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“You?” Her eyes flash, and I resist the impulse to carry her out the door and continue this conversation elsewhere. “Maybe they would if you let them. Unless you don’t want anyone to knowyou.”
“Why would that betrue?”
“Because it makes you vulnerable. And no amount of good tailoring”—her gaze drops down my chest, back up—“can protect you.” I’m about to retaliate that’s she’s wrong on all counts when she lifts her pinkie between us. “The first rule of surviving a place like this? You need to know who has yourback.”
“What’s that?” Imurmur.
“A promise. I know this place isn’t your idea of a good time. But I’ve got you, Dr.Strange.”
It’s not the offer but the earnest look on her face that has my chest swelling. “You’re going to pinkie swear me? What are you,ten?”
“You’ll feelbetter.”
I glance past her, but no one’s watching us as I hook my finger in hers and lower both our hands so they’re between us, which has her steppingcloser.
The warmth of her body seems to flow through that one connection and intome.
She’s not wrong. I feel betteralready.
“What’s the secondrule?”
Her gaze works over mine, either considering my question or why I haven’t let go of her hand. “The second rule is to act like you deserve what youwant.”
“I prefer to earnthings.”
“So do I. But as a biologist, you must appreciate that this room is like a mini-society. If something gets out of whack, people notice, and they get uncomfortable. There are norms. One of which is everyone here feels entitled to the things theywant.”
Motion behind her drags my attention away, and she looks too. It’s a man at herbooth.
And like that, she’s moving away and the connection isgone.
I finish my drink as I watch them. Rena catches my gaze once but only to nod to the Polaroid camera on thetable.
A smartphone would’ve been a better camera, but I’m not about to complain about exposure. I didn’t spend a decade pulling all-nighters in the library to be her paparazzi. But she doesn’t notice because she’s busy taking the guy’s money and leading him over to a cafétable.
Now that I see his face, he can’t be much older than me. Under forty for sure. Looks comfortable in his tux, and even more comfortable in hercompany.
Shouldn’t he bemarried?
Unless he’s an aspiringacademic.
In which case he shouldn’t own a tux or be spending $250 to grin at a woman he doesn’t know at aparty.
I crane my neck to try and see if he’s wearing a ring while she proceeds to hang on every word the dope’ssaying.
How long is one of these going to take?I check my watch, realizing it’s only been forty-fiveseconds.
She shoots me a pointed look, and I roll my eyes but lift the camera and click, pointedly avoiding looking through theviewfinder.
Rena shakes her head but turns back to herdate.
I watch them go to the stops she’s laid out in a semi-circle. They’re practically crawling toward New York. I want them to hurry up, and I want them to never getthere.
They get to their last stop. I shift on myfeet.
They’re smiling at each other, and he’s nodding. He stepscloser.
I see his hand reach around herbody.
