Ishmael rather regretted giving the alias, if that was how good every name sounded coming out of his mouth. And the boy hadn’t batted an eyelash at the talk of seduction, even if he had protested it – so Ishmael suspected he’d been right, and that was exactly what they were playing at.
He smirked, no matter that he was half-tempted to fall for it. “Oh, are we friends?” he asked archly. “Shouldn’t we get to know each other better first?” There was no getting to know each other in this kind of life, consigned to the shadows and speaking a language of lies to each other, no doubt; but that didn’t mean Ishmael wouldn’t mind stretching out the time in his company. “Should we go somewhere more private to talk,” the deal, he meant, just the deal; “or were you going to offer me a drink?”
(Of course, Ishmael’s tastes being what they were, the drink he was after was not quite the kind to be easily purchased at a bar.)
He smirked, no matter that he was half-tempted to fall for it. “Oh, are we friends?” he asked archly. “Shouldn’t we get to know each other better first?” There was no getting to know each other in this kind of life, consigned to the shadows and speaking a language of lies to each other, no doubt; but that didn’t mean Ishmael wouldn’t mind stretching out the time in his company. “Should we go somewhere more private to talk,” the deal, he meant, just the deal; “or were you going to offer me a drink?”
(Of course, Ishmael’s tastes being what they were, the drink he was after was not quite the kind to be easily purchased at a bar.)
