"Oh my gosh, you're so right," she said in regards to the salad. "Almost like a Waldorf, yeah. ... I didn't realize that bit about the physics community, wow. Must've been a difficult atmosphere in college, then, vying for internships and scholarships and all of that."

It was nice, she thought, shooting the breeze with someone while they shopped. It reminded her a little of meandering through similar open-air markets with Hannibal in Buenos Aires, picking out the week's produce, though they'd discussed which galleries and museums to visit instead of science and technology and the thanklessness of hard work done behind the scenes. Riley may have been a snob, but she was too in her own way, and could allow each of them a bit of indulgence.