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.