I feel my cheeks burning. Should I tell Kate about the cyclist? I take a deep breath, but then Kate’s expression freezes. She’s looking at something behind me, and when I turn around, I see Lucas approaching. He’s carrying an enormous bear.

Kate sighs. “That’s not for me, is it?”

I laugh. “I’m afraid so.”

Lucas always gives such weird gifts. Last winter he gave me a coupon for an all-you-can-eat spare ribs restaurant, even though I’ve been a vegetarian for years.

“Happy birthday!” Lucas holds out the bear to Kate. “So you’re not lonely at night.”

“You shouldn’t have.” Kate makes a face. The bear is almost as big as she is.

“Where’s Fender?”

“He’s on his way.” Kate looks down the street, fiddling nervously with her shirt. Is she really afraid he’s not going to show?

But then I see Fender. As always, he’s wearing a casually unbuttoned shirt with his usual denim jacket on top of it. His face looks gray, like he hasn’t slept for days.

“The gang’s all here!” shouts Lucas.

“Happy birthday,” says Fender, kissing Kate on the cheek. I raise my hand halfway but then let it fall. He completely ignores me, as if I’m made of air.

“Now we can finally head inside!” Lucas puts an arm around Fender, and they walk to the entrance.

Kate slings the bear over her shoulder and hooks her arm through mine.

“Shall we?”

At the entrance to the Riverside, there’s a doorman wearing a top hat and a uniform. I see him glance at the bear, but he keeps a straight face. He swings the door open for us, and we step into the hotel.

Sure, I knew the Riverside would be fancy, but I could never have imagined this.

In the middle of the lobby, a gigantic chandelier is suspended from the high ceiling. There’s a Persian carpet just in front of the stairs, and there are lounge chairs beside a grand piano that’s so shiny I can see all four of us reflected in it. Light fixtures like big torches hang on the columns that support the first floor.

I feel like I just walked onto a movie set. Like I’m playing the lead role in a major production.

I can’t take my eyes off the gold clock above the entrance. It has all kinds of different hands indicating not just the time, but other things too. I recognize a few of the images around the edge of the clock as astrological symbols. I look for my star sign, the one that’s like a V with a loop attached: Capricorn.

Lucas follows my gaze. “Cool, huh?”

“Yeah, totally.”

Behind me I hear Kate telling Fender how many celebrities have played this piano.