“And to meeting Sarah and Matt,” Karim said, his glass now in their direction. “You have such good taste in friends,” he said to Kiki. “Here’s to, you know, you know—bringing us all together.” Karim put his other arm around Kiki with a playful squeeze.

Across the creek a light started flashing. At first Sarah thought it was some kind of tasteless decoration, but it was inconsistent, like someone with a flashlight goofing around.

“You really don’t know who lives there?” Heather asked.

“Nope,” Kiki said. “Just a guy. Some guy.” Karim and Heather smiled along with Kiki at what was obviously an inside joke. “I’ve spent so much of my time here indoors with Sylvie. There’s the hot sun and the napping and, I don’t know, life. Anyway, I get the feeling he isn’t my type of person.”

Heather grabbed the flashlight at the side of the grill. “Snob.” She flashed the light twice in quick succession.

“Right, I’m a snob. You got me. The privilege. My privilege. Go ahead.”

“I’m teasing,” Heather said. “Jeez.”

Sarah felt a reflexive jolt of panic at the notion of this conversation. That she had made her first film at all—that she’d had the audacity to think she could—and then how she’d thrown her good fortune away, all the while being supported by Matthew … she knew Kiki must have been thinking the same thing: if anyone here was guilty of inequitable privilege, it was definitely Sarah.

The light across the way flashed three times.

“I wonder what he looks like,” said Heather.

“Of course you do,” said Kiki, and Karim laughed.

“This is really good,” said Matthew, taking second helpings of the pasta and slightly burned vegetables; Sarah wondered if he was uncomfortable or barely paying attention.

Heather flashed the light four times, then put the light beneath her face and gave a maniacal laugh.

“You are not going to get to know our neighbor, Heather,” Kiki said. “Not gonna happen.” She was smiling but there was obviously plenty of history here.

“Please?” asked Heather, as the light across the way flashed five times. “Sarah, you do it.” Heather passed the light across the table.

Sarah shook her head, but then, not wanting to be too dour, flashed the light once.

“Go on.” Heather laughed.

Sarah wasn’t sure whom she was reacting to when she flashed it twice more, then just lost count and kept on flashing.

“Are you seven years old?” Heather laughed. “He’s going to come over here now.”

“You told me to!” cried Sarah. She was trying her best to be fun, though she felt pretty strained.

“I’m really not up for this.” Kiki closed her eyes and took an audible breath. “Can we just have a calm meal?”

Sarah set the flashlight down. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry, honey,” said Heather.