sheās beautiful in ways heād forgotten. the parting of her lips, the way words tumbled, occasionally pooled with easy music, luring, calling. itās a trick that doesnāt work on him, a trick that halted in its appeal decades ago. maybe thatās what keeps him here, allows him to stay when heās offered, instead of disappearing into the night with his collar turned up and the heel of his boots slick in street puddles.Ā Ā āĀ Ā thatās what they all say.Ā Ā āĀ Ā new york is a home away from home. one heād come to know and love in the quiet, in the world between a traveling circus and an endless party in the night. heād planted roots here once, grown into what he is now, even if parts had remained here after the transfer up and away.Ā Ā āĀ Ā but, y'know, they always say bad news is best delivered in person.Ā Ā ā
itās a grin, drink rolling warm against his tongue and heating his insides with a neat polish.Ā Ā āĀ Ā you always did what other girls told you to do, we wouldnāt have this love - er - ly view, now would we?Ā Ā āĀ Ā thereās an underlying note of something reserved for a moment that doesnāt come at her behest. he keeps it at bay, a promise behind the guard of an ivory gate. pink ticks in his mouth, tongue against roof. a quick tick of his head, a wink of one eye, and he thumbs the broad mouth of his glass.Ā Ā āĀ Ā no business like show business.Ā Ā ā
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā thereĀ itĀ is ,Ā thereāsĀ aĀ specificĀ mannerĀ inĀ speakingĀ thatĀ heĀ usesĀ whichĀ neverĀ failsĀ toĀ getĀ aĀ smile.Ā itāsĀ likeĀ Ā š»šš¾šŗšššššĀ Ā toĀ himĀ atĀ thisĀ point ,Ā methodicallyĀ piecingĀ togetherĀ theĀ phrasingĀ withoutĀ skipping aĀ beat.Ā sheĀ supposesĀ thatĀ mustĀ comeĀ withĀ livingĀ forĀ nearlyĀ 200Ā years.Ā sheĀ thinksĀ aboutĀ whatĀ itĀ mustĀ beĀ likeĀ toĀ seeĀ civilizationĀ growĀ overĀ centuries ,Ā rememberingĀ thatĀ oneĀ dayĀ sheāllĀ haveĀ Ā šššŗšĀ Ā experienceĀ oneĀ day.Ā knowingĀ thatĀ j.r.Ā willĀ stillĀ beĀ aroundĀ makesĀ theĀ thoughtĀ ofĀ livingĀ foreverĀ atĀ thisĀ expenseĀ moreĀ bearable.Ā sheĀ holdsĀ aĀ Ā šššš¾Ā Ā thatĀ oneĀ dayĀ theĀ worldĀ willĀ beĀ aĀ lessĀ discouragingĀ placeĀ toĀ liveĀ inĀ likeĀ that.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā well ,Ā Ā thankfullyĀ youĀ didnātĀ turnĀ outĀ toĀ beĀ suchĀ Ā šššĀ š§šš°š¬Ā Ā afterĀ all ,Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā orĀ maybeĀ mostĀ didnātĀ haveĀ theĀ dispositionĀ toĀ lookĀ pastĀ theĀ Ā ššš¾š¾š½Ā Ā itĀ takesĀ toĀ sellĀ yourĀ soulĀ andĀ thenĀ collectĀ moreĀ forĀ allĀ ofĀ eternity.Ā especiallyĀ forĀ somethingĀ asĀ insignificantĀ asĀ evadingĀ police ,Ā neverĀ growingĀ old ,Ā orĀ notĀ Ā š½šššŗšššššššššĀ Ā yourĀ parents.Ā herĀ smileĀ shiftsĀ toĀ aĀ slightĀ grinĀ afterĀ herĀ complimentĀ ofĀ sortsĀ asĀ sheĀ liftsĀ herĀ ownĀ glassĀ toĀ chapstickĀ coatedĀ lips.Ā itĀ goesĀ downĀ smooth ,Ā aĀ bitĀ harshĀ butĀ sheāsĀ neverĀ gottenĀ usedĀ toĀ theĀ tasteĀ ofĀ Ā šŗššĀ Ā alcohol ,Ā neverĀ beenĀ fondĀ ofĀ drinkingĀ unlessĀ surroundedĀ Ā byĀ company.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā iĀ supposeĀ not.Ā iĀ guessĀ itāsĀ aĀ goodĀ thingĀ iāveĀ neverĀ metĀ someoneĀ iĀ Ā ššØš®š„šš§āšĀ Ā befriend.Ā ifĀ moreĀ peopleĀ couldĀ just . . .Ā seeĀ youĀ Ā andĀ Ā Ā (Ā šššĀ ššš¾Ā šš¾š½š½š
š¾Ā Ā )Ā Ā Ā nothingĀ else ,Ā theyādĀ seeĀ howĀ lovelyĀ Ā š²šØš®Ā Ā are.Ā Ā āĀ Ā Ā Ā Ā heartĀ nearlyĀ fliesĀ fromĀ herĀ chestĀ asĀ sheĀ hopesĀ thatĀ cameĀ outĀ right.Ā thereāsĀ aĀ softĀ spot ,Ā evenĀ softerĀ thanĀ herĀ usualĀ tendency ,Ā Ā ššŗšš»ššš¾š½Ā Ā deepĀ within.Ā sheĀ doesnātĀ rememberĀ whenĀ itĀ started ,Ā whenĀ theĀ seedsĀ wereĀ sownĀ thatĀ gaveĀ wayĀ forĀ theĀ blossomedĀ plantĀ ofĀ penchantĀ thatĀ thrivesĀ everyĀ timeĀ sheĀ remotelyĀ thinksĀ ofĀ him.Ā allĀ sheĀ knowsĀ isĀ itĀ feelsĀ asĀ thoughĀ theyāveĀ Ā Ā šŗš
ššŗššĀ Ā beenĀ there.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā tuckingĀ deepĀ blueĀ huedĀ locksĀ behindĀ herĀ ear ,Ā herĀ throatĀ isĀ clearedĀ inĀ anĀ attemptĀ toĀ lockĀ downĀ herĀ heartĀ again.Ā itāsĀ notĀ terriblyĀ Ā ššš¼š¼š¾šššæšš
.Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā āĀ Ā š¬š©ššš¤š¢š§š Ā Ā ofĀ showĀ business . . .Ā howĀ longĀ doĀ youĀ planĀ toĀ beĀ inĀ newĀ york?Ā iĀ haveĀ aĀ coupleāaĀ showsĀ inĀ theĀ areaĀ inĀ aĀ fewĀ days.Ā itādĀ beĀ Ā š©š«šššš²Ā š«ššĀ Ā ifĀ youādĀ comeĀ toĀ one.Ā iĀ thinkĀ theĀ guysādĀ beĀ chuffedĀ toĀ seeĀ you.Ā Ā Ā ā