As usual, after he hadn’t seen Micah for a few months, Maxence blinked as he registered the color of Micah’s eyes. Inside the dark ring around his irises, sapphire blues, aquamarines, and pale grays surrounded a center that was amber flecked with black, the several colors blending together. It was almost impossible to remember the brilliance of his eyes and a surprise to register them again.
Before Maxence swung Dree around to meet Micah, he lowered his voice and whispered to him, “I’m called ‘Augustine’ tonight. I’d appreciate it if you’d go along with it.”
Not even a hint of surprise registered in Micah’s opalescent eyes. “Of course. Last name?”
“None.”
Micah’s striking eyes rolled upward slightly, but he had no other expression. “You and your games.”
Maxence brought Dree around and said, “Dree, may I present Micah Shine, an old friend from school. Micah, this is Dree Clark, a very new friend.”
She tilted her head and smiled at him from under her lashes.
Micah inclined his head down to look at Dree, who was about five feet, six inches, or so. Micah was roughly the same height as Maxence, which is to say, exceedingly tall. Le Rosey graduates are often in the top one-percentile of many traits, whether it was height, income, intelligence, arrogance, or depravity.
Micah offered his hand to Dree. “Pleased to make your acquaintance. May I present my associate, Sir Marvin Meriwether-Stone.”
If Micah spoke any slower and more monotone, Maxence would have thought that he was a computer voice set to fifty-percent speed. His languid pace belied the active, brilliant mind churning beneath Micah’s placid exterior. Because Maxence knew him so well, he tended to view Micah’s demeanor as calculating rather than sluggish. Micah spoke nine languages with the same calm precision.
Maxence greeted Micah’s acquaintance, who was doubtlessly a new business associate. Micah had many irons in the fire. Maxence wasn’t sure what any of them were.
They spoke for a few minutes, until Dree asked Micah, “Are you here with somebody?”
Micah’s expression still did not change. “Sadly, no.”
Maxence wanted to ask him what had happened to their mutual friend Micah had been dating, but wouldn’t want to bring up a sore subject in company. All of them seemed to be nursing broken hearts lately.
The man Micah had been speaking to, Meriwether-Stone, seemed petulant, so Max took pains to bring him into the conversation. Meriwether-Stone pouted and subtly snarled insults in an upper-class British accent at Micah, who did not respond. He phrased the insults as questions, of course, and always asked Micah to agree with him. “Your previous import-export venture was quite dodgy, don’t you think?”
Maxence had had enough of it.
He turned to Meriwether-Stone, an angelic smile on his face, and he summoned real enthusiasm for his school friend. “Micah, here, is an excellent businessman. I remember back in school when we were putting together business proposals, he always had the best ideas.” Energy flowed through him, and he clapped Micah on the shoulder, beaming at him. “It’s impressive, some of the things he’s done. Micah Shine is truly an excellent human being, an incredible businessman, and I’m glad he’s my friend.”
By the time Max was done talking, Meriwether-Stone was nodding along, and his pouting mouth had turned upward in a smug smile. “Yes, I’m sure we will be doing business together soon.”
Splendid.
As they walked away, Dree said, “That wasn’t weird or anything.”
“What?” he asked, though he was already sorry he’d done it.
“The way you talked that guy into liking Micah. Heck, I think I want to give Micah all that money or screw him right now. You convinced me.”
He wheeled her between a few columns for privacy. “Micah’s smart. The guy stands a good chance of making an excellent ROI. I’m not sure I did Micah any favors, though. That guy seemed like a pain in the arse.”
“What were you doing?”
“Nothing.”
“Is it hypnosis? Did you hypnotize him?”
“No. I don’t have to make eye contact, though it helps. Ilikepeople, and Iliketo talk to them. When Ilikesomething, other people like it, too.”
“Have you done it tome?”
“No. I’m careful about what’s appropriate. If I had tried to convince you of anything, it would have been to get into the car at the Buddha Bar so I could take you home rather than going back inside after your coat and possibly into a dangerous situation.”
Dree tilted her head to the side and nodded. “I can see where that would have been warranted. I was smashed that night.”
