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“How about a movie theatre?” Hustin said thoughtfully. “Or a hotel balcony. Street view. One of the lower floors.”

“Hustin.”

He sighed wistfully, as if he was personally saddened by the fact that I wouldn’t be having sex with Nuni var Rorik again. “Okay, so you’re calling him tonight to tell him you won’t be having sex with him again.”

“Yes.”

“Despite saying that only a few days ago and already having sex with him again.”

“That’s why I’m also going to apologise,” I said defensively. “I’m not saying I think he’s desperate for it to happen again, because I’m sure he’s… He could have sex with whoever he wants. But it’s still not fair.”

“Okay, but if you reiterate it again tonight, you really can’t have sex with him again, Anita.”

My stomach went fluttery. “I know. That’s the point.”

“No, really.” Hustin stopped again and faced me, taking my arm to tuck us into the doorway of a closed store. “Because I’m pretty sure he is desperate to have sex with you again.”

I scoffed. “No, he isn’t.”

“He’s been texting you all afternoon, Anita,” Hustin said flatly. “Which means he might even, gasp, actually like you.”

My pulse leapt with a rush of nervous excitement. “I… No, he doesn’t.”

Hustin rolled his eyes. “Sure. Look, all I’m saying is, you need to think about this. I know your instinct is to tell him it won’t happen again because that’s what you feel is right, but you need to really think about whether that’s actually true.”

I stared at him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean will it definitely, one hundred percent, categorically never happen again?”

“I…”

No. It’s going to happen again. You know it is.

“Because if there’s even the slightest chance that it will, if you find yourselves in another situation that allows it…” Hustin trailed off, looking at me expectantly.

“I—You—You’re talking like it’s inevitable.”

He gave me a flat look.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, I hissed, “Okay, fine, I do want to have sex with him again. A lot. For some reason, I’m ridiculously attracted to him. To the point that I stop thinking about the consequences when I’m around him.”

“Hypothetical consequences,” Hustin interjected. “Corva’s not going to find out. Well, unless you end up falling in love. And getting engaged. But you don’t have to invite Corva to the wedding.”

I burst into hysterical laughter, which made a young woman side-eye me as she walked past. “Fall in love? No. This is— It’s…”

“Pure, hot carnal attraction?” Hustin grinned at me. “That’s great too. Fucking embrace it, Anita. Have some fun. Fuck the smoke show. You only live once.”

“Great advice,” an older demiurgus woman in a business suit said as she walked past, giving me an encouraging nod. “Go for it, honey.”

I smiled weakly back, rubbing my face.

“Look, I know you didn’t ask for my advice, but I’m giving it anyway because I love you and I’m totally invested.” Hustin squeezed my arm. “If there’s a chance it might happen again—which is, I will reiterate, totally fine, by the way—then you can’t call him tonight and once again tell him flat-out that it won’t. You can’t mess him around.”

I huffed. “Hustin, it’s not like… We barely know each other. He doesn’t actually care.”

He stared down at me with a dry expression. “Sure he doesn’t.”

“This is just… Like you said, it’s just physical attraction. Sure, it’s obviously… strong physical attraction, but is that really worth losing my job over? Or at the very least, being seen as completely unprofessional by Corva? Having her not trust me anymore?”