A Little Day Drinking

[Nesrin Aziz]

Oh darling I think it’s love.

How genuine he was she didn’t know, though she supposed she’d find out.

Meanwhile, the talk around the table seemed to have fallen to flowers. Cade was sweet, but he also seemed to have no edge. Fresh from the mundanities of suburbia and with such a sensitive little heart, Moscow was simply going to eat him alive – or have a lot of fun corrupting him. It was a game she might have toyed with, except if he really was Nox’s brother he was not exactly on the table for throw-away fun.

Nesrin twisted the flower stem between her fingers, purely amused. Not for the gift so much as the curious way the petals had perked. She rose from her chair enough to be able to lean across the table, and reached to hook the bloom behind Cade’s ear instead. “I’m sure boys like flowers too,” she said with an easy grin.

Her glass clinked along with the others as she sat back down. “To new friends,” she agreed. She didn’t say anything about Elyse’s woes at all since the woman wanted to forget whatever was bothering her, though the entire time Elyse had been absent Anna had looked as though she was desperate to ask about whatever this really bad thing was. At least until Cade’s flower had distracted her into a smitten smile. Nesrin had forgotten how tedious it could be when you were trying to be nice to people. After a deep swallow of tequila, she lifted her glass again, though by her innocently mischievous smile it was not to propose another toast.

“I was raised in a brothel. I’ve met the Ascendancy. I can speak Arabic.” Then, in case it wasn’t clear, she laughed and added. “Two truths and a lie.”