"Keeping you from causing a goddamn scene," she replies, voice dropping again, and she looks down at her coffee to recompose herself. Frustration, bitterness, even a little regret, though she'd never admit it. She could be nicer about it, but that just wouldn't be her.

She can lie to all the strangers in the world, but as a rule she tries not to pull that bullshit on Joel.

"Look," she says. "I could have waited for you to return a phone call or pluck up the courage to get in touch, but you know that's not how I do things. It's not how you do things, either."