Lydia was in her bed, lying face up with her smartphone in her hands. She was crying as she was watching a sex tape. This was no mere exemplar of erotic media: it was a video of her fucking her ex-girlfriend Susie. As Lydia got to the part where Susie asked her to choke her until she passed out, she could only feel regret. Susie was not there with her. Susie had exited her life over four years ago, yet her shadow crept in the hallways of Lydia’s mind like a ghost that could never find its way out. This ghost happened to have creamy skin like a pearl, tattoos like a Japanese woodcut, & a voice even more elegant than Monica Bellucci’s.

Her smartphone got a ping: Megan. Megan had left her apartment almost an hour ago in the livery taxi her portero had ordered. She texted to let her know she got home safely, & sent a kissy face. She was about to text back a perfunctory confirmation written in the style of a municipal whitepaper when her assistant Anastasia was giving her a ring. She had to pick up. She did (despite wanting to order enough wine to drown a small koi pond in tannins).

“Lydia?” Anastasia had asked. “When are you coming in to work?”

“I can’t think about that right now,” Lydia said.

“What is—is that porn? Oh, my god! I know what that is. Stop watching that!”

“No, I love her!”

“Dude, let it go. This is ridiculous at this point. Megan is way better anyway. Speaking of which, she was at your apartment? Are you guys a thing?”

“Creepy!” Lydia replied.

“Bish, you’re in charge of a mercenary company like some Italian warlord. We have to vet everyone you fuck. At least this time it’s one chick. Consistent. More efficient background checks.”

“True. I’ll come in tomorrow. When is that charity ball?”

"Uh,” Anastasia said. “Tonight at 20:00. It’s English language.”

“I wanna bring Megan, get me a plus one.”

Anastasia sighed, & Lydia could tell that she was rolling her eyes. The plane of existence vibrated with Anastasia’s disappointment at her friend’s stupid-slut behavior.

“Do you want me to cancel the donations? You gotta stop sending your ex anonymous money…” 

“Stasia, come on…”

“This is a major event. You are gonna introduce Megan to high society. It’s not a fuckin’ block party. You’re gonna give her the wrong impression like you did with your other girls. If you’re gonna take her, cancel the money & move on.”

“I’m gonna order wine,” Lydia said. “You should come over…we can watch a movie.”

“You have to go. There might be clients there. Even I might go. I might have to since you’re going all BPD on me.”

“But I’m so lonely….”

“You miss your ex, you just fucked Megan, & you wanna bring her to a gala. Now you wanna fuck me,” Anastasia said.

“OK. Let’s go together, you & me. Deal?”

Anastasia held three beats before Lydia broke the lacunae with “I know you can’t resist me.”

“I can’t. I should hate you for it. I should hate myself for it. I wish you’d choose me.”

“I do. You’re the one who won’t move in & get married with me,” Lydia said.

“You’re a psychopath. Still a little scared of you.”

Lydia didn’t say anything. She realized the sex tape was still playing, so she turned it off.

“Ugh, I’m coming over right now,” Anastasia said. “I’ll even put on the collar.”

Lydia smiled as she was deciding whether to order prosecco or rose. Then she decided to order both along with some sushi.