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16
Nina spreadout the blanket on the grass and started unpacking the wine while Karen laid out the food. They were at Prospect Park, getting ready to watch the 1951 version of Alice in Wonderland, the first of the park’s free summer movieseries.
Karen picked up the wine and studied the label. “Nice,” shesaid.
“I can’t take credit for it,” Nina said. “I pilfered it from Jack’sstash.”
“Still,” Karen said. “Can Iopen?”
“Ofcourse.”
Karen pulled the corkscrew out of her picnic basket and worked the cork, then poured them each a healthy dose in the glasses Nina hadbrought.
“Are these Jack’s too?” Karen asked, holding them up to the dying sunlight before handing one toNina.
“Yeah. I didn’t have time to go back to myapartment.”
“I’m not complaining,” Karen said, leaning back on herelbows.
“Same.” She heard the note of wistfulness in her voice and hoped Karen hadn’t noticed. She was spending more nights at Jack’s apartment than her own, getting by on increasingly less sleep as they expanded their bedroomgames.
And through it all, Liam lingered at the back of hermind.
She would never forgive herself for looking him up online. She’d been fine until she’d seen him with the woman, until she’d come face-to-face with the things she’d said he deserved all along — someone else, someone who could love him and give him what hedeserved.
“And?” Karenprompted.
Nina looked at her. “Andwhat?”
“Come on, Neen. What’sup?”
Nina sighed. It had been over a month since she’d found the images online and she hadn’t told a soul. “I looked Liam up online a couple weeksago.”
“Oh no,” Karensaid.
“Yeah.”
“How was that?” Karenasked.
Nina reached past the blanket to pluck at the grass. “I think he’s met someone new. It looks like they’re in Africa or something. She’s blond. Andyoung.”
Karen laughed. “What do either of those things have to do withanything?”
“Just painting a picture,” Ninasaid.
“Consider it painted. Are you okay withit?”
“I thought I was,” Nina said. “I mean, it’s not like I thought he was going to be celibate the rest of hislife.”
“But?”
Nina looked at her. “Seeing it wasdifferent.”
Karen lifted her glass. “It alwaysis.”
“I guess so.” Nina looked out over the expandingcrowd.
“Are you okay?” Karen askedsoftly.
