So this was betrayal. It was like being left alone in the desert at dusk without water or warmth. It left your mouth dry and will broken. It sapped your tears and made you hollow.

She considered herself unconventional.

Oh yes, well, I find myself unconventional everywhere.

Living too much in one's head can be dangerous.

Life was a short window and there was no sense in doing the wrong thing over and over even if it was so difficult to stop.

But in that moment she realized how false most smiles were and what a tremendous waste of time.

THE LUXE IS . . . Pretty girls in pretty dresses, partying until dawn. Irresistible boys with mischievous smiles and dangerous intentions. White lies, dark secrets, and scandalous hookups. This is Manhattan in 1899.