"I'd enjoy it more if you remembered our conversation last month." She leans in, her perfume heavy and cloying. "You said you'd call."
I didn't. I never do. The Page Six Playboy reputation is well-earned.
"I've been busy."
"Too busy for dinner?" Her hand lands on my arm,perfectly manicured nails pressing into my jacket. "I'm free tomorrow. Or tonight, after this."
I should feel something. Interest. Desire. Even basic attraction. She's beautiful. Available. Clearly willing.
I feel nothing.
"I'll have to check my schedule," I say, already moving away. "Excuse me."
I don't look back.
Leo materializes beside me, handing me a fresh glass. "That was rude."
"That was efficient."
"She's the daughter of a Manhattan real estate developer. Could be a useful connection."
"Then you fuck her.”
He laughs. "I'm not the heir. I don't have to perform quite as much as you do."
"Then stop reminding me what I have to do and let me?—"
I stop.
Because across the room, near the entrance, there's someone who catches my eye.
She's wearing a black dress that fits well enough but isn't designer. Her hair is dark, pulled back in a simple style. She wears no jewelry except small earrings, and she's clutching a small purse like it's a lifeline, her eyes wide as she takes in the ballroom.
She looks terrified.
But she's not hiding.
She's studying the room. Cataloging exits. Identifying threats. Moving along the edge like someone who knows exactly what kind of room she just walked into.
Most people here are either predators pretending to be civilized, or prey pretending they belong. She's neither.
She knows she doesn't belong. And she's here anyway.
That takes either desperation or courage.
Either way, I want to know which.
"Who is that?" I ask.
Leo follows my gaze. "No idea. Want me to find out?"
I watch her as she approaches someone near the bar, tentative, professional. The curator barely glances at her before turning away. She tries again with someone else. Same result.
She's being dismissed. Ignored. And I can see the moment she realizes it. Her shoulders tighten. Her jaw sets.
But she doesn't leave.
Smart.
