"On my way," he says. Already moving.
He arrives ten minutes later. Alexandra lets him in because she has appointed herself door monitor. He comes up the stairs with the shoes in his hand and stops in the doorway. He looks at me. Then at the laces running up my back. Then at me again in the mirror.
He crosses the room and crouches down and puts the shoes on my feet, one at a time, his hands careful. Then he stands and puts his mouth at my ear.
"You're going to make it very difficult for me to stay home tonight," he says. Low. Just for me.
I feel it all the way down.
He steps back and looks at me one more time and then goes back downstairs to let Alexandra show him Mr. Business.
***
Gray comes to the door at seven.
Tuxedo. Exactly right, exactly himself. He sees me in the doorway and stops.
Just for a second. Like he needs it.
"You look–" he starts.
"Like a fucking goddess! Damn Dorothy, we should have done this a lot sooner," Leo says.
Leo. Also in a tuxedo. Bow tie not quite straight, pocket square doing something ambitious, expression of a man who is extremely pleased with himself.
I look at Gray.
Gray looks at the middle distance.
"Lumi pulled strings," he says.
"You knew," I say.
"Since Tuesday," he says.
"You asked me on Tuesday," I say.
"Yes," he says.
"You couldn't have told me," I say.
"You looked delighted just now," he says. "Was I wrong to wait?"
I look at him. At Leo. At the two of them in tuxedos on a spring night.
"No," I say. "You weren't wrong."
Leo offers me his other arm and I take it and then he does what Leo does — spins me out, one hand, full twirl, the sequins catching the light and the laces of the back and the low dip showing off everything.
Gray makes a sound.
Not a word. Low and short and involuntary.
Leo grins. "You're welcome," he says. To Gray specifically.
Gray says nothing. His jaw is set and he is looking very deliberately at the path ahead.
"Gray," I say.
