Page 60 of The Book of Luke

I chuckled. “Speaking of prehistoric beasts, where’s Helena Malloy these days?”

Imogen rolled her eyes. “Bloodsucker Barbie left after Season 6. She’s a VP at a cable network, last I heard. Never let it be said one can’t fail up in Hollywood.”

“And Mary Peach?” I asked. “Her I actually do miss.”

“Honestly, I think this all became something she didn’t sign up for. But she’s good. According to Instagram, she’s in Utah, married, adopted three kids, runs wilderness tours.” She sighed. “It’s been a long time since anyone here said those names.”

I stared at her, the lights of the city beneath us gently radiating on her cheek. “Any chance you’ll indulge a slightly more in-depth apology now?”

“Who’s it for? Me or you?” she groaned. “Because I’m okay, or I’m getting there at least. Why dig up stuff that neither of us is proud of?”

“To finally take some responsibility for everything I did?”

“You alreadyare. You’re speaking up, you’re championing genuinely good people. You’re… trying to do it right this time.” Her finger traced the popcorn bowl. “I was mad though, when you showed up in Italy.”

“Oh, I got that.”

“Not for why you think, at least not entirely,” she said. “Luke, you have a real life, you actually got out, but you came back to this shit. You know better.”

“Im, it was this or the YMCA,” I answered. “And why’d you stay the whole time, then? Money can’t be the only reason anymore.”

“I didn’t stay the whole time. I missed three seasons.” She pulled her knees to her chest. “After I got married.”

My jaw fell. “You’re married?!”

“Wasmarried, to a dentist I met on OkCupid.” She smirked ruefully. “I thought I’d run into the sunset, but shockingly I wasn’t meant to be a housewife in Valencia, California. Anyway, that blew up, and I only knew how to exist… here. Stay long enough, and you realize not only is this your career, but you also don’t even know anyone outside it. At least no one who understands what it’s all like. Besides, Erika had just been cast, so back to the nest I flew.”

“Imogen, I don’t know what to say…”

“Don’t say anything.” She shrugged. “You keep acting like we’ll resolve the last decade in one conversation. Let’s just enjoy that we’re talking at all.”

I nodded. “On the subject of pleasant surprises… do you trust PB a little more?”

“No, but we have to work with him now.”

“Well, my vote is still your vote.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You sure? I’m zero for one.”

“I’m positive. Just promise we won’t vote against Erika. I won’t ask you to protect Shawn if you don’t want to, but I need to stand by Erika.”

“Me too, so there we go. And I’ve no interest in targeting Shawn.” She fell silent then, gazing across the ocean of electricity below. “God, if he could see us now…”

I didn’t have to ask whom she meant. “I doubt he’d want to see me.”

“He would… I always did,” she replied. “I’d see the new douchebags each season with their popcorn muscles, and I’d catch myself thinking, ‘Luke would kick your asses.’ Then I’d fantasize aboutmekicking your ass. Or I’d pass this hipster toy store in Silver Lake that makes children’s furniture with reclaimed wood. One day it hit me: ‘That’s what I’d buy for Luke’s kids. A little desk, where they could draw.’”

“Want to hear something funny? The only person I knew at the baby shower for Andie was my sister. Well, the only person Iliked. The rest were these Republican congressmen’s wives who’d have rather leapt out the window than be there. So, the sight of you with the reclaimed wood desk would have been supremely welcome. God, I thought about my dad a lot that day, what he would have said…”

“He was so kind to me when I met him in LA.”

“Once he got foggy at the end, he’d ask about you. Arjun too… I guess you were my only friends he remembered. Hell, you were the only friends I ever had.”

“What’d you say?”

“I pretended we’d just returned from Season 1 and were planning the trip to Europe,” I answered, the back of my hand grazing my mouth. “You know, I still haven’t been to Paris.”

“Overrated, if you ask me.” Imogen picked at a cuticle. “For the record, I always thought about you. I worried more than I’ll ever admit.”