If there were more than twenty people, it might as well be hundreds. Suzu's frown cuts deeper.

"Why? Why do you think I'm missing out? Why do you care?"

URIAH BLACK

"Are you laughing?"

Her pride stings and her glare is seething. The ugly scar across her face already makes her unapproachable, but the added glare makes her meaner.

"With hundreds of people? No, that sounds terrible."

URIAH BLACK

"I don't know, it had fish in it. One of them had a bum fin, or something. Lots of Wingull."

This is pointless information, why does he care?

URIAH BLACK

"Of course I've seen a movie, do you think I live under a rock?"

Suzu gathers the paperwork she's collected to line it up straight again. She appears frustrated, doesn't look him in the eye.

"This is an effective use of my time, and it's what your father asked me to do. These people could become valuable assets for the company, useful investors. You would understand if you had any interest in all in the plans your father has."

Her thoughts drift to the fish movie with the father searching for his fish son. It brings conflicted memories. Various others drift to the surface of other irrelevant TV shows and movies that THEO BECKETT let play in the background. None of them were important.

URIAH BLACK

"Uh.. huh..."

She glances away from him, mildly irritated. Its unclear if she's misunderstood, but the crease between her brows still suggests he's annoyed her.

"Neither of those seem like an effective use of time."

What would she even write about? And what was so fascinating about watching movies or television of any kind?

URIAH BLACK

Three others, but she was the one on his speed dial, she's sure.

"This... isn't fun?"

She supposes it isn't. But she's lived an entire life of having little to no time for herself, with a new task constantly onto the next, onto the next. It had never bothered her before and she'd never experienced a need or desire to do anything differently. She had never felt envy, in the sense that he was suggesting.


"Like what? What's a hobby?"

URIAH BLACK

He doesn't confirm or deny and frankly she hadn't expected him to. It had been a subtle attempt to pry, to see behind the closed blinds and locked doors.

She moves on just as quickly.

Where he lifts his hand to dap at his face, she does too. Though she hesitates a moment when he stands, unsure what to do in the moment - she hadn't yet been dismissed.

And apparently, she wasn't about to be. He beckons for her and she rises from her seat to meet him. There is a respectful distance kept, but she follows behind him all the same.

"Of course, sir."

GABRIEL BLACK

"That's my job as your fathers assistant. He's counting on me, relying on me."

Suzu frowns a bit at his question. One of the cookies calls to her and she reaches for it, bringing it beneath her nose to smell.

"Once in a while, maybe. But there isn't much else for me to do, so I don't mind."

Gabriel had also set her up in a guest house nearby his own. She was quite literally living in the lap of luxury. What more could she possibly ask for?

URIAH BLACK

Suzu moves to stand, but is ultimately interrupted when Uriah rises in her stead. It surprises her, impresses her, and she hesitates while he socializes.

In that window, she can see a younger version of Gabriel, confident and capable.

Suzu purses her lips and offers an indifferent shrug. She's sat back down by now.

"Check in with your father and do what I normally do: wait for him to ask me to do something else."

She is a caged bird, waiting for Gabe's beck and call.

URIAH BLACK

She doesn't believe that to be true, but it isnt her place to say that, nor does she care enough to comfort him.

"I just work for him. I don't have the same bond; I'm not family."

She was an outsider pretending to play nice, really.

URIAH BLACK

This time, Suzu keeps her attention on him, bold where he is aloof and irritated.

"You are, Uriah. The people see your face, the face of a son who cares about his fathers company and it brings them peace of mind. Even if you don't care at all, they think you do. And it shows Mr. Black that you care, too."

And evidently, a small part of him did care. Otherwise he wouldn't be here and he wouldn't be questioning the reason why.

If he didn't care, he'd already be with another woman similar to the one who's number is in his pocket, or out with friends partying until he couldn't remember his name.

URIAH BLACK

His flat answer speaks volumes. He doesn't grovel, gasp, attempt to win her favor. He's almost worse than other men; he genuinely never meant a word of it.

Suzu refocuses on the next curious face that stops by. She is efficient and smooth, explaining details and pulling heartstrings where necessary. With the signature on paper and the person making their leave, Suzu glances at Uriah again.

"In an hour or more. Why? Sick of me already?"

URIAH BLACK

It is fortunate for Suzume that she's heard that line before. Her line of work, on occasion, put her in the lap and at the whim of men with pickup lines similar if not worse than that.

So she blinks, brows pull forward into a confused, questioning expression, one she's mastered.

"How unfortunate for you."

URIAH BLACK