I take an extra a few seconds to caress Leo’s face.Standards of behavior seem to be a lot looser in this establishment, thankfully, and I’m going to take advantage by touching Leo as much as I can before the night is over.
He leans into the hand and covers it with his own, planting a kiss on my palm.Then he nods at the table, while motioning for wine to be brought to us.
Two hours later, I’m giddy.And tipsy.
“This is dangerous.”I lean into Leo, who has stayed by the side the entire time, as I gained and lost and gained a small fortune.A small fortune for me, since I had very little money to my name to begin the night with, and none with me.I’m able to pay Leo back his stake, with interest, and pocket a respectable amount of guineas to help when I flee.
It’s so Leo, helping me through this entire journey.Without any thought for himself, or how he really should be saving his damn money.I still don’t even think that wealth accumulation is a good thing.But maybe he should accumulate enough to saveoneof his houses.The rest can be museums.
“It’s very dangerous.But you appear to have good luck.”
“I’m stopping here before I push that luck.”
Leo doesn’t make any bets himself.He watches me, cheering me on to make my own bad decisions.But he refrains from putting any money down on the table.
Because he really is the most responsible rake ever.
“You don’t want to keep playing?”
“No.I’m done for now.”I clutch my purse closer to me so I won’t be tempted to put more money down and potentially lose it.
“Would you like to return home or continue watching the revelry here?”
“I want to stay.”I don’t hesitate even a second.He might not know I’m leaving soon, but I do, and I don’t want to miss a second with him.I need to build an entire lifetime of memories from this day.
They’ll have to be enough.
“Let’s people watch.”I don’t want to think about my lonely future.I’ll have an entire lifetime to be sad about losing him; tonight I’ll enjoy him.
I entwine my hand in his, feeling very twenty-first century.Besides my giant dress, lack of phone, and the shitty lighting.But the couples in this house are getting friskier the later it gets.Women sitting on laps and even some canoodling.
I think we’ll be good with some hand-holding.
Leo knows people here, and we stop and chat when we run into them.Well, he chats, and I pump them for information.While also enjoying their company.Because I can multitask.
I do wait until they’re gone to make notes about our conversation.I’m not completely unfit for social interaction.
We wander back upstairs to get away from the heat, the noise and the crowd, which has only increased as the night goes on.We find an alcove set back from a balcony, where we can sit and watch the hedonism below with some peace.Nice for me, because I’m used to studying history, not living it, and it’s kind of exhausting to be on the other end of it.
“You don’t want to be downstairs among the revelers?That’s not very rakish of you.”But I’m glad.I like pushing close to him in a crowd, but I also like being in our own little world of two.Where I can look at him as much as I want.And touch him when I want.
“Madame, are you doubting my credentials?”
“No?”But then I see the glint in his eyes.An intriguing glint that I want to see more of, and I change my answer.“Yes.I think you lied to me the first day when you said all you wanted to do was have fun.”There.Gauntlet thrown.
“All I want to do is have fun.And I stand by my stance.However, I have learned some consequences are not worth momentary pleasure.A lesson all hedonists must learn eventually.”
“So you’re an ex-hedonist?”
“I most certainly am not.I can do hedonism with any of these children downstairs.And for longer, because I’ve learned how to do it with stamina.”
“Okay.”My tone is purposely as patronizing as I can make it.
He leans toward me assertively, like he can will me into thinking he’s a wild child when I’ve seen the hints of responsibility he tries to hide.
“I shall prove it to you.”
CHAPTER32
