Remy’s snake-like smile drifted upward as Jess followed along with her seductive suggestion, entwining her fingers with his as they made their way outside. She was charming him quite easily, she thought, for a man in his position. Usually, it would be more difficult to convince a man of power to play to her tune, but Jess had turned out to be a quick study. He wasn’t overtly difficult to figure out, though men in general were usually not complicated. They had wants and needs, which they often got confused for each other, a confusion Remy exploited to its fullest and most personally beneficial.
The patio was beautifully decorated, morphed into a garden instead of the usual stone. It was clear that someone had put some definite time, effort, and magic into rethinking the outdoor appearance for the event. The area was typically nothing more than bare stone with some sorry excuses for potted plants scattered around the perimeter. There were a few tables that some ministry members ate at for lunch – or met Remy for a different kind of lunch date – but those were barely recognizable now that they were covered with pink and red taffeta and white candles.
There was a chill in the air, but something must have been done to alter the temperature in the patio area because it wasn’t nearly cold enough to warrant February weather. Remy followed behind Jess as he made his way to the railing, looking out on the city splayed below them. The sun was setting behind the buildings, silhouetting the shapes against the horizon, showing only the outline of what was really there.
Remy was employing a similar tactic, only showing Jess the outline of what she was doing. Yes, she was attempting to seduce him, that much was obvious from her actions. But her motivations for doing so wouldn’t be quite so apparent, which was critical to the success of this current con. If Jess knew she was faking her attraction to him, using him for the power and prestige he held, he certainly wouldn’t be standing so close to her.
People only want snakes as pets until they learn they are venomous.
“As long as it’s a happy ending,” Remy said, leaning on the railing next to him, but standing close enough that the curve of her hip lay alongside his, “I have no objections.”
She let a playful smile play across her lips, licking them once and rubbing them together. She knew that this was likely to get Jess’s attention, but she downplayed it as just a habitual motion. She had come into this situation with guns blazing; now it was time to play a more subtle role and get a feel for what she might stand to gain from her interaction with Jess Potter
“So Jess,” Remy said, turning to him and running her hand down from his shoulder to rest on top of his forearm, “Tell me: how does a man like you manage to arrive dateless to an even such as this one?” This was the type of flattery that Remy used in the presence of powerful men, the type of men who liked to have their egos stroked. As she spoke, she moved a bit closer to him, standing far closer than social norms would allow, but hadn’t they broken all of those by now anyway?
by 
