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"The story is about that," Kingsley said, nodding toward the envelope "And I can tell you the long version which is the true version or I can tell you a shorter, sweeter version I’ version, of course," she said "TellI should know even if you don’t think I want to hear it"
"Everythingdangerous word" Kingsley sat back in the chair, and Grace leaned forward She looked at hierness "But if you insist The more you know about us, the better it will be if"
He didn’t finish the sentence, didn’t have to, because he saw the understanding in Grace’s eyes She knew the end of the sentence he hadn’t spoken, and her nod saved hi the words that no one yet had dared to utter aloud
If Fionn takes after his father
"The story starts twenty years ago," Kingsley said, conjuring the memories he had tried to bury But he’d buried them alive and alive they reh you don’t know yet why I’ret hearing sley straightened the photograph of her infant son No, none of the," Kingsley began "And it was March I had everything then--money, power and all the women and men in my bed anyone could possibly want And to say I was in a bad mood would be the understateht years old and didn’t expect to see thirty In fact, I hoped I wouldn’t see thirty"
"What happened?"
Kingsley took a breath, took a drink and took a ether A pity Nora wasn’t here Storytelling was her gift, not his But only he could tell this story and thus he began
"Søren happened"
2
Somewhere in Manhattan, 1993
March
"WHAT’S YOUR POISON?" the bartender asked, and Kingsley answered, "Blonds"
The bartender, Duke, half laughed, half scoffed as he pointed to the stage
"Two bleach-blonde bottles of poison right there"
Kingsley eyed the two girls--Holly and Ivy--who now hung naked from their knees, which they’d wrapped around twin poles Men sat belly up to the stage watching in silence,eye contact with no one but the dancers Dollar bills fluttered between their waving fingers
"Not what I’e
"What?" Duke asked "How can you not be in the sley reached behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of bourbon