"There." The smirk was back. The same as the one he'd sent her that afternoon in the coffee shop. "Isn't that better?"

He reached for his wine; gave it an idle swirl around the bowl of the glass.

"But you know we're not really that different. I'm not particularly pleased by the turn of events either. I have tributes I could be minding; Peacekeeping duties I could be tending to..." A world to be rebuilding in his image. "I was volunteered for this evening's activities."