“Viktor,” Abe exclaimed, regarding me as if he’d encountered an alien. “Long time no see, Egg.” He shook my hand and I scanned the room for Cal, thinking it hadn’t been a great idea to saunter up to Abraham. I didn’t want bad news, I wanted Cal. I wanted to dance. I wanted to dance with Cal. The jazz music pulsed through my body and demanded I dance, something I hadn’t done since a middle school hop I instantly regretted attending as soon as I had shown up. “Are you?” Abe asked, making it apparent I’d missed a large chunk of what he’d been saying to me.

“Hmm?” I hummed, nodding my ‘thanks’ as he slid a glass of hooch in front of me.

“Are you alright? I haven’t seen you around, and you didn’t come to get the order for January,” he repeated patiently.

The laugh that escaped my mouth jarred me nearly as much as it surprised Abe.

“What?” he asked, narrowing his eyes as if he’d missed the joke.

“It’s over. Everything’s over,” I replied, wondering if I’d walked into another dimension after my last shot. Venturing a cursory glance around the room again, I confirmed I was in The Gallery on State among men in the same gowns they had worn the year prior, sequins held on by threads, hems ripped.

“It’s going to take a little while for everything to get up and running again,” Abraham reasoned. “I figured you would still take care of my order, and if you can get me a good rate, I’ll give you my business beyond the big distributor hiccups.”

I had definitely stumbled into another universe, one where I had a chance to continue along with life as I knew it, if only on a smaller scale.

“I don’t know what to say,” I muttered, throwing the drink back and allowing it to carry me into oblivion.

Whatever I had said after that had Abe smiling, flashes of straight teeth and lips kissing my ear. Not his lips. Cal’s lips. Cal’s arms wrapping around my chest from behind. Abe was right there. He was there, and Cal didn’t care. I probably didn’t either. Turning my head, I caught his lips and we kissed in front of the man who had just shown me extraordinary mercy.

“I’m happy you came,” Cal purred, tracing a finger along my jawline. I moved for him like he was the charmer and I was the snake, spinning enough to face him and connect our mouths again. “You’re in a good mood,” he noted. “And exceptionally zozzled.”