Ruthless Creatures by J.T. Geissinger

I know what he’s thinking: he made Stavros blink first.
I have a feeling this is going to be a long night.
Very formal and serious, Stavros says to me, “Natalie. It’s
a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Sloane has told me so
much about you. I feel like I already know you so well.”
There’s a faint hint of innuendo in his voice when he says
the last part. Around his lips plays a slight, provocative smile.
He looks me up and down, taking his time, enjoying it.
That crackle on my left is Kage, bristling.
I squeeze his hand and say pleasantly, “Thank you,
Stavros. Sloane has told me about you, too.” I turn to the other
two. “It’s nice to meet you both as well.”
They dip their chins to me in unison, but don’t take their
eyes off Kage.
For fuck’s sake. In an instant, I lose patience with the
weirdness.
I direct my question to Stavros. “Is there a problem here?
Because I’m happy to go sit at another table if there is.”
Sloane protests, while surprise flashes in Stavros’s eyes.
He quickly quashes it, then says smoothly, “Of course not.
Please, join us.”
He sits. The other two follow. Then Kage is pulling out my
chair, bending over me as I sit and murmuring, “And you say
I’m direct.”
I murmur back, “Life’s too short to sit through pissing
contests.”
He tries to suppress a smile, but I don’t miss it.
The moment everyone’s seated, the weirdness begins
again. I haven’t even gotten a menu when Stavros says to
Kage, “Do you have family here?”
What a strange question. That’s what he leads with? And
why does it sound like he’s really asking something else?
The situation grows even more odd with Kage’s reply.