The party was in a high-rise apartment overlooking Central Park. From the large glass windows, one could see a sweeping view of luscious green. It was an occasion for celebration. A situation of libations, of inebriation, through invitation. The reason for celebrating was anyone's guess. Some rich playboy had wanted to. He'd hired models to hang around and look pretty. He'd gotten some of the best catering people in the city to cater. Hired the best waiters. Everything was the best of the best. Aurum felt out of place.

A best friend had hooked the young law student up with the invite. Aurum had not asked how he'd gotten one himself. The friend had been looking out for Aurum's best interests. He wanted Aurum to party a little, make some contacts, and get a job (loser), because that would cheer him up. And Aurum had been too gloomy a Gus for everyone the last time he'd been by. The friend had said it had all bothered them. 'Why was the guy being so emo', they had all wondered. And so, he'd hooked Aurum up.

Aurum would have to thank the man later. For now, schmoozing was in order.

Schmoozing was actually defined in Webster's Dictionary. It sure was an interesting word.

Sometimes working was a real pleasure, Riley decided as she milled around the high-rise party and ate expensive appetizers that were small enough that she had to have thirds, foruths, and fifths. The champagne was overrated, but a cute waiter had gone and hunted her down some Ginger Ale.

Things had been looking up, sure some people might frown in the type of person who was paid simply to look pretty at a party, but this was a nice gig for Riley. Hell, it sure beat wearing stupid skimpy costumes and posing with other people in stupid skimpy costumes.

Besides, had she mentioned, the food was excellent? She stuck with that gig for a while, until she decided that she was probably doing a horrible job of…doing her job. She was supposed to be mingling. She tried her luck with an older guy, but he already had a blond hanging on his arm with dollar signs in her eyes. A younger guy was far more interested in talking about his acting career ,(he was on his THIRD season as a recurring extra on a sitcom. That was bound to pay off)

She managed to get away on the pretense that she was out of (fake)champagne and was an independent enough woman to get more herself. As she walked, not at all worried about the height of the heels she was wearing, Riley’s eyes scanned the crowd for a new target for mingling. They found one, and as she approached, she actually had a smile on her face.

“There are real people here tonight. I was starting to think they were all robots.” she said. It was the closest to a compliment Aurum was going to get…but it was something.

Aurum turned away from the second person to snub him at the party (was it something he was wearing?) at the comment. Riley stood there, dressed to kill.

The man's eyes opened a bit wider. Eyebrows arched as one in surprise. He'd missed the message she said. He managed a response. "Yeah." Then raised her an awkward. "Hi Riley. I hadn't expected you to be here."

Usually, he would have been a bit more confident. A bit more himself. But right now, it came off a bit weak. Maybe he hadn't had enough coffee?

Maybe it wasn't the black suit he was dressed in that did it. Maybe the lack of confidence gained through the hurting was scaring prospective job offers away.

Something was wrong, Riley knew it immediately. There was no witty comment, no suave line, no…anything. The widening eyes were complimentary so she smiled. Aurum responded and Riley didn’t even give him a hard time about the way he obviously ignored what she was saying.

"A girl's got to make a living."

He was in a suit, and wandering around at a party like this. Riley might have been mistaken, but Aurum seemed a little out of his element.

“You sure clean up nice.” she said, surprising even herself.

Riley drained her Ginger Ale. What a night, already.

"Thanks," He said. He didn't look away. This was where one complimented the other, wasn't it? "You do, too." Yeah. That felt natural. Now, Aurum glanced away towards the party. He sighed, and pushed at his hair, running a hand through it to rest clamped on the back of his neck. "Some party, though..."

Blah. He'd gone and brought up the depressing topic, rather than something more interesting. Like, perhaps, going and getting her something to eat. Or asking about her and her presence at the party, or what she was up to. How she'd been. Now, he had to explain why he'd taken 'that tone' about the party, rather than a chipper one. "Not many people here who won't snub an honest hardworker for wanting a job..."

Well, he started off well, Riley had to admit. She’d even been ready to continue the current vein of conversation. Aurum had put up with her snark in the past and they’d decided that they were friends the last time they were together. As further interaction with Lucas had proven, being friends with a man was a real thing. So Riley was going to try.

Aurum explained that he was there networking…and having a hard time with it and Riley frowned slightly at the rest of the room, then moved closer so she could lower her voice.

”That’s because these guys only speak asshole, Aurum.” Riley explained.

“You normally speak nice guy.”

She made a vague gesture with her glass. “Does not compute.”

Does not compute.

Does. Not. Compute.

It did. Not. Compute.

Aurum stared at Riley in horror.

"Oh man..." What would he do? He needed to speak these peoples language.

It just came out. "Riley, help." Just came right out like that. No thoughts attached.

And….apparently she was fluent enough in asshole to be a good teacher. Lips pursed, Riley studied Aurum for a moment, trying to decide exactly how she wanted to respond. The choices were obvious. One: She could simply walk away and go back to mingling, leaving Aurum to his own devices. Maybe he’d go home and download Rosetta stone or something so next time he could mingle with the upper crust of the legal world in New York. Two: She could help.

One look at Aurum’s face, and the choices dissolved. Walking away now would not be something a friend would do…even if the other party had just unconsciously insulted them. Stepping closer, Riley chanced a look around the room before turning her attention back to Aurum. “It’s a mostly non-verbal language Aurum. Confidence is key.”

Aurum grimaced. "I usually have that. It's just that lately, nobody's noticed. Ever since Lonnie basically sabotaged my chances at getting a job... Riley, am I really only fluent in 'nice guy'?" He looked at her seriously. This wasn't good. If he wasn't able to connect with his clients, what would he do? "I need to be able to talk to these guys. And not get my ass kicked whenever I try to show them my stuff."

He sighed, and looked at the people at the party. "Maybe I'm being too hard on myself, but... Riley. If I can't talk to these people... do you really think I'm too nice a guy?" That hurt. Really. It basically meant she had no confidence in him, whatsoever. Did she really think it? Really?

Good lord. Lonnie had done as well messing Aurum up as he had messing her up. That bastard really deserved a special campground in the most inner circle of hell when he got there. This was serious business, and Riley realized that anything other than being serious would really tank the whole situation.

Aurum wanted to know if he was too nice, and Riley frowned. Part of her wanted to tell him that he was. Nobody was as nice, or as idealistic as Aurum was. Not in New York City at least. That wouldn’t help at all though…Riley couldn’t lie though.

“ You're probably the nicest guy I've ever met.” Riley said, “But don't worry, I happen to be fluent in asshole, and I have an idea.”

Looking up at Aurum, Riley quirked an eyebrow, ”And if you’re ready to put on your big boy pants and give it a try, I think it’ll help.”

She grinned.

“All you need is a translator. I just so happen to have made several friends tonight.”

The nicest guy she'd ever met... oh. For a moment, he felt like she'd just hauled back her fist and slammed it into the softest part of him. What a moment. Good thing it didn't last.

Nicest guy she'd ever met. That was a compliment. Riley wasn't trying to insult him. She was trying to help him.

Aurum masked his low mood with an appreciative smile. An appreciative mild smile, but an appreciative smile, all the same.

Riley thought he was a nice guy. On a normal day, he might have teased her about that. Made some cocky comment on it. Or maybe even blushed. This wasn't a normal day. She was actually helping him.

She was helping him. Appraising, eyebrow quirked. Big boy pants? The conversation shifted.

She was helping him? Helping him what...? Suddenly, he felt a bit nervous.

"Translator?" He laughed awkwardly. "Big boy pants?" He added. "Are you saying. I've been acting like a big baby? A big. Nice. Baby?" He took a thoughtful pause, raising his own eyebrows in a look of worry, then confusion, then thought, then actual thinking. Which led to a decision. Aurum asked her "What did you have in mind..."

Aurum questioned her question and Riley smiled and nodded her head. Was she calling him a baby? Actually…that’s kind of exactly what she was doing…just a little bit. Riley could justify it to herself though. This was not the Aurum she was used to interacting with. The Aurum she knew didn’t put up with nonsense from anyone. He was confident, and capable…and she stopped complimenting him in her head before she went too far. This was starting to get ridiculous.

The question still needed answering though, and Riley stepped a little closer, to keep the conversation for their ears only.

”Well. You’d be shocked how impressed these guys are by a pretty women. That’s why they’re paying so many of us to be here just to mingle.” Riley let that sink in for a moment, then continued, “I’ve been doing my job, and I’ve made some friends. Offer me your arm like the obvious gentleman you are and I’ll hang on your every word while I introduce you to some of these friends.”

Riley gave Aurum a look, ”You play your part and it’ll work like a charm.”

Riley was being paid to mingle. Because she was a pretty woman. She let that sink in. Aurum didn't object to the fact.

She wanted his arm. And. To charm.

Aurum had been moody before. He'd been stepped on and ignored, and people had generally treated him like garbage. He'd been in a bad mood. Now, though. Riley had complimented him. She'd offered him help, and told him to be charming. Now...

Aurum donned a charming smile and offered her his arm. "I. Will do my best." He stated. "And I'll try not to be too nice." He added, arching one eyebrow, still smiling. Was it a... joke?

Aurum offered his arm, and Riley took it, smiling up at him in obvious admiration as he made his little quip about how he would try not to be too nice. “Good.” she said.

This was much better. This Aurum made Riley feel a little more on balance. Sure she liked to give Aurum a hard time, but that was only because he gave it right back. It was a challenge. Aurum didn’t let her walk or talk all over him, and honestly Riley appreciated it. There she was. Getting sentimental again. What was it with tonight? It had to be the (fake)champagne.

“Now.” Riley said, “I’m guessing that you’re trying to schmooze the lawyers in the room.” She nodded towards an older man she’d spent some time speaking to earlier. “That’s Maurice Redrock. I’m almost sure you’ve heard of him if you’ve been putting applications in places. He loves golf, and the Grand Prix. Actually…anything that has to do with cars. Status symbols. He’s not that hard to impress, but I’d bet tonight’s wages that he could care less about your legal credentials until he’s figured out what kind of cars you like.”

She stopped there, too much would be mental overload, “Want to go say hi?”

>>“Now.” Riley said, “I’m guessing that you’re trying to schmooze the lawyers in the room.”

Schmooze was a real word, as noted previously. Surprising or not.

>>“That’s Maurice Redrock. I’m almost sure you’ve heard of him if you’ve been putting applications in places..."

Riley went on.

Aurum looked to where she was directing his attention. The man was older, in a red suit with a handlebar mustache. He looked both dignified and refined, with his thinning hair and stiff upper lip. He was talking to a woman in a black skirt suit, who looked to be half his age. She looked smart as he was.

"Sure," Aurum replied. "Let's go say hi."