Nick sat down at the dining room table. On his right, empty space. On his left, the adoring Isabel. Next to Isabel was Michael. Opposite from Michael was Maria, who was next to Liz, who was next to Max.
He was sitting across the table, looking into the eyes of the Usurper. Eating dinner with the Usurper.
It was something to think about.
"So, Nick, what do you do?" Michael asked.
Nick ignored him.
'Y'know, other than trapse around on your motorcycle?"
Still nothing.
"Hello? Anyone at home?"
"Questions bore me," Nick responded at last.
"If you don't ask questions how do you learn anything?" Liz asked with a slight smile.
Nick raised his eyebrows at her and said nothing.
"Okay, well, this is going well," Isabel said with false cheerfulness. "So, Liz... two more months, right?"
"Yeah, and I'm really looking forward to it," Liz replied.
"I'll bet."
"So, umm, anyone seen Alex lately?" asked Max.
Isabel stiffened and Nick fought to keep the smirk off his face at her reaction.
"He's doing an IT course," Maria replied. "And going into part time web design."
"Ahh," Max nodded. "No real surprise there."
The dinner progressed more or less naturally. Nick was mostly slient, pipping up with a dry opinion or two and was his usual charming self as long as no one asked him any questions. At the end of dinner, Max offered to take his glass and Nick pretended not to notice when Max kept it away from the other glasses to be washed.
No doubt he was planning to have his fingerprints checked against the YIRAAS database. Nick had nothing to fear, however, their operative would have taken care of the minor detail of his idenitity.