"...You knew about that too? Who told you?" Hesta was somewhat surprised by Stella's network. She had not told anyone about her encounter with Kovishik yesterday afternoon, yet only one day later, Stella had somehow gotten the news.
"Kovishik told me," Stella said with a smile. "So it was true? I thought he was just bragging to me!"
"You went into the city these past two days?"
"By phone!" Stella said. "Who says you have to meet in person to talk?"
The group unconsciously picked up their napkins and wiped their mouths and hands, then rose and left the dining hall together. Under Stella's persistent questioning, Hesta described some details from yesterday. Stella teasingly brought up Kovishik's infatuation with Hesta, but Hesta had little interest in the subject and even less in Stella's jokes.
"I used to worry that your attitude would annoy him sooner or later," Stella said. "But now I think maybe the less seriously you take him, the more he'll keep circling around you."
Hesta shot Stella a glance. "Next time, I'll tell him not to go blabbing about everything."
"I already told him that for you," Stella said, smiling. "Do you know what he said? He argued that he only talked to me about it because I was one of your people—he wouldn't tell just anyone. See? How thoughtful... But there's something I don't get. If you have absolutely no interest in him, how did he get so attached to you?"
"How should I know how the mind of someone like him works?" Hesta replied coldly. Even so, Stella's question stirred something in her. For the first time, Hesta began to wonder when Kovishik had started acting so ingratiatingly toward her. After thinking it over, she decided Stella had been the one who started it all.