"Hello, Jennifer." Shilem smiled pleasantly.
The doorman stepped back immediately to give them privacy. And Jennifer lost the chance to politely request for the doorman to throw Shilem out.
She remembered the first time the alien cockroaches crawled out of the portal outside her building. The sight of Shilem standing at her lobby door, in a full suit, holding a bouquet of flowers. Urgh.
Except Jennifer was far too well brought up to point at another human and scream, "Kill it now!"
So she just froze.
"I was just in the neighbourhood." Shilem stepped forward.
Jennifer stepped back. "Haha, I see."
Shilem proffered an extravagant bouquet of flowers. "I remembered how much you liked flowers…"
Then he smoothly added, "I happened to receive a lot earlier today at a meet-and-greet. I thought it would be better to share them with someone who would appreciate them."
He pushed the bouquet into her arms, and Jennifer received it by reflex.
"Oh." Jennifer stared at the flowers in surprise. She would have liked to shove them into his face, but again—she was far too well brought up to actually do it in real life—so she just muttered, "Thank you."
"You look beautiful tonight," Shilem said.
He actually sounded sincere.
But Shilem was a cockroach, so Jennifer only felt offended by the compliment.
At any rate, Jennifer had dressed up for Rolly! Not him! Why was he acting like they were dating again? Urgh. Just her luck—she decided to star in her own rom-com, dress up, rush to the airport and everything—only to end up in a dating simulation with a cockroach dressed as a senator.
"Apologies for keeping you waiting, my queen."
Jennifer was very relieved to see Sebastien. At least, she was 80% sure it was Sebastien.
Remember how Sebastien had swapped out his butler suit to play her kindergarten assistant? Tonight, he had swapped out of his butler suit to play… Jennifer wasn't sure what he was playing.
He wore a pair of very tight jeans, a black T-shirt, and a leather jacket. (Was that Angus' gangster jacket?) His silver hair was pinned back, and instead of his silver-rimmed glasses, he wore a row of silver earrings on one ear.
Actually, now that she looked more carefully, Jennifer was only 60% sure it was Sebastien.
"And this is…" Shilem asked.
Sebastien smiled—the kind of smile a crocodile might produce when presented with a fat calf. "Tien. Pandora Corps."
"Ah." Shilem's face lit up. "Yes, no wonder you looked familiar."
Sebastien smiled again. "You must be very perceptive, Senator, since I am usually wearing a mask."
"Ah, yes, yes, of course." Shilem nodded. "A pleasure to meet a hero."
Actually, now that she was hearing this, Jennifer was only 40% sure it was Sebastien.
Then Sebastien—that is, Tien—easily placed his hand on the small of Jennifer's back. "If you'd excuse us, Senator. My date and I are due to meet some friends."
"Yes, of course, of course." Shilem raised his hand for a handshake. "Have a good time."
Tien smiled and took Shilem's hand in his black-gloved one.
Ah, see! Those gloves were the same ones Sebastien often wore.
"Come, my queen." Tien leaned in too close to Jennifer. "The night is young, and love is fleeting."
WTH?
Jennifer would like to slap the author of these lines… except she realized she was the author. That was the line Sebastien would say before leaving for a mission as an assassin.
And now it was being said by Tien like a cheesy game character.
Except—Jennifer stole another look at the man leading her toward a black convertible—Tien actually pulled it off really well.
"Are you an awakener?" Jennifer asked, even though she already knew the answer.
Tien laughed—an open laugh full of mischief. "My queen, if you search my name, you will find I am not ranked too far below your dragon lover on Pandora Online."
Jennifer was now only 20% sure the man next to her was Sebastien.
Should she really be getting into the car with him?