The gala sounds like a storm outside the velvet-draped walls. Laughter and music and something electric in the air. Lucas sits across from me, his eyes a challenge and an invitation. The space between us shrinks as we turn to the subject of our careers.
"Your rise has been impressive," I say, framing it like a compliment instead of the question it is. "Too fast to be typical." His reaction is careful, but there's a small shift in his expression, a fraction of a second where the polish slips. I catch it and tuck it away for later. He leans back, just slightly, his suit pulling tight at the shoulder. A casual observer would miss the movement, the escape. I see it for what it is.
"I left my last firm," Lucas says, "under circumstances they weren't too happy about." His voice is casual, but
