Michael sighs, irritated. He mutters inaudibly as he grabs the elevator door before it shuts. Lili follows, glancing over her shoulder when she doesn’t hear Aleksandr’s footsteps behind her.
Still at the counter, Aleksandr is staring at her back, the skin fully exposed by her dress.
“Perestani pyalitsya,” Michael snaps, in Russian.“U tebya net styda?”
Lili hides a smirk, as Aleksandr follows before the elevator closes, Michael stabbing the ground floor button.
At her back, she feels Aleksandr’s hand skim over her bare skin.
“This dress,” he murmurs. A thrill of something—electric, excited, exposed—slips between the notches of her spine, and she wishes they’d had enough time—
“Still right here,” Michael mutters.
Aleksandr laughs, drawing Lili into his side.
She’d thought that when Aleksandr said gala, he’d meant a fundraiser: a social event for work, an appearance Michael was compelling him to make, some repeat of Greene’s party.
Instead, the details he emailed to her after she’d fallen asleep—after their call, the cigarette by the window—had made her eyes widen.
(9:05 a.m.) jesus christ, this is like a legitimate event
(9:11 a.m.) Thank you, Lili. I appreciate the implication that the rest of my work is somehow illegitimate.
(9:12 a.m.) you know what i mean
In her inbox, she read over the email again, gnawing at her cuticle.
The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations
presents its
Annual Gala Dinner
The Gala provides a significant source of support for the National Committee, a nonpartisan organization promoting better understanding between the United States and China by creating opportunities for informed dialogue regarding issues of critical bilateral and global importance. BlackRiver, Inc., a global leader in asset management, is this year’s honoree.
Over the past decade, BlackRiver has made outstanding achievements in China, including becoming the first foreign asset manager to receive approval for a wholly owned mutual fund business in China, and forming key strategic partnerships, such as its joint venture with China Construction Bank and Temasek, to develop innovative wealth management solutions tailored for Chinese investors. The firm has emerged as one of the foremost players in the region, and views China as a strategic priority.
(9:12 a.m.) are you sure you want me to come to this?
(9:14 a.m.) Of course, I am. I wasn’t aware that I was seeing anyone else.
(9:15 a.m.) well, i have opinions
(9:15 a.m.) about the chinese surveillance state
(9:15 a.m.) its treatment of uyghurs
(9:15 a.m.) and america’s constant anxiety about losing its global policeman role
(9:15 a.m.) honestly the entire concept of nonpartisan bilateral cooperation
(9:16 a.m.) I’d expect nothing less.
The gala is uptown, at the Plaza. Black cars gleam in the night, driving past the greenery of the park. Security, staff, and aides swarm diplomats, financiers, and politicians.
Andrew had smiled when Lili got into the car, greeting her warmly; she flushed, apologizing for her behavior when last they met. During the car ride, he asked after her recent thesis progress. Beside her, Aleksandr’s hand rested on her thigh, as Michael had run over a brief on an iPad with him.
As soon as they exit the Maybach, a woman—sleek coiled hair, sharp black suit, the look of a senior executive—swoops in, with serious low words at Aleksandr’s shoulder. She has a vaguely familiar face from the night Lili visited his office.
