Thebloaristdidn’tmakeitbacktothehotelfromthepartyuntil1a.m.Hebypassedeveryone’seyesandheadedtoabarinthesuburbs.Itwasn’tuntifterhedrankthat"specialdrink"thathetrulyfeltsain.Atthismoment,hehadhadthetimetoremovetheheavystagemakeup,andTommycouldclearlyfeelltheeyesfromeverydirefixedonhisprettyfadheobviouslydidn’tlikebeierofattention.

Justlikeprey.

Assooeredtheroom,hequicklyremovedthemakeupfromhisface,gedintoaloosebathrobe,andtookararemomenttogazeattheviewfromthe20thfloor.Hiseyeseventuallywomentwostreetsawayfromthehotel.Basedonhisintuition,hewascertaintheywereuptosomethingshady.Theblondmandidn’twanttowastetimeeavesdroppingontheirversation,sohesimplydrewthecurtaihimselfsinkintothesoftbed,closedhiseyes,andshutoutallthesensationsoftheoutsideworld,relishingararemomentofsolitude.

Hehadsuccessfullymadeitthroughanotherday.Lifeamonghumanswastrulybusy,alwaysfull,andneverallowedamomentofrest.

Tommyghetimeonhisphoneandsighedathowlongthenightsalwaysseemed.Hetookoutacrystalgssfromtheet,alongwithabottleofwhiskeyhehadrequestedearlierfromthefrontdesk,andquietlysatontheedgeofthebed,drinkinghimselfandthinkingabouthowhemightspendhisfreemomeweentourstops.

Heslowlyexhaled,thevisiblewhitebreathaemperaturedispyedontheairditioner’spahhintingathowdifferentthismanwasfromordinarypeople.

Asudden,urgentknothedoorshatteredthegoodmoodhehadjustbuilt.Forasplitsed,hisbrownpupilsfshedaterrifyingdarkred.

Tommyrelutlywalkedtothedoor;heklywhowasdisturbinghimagain.