“Are you kidding? That’s fine. Perfect timing, in fact; I’m on spring break that week. But I’m sorry you’d have to come down that early in the day, though. Kind of sucks for you.”

I laughed a bit. “Don’t worry about me, that’s okay. I’ll read on the way down or something.”

“Read while you drive?”

“Well, the driver will be driving, I’ll just be sitting there watching the less-than-scenic scenery of greater LA pass me by.”

“Oh. Driver. Right.” I could almost hear her blushing. For some reason it made me smile. “Um … what do I wear?”

“Nothing ultraformal. The theatre is almost always freezing, though, so you may want to make sure you have a wrap or something.”

“All right … ”

“And afterward Alexis is throwing a bash at her house in Beverly Hills. I need to at least show my face, but if you’d rather not go, I can always bring you home first. I’ll leave it up to you.”

Silence for a moment. Then, “Alexis? Like, Alexis Giovanni, that Alexis?”

“Yeah, she’s in the movie.”

“Would it be … okay, this is going to sound really lame, but … is it okay for me to be there? I mean, I don’t know anyone, it’s not my—I mean, I’m not an actress, or in show business or anything—I can’t believe I just called it show business, that sounds so 1950s, sorry … ” She let out an exasperated sigh. “Do you have any idea what I’m trying to say?”

This time I couldn’t help but laugh. She joined in, albeit weakly, and I could sense she was already feeling out of her element. And understandably so. I gave her points for being as calm as she was. “Yes, I know exactly what you’re saying. And no, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be there. I get to bring whoever I want, actress or not. But if you don’t feel comfortable, you don’t have to go. And you don’t have to decide right now; you can tell me what you feel up to after the movie is over.”

She sighed. “Wow. I don’t know what to say; this is just … amazing. Thank you so much for asking me, Jack.”

“Thank you for saying yes.”

GRACE

I SET THE PHONE back in its cradle and turned slowly to face the room where Joy, Taylor, and Missy were sitting. The movie we’d been watching played on with the sound muted; no one had paid it the slightest attention since I’d answered the phone. As if on cue we all screamed at the top of our lungs and dissolved into laughter. I threw myself onto the couch and hugged a pillow to my face, shrieking and laughing.

“What did he say?!” Joy gasped. “What is happening at 3:30 on April 15?”