"Excuse me," Annani told her guest as her phone vibrated in the hidden pocket of her gown. "This must be Kian."
"Of course," Charlene said, rising to her feet. "I will use the opportunity to visit the bathroom."
Her friend probably did not need to use the facilities and was only doing so to give her privacy, but Annani appreciated the gesture.
"Good afternoon, my son," she said. "Are you calling to let me know that you are coming to visit me later today? I have a guest right now, Charlene is here, and we are having tea, but I would love to see you in an hour or so."
"Perfect. I will come to pick you up. We are going to the keep."
"We are?"
"Navuh is requesting a meeting. He told Bridget he's ready to make his offer."
Annani smiled to herself, satisfied that her plan had worked. Neither she nor Kian had visited him since Monday. "I knew that letting him stew for a whole week would work."
"He's probably going to waste our time again with more vague hints and demands for freedom. He's playing games." Kian's irritation bled into his tone.
"It is possible. But perhaps not. After four days of silence from us, wondering what we were thinking, what we were planning, he must have gotten nervous. Drifting in limbo is not something a male accustomed to controlling every situation can tolerate for long."
"Personally, I don't think he's that easy to manipulate. He's a shrewd bastard."
"That he is, but he was reminded that he was not in control, and that we have other concerns, other priorities, and he is not the center of our universe. Navuh has spent five thousand years being the most important person in every room he entered. Being treated as an afterthought must be quite unsettling for him."
"Well, we shall soon see if you are right." Kian let out a breath. "I'll come over in an hour to collect you."
"I will be waiting." She ended the call.
As promised, Kian arrived an hour later with the golf cart and the brothers. As usual, Anandur was at the wheel, and Brundar beside him, and Annani sat in the back with Kian.
"Is that a new dress?" he asked.
Annani laughed. "Since when do you notice what I am wearing?"
"Since your dress is a shade of purple I've never seen before. It's unique."
Annani adjusted the folds of her gown. "You are correct. The dress is new. The seamstress made one just like this but in blue for Areana, and I thought it would be fun to compare our dresses."
Kian arched a brow. "I didn't plan on visiting Areana."
Annani cast him an amused sidelong glance. "I am going to visit my sister, and while I am there, I might stop by to see her mate. If I have time, and I am in the mood."
"That's the strategy? Appear uninterested?"
"Precisely." Annani folded her hands in her lap. "Navuh called this meeting because he is ready to deal. But I cannot appear eager, or he will think he has leverage. I must seem as though I am doing him a favor by agreeing to see him at all."
"He'll see right through it," Kian said. "He's not stupid."
"No, he is not."
Annani used the travel time to the keep to refine her approach. A lot depended on how convincing her act would be, and she had no doubt that she could make it convincing enough.
The more uninterested she appeared, the more inclined he would be to make greater offers.
She pulled out her phone. "I forgot to tell Areana that we are coming over. We could have lunch together."
Kian nodded. "Good idea. I'll order takeout."
Annani's mouth watered as she thought about ordering from the Golden Dragon. "I wonder if Areana has sampled Chinese cuisine."
