tempting to get into Marc

, and even I only entered

th rare books and personal meme

o in there," I said,

ery particular a

of what looked like air

it's my signature scent,"

to get u

ould know her husba

d, thinking of the Blackwoo

usly,

ust s

s because you'll ne

ll tell him you

eciate my i

to the door, jig

of cours

ed in fr

desk became her n

wrong kind, too fragrant, too ostent

rom imaginary movies, and generall

, Sarah?" she'd ask, no

be where th

ergy is right th

o his office, a drea

bably feel

p typing, and try

was po

own movie, and

mes, when she though

s a size too small, as if she was trying to physical

ne desperately playing dress-up, her smile a littl

et her have her space

to unnerve her mor

e was not a

dator in a b

e careers with a sing

w well-chosen words, his anger a cold, controlled for

all else, and he had zero tolerance for

y attempts at seduction, wasn't just naive, she

thout a second thought if she became too

casually mentioned could top

nce was a

new sci-fi epic, investors and s

stakes, hi

s already

ffany made

a nightclub than a corporate boardroom – n

assault on

tried to take a seat near M

ate, darling

c was a

n't even l

tion, his voice level, but I s

aze flickered to her, a brief, irri

urally, misi

small, self-satisfi

e was captivated by he

ir at the back of the room, taking n

nvolved preparing

n beans, ground to a specific consistency, brewed at

eemed to genuinely please him, a small is

ercepted me on my way to

t," she said,

ing it," I replied, h

s," she said, h

wife started taking care

fely duty,

ldn't un

t with a possessive

verage, but as a symbol, anoth