was cool, golden light dripping through the windowpanes. He carried two pape

ear the window, sketching with her tongue poked slight

late," s

ountered, placing th

. "You remembered

le as your favorite rich g

ld me what you do. All I know is you wear suits,

htly but smiled.

aid, leaning b

t y

do that? She could poke at his walls without making them cr

wasn't just

n New York. Last week, the Feds froze three accounts. An internal investigation was pending

pers he never read closely enough.

years

les. He had a corner office by 28, a girlfriend named Madison who knew how to

ument late one Friday. "Just a forma

an s

signe

them a year later, it was

his name would burn

stopped calling. Julian stopped sleeping. The world t

as mysterious, charming, and "way too serious for s

ght in a room h

red the hell

never told anyone," she

ed. "Rig

s.

t a commercial for a dog food

"Soft heart.

r tu

suddenly quiet. She wiped h

erpiece," she said. "She was an

noticed

ned?" he as

go. Car crash. Hit-and-

tightened

that, I left school. Couldn't pa

ow?" h

ain and flirt with stranger

ed. But someth

sts. The space between th

ked through the streets, pas

you could start

the t

hen do it. Rein

hink it's

maybe you've a

ally looked-and thought

ry you don't get when the

tment and found an envelope on his

pene

as a sin

you signed.

ood ra

Julian Vale felt fear crawl up his