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.