Against the bright window she has become mostly silhouette, long hair falling forward, the phone held low in one hand. A half-finished iced drink and a bowl sit on the table. The light catches the edge of her profile and a strand of hair. The conversation has paused for a message. In a minute she will read it aloud, and the table will react.
Two friends have taken the window seat behind a low brick wall. One in a black T-shirt smiles calmly. The other, in pink with round glasses, leans her chin on one hand and throws up a peace sign with the other. The window behind them shows a sunny building across the street. The brick in front forms a kind of stage, and they know their cues.
And then the energy drops into something quieter. The friend in pink cups her face in both hands and smiles sweetly, a classic still-life pose. The friend in black glances sideways with a straight face, not quite in on the joke this time. Between them the window frames a bright slice of the afternoon. Every photo session needs one frame like this.
The window seat is empty for a moment. A wooden tabletop catches a stripe of light along its edge, and the concrete wall below the window is rough and grey. Through the glass, a spray of green leaves stands against a brick wall outside. Nobody is posing. It is the pause between scenes, when the set is lit and waiting for the actors to return.
Suddenly there is a red cap. The friend in black now wears it, hand raised in a little rock-and-roll sign, while the friend in pink makes a playful claw shape with both hands near her face. Above them three black pendant lamps hang in a row. The brick wall below glows like a stage front. Act two has begun.
