When they'd finished cleaning up after The Lord Grey closed, Keith invited him to have a drink with him. They went next door where there was a café. Keith was obviously well known. The waitress, a pretty young woman with curly brown hair, gave him a corner table, where they could watch the room, and brought him a cleanskin red, without being asked.
“Who's your friend?” she asked.
“His name's Jason,” said Keith. “Jace, meet Esmé.”
Jace! Jason was a bit taken aback at the diminutive. He and Keith weren't friends yet!Keeping his thoughts from his face he murmured, “Pleased to meet you!”
“Likewise,” answered Esmé, given him a more than cursory smile. “Nice manners,” she said to Keith. “Better than your last conquest.”
Keith grinned at her. “Jace's not a conquest.” Jason wondered if he was the only one who heard the unspoken 'yet'. “He's the new waiter.”
“Well, here's hoping you last longer than the last one.”
“Tom's a mean bugger,” said Keith. “Won't pay enough. And then he tries to pick us up. You know what he's like.”
“He's tried to pick you up?” Jason was amused. Tom was not exactly sexy; worse, he wasn't even likable.
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