She’s perceptive, I’ll give her that. I glance at the scratch again and feel my “true” smile return. My brain offers something to tell her, and I seize it gleefully. “I’m just having a really, really nice time with you,” I say, thumbing the ridges of the scratch. Natalie blushes and looks down at her lap. I have the sense the performance is done. Our lines have been read and the audience is satisfied.
