A Midnight Slit of Velvet

Slipping inside from the balcony's sapphire chill, the quiet parlor demanded not grand declamations, but a masterclass in covert eavesdropping. Lurking in the crevice of the deep leather sofa, I uncovered a heavy embroidered curtain tassel of frayed silver cord resting against a discarded hardcover volume. Straining with both plush paws, I hitched the thick tassel across the book's spine, propping the dark leather cover a sliver open. Crouching low within the dim folds, I peered through that narrow triangular seam at the sleeping apartment. A secluded theatre box concealed from every prying eye—the finest view is always the one you steal unseen, wouldn't you say?