A Hotel Room Somewhere in the US, Tuesday Evening FT

[whenshewasnice]

The North American ENVY tour was in its last leg. Only a bunch of shows on the west coast remained, and then

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[lockestheway]

Peter preferred 'bored'. Certainly, 'bored' was a broad concept when you applied it to the life of someone who held the world's future in his hands, but still, generally - bored was the word.

Or at least that was what he was telling himself. After all, he'd been given two hours off - ordered two hours off - by his chief of staff. And now he was on the sofa, ignoring the droning of the senseless, empty drama on screen, and he had nothing else to do.

Besides call Envy.

He'd blame nostalgia. It wasn't like he could pin it on substance abuse like world leaders past.

[lockestheway]

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line.

So sue Peter. He wasn't used to her being fortright with him. At least, not anymore.

"Do you have any days off on your tour?" he asked finally.

[whenshewasnice]

The silence was comforting in its own way, really. Showed she was getting to him.

That he was getting her.

"Not before the end," she said. "But that's... only about a week and a half away."

[lockestheway]

"You're welcome here, if you'd like," Peter said.

Or he could come over. But he was holding on to that one for in case it became necessary.

[whenshewasnice]

"Mmh."

That noise sounded amused (although at what, only she could tell, and wouldn't). And soft. She swished her wine around in the glass for a brief moment, letting a pause form.

"You know, if you were anyone else, at this point in the conversation I'd be enticing you to come over right now."

[lockestheway]

"And if I were anyone else, I would just drop everything and come over there," Peter said wryly. "My bodyguards would murder me."

Not that it wasn't, in its way, tempting.

[whenshewasnice]

"And that's why you're not anyone else."

Not that she had a whole lot of people left in 'anyone else', either.

"So I won't entice."

[lockestheway]

Peter's mouth curved up again.

"The phone will have to do," he said. "Tell me about your last show."

[whenshewasnice]

"Well, it was much the same as the ones that came before it," Envy replied, sipping her wine again. "Good crowd, good energy. More people seem to know the words, every day."

It was a weird rush of power, that.

"I played Satellite Mind acoustic about halfway through the show," she added. "I wasn't sure how well that would go over, since it's a departure in style. But they ate it up." She was definitely gaining a following. Or expanding on what she'd already amassed during earlier parts of her career. "Closed with Nothing But Time. The usual."

[lockestheway]

"The usual for an indie superstar," Peter said wryly. "It's a rush, isn't it? Knowing people have heard your words and like to repeat them."

[whenshewasnice]

"It is."

What, like she'd lie about something like that? She wasn't feeling much like lying about anything at all, right now.

Her glass was almost empty.

"It makes me feel at home. Which is good, because I don't feel that way off-stage much anymore."

[lockestheway]

"Well, if I was prone to psychoanalysis," Peter said, "I'd say there are understandable reasons for it in your past.'

He eyed the water in his glass. "But I prefer to leave that up to the professionals."

[whenshewasnice]

"It doesn't really take psychoanalysis to figure out to figure out why and how I've isolated myself, Peter," Envy sighed. "Professional or not."

[lockestheway]

"No, but presumptions, I've found, tend to end badly," Peter said. "Especially when you're speaking to someone who's still figuring herself out."

He took a sip of his water. "I used to hate it when people presumed about me."

[whenshewasnice]

Envy made a face at one part of that, but said nothing about it. He wasn't wrong, so, no point.

"Doubt anyone enjoys it when someone presumes wrong."

[lockestheway]

"I didn't enjoy it when people presumed at all," Peter said. "After all, if they got it right, they'd guessed my agenda and it would be a problem."

He set his glass back on the table.