Rouge: A Novel

Mira realizes the mansion is a spa. She is served red champagne. An older woman tells Mira “You’ve done it” and “I envy” but doesn’t elaborate (70-71). The red-haired woman from the funeral greets Mira, and she meets a pair of beautiful twins, who make vague comments about knowing Noelle. They address Mira as “Daughter.” They tell her she looks like she needs a visit to the “Depths” and send her downstairs, where she sees an aquarium full of what look like jellyfish on a stage. When she sees her reflection in the tank, it is beautiful and free of imperfections. On the other side of the tank, she sees a man who looks familiar. She realizes it’s the man from the hotel bar wearing a disguise. She follows him down a hallway. He smiles and tells her not to, but she persists. He presses her against the wall and kisses her.

Mira wakes up in her mother’s bedroom with no memory of leaving the spa. Tad is in the apartment again, cleaning the windows even though he did so the day before. He makes her breakfast and again offers to help with packing and the apartment renovation.