Grace smiled at him, amusement sparkling in her eyes. Guillaume was certainly someone who enjoyed the game. Grace was more than sure this was a man accustomed to getting what he wanted. That wasn't the type of clientele that usually came to these places. If that was the case, he was here for a reason. It could simply be enjoyment.
Grace recognized the name too. She recognized the name all too well. The surprise the Guillaume de Volthstrom was here didn't show at all on her face. Grace had enough control over her own emotions to keep that behind a closed door. It made her think of Eve though. Grace had helped Eve through those emotions. If the two had met in a bar, Grace wouldn't entertain him, but he was a client. This was her job. She kept her mind on it and showed nothing on her face or in her posture.
She rolled the whiskey gently in her glass, watching the amber liquid catch the light as though the answers would be found somewhere in its depths before taking a sip. "Perhaps the most interesting ones," she mused, turning her gaze to his, "are the ones who know enough to see the illusion for what it is."
She let the thought linger, and leaned forward slightly into his space, a return to his earlier lean into the conversation. Her expression became more playful. "AFter all, anyone can be charmed by a little attention and a well-timed smile. It takes a rather more discerning man to appreciate the performance without mistaking it for the whole story."
She raised her glass to her lips, hiding the hint of a "well-placed smile" behind the rim before taking a sip. "But then, I suppose that's half the fun, isn't it? Never quite knowing whether you've seen behind the curtain, or whether someone simply wanted you to think you had."
Her eyes met his again, bright with mischief. "Though I'd hate to spoil the evening by giving away all my secrets, Guillaume. You've only just learned my name, after all."
Grace recognized the name too. She recognized the name all too well. The surprise the Guillaume de Volthstrom was here didn't show at all on her face. Grace had enough control over her own emotions to keep that behind a closed door. It made her think of Eve though. Grace had helped Eve through those emotions. If the two had met in a bar, Grace wouldn't entertain him, but he was a client. This was her job. She kept her mind on it and showed nothing on her face or in her posture.
She rolled the whiskey gently in her glass, watching the amber liquid catch the light as though the answers would be found somewhere in its depths before taking a sip. "Perhaps the most interesting ones," she mused, turning her gaze to his, "are the ones who know enough to see the illusion for what it is."
She let the thought linger, and leaned forward slightly into his space, a return to his earlier lean into the conversation. Her expression became more playful. "AFter all, anyone can be charmed by a little attention and a well-timed smile. It takes a rather more discerning man to appreciate the performance without mistaking it for the whole story."
She raised her glass to her lips, hiding the hint of a "well-placed smile" behind the rim before taking a sip. "But then, I suppose that's half the fun, isn't it? Never quite knowing whether you've seen behind the curtain, or whether someone simply wanted you to think you had."
Her eyes met his again, bright with mischief. "Though I'd hate to spoil the evening by giving away all my secrets, Guillaume. You've only just learned my name, after all."