had the hots for me? Probably. Elizaveta didn’t have Pita’s proclivity for jealously when it came to pit lizards and female fans, but that wasn’t to say she didn’t get jealous. She did. And she would sometimes do silly things like this to prove to me she wasn’t jealous, which of course only underscored the fact that she was.

Abruptly Elizaveta stood. She pointed at me again. The woman nodded and stood also.

Then they were both coming over.

I set the paper aside and smiled pleasantly.

“Jack, I’d like you to meet my lovely friend,” Elizaveta said. “You were right. She really is a big fan of yours.”

I felt my cheeks redden. “I didn’t say that.”

“It’s true though,” the woman said. “I’m a huge fan of yours. I’ve been following your career for years.”

“Please,” Elizaveta said to her. “Have a seat.”

“Actually,” I said, “we probably should get going.”

“Nonsense, Jack,” Elizaveta said.

She and the woman sat. They exchanged amused glances, and I realized I was the butt of a joke I didn’t understand.

“I didn’t get your name,” I said to the woman.

“Rosa,” she said, holding out a delicate hand.