Searching (Radiance)

[Jaxen Marveet]

Zoë Marveet

Zoe smiled, the expression coming easily, as it always did in places like this. Hotel bars made conversation simple. There was no history, nor expectations, just people passing briefly through one another’s evenings. She liked that.

“It is,” she said to Adrian, turning slightly on her stool so she wasn’t closing anyone out of the small circle. “My first time here, I mean.” She let her gaze drift, not performative, just appreciative. The glow of the lights, the hum of voices kept low, the sense that nothing here needed to be hurried. It was the opposite of most things in her life. "It's a beautiful place, no wonder it is so popular."

She lifted her glass in a small, almost unconscious salute before taking another sip. The Negroni was cold and balanced. It sat on the palate smooth and coy. Her attention shifted then, naturally, to Olivier.

“And you?” she asked, curiosity plain and unforced. “Is this your first time in Moscow?” There was no agenda behind the question. Zoe had learned that the best conversations began without one.