‘You’ve overstayed your welcome here, Princess.’ Three performers, all dressed in skintight leopard-skin catsuits, their hair dyed scarlet, piercings gleaming in their eyebrows, turned to stare at Lola as if she, not they, were the curiosity. ‘What are you even doing here?’ she asked angrily over her shoulder. ‘This isn’t your kind of place!’ ‘I’m an investor, ’ Niels said shortly. ‘Did you think it was funded by a bunch of hip bohemians, Princess?’ ‘Stop calling me that!’ Lola twisted in an effort to get away from him. ‘You’re such a patronising bastard!’ Holding her with one hand, Niels reached out with the other to the fire door in front of her, dragging it open. ‘Out, ’ he said succinctly, pushing her through onto a metal fire escape one floor off the ground. ‘How dare you push me around!’ Lola finally twisted free. Hands on hips, she stood glaring at him, the smoggy New York night breeze chilly on her wet hair.
