Networking was a tedious affair. In the past, Graeme used to relish it, the trill that came with knowing that he had successfully made an ally for his company, or sealed yet another deal. Smooth talking was a skill he had spent years honing, and while he was glad of it, Graeme was increasingly finding the entire thing to be tiresome. He would rather be at home, asleep in his bed than be stuck here making small talk with one of his business partners. Unfortunately, Mr. Quigley had insisted and he had not been able decline. The younger man’s eagerness had made it difficult to say no. Graeme hadn’t even arrived yet and he was already bored. The location of the event was situated in an upscale, somewhat remote area. As expected, the décor of the place was classy, ostentatious without

