ound the gala, his h

s crinkling, but I could see him watchi

ingly affectionate ge

oll going throu

tered at his attention, was a

voke Victoria, to show her he was

etic, transpa

ia. She was a co

, then subtle jealousy,

s to her temple, her b

oud enough for him to hear over the din. "

a class

diately dro

ely to Victoria, his fa

are you

the exit, his arm secu

ome," he murmure

ven glance

of his show one moment,

brutal. My role in hi

ziness, the earlier

the exhaustion, i

a unnoticed, a ghost lea

partment Marcus provi

ht me, still in their garment

he'd "thought I'd enjoy," the ar

hes, my laptop, my scri

pped back to

ke cleansi

d, memorie

atched an old movie at

private jet, the city lights

ith him – a partnership, shared d

dull, persi

in, there was a flick

li

wever ugly, w

front door open

rc

Vict

iles of discarded luxury,

businesslike. "Victoria will

uest. A s

n this apartment that was supposed t

t him, a triumphan

ng in, staki

ckled with

voice surpr

urse,

m for a moment. He frowned, as i

was already i

om simply has to go. And my things are arriving t

but her eyes, when th

urned to her. "Whatev

hers again, dan

oom, a strange sense of deta

t matter

be gon

e would no long

no time assert

th Marcus's impersonal, expen

her perfumes scented the air, he

aff, redecorate

red to her

w the removal of the

orite flowers

g the specific brand of imported tea she prefer

detachment, like an anthropolo

few I'd dared to introd

stack of classic film theory books I'd left on t

ing as much

st... con

in their re-es

couldn't come