"I ask you—do I look old?"
"Old?" Jenny snorted. "Al, you look fine. You're drunk, not ancient."
"You only say that because you want my last slice of pizza this week."
"True." She grinned and waved at the bartender. "Two more G&Ts. Make them strong."
The table laughed. The rich men in the booth across from us watched like sharks watching bait.
"Nice crowd," one of them said. "What's your name, sweetheart?"
"Alayna," I said. I smiled. I always smiled. It was part of the uniform.
"Alayna White," he repeated, like he was tasting the name. "You work at NewStar? I've read about you."
"Then you know how expensive my time is," I said. Light, controlled. I kept my voice smooth because I could feel my face flushing and I didn't want them to have that moment.
"She's the one from the biotech gala," the man with the expensive watch said. "Breaking hearts and boardrooms."
"Careful," Jenny said. "She's a shark in a suit."
"Really?" the man leaned forward. "You sure you can handle sharks?"
One of them reached across the table. His hand landed on my knee with a casual arrogance.
"Keep your hand to yourself," I said.
"He touched me," Jenny said. "He touched her."
"Relax," the man said, smiling. "We're all friends here."
"Friends who grope strangers?" I asked. My voice was quiet but sharp. I slid my knee away and stood up. The booth felt too small