( beneath the table, athénaïs bumps her knee against emmrich’s thigh— )

And we’re all learning so much about each other, so— it’s possible. Well, maybe not you and I, ( she allows. and then: ) Well, not in the same way, ( a bit more hastily, before he can think she means she’s paid him not a bit of heed this whole time. she laughs, mostly at herself, into her glass, )

I mean, we already know not to be afraid of one another.

( it rather frees them up to be interested in other things. )