Page 100 of Lucky Night

No? She laughs. How reassuring. Because your predictions have been spot-on so far.

Hey, he says. Don’t forget what they say. A clock that’s wrong twice a day isn’t necessarily stopped.

What? That’s…how much have you had to drink?

I’m thober, mother, I thwear. Look. He holds up the juice. I’m antioxidizing. Actually, fuck this vegetal filth. And the champagne’s gone flat. Let’s have more wine.

Nick…

It’s fine, he says. He’s already back at the minibar, hunting among the bottles. We’ll nurse this one. Look, it’s a screw top. Classy. Now, as to our situation, I don’t deny it’s bad. But it’s not hopeless. Did you see the statistic CNN just had up on screen? Five hundred firefighters have been deployed downstairs. And these aren’t a bunch of schmoes, Jenny. It’s the FDNY. The greatest fire department in the world.

You find it comforting that we’re in a situation that requires five hundred firefighters?

He hands her a glass of wine. I’m saying we have resources. And this is a brand-new, high-tech building. It’s not like we’re in some rickety piece of shit thrown together with Popsicle sticks and Scotch tape. This is America. Things don’t burn down here.

Things don’t burn down here? She laughs in disbelief. Things burn hereall the time,Nick. They burn and collapse and rot and wash away. Guys like you, who can drop three grand on a hotel room? You don’t burn. That’s why you can’t believe this is happening.

Of course. He whacks his forehead with the heel of his hand. This is all about my privilege. I’m a rich, white, heterosexual American male, whose many and varied crimes have brought him to this room. How did that slip my mind? He toasts her with his glass. Thanks for the reminder, rich American white lady.

She toasts him right back. Here to help, sweetheart.

Speaking of total assholes, you said something else odd. That it shouldn’t be me. It could have been anyone, but notme.

What? I never said that.

Yes you did.

Weird, she says. Can I have more wine?

When you stop bullshitting me. No more lies, remember?

She sighs. Nick, can we not—

Can we not! he cries. Can we not, begs the woman who’s been hounding me all night, demanding confidences, details, secrets! No, Jenny, we cannotnot. We can, and we must, andwe—

Tom gave me a pass to sleep with someone else, as long as it wasn’t you, she says.

His mouth falls open.

He felt terrible about cheating on me. After we got through it, he started mentioning from time to time that if I ever wanted to do the same, he’d understand.

Sorry. He’s still stunned. This—you—this isallowed?

Not at all, she says. He was clearly imagining a one-off thing, not a…not something like this. Plus, like I said, he set an important condition.

Anybody but me, he says. Why?

He doesn’t like you, she says.

Tom doesn’t likeme?

She shakes her head.

Fuck that guy! What’s his problem?

Let’s talk about something else.

No chance. Please. Enlighten me as to my grievous shortcomings, according to your high-quality husband.

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