“I ate turtle soup this summer. But now when I’m awake at night, I feel guilty about it,” Stephen said while Ayanna said, “Sometimes on days like this, I wonder if I died and I just don’t know it.”

“What?” they both said and then slammed their shots. Ayanna was surprised to get the appeal of it, the sweet of bourbon, hot in the mouth and throat.

More than a little drunk, she encountered Jane, who was fussing over the jukebox.

“ ‘River Deep Mountain High’ or ‘I Would Die 4 U?”

“ ‘I Would Die 4 U.’ ” Ayanna let her hair out of her ponytail. “You know how there’s all that gossip about how at the Olympics everyone is fucking each other because of sports energy and like competitive energy?”

“I’ve never heard about this in my entire life.”

“You should read about it,” Ayanna said. “You’re living it.”

Jane laughed. “Maybe my next shirt should be SPORTS ENERGY IS FUCK ENERGY.”

“If you do it, please make me one.”

Jane was delighted. “I knew it. Just like sensed that underneath all that big sad-girl energy there was someone interesting in there.”

Felix came over to them while Ayanna chugged some of her beer to avoid having to react to the words big sad-girl energy.

“I heard you destroyed the other team.”

“Hat Trick over here did. I mostly got to daydream and look at butts for ninety minutes.”

When Jane had walked away, Felix cleared his throat.

“Look.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Please.”

Ayanna took a deep breath and looked beyond him. On the bar walls was a series of drawings of famous celebrities merged with dogs. Michael Beagle Jones. Marilyn Poodle Monroe. The bar had to not care about IDs because of how uncool it was. Ethan Husky Hawke.

“I just want to say sorry. I clearly made you uncomfortable and put you in a situation that you didn’t want to be in. And I know even now you probably don’t want to deal with me. It’s just important to me that I at least apologize.” Felix’s voice was low and friendly. She could tell he didn’t expect her to say, “I accept your apology,” or explain.

“How did you know about it?”

“Oh, I’m a research assistant for the professor. If you ever want to know more or meet her, let me know. But truly, we don’t have to talk about this ever again.”

He paused and turned toward the jukebox. “It sounds like Jane is in a mood.”

Ayanna nodded. If she hadn’t been drunk, she would’ve walked away by now. Instead, she turned toward him. He seemed sober. “Why do you study it? The path?”

“Because.” He cleared his throat.