“Ah yes, I can imagine that being the case,” he commented quietly as he glanced over at the man thoughtfully. “Attractive man like yourself, and with a reputation to boot. When I mentioned I needed a date for this evening Elizabeth simply wouldn’t stop telling me about all of your … Assets. Encouraging me to make use of them while I hold your attention,” he commented with a soft chuckle and shake of his head. Sex had never been a particularly appealing prospect to him. He found himself aroused on occasion, of course, but more often than not he treated it as a mere physiological response to some visual or physical stimuli, nothing more and nothing less. He’d take care of it in an almost distastefully methodical manner and carry on as though he’d not even been aroused in the first place. It didn’t particularly interest him at this stage in his life to ever involve another person, even if the sight of a beautiful man was the trigger itself.<br/><br/>Xavier glanced over at Dexter again with a slight smile touching his lips. “Don’t worry, I’ll not force you to suffer through sex with me. I’d need to pay you far more than $1,000 for that,” he laughed softly to himself, shaking his head as his attention turned forward fully onto the slowly crawling traffic before them. He was self-aware, at the very least, not under some illusion that there was a reason a vast majority of the world disliked him. He knew he wasn’t a likable, sociable person, he’d have to have been completely up his own ass not to recognize that much. He didn’t expect Dexter to truly like him any more than the average man did, they only had to pretend for a very short while. Luckily the man was good at his job, at feigning his enjoyment of his company.<br/><br/>The remainder of the ride was spent without any more words exchanged between the pair. The muffled sounds of the bustling city outside and the soft music emanating from the speakers the only noise that touched their ears until they arrived at the venue. Xavier stepped from the car then, moving around it once again to pop open Dexter's door. He moved up towards the main entrance to the venue they’d chosen: Kew Gardens, a gorgeous greenhouse with an attached seating and dining area where they could settle in for drinks, dinners, and speeches before being turned loose on the venue to celebrate the awkward joining of a pair of incomplete and incompatible families.<br/><br/>“I wasn’t sure how I’d like this venue for the reception, but I suppose the gardens will be a nice place to escape from the prying questions of my family once we’ve eaten and stocked up on enough alcohol to get through the night,” he said softly as they strolled through the open doors together. Xavier smiled warmly at one of the hosts, dipping his head politely towards him as they moved along with the trickling flow of people towards the dining hall to settle in for the next hour or so prior to the party truly beginning.