Page 33 of Of Socialites and Prizefights

Furthermore, there was her own discomfort in getting the police involved in her personal life. She’d skirted the edges of the law too many times to invite any scrutiny into her relationships or professional dealings.

“I prefer to keep things under the table and behind closed doors,” she said. “You can understand my desire for privacy.”

“Then I shouldn't ask how you got this curse in the first place?”

“You should not.”

“Because if you picked up some cursed object, that would be easy enough to toss aside, wouldn’t it?”

“Roz,” Deepa warned, straightening up. “I’m not going to tell you.”

“You’re safe, though? It’s nothing to do with your Appleton bloke?” Roz’s concern was palpable, and Deepa thawed.

“I'm safe,” she promised, and returned to Roz’s side, accepting her touch once more. “And no, Appleton is quite uninvolved, though I’m sure you’d like the excuse to hate him. I promise, it’s unwarranted.”

Roz hesitated a minute. “Can I ask you something?”

“That depends.”

“The men you flirt with. Professionally, I mean.”

“Ah, I think I know where this is going.”

“You sleep with any of them?” Roz asked carefully, like she wasn’t sure whether she was allowed the curiosity.

“A few. Back in the beginning, when I was still getting my bearings.” Deepa offered a wry smile. “I don’t regret it, butI’m not interested in repeating the experience, either. Appleton certainly isn’t interested in me that way.”

Roz nodded. “So, it’s not something you do anymore.”

“I’m not stepping out on anyone to see you, if that’s what you mean. And, though I’m not going to give up my work at The Songbird, I won’t be stepping out on you, either.”

“You don’t have to make me any promises,” Roz began, though she sounded pleased to get one all the same.

“My business is men’s pleasure. But for myself, I don’t cross the two. If you and I are to keep spending time together, I don’t want to be thinking about anyone else.”

“I appreciate that. Won’t hold you to it, though. I know it’s not always easy for a girl to avoid getting roped into marriage.”

“What does that mean?”

Roz shrugged, glancing away. “Sometimes it seems like a husband’s the only viable choice for some girls, that’s all. I’m just saying, I won’t hold it against you if that proves the case.”

“Well,” said Deepa, vaguely offended but mostly bemused, “if I suddenly find myself so incredibly desperate that a husband seems my only way forward, I’ll at least give you the courtesy of advance warning.”

“Didn’t mean anything by it,” Roz murmured, turning to kiss her cheek. “Personal experience, that’s all.”

“Hm.”

“You’re welcome to stay here tonight,” she said against Deepa’s hair, tucking a flyaway strand behind one ear, careful around the loop of Deepa’s earring that had carried into the dream from her earlier daytime fashion. “If you’d rather stay looking like this than a leopard.”

“I’m told I make as good-looking a cat as I do a woman.”

“Oh, so you’ve no preference?”

“I’ll stay here, thank you,” Deepa said primly.

Roz snorted. “Looks aren’t everything after all?”

“I didn’t say that.”

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