His mom was elegant and regal, which certainly didn’t correlate with what he had just witnessed. She had gone to the best schools, debuted in Greenwich and New York society, and was a very powerful woman in the highest social circles. So what the hell was she doing with some guy who had a tattoo of a clichéd dragon on his back? Also, the guy had to be young, like in his twenties, because no dude over thirty would know about the sneakers he’d seen in the hallway. That meant his own mother was banging some guy who wasn’t that much older than he was.

His mom received handwritten Christmas cards and fruit baskets from Anna Wintour. She’d stopped wearing skirts above the knee at forty, never showed cleavage unless the designer she commissioned a dress from demanded it. When she warned him to be careful and use birth control with Lolly and he confessed to her that she was making him wait, she praised Lolly for her proper upbringing and ladylike traits.

What he had seen a half hour ago was not ladylike behavior.

Steven thought about calling Anna to tell her. Anna had texted him earlier, thanking him for the Valentine’s Day chocolates and reminding him she was on her way into the city for the dog show. Steven, of course, had forgotten all about it. He felt momentarily better knowing his sister was probably in the city right now, and that he could tell her in person later, if he chose to tell her at all.

Steven arrived at the St. Regis a bit early, which meant Lolly was probably not waiting for him yet. He wanted desperately to go to the King Cole Bar for a drink, but he knew they probably wouldn’t serve him. On the other hand, it was still early in the day and perhaps the bartender wouldn’t think a teenager would have the audacity to order booze in the middle of the afternoon. He wished he could tell Lolly what he’d seen, but he knew it was impossible. He couldn’t talk about his true feelings about people cheating so close to when he had just gotten busted himself. It hadn’t even been a week yet.

Sitting in the lobby, his right knee shaking nervously, Steven texted Dustin: Dude, it’s a no go this afternoon w/ V-Day. Tomo?

A reply from Dustin came in immediately. Figured as much. Yes re: tomo.

Steven texted back, You around late tonight? After midnight? Am having a thing.

Yeah, hit me up later. Happy V-Day.

Same 2 u bro.