Respect is all she asks for. That she and Hardtman both seem to have an understanding when it comes to their opinions is a good start. It's more than she has with most of the people she dines with.

That small victory is short lived, however, with Lawrence's sly remark. For a moment she's tempted to pardon her brother and herself, making some excuse for their sudden departure. But she's faced worse, she reminds herself. She endures Poenia's company on a semi-regular basis, after all. Her lips press into a thin line and she pulls a smile. A thousand answers race through her head, but she settles on, "Complicated, I would imagine."