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By the tiers had frozen into claws in his pockets and his jaw had locked down on his clapping molars The warm-up of all his corporealpain, but he’d barely noticed

It was a sad commentary on where he and Ro but pawns in a social chess game to their families

God, that poor fe to do about it

What was clear? His absence during that cheese and fruit course had been duly noted His phone had rung three ties Peyton didn’t listen to them Why bother? He knehat they said; he could dub the words and the tone in just fine--

"We have arrived, sire"

Peyton juen butler who served as the bus driver , his wrinkled face peeled back like a set of curtains in a friendly house

"Sire? Are you all right? May I get you anything?"

"Sorry" Peyton rose to his feet "Sorry--I’m fine Thank you"

Bullshit, he was fine Matter of fact, he was so far frooddaot off the bus, the butler escorted hi throughout thearea And then they were inside, proceeding down the long, wide corridor When Peyton stopped in front of the closed door to Novo’s hospital roo to his next duty

Before Peyton knocked, he brushed his hair back with his fingers Made sure his cuffs were down Checked his--

"You can cohtened his spine and pushed into the hospital roo up, a couple of the one, and there was a tray with the remnants of food on it: fresh Danish, a half-eaten bowl of fruit, toast points, and a little pot of strawberry jas

Hospital food here was not "hospital" at all

"So formal," she lanced down at hi my tux"

"You sound surprised What did you think you had on?"

When he looked back at her, Novo sat up a little higher on the stack of pillows that was holding her to the vertical--and the grunt and griht appear stronger, she wasn’t going ho

"You okay?" she asked

He considered tossing a jocular fish back, but then thought about Root you down? You wantTeddy bear to cuddle No, wait…chocolate and a glass of wine?"

Peyton ignored all that and went over to the far corner, his legs going loose right on schedule so that he fell into the chair there Putting his head in his hands, he just stared at the floor He wanted Novo like all get-out But he couldn’t get his head away from what he’d been told by that other feet when you hadelse, to back you up in the world

"Jesus," Novoa nervous breakdown"

"Tell me about your family," he heard himself say "What are they like? What do they do that hurts you?"

Novo looked away "We don’t need to go into that"

As disappointed, he told himself he shouldn’t try to re-create that friendship he’d had with Paradise with anybody else That had been a ti that had passed now that she had moved on and he was still where he had always been

God, he wanted a s the inside pocket of his jacket, he felt around--oh, thank you, ht as he discovered a couple of old joints in there