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Slate

The office was a paradise while Coen and Simone were away They spent a week in the Bahamas, somewhere remote where he didn’t even have an internet connectionmy email with updates

It was nice

I tried to enjoy the calm before he returned—with the devil on his arm

I wondered how long she would play nice before she showed her true colors Would she stick around for at least a year just to e was real? Or would she waste no tiet rid of him in just a feeeks?

The sooner, the better in my opinion Once the truth was out, Coen would know I had his best interests at heart—and I tried to warn him

Max walked into my office a moment later, his folder tucked under his arm “Haven’t heard from you in a while”

“You can just call”

“Yes, but you need pictures I’ that over eirls just keeps getting bigger and bigger What’s the holdup?”

A single wo to have to put this operation on hold for three months”

“Threethis on hold over and over What’s the problem?”

I paid hiot to be the one to ask questions—not the other way around “It doesn’tnew clients for the foreseeable future”

“Does that mean you have one client in mind?”

I was sleeping with the saain, a woman so vanilla, but she tasted so sweet “Yes” The last wo a mistake I didn’t consider myself to be coamous

“So is this just three months?” he asked “Or do you think it may be indefinite…”

It couldn’t be indefinite I didn’t want to lose Monroe, but I didn’t want to marry her either

“Because I need to find a new client if you’re retiring”

“I’ you”

“Until you decide in three months?”

There was no decision This thing I had with Monroe couldn’t last forever Hopefully, I would grow tired of her in three ret Maybe she was just a drug I needed into turn me into an addict “I’ll let you know in three months, Max”

I was at my place when she called me

“Hey, sweetheart” I sipped my scotch as I stood at theand looked at the city Now that fall had officially arrived, the colors of Central Park were beginning to change The leaves were once deep green and vibrant, and now they were showcased tones of yellow and red