n's

be bottled, this

o legacies merging, two empires aligning. But to

gleamed under the crystal chandeliers, waiters moved li

, but none where I had to fight the urg

eats away, posture perfec

no names," while tracing circles on my s

we we

ed politely at a joke her father made, I heard the echo of her r

whispering, "You look like

ting my steak. "Just haven't

ot to make it the W

ment. Our eyes locked - too long, too knowing

w cle

w she wanted

ing questions about projected revenue, pretending to care about grap

I could

r presence. The curve of her neck. The way her fingers brushed the stem of he

blurred a

couldn't tak

ple started drifting toward the balcony for

m gently as she

faltering for just a second b

"We're back to

others nearby, then back

said quie

- too close, too careful. Every word

wering my voice. "You're real

ed slightly.

ughed. "You

mposure sliding neatly into place. "I

smirking. "That's not wha

ed to mine - s

didn't s

eat, neither

xecutives chatting, glasses cli

This merger is complicated enough,

te," I

the flicker of her lashes, the tremor of

let her go.

ill around her wri

th that tiny cres

se was

ee, she didn't meet my eye

tly. "I'm bei

before brushing past me - her shoulder

ch of her collected and calm, like the mo

holding a glass of wine and tha

," she said, "don'

e w

limits," she replied, sipping slowly. "B

. "You make me s

u a

this

mirking. "Keep tell

with the clinking of glasses

father, smiling perfectly for the cameras. I c

s all

raint. The memory nei

en, that pretending

ooked at me, I saw the n

, I remembered everything

gs," I raised my glass too - but my thoug

were

ruth that burned louder th

up, someone wo

longer sure