"I'm going to London for a few months," Julian said, checking his watch. It was a gesture of efficiency, not a farewell.
For the first time, Ava found herself wanting to be wanted, rather than just being "convenient." She fell for Edith’s earnestness, a trait Julian viewed as a technical flaw.
The request refers to debut novel, Exciting Times (titled Aufregende Zeiten in German), which follows the cynical and linguistically obsessed Ava as she navigates a complex love triangle in Hong Kong. Naoise Dolan Aufregende Zeiten rar
The following story is inspired by the novel's themes of power dynamics, class, and transactional love: The Grammar of Indifference
"Will you miss me?" Ava asked. She didn't want him to say yes; she just wanted to see if he could manage the word without a disclaimer. "I'm going to London for a few months,"
Ava stood in the middle of a high-rise apartment in Hong Kong that she didn’t pay for, looking at a man she didn't quite love. Julian was a banker who spoke in spreadsheets and "asset classes." To him, Ava was a pleasant fixture—like a high-end lamp that occasionally corrected his syntax.
When Julian left, the apartment felt like a museum of someone else’s life. Then came Edith. Edith was a lawyer—sharp, ambitious, and born into the kind of Hong Kong wealth that Julian only managed for others. While Julian treated Ava like an investment, Edith treated her like a person. They went to the theater and ate soy milk from fun-size cartons. The request refers to debut novel, Exciting Times
"I like you a great deal, Ava," he replied. "We have an excellent arrangement".