The longest hour passed. Marc had drunk three glasses of champagne and eaten two weeks’ worth of canapes out of boredom. It was time to go back home. He had already greeted and congratulated Viktor, chatted with him, and they’d caught up with each other’s lives. There was nothing else for him here.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he said as he approached the small group of people with whom Viktor was talking. “I gotta get going.”
“So soon?”
“Yeah. It’s getting late, and you’re clearly busy.” Marc politely gestured towards Heidi and the two other men.
“Ugh, sorry.” His brow furrowed with apologetic guilt. “Let me at least walk you out.”
“I can—”
“Heidi. Gentlemen. Would you excuse me for a moment?”
“Sure. Go, darling,” she said.
This woman seemed sweet with her blonde bob hairstyle and white pencil dress, but something in her stance told Marc she was a shark. Guess she’d have to be to survive in this scene.
“I’m really sorry about that,” Viktor apologized as they walked down a hallway with walls covered in mural paintings. “Those men seem to be two huge fish, and Heidi wanted to catch them so badly.”
“Don’t worry. I get it. It’s fine.”
“I hate you came here and we’ve barely had a chance to talk. Are you still in the city tomorrow?”
“Yeah. I’m not leaving till Sunday.”
“Meet me for lunch?”
Marc tensed as he handed the receptionist the check tag to get his coat back. “What?”
“I’d like to talk some more,” Viktor said.
“It’s been nice seeing you again and all, but I don’t know—”
“Just say yes?”
“Why?”
Viktor’s brow furrowed. “Why?”
“Yeah. Why do you wanna spend time with me now, so out of the blue?”
“Because…” Viktor looked up for a second and exhaled. “I feel awful for the way things ended between us.”
“I get that, but—” He stopped talking when the receptionist came back with his parka. “Thank you. Have a nice evening.”
“You too.”
With the coat over his arm and a lump forming in his throat, Marc walked to the middle of the entrance hall. He turned to Viktor to cut to the chase so he could leave, but he beat him to it.
“I saw you checking outHistory.”
“What?” He frowned, confused.
“What do you think it means?” Viktor took a step closer to him.
Something in the air between them shifted, and the bassist didn’t like it. Heavy, almost suffocating, it stuck in his chest.
“I don’t know.” Marc’s gaze moved to the crystal wall behind him. “Peace? Hope?”
