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“Good.”

“But I’m not charging you like some random tenant.”

“I am not random.”

“No,” she says softly. “You’re definitely not.”

I like the way she says that.

“You’ve thought about this,” Rachel says.

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Not while I was touching myself.”

She chokes on her coffee and reaches quickly for a napkin.

Rachel wipes at the spill. “I absolutely did not need to know that.”

“I thought you might.”

“You thought wrong.”

“You asked many questions earlier.”

She gives me a look over the napkin. “I have now learned from my mistake.”

A few minutes later, Blair calls. She has already seen Mara’s proposal, and unlike Mara, she does not spend much time being diplomatic.

“The protections are better than I expected,” she tells me through the speaker. “The money is not.”

Rachel raises her eyebrows. “Mara said it was a serious offer.”

“It is. By ordinary standards. Nothing about Locke’s situation is ordinary.”

I understand that better than I would understand a number.

“What do you want?” I ask.

“More money, a shorter exclusivity window, and written limits on how they can reuse the interview afterward. No access to Rachel unless Rachel separately agrees. No surprise appearance by Trent, law enforcement, scientists, clergy, psychics, cryptozoologists, or anyone else the producer thinks will make excellent television.”

Rachel puts her toast down. “Psychics?”

“I am anticipating stupidity.”

“That seems wise.”

Blair continues before Rachel can ask about cryptozoologists. “I also want Locke paid for the interview and Rachel separately compensated if they use the property, which I’m recommending they do not.”

“No property,” Rachel says immediately.

“Excellent. That saves me a paragraph.”

I look at Rachel. “You don’t want them here?”

“No.”