CSI: Excolo. Episode 2.9: If We Make It Through December continued

[al-shairan.livejournal.com]

The Diabolique, later that same evening. Their traditional Friday-before-Christmas party. The club has contemporary Christmas decorations - delicate white lights, vases filled with twigs - and the only Christmas music is silky jazz covers. Tonight several acts are playing live and there are a range of winter cocktails on offer to get everyone in the holiday spirit. AL SHAIRAN enters, wearing a Canali oatmeal toned winter coat over his Ralph Lauren suit.

The last fortnight has been - shocking, in some ways. After what Tez and I said to each other, he has been staying quite often at my apartment, and it is...easy to be with him. Too easy, perhaps; when I am with him everything else gets swallowed up. But I am not neglecting my duties - particularly because my most pressing duty at the moment also involves Tez. I have been quite careful about my investigation of Zuabi, but I am nearly ready to move. Then Tez will be safe, and after Christmas - well. We can think, in the new year, about our plans for moving forward with our lives together.

I feel a familiar twinge of guilt as Lily comes to mind, but it is not so very strong now. Since our conversation a few weeks ago, when she said that I no longer give her what I need, and then when Tez told me two weeks ago that he would give up everything for him - Well. My priorities have moved on. I simply have to work out how best to manage things with Fiona, and the twins when they come. I am sure that this Christmas will be miserable for both Lily and myself, and because I still love her this makes me sad for both of us. But it will be over soon. And many things will change.