Chapter 107

The club is high-end, massive and well-used in a trendy part of Midtown. It’s called ‘Alfa’s’.

Its décor isn’t overly dated, perhaps 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 upmarket but misses the bit of ‘va voom’ that makes a place stand out.

I walk around the vast room of multi-levelled platforms and sit as Alexi talks to his manager by the bar, sitting sipping ice water because he is driving and watching me do my slow evaluation. He told me to explore and tell him what I think needs to be done, and it’s precisely what I am doing while I get a little headspace.

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 arrived, which 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. It seems our little ‘chat’ has registered s