Yesterday, 10:40 PM
Ezvin’s smile deepened just slightly when Cadence took his arm. And he liked that. A little more than he meant to.
She guided him with the cheerful warmth of a bubble bath. Her laughter, her slight chiding about Lore not noticing him was easy to bask in. He let her chatter, let her squeeze his arm, and wore the amused expression of someone who had just been roped into a meeting he was perfectly happy to crash.
When they reached the table, Ezvin set the drinks down like the kind of man who never fumbled in front of others, and turned his attention to the woman with the laptop and the quiet confidence of someone who could take over the world with a spreadsheet.
He offered Lore a polished smile, and a nod that was both greeting and appraisal.
“Lore. A pleasure,” he said, voice smooth as espresso. “I’ve been hearing good things—especially about your ability to wrangle this one’s calendar into something vaguely resembling humane.”
He sat beside Cadence, allowing their shoulders to brush lightly as if it were coincidence, though nothing Ezvin did was ever that. He didn’t lean away, nor did he lean in. It was a balance so natural it was almost indistinguishable from sincerity. He reached for his coffee and glanced at Lore again, this time with a half-grin curling at the edge of his mouth.
“Lore, do you think you can help me convince her to slow down a little? Maybe even have a little fun?”
He raised his cup slightly in a little conspiratorial toast.
She guided him with the cheerful warmth of a bubble bath. Her laughter, her slight chiding about Lore not noticing him was easy to bask in. He let her chatter, let her squeeze his arm, and wore the amused expression of someone who had just been roped into a meeting he was perfectly happy to crash.
When they reached the table, Ezvin set the drinks down like the kind of man who never fumbled in front of others, and turned his attention to the woman with the laptop and the quiet confidence of someone who could take over the world with a spreadsheet.
He offered Lore a polished smile, and a nod that was both greeting and appraisal.
“Lore. A pleasure,” he said, voice smooth as espresso. “I’ve been hearing good things—especially about your ability to wrangle this one’s calendar into something vaguely resembling humane.”
He sat beside Cadence, allowing their shoulders to brush lightly as if it were coincidence, though nothing Ezvin did was ever that. He didn’t lean away, nor did he lean in. It was a balance so natural it was almost indistinguishable from sincerity. He reached for his coffee and glanced at Lore again, this time with a half-grin curling at the edge of his mouth.
“Lore, do you think you can help me convince her to slow down a little? Maybe even have a little fun?”
He raised his cup slightly in a little conspiratorial toast.