Chapter 10: Two of Us

Quentin looked at one of us, and then at the other.

His hands were still at my waist, and he let go of them slowly.

"Which one," he said, and his voice cracked on the first word, "is which?"

"I'm the one you're marrying," Dinah said.

She shut the door and leaned against it with her arms folded.

"And that one's my sister. She's been wanting to meet the groom."

"She was in my arms. She let me talk."

"She's been playing you for ten minutes," Dinah said. "I'd say it's gone very well."

Quentin went red from the collar up.

"I'm calling security."

"Go ahead. Tell them your bride can't tell herself from a waitress in a borrowed coat."

She tilted her head.

"Tell Leopold you said the word Vermont in front of the seamstress. He'll love that."

He opened his mouth.

He closed it.

I had never seen him run out of words before.

"Get her out of here," he said finally.

"If she's on this floor again, I'll have her arrested for trespassing."

"I'll handle it," Dinah said.

She crossed the room and took me by the arm.

Her fingers dug into my sleeve as she marched me to the door.

In the corridor she kept her face hard until the elevator doors closed.

Then she hit the red stop button.

She leaned her forehead against the steel wall and breathed out, one long shaking breath.

"You idiot," she said. "You absolute idiot."

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