"I'm not getting any personal gain out of it." A thin note of strain sounded in the words, as if Tony was censoring himself on the topic of how he might be rewarded. Margrit pinched the bridge of her nose harder. Weeks ago, he'd used her to set a trap for a killer, and she'd lied to him consistently about Alban, leaving them both regretful but not repentant. Their relationship had been rocky since then, as they tried to work out with words what they'd always solved before by-going back to bed together. But too much had changed this time for such an easy resolution, and while Tony had agreed, she thought he'd expected a quicker return to the intimacy they'd once shared.

She put on a smile and deliberately lightened her voice, forcing pleasantry back into the conversation before it soured too much. "It's a date, then. Or not, as the case may be."

Tony hesitated a barely noticeable moment before responding in kind. "Great. I sent a courier over with the invitation-"

"I got it a few minutes ago. Hadn't opened it yet."

"Good. I'll see you tonight, okay?"

"I look forward to it," Margrit said, and hung up the phone with a silent chastisement. There were things Alban could never offer her, just as Tony couldn't spread wings and fly with her above the city. Tony was solid and reliable, and when something came through from him, it was tangible: evenings out, time spent together, and in this case, a deliberate attempt to help her career. That was selfless, especially considering the ease with which they argued over her job. There were things to be said for the ordinary. It would stand her well to remember that.

The memory of a kiss, stolen in the midst of flight, heated her skin and made Margrit knot her fingers around her phone. Alban's body playing under hers as muscle bunched and stretched, bringing them in leaps from danger into safety.