“I’ve come to see if we’re compatible,” Marise said bluntly. “You’re used to being the one in control. I get that, but I’m an equal. If you’re after a kept woman who’ll stay quiet and pretty, look elsewhere.”
Darlene lowered herself gracefully into the armchair opposite, one leg tucked under the other. “You sound like you’re pitching a business merger.”
“Maybe I am,” Marise said, smiling faintly. “One with benefits. Charm, grace, polish—those are givens. I know how to move in your world, so you don’t have to worry who’s on your arm.”
Darlene took a slow sip, studying her over the rim. “You’re very self-assured.”
Marise shrugged. “I told you at the party why I’m here. I want out of this business and a lot more out of life.”
“Very well.” Darlene leaned forward slightly. “Tell me what you bring to the table.”
Marise matched her gaze. “I have skills that go well beyond small talk and seduction. I’m a good researcher. A very good one. I know how to find and hide things. I’ve worked for people far more powerful than you—and walked away with leverage.”
That made Darlene sit up straighter.
Marise went on, voice low and steady. “There are names I could give you. Names of men and women who paid for my time, and told me things they shouldn’t have. You’d be surprised how many secrets come out over dinner and champagne. I didn’t forget them.”
Darlene's eyes sharpened. “Are you saying you kept records?”
“I’m saying I’m resourceful. Discreet when I want to be. Dangerous when I don’t.” Marise let that hang, then softened her tone. “You’re always looking for an edge, aren’t you?”
Darlene didn’t deny it. “And you’d share these... assets?”
Marise lifted the bottle from the ice bucket beside them and topped up Darlene’s glass before answering, “If we’re partners, you’ll see the value in having someone like me at your side, as well as beneath you.”
Darlene smiled slowly, clearly enjoying the sparring. “You’re ruthless. I admire that.”
They clinked glasses again, this time with more weight behind it.
Darlene leaned back, stretching out on the couch with her glass balanced in one hand. Her hair shimmered in the soft light, her expression one of lazy indulgence. “You intrigue me, Veronica. I never thought you had this in you.”
Marise raised an eyebrow. “Because I didn’t sleep with you when you snapped your fingers?”
“Because you’ve decided to outplay me. That’s a bold move.”
Marise let a small smile touch her lips. “I prefer to sayforthright.”
“I like that in a woman,” said Darlene and thrust out her glass for a refill.
Veronica obliged, putting only a dash in hers.
They drank, and talked about power, reputation, people they both knew in passing. Marise dropped a few well-placed names. Darlene responded with stories of her own: some sharp, some scandalous, all delivered with the confidence of someone who believed herself untouchable.
She swirled her glass and gave Marise a long look. “So where are you from? Before all this.”
“L.A.,” Marise said lightly. “But I’ve been a citizen of nowhere for a long time and worked at many things.”
“That make sense,” Darlene said. “You have the confidence of someone who has experience but is always passing through.”
Marise leaned back. “What about you?”
“Take a guess.”
“Somewhere academic. You’ve got that polish.”
Darlene laughed softly. “You’re spot on. I married a lecturer, if you can believe it. Alan taught biology at UVA. I baked, played hostess, and eventually realised I was dying of boredom.”
“You left him?”
