Evenings measured in single sips

Chopin on the turntable, a neat cognac warming between my fingers. Nine people ran through their numbers today; now the city has softened into rain and low light, and the apartment follows suit.

Tonight's work is a different ledger: a short contract sketched on a napkin—limits, signals, signatures—negotiation with velvet edges. Intelligence and competence remain the currency; keep your answers brief and you might be asked to read the clauses aloud.