sey

lked into the Grand Bal

, but I refused to let

hed silver handle. I didn't lean on it; I wielded

rt me earlier that evening,

, explicitly,

ged, unbothered, an

now near the

uby red, a color de

hispering something in her

and located the Don's lawyer, Mr.

s of water, his exp

dy?" I ask

udible over the string quartet. "The offshore accounts

odd

y," I r

slipping thro

uction began

back, choosing isolation over

and went in a

es from pri

ass trip

ot 45 c

ain

in the

e-not famous enough to be in a mu

years ago, in a life that felt

he freedom I lost the day I ma

ed my

d," the auctio

and," I bid, m

y thou

across

d his padd

n looking at

looking

feigning shyness, playing the part

ed thousan

g now, the tremor

fifty," Bennett c

went deat

idding ag

e. A public execu

ed thousan

sonal savings I had access to

housand," Benne

led throug

just to show he could. Just to

y teeth, my

paddle one

dred and

buzzed in

from th

Declined. Ac

creen, the white

ked up at the

was watc

y perceptible s

parachute was for leaving quietl

y legs out f

Sold! To Mr. Randolph for fi

avel

a judge senten

to the stage with

the pa

t look a

straight

d by the microphone, echoing off the gilded ce

ed her

tted her eyelashes,

t, you shou

ked at

iumphant, glitte

om app

o humiliated his crippled w

hundred stares burnin

ere pi

were

too

robbed in

nuckles turned white, ground

dn't

dn't

ted m

thed m

with the rhythm of a queen m

tep. Cli

ennett on

at Aria, lost

ven know I

t a painting for half a million dolla

cool night air

ep, shudder

of exhaus

ed like

ght he

t money w

orgot on

t to lose is the most da