Look at Us by T. L. Toma

Author:T. L. Toma [Toma, T. L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bellevue Literary Press
Published: 2021-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

On one of those evenings when the girl doesn’t appear, Martin again stays awake until far into the night, unable to nod off. He rises finally to tiptoe down the hall to the study to check the foreign exchanges. The British pound holds steady, the U.S. dollar has rallied, while the Albanian lek, of all things, has plummeted. Though the fate of the lek is of little concern, even to a currency analyst, Martin enjoys seeking out the underlying dynamics of anomalous patterns. It takes him over an hour to chart the causal flows: Albania is one of the largest exporters of nickel and chromite, both of which are essential in chromium electroplating, used to coat plastic and metal surfaces in an aesthetic sheen impervious to corrosion, such as you find in engine casings—think of the gleaming bulge of a motorcycle fuel tank—decorative jewelry, and machine parts. Such plating minimizes friction while enhancing tensile strength and durability. Electroplating is also used in the production of a certain action figure out of Seoul popular among boys between the ages of ten and twelve—which is unfortunate, because the coating happens to leach a highly carcinogenic alloy. The presence of chromite in these toys has only recently come to light, following a consumer product–safety investigation, precipitating a dizzying decline in the fortunes of the Albanian economy—and with it, the lek.

Satisfied that he has traced the cause down to its very germ, Martin pauses to peer out the window at the vast honeycomb of light that is a skyscraper rising against the black sky, and then rewards himself by going to a website where he watches a woman by herself.

Then there are two men with a woman.

Next, two women undress a third woman.

Martin comes upon Day for Knight. Knight takes her from behind. His palms look large on her buttocks. Day is on her hands and knees, her hair swinging in her eyes.

When Martin realizes Maeve is standing in the doorway, he shuts off the computer.

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