Focused on that and nothing else. The world, and everything in it, was beyond her cigarette. Watching it burn was all that mattered to her. It was her world. She sighed. Knew there was something beyond the cigarette. Just didn’t want to look. There was a knock on the door. She jumped up, knocking the long line of ash onto the carpet, her heart skipping a beat. Moses, she thought. He’s come back… Quickly, she looked around for her ashtray, stubbed out the butt. She pulled her dressing gown around her, not yet dressed from saying goodbye to him earlier in the morning. One hand went to her hair, primped, hoped it looked okay. She had fag breath and needed a shower but that could all be taken care of once he was in. She made her way to the door, flung it open, smile ready. It froze on her face. ‘Happy to see me? Or were you expecting someone else?’ Her facial muscles quickly regrouped, formed themselves into the stone features she used for talking to the police.
