“You know what I mean.”

“It’s not like you’re my secret shame, Alice.”

“Well, okay, but you’re mine.”

He smiled, but then his expression got serious. She loved his eyes, soft and dark and watchful. “All we’re doing is holding off on the official-declaration thing for a bit. It’s not that I don’t want people knowing we’re together. It’s just that I feel like I’ve been in the public eye a lot lately, you know, because of my family. There’s been all this scrutiny. I want to have something that’s private, that’s mine and only mine, just for a little while. That’s okay with you, right?”

“Yeah, it is,” Alice said, though she was not entirely sure if she meant it. Almost involuntarily she turned her eyes to the photo of him and Camilla hanging on the wall. It didn’t look like he had any trouble showing Camilla how he felt about her, or showing the world how he felt about her.

“You sure?” Tommy said.

Alice pried her gaze off the photo and brought it back to his face. She nodded bravely.

“Tommy,” Dr. van Stratten called out across the room. “Hey, Tommy. Come here. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

“Be right there,” Tommy said to his dad in a loud voice. Then, to Alice in a soft one, “It’s the daughter of a guy he wants a job from. Runs some hedge fund in Stamford. My dad’s hoping he’ll hire him to do research on the pharmaceutical industry, like as an analyst or consultant. The daughter’s going to be a freshman at Harvard next year. I’m thinking thick glasses, greasy hair, maybe a facial tic or two.”

From your lips to God’s ears, Alice said, though only to herself.

“I’m supposed to be nice to her,” he said, with a sigh. “At least until my dad gets the offer.”

Trying to be supportive, Alice said, “That’s great he’s trying to turn over a new leaf, get into a different line of work or whatever.”

Tommy grinned. “Yeah, making the leap from doctor to pimp.” He turned to her. “Well, how do I look?”

She ran her eyes over his face and body. “I’d pay to have sex with you.”

He laughed, then squeezed her hand discreetly, before crossing the room.

• • •