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VIP room at The Sterling, the low, thumpin
against the tufted leather
mahogany table, his fingers expertly flippe
hythmic clicking p
the saxophone, Sterling Prescott-Lowell toss
ward, resting his f
his eyes as he stare
cht party again th
swirling a heavy crystal glass of
sip and let o
t a leash put on him by t
sel's thumb over the edge
irritation hit th
ssion into a mask o
indifferent smile
ssed the chip perfectly into the
red loudly agai
domestic nightmares on
opped into the armchai
rnal had a front-page rumor yesterday about the
air in the r
th locked their eye
Ansel was a marble statue, h
his own glass
ting the burn of the a
at sells papers. The
ised a sing
K from Paris next week. You ca
in Ansel's
thumb hard against the rim of hi
aking up space on the sofa
ned in
ng to do with Ellie? The good student is not
w; Ansel's heart skipped a sing
est ti
sound meant to crush the u
on the leather coast
head back ag
ence. A pressure va
ing s
nce they fall, they wrap around yo
ckle vibrated i
erfectly
n in the room with
does not ask for diamond tennis br
ut a loud
otional hand-holding. That is the rar
VIP room swung open. Bryan Roth stood in the doorway, a sneer alre
ng at your trust fund, Ansel. Throw eno
led into a tight fi
es turned
om and smash the glass into Br
ts, drilled into him sin
now would pr
prove he
el forced his f
empty laugh that ma
act
ent," he said, his voice dropping to
up his g
her a nice recommendation letter fo
d into loud, kn
s together, celebrating the
, Ansel lowered his gaze to his p
t thirty minutes ago,
rp ache twist
and flipped it face-d
o shut off
heavy mahogany door w
llow sliver of light from the ha
till in that sliver of light, Ell
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