"I'm going to London for a few months," Julian said, checking his watch. It was a gesture of efficiency, not a farewell.

Ava stood in the middle of a high-rise apartment in Hong Kong that she didn’t pay for, looking at a man she didn't quite love. Julian was a banker who spoke in spreadsheets and "asset classes." To him, Ava was a pleasant fixture—like a high-end lamp that occasionally corrected his syntax.

The request refers to debut novel, Exciting Times (titled Aufregende Zeiten in German), which follows the cynical and linguistically obsessed Ava as she navigates a complex love triangle in Hong Kong.

The following story is inspired by the novel's themes of power dynamics, class, and transactional love: The Grammar of Indifference

"I like you a great deal, Ava," he replied. "We have an excellent arrangement".

For the first time, Ava found herself wanting to be wanted, rather than just being "convenient." She fell for Edith’s earnestness, a trait Julian viewed as a technical flaw.

"Will you miss me?" Ava asked. She didn't want him to say yes; she just wanted to see if he could manage the word without a disclaimer.

When Julian left, the apartment felt like a museum of someone else’s life. Then came Edith. Edith was a lawyer—sharp, ambitious, and born into the kind of Hong Kong wealth that Julian only managed for others. While Julian treated Ava like an investment, Edith treated her like a person. They went to the theater and ate soy milk from fun-size cartons.