“I’m not sure you can claim dogfighting with SoftBank and Blackstone for the Saudi sovereign wealth fund secures financial futures around the world.”
Michael’s scowl deepens. Lili lifts her chin, unrelenting.
“I had to explain to these people—important people, Miss Marwan—why Mr. Petrov had to reschedule so suddenly. Had to assure them, of course, that nothing but the utmost importance would take his attention away.” Michael’s stare is heavy and unflinching. “And so, I find myself wondering, what is so important about you that demands his attention in this manner?”
Lili scoffs, kicking up her boots to rest on the seat in front of her. “Do I look important to you?”
He does not laugh.
3
Due Diligence
When Lili shoves her apartment door open, putting the strange car ride out of her mind, she hears Jackie humming in the living room. Her roommate’s running shoes are discarded in the entryway. Lili smells coffee as she walks down the hall.
She frowns. Their coffee table is covered in boxes of bagels: plain, sesame, poppy seed, everything. Flat lays of smoked salmon, rings of red onion, capers, whitefish. Discarded Russ & Daughters wax paper litters the floor. On their couch, Jackie’s munching on a bagel smeared with cream cheese, still in running clothes and scrolling through her phone.
“Morning, sleeping beauty.” Jackie gestures at one of the tubs of cream cheese. “That one’s vegan.”
“Are we expecting people?” Lili asks, staring at all the food.
Jackie takes a particularly satisfied bite. “This is all you,” she replies, fishing out a hand-written note from under the boxes of food.
Call me if you need anything.
Aleksandr
It’s unfeminist, honestly, the little ache in her that leans towards that: the sense of security, reassurance, comfort. Protection, but at the cost of some possession.
“You can keep that dress, by the way,” Jackie says. “Not sure I want it back.”
Heat rushes to Lili’s face. She crumples up the note. “Don’t smirk at me.”
“I’m not smirking, I’m radiating pride.”
“You can stick your—is that fucking caviar on your bagel?”
Jackie grins. “You’re not actually allowed to stop seeing him. I like these perks.”
“I’m not seeing him!”
“Does it make you feel better, repeating that?”
“I’m serious. Look at this,” she says, pulling up his birth chart and falling onto the couch beside Jackie. “Capricorn sun—he’s definitely always fucking working. Probably takes mediocrity in others as a personal offense. It’s literally the neoliberal sign of the zodiac. It’s a fucking nightmare. He has Capricorn over his entire chart: Mercury, Mars, Venus, everything. He’s probably an ENTJ, too.”
“Li, you’re an ENTJ—”
Lili ignores Jackie. “And if that’s not all bad enough, he’s an Aries rising. Sees the entire world as one big competition, thinks he’s God’s gift to humanity, gets off on being intimidating. Way too opinionated, too—stop laughing, this is serious! Then, worst of all, he’s a Scorpio moon. Scorpio men are the fucking worst.”
“Sounds like you could handle each other.”
Lili glares at her. “Absolutely not.”
Jackie sighs, suddenly serious. “Do you like him?”
“BlackRiver is the world’s largest asset manager. He literally turns the wheels of capitalism, it’s disgusting. He thinks America is the chosen land.”
“I didn’t ask about his job, I asked about him.”
