Drake waved off the other man’s apology with an easy smile. “You have absolutely no reason to apologize!” Really, the only one who had a reason was the person who did invite him here in the first place.
He raised an eyebrow at Sabine and gave her a completely unamused expression as she crunched on the miso snacks. He could still hear Ez just fine, shooting him another smile, at least until Sabine cut Ez off and faced her back to him.
Really now, someone was being childish. Drake rolled his eyes for Ez’s benefit as he ordered another drink for himself. Perhaps another time he’d have more patience for Sabine’s current behavior, but he decided that if she didn’t change her tune in another drink or two, he was going to jump on his Honchkrow and find another means of entertainment.
“Sabine over-dramatizes things quite a bit,” Drake said over Sabine’s shoulder. “Though as a bell hopper I am something of a slave. It’s a temporary occupation, I intend to start a Bachelor of Art’s degree in history as soon as I’ve scraped enough cash from all the rich folk around here.” With Drake’s little, ah, side business, that day was going to come sooner rather than later.
“So, you work with Sab? Something to do with chemicals and make up right?” Drake tilted his head. “She’s told me a little about it in our coffee meet ups, but we tend to get side tracked from the heart of the matter.”
Sabine’s eyes widened furiously as Drake suggested how over-dramatic she was being. She leant back in her chair and tilt her head to give her friend an unimpressed look. An unexpected spike of pain rose from her arm and her expression twitched in response. She kept quiet, letting Ezekiel take over the conversation as she inconspicuously rubbed her upper arm, easing the itchiness of her skin under the Power Brace.
Ez gave a relieved chuckle, seeing that his path of conversation was opened up once more, “Yes, we work quite close together,” he replied, giving his colleague a warm smile.
“Literally,” Sabine added with a shake of her head.
“The chemists in quality assurance are in a tiny temporary space while a new loft floor is being built in the factory,” Ez explained.
“I told him every time he knocks the back of his chair against mine, he owes me a drink,” Sabine said with an endearingly malicious grin.
Ez held his hands out in a 90 degree angle, “Our desks sit perpendicular so as you can assume, a lot of my salary is going to the ‘Keep Sabine Hydrated’ fund.”
The two laughed uproariously before the man sitting beside Ezekiel leaned over with interest, “What, what?” What was said was repeated and he joined in the laughter, shooting a fingergun at Sabine and Ez, “Oh, you guys.”
Sabine snickered, clarifying the joke for Drake, ”It’s funny because the diuretic effect doesn't offset hydration.”
