Chapter 62

The club is high end, huge and very clearly well used in a very trendy part of Midtown, it's called 'Alfa's'. Its décor isn't overly dated, just a little worn and faded, and even empty you can smell the years of sweat, boozy-bodied dancers and stale smoke. It's modern and obviously up market but it just misses the little 'va voom' that makes a place stand out. I take a walk around the vast room of multi-levelled platforms and seating as Alexi talks to his manager by the bar, sitting sipping an ice water because he is driving and watching me do my slow evaluation. He told me to go explore and tell him what I think needs to be done and it's exactly what I am doing while I get a little head space. I can feel his eyes on me every second, burning my skin and giving me goosebumps. He's been weirdly quiet and distant since we got in here and that suits me fine. Careful not to get too chummy, and even though he opened my car door, he kept his distance and gave me breathing space.