บท 23: Negotiation #23
"Nice place you have here, Selina..." I said, making small talk as I followed behind the brunette. I tried and failed not to stare at her ass and the downright hypnotic way it swayed under her dress with every step she took.
She probably wore this provoking dress to distract me and get the upper hand in the conversation, and it was already working. God damn, do I hate being a teenager.
"Hm? Oh, it better be considering how much money I put into it," Selina replied with a chuckle as she climbed a set of stairs, and I had to use every atom of my will not to peek under her dress.
At least she was willing to exchange my small talk. It was a good sign since it meant she was open to a friendly relationship, which would be the best outcome to this whole holding each other secrets debacle.
The way I saw it, we'd either end up as invaluable to each other, eliminating any chance of us sabotaging the other to maintain a mutually beneficial relationship, or tear each other's throats to make sure our secrets don't get out. There was no third way about it.
"Were here," Selina said as she stopped in the hallway beyond the stairs in front of what I assumed to be the door to the VIP booth. "I had it cleared just for today," she added, turning to me and giving me a smile as she opened the door.
"I appreciate the gesture," I said, returning the smile as I walked inside after Selina. The room inside was spacious and dimly lit. It had a stereo system, several leather couches, and a big screen hanging on the wall in front of the door.
"Take a seat. The VIP booth is soundproof, and I've already instructed my people not to bother us," Selina said as she sat down on a couch. She crossed her legs and gestured for me to sit in front of her with a smile.
"So... what do you want to talk about, gray?" Selina said as she watched me take a seat opposite her, emphasizing my name to remind me of the tacit agreement we reached in the bar.
'Straight to business, eh? I can work with that..' I mused, noting Selina's body language as her smile disappeared. She shifted in her seat, pushing her face slightly forward and crossing her arms.
"I won't beat around the bush, Selina," I replied, copying how she emphasized my name to assure her I didn't forget. I kept my tone neutral, but my posture remained relaxed.
"You don't trust me, and I think you might do something that won't end well for both of us," I said, shrugging my shoulder as I sent her a careless look. "I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen," I added, waving a hand to the side, to which Selina raised an eyebrow.
"And how do you intend to do that, exactly?" Selina asked, narrowing her eyes as she regarded with a bemused look. She probably misunderstood my words as a threat, ridicule, or a sign of aggression.
"Like I said, by talking," I said, sighing as I leaned into the couch, gesturing matter-of-factly with my hand. " Believe it or not, but I knew about your secret identity for a while now. If I had any bad intentions, I wouldn't have waited for you to come to me and would have acted on them much sooner," I added as I put my hand on the couch's back to make myself comfortable.
"And I'm supposed to take your word for it?" Selina asked, raising an eyebrow as she spoke in a flat, bored tone to display her bemusement at my words and how indifferently I conveyed them.
"I might have taken your word for it if you didn't almost wreck my club yesterday with that stunt you pulled at the entrance," she dismissively added, waving her hand to the side and shrugging her shoulders.
'Damn, I knew she'd bring it up, but talk about throwing me a curveball...'
"Well, how else was I supposed to enter the club? I am legally a minor, you know?" I asked, clearing my throat, and continued before Selina could say anything. "Though I must admit, I might have gone overboard, and I apologize for that," I added, admitting my mistake and apologizing before she could take advantage of it.
Giving her a simple apology is better than letting her use that single mistake to take the upper hand in the conversation and push me around with it. I was here with good intentions, but I won't give her anything to use against me unless I couldn't help it.
"I suppose no one was hurt, and there was no real damage, but..." Selina said, sighing as she gave me a puzzled look, trailing off at the end of her sentence. "Couldn't you have called like today or something?" she asked, giving me an analytical look and tilting her head.
"I didn't have one at the time," I replied, clearing my throat again, awkwardly this time. I knew I should have bought the damned thing sooner, but I often got distracted, and there always seemed more important things to do with my time.
"I've always been busy with my training and other more important activities, so I never had the time or need for one," I added when I noticed the skeptical look on the brunette's face, staring at me with barely disguised suspicion.
"And, of course, I am willing to compensate for the damage," I concluded, my tone sincere as I compromised since it was my fault indeed. I could have handled the situation differently, so it's only natural to take responsibility.
"Like I said, there was no real damage, just a few bruises here and there on my bouncer," Selina carelessly replied, dismissively waving her hand to the side. "Give him a big tip on your way out, and we can call it even on that front," she added, shrugging her shoulders and pausing and gesturing for me to keep talking.
"With that out of the way..." I said as I turned to give Selina a questioning look. I only continued talking after seeing her nod, meaning she's willing to put the whole raging mob in front of her nightclub affair behind us.
"What I'm here to propose is very simple, Selina," I said as I lost my relaxed posture and joined my fingers together. That would have looked a hell of a lot cooler if I was wearing a fancy suit and not shabby street clothes, but oh well, gotta make do, I suppose.
"You need my gifts to help with your alter ego's activities. I need someone to teach me how to put said gifts to better use," I added, spreading my arms and opening my palms as I gave the brunette a smile. "And I hear you are somewhat of an expert..." I concluded, putting my hands back and resting them on my lab.
"Isn't that what I suggested when I visited you in your apartment? You didn't seem too eager for it at the time..." Selina asked, giving me a quizzical look. "And I don't see how that would help solve the problem," she added, gesturing to the side with dismissal.
"That might have been your intention, but the way you phrased it at the time was rather too demanding for my taste. I'm sure you understand," I replied, shrugging my shoulders. I wasn't the only one to make a mistake, so I reminded her about her mistake, to which she sighed and nodded, dropping the subject.
"As for how that would help solve the problem..." I remarked, trailing off as I adjusted my posture to a more relaxed one. "It's simple, really. We only need to have a shared interest and have ways to benefit from each other..." I added, spreading my arms with a leisurely smile.
Selina likely understood what I meant and how it would solve the problem, but she wanted to ascertain my intentions by making me speak the words, and I didn't see any reason not to humor her.
"That way, we both have reasons to protect each other's secrets because it would be too costly for us otherwise," I said as I leaned back into the couch and grinned. "Trust is rather overrated anyway," I concluded, pausing as I waited for Selina to process my words and decide when I saw her look down, putting on a thoughtful expression.
"Let's hear it then. How do you intend to go about it?" Selina asked after several seconds of pause to think as she raised her head and met my eyes with her pair of bright green orbs.
"I help you, and you show me the ropes. It's as simple as that," I said, shrugging my shoulders with a smile. "Other than that, I've already mentioned my age and the limitations which accompany it," I added, sighing as I scratched my head.
"People would start asking questions if I suddenly start spending money, and I was hoping you could help me with that," I said, making Selina raise an eyebrow. "A job here, in name at least... that would be a reasonable explanation for anyone wondering where I get my money," I concluded as I watched Selina smile in amusement.
...
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