Instead, it just reminded her that sometimes there were no good choices.

This, the language of deception, we both understand. We were born to it, along with the curses.

She'd always been a little contemptuous of beauty, as though it was something you had to trade away some other vital thing for.

I'm not very good at explaining things," she said. "But I think you have beautiful eyes. I love the gold in them. I love that they're different from my eyes- I see mine all the time and I'm bored with them.

The inside is packed with people. Lots of them crowding the bar, passing drinks back for people to carry to tables. A bunch of guys are pouring shots of vodka. "To Zacharov!" one toasts. "To open hearts and open bars!" calls another. "And open legs," says Anton.

Marks forget that whenever something's too good to be true, that's because it's a con.

She says that what you did was a cry for help." "It was," I say. "That's why I was yelling 'Heeeelp!' I don't really go in for subtlety.