It was quite a challenge for anyone to grow to like the man who went by the name<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fic.pics.livejournal.com%2Fgossymer%2F5610072%2F944631%2F944631_original.jpg&amp;hash=cdd795fe17196a13a3a0b665941bde92" href="https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/gossymer/5610072/944631/944631_original.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Xavier</a>. He was, generally, a rather disagreeable person, with a fairly unpleasant personality. So, it shouldn’t have been a surprise to any of his family that he seemed chronically single, nor that he seemed perfectly content to be so. Yet at every family function, whether it be a wedding, dinner, baby shower, or even a funeral, it seemed that at least a handful of his lovely family members bombarded him with the same question, over and over again.<br/><br/><i>So, Xav, when are you planning on bringing your prince charming around? You must’ve landed a beau by now, being as beautiful and successful as you are!</i><br/><br/>Well, perhaps they didn’t say it precisely like that, but it was something generally along those lines. Agitating, childish assumptions they were, at least from Xavier’s point of view. Why was it necessary to have a significant other for those around you to believe you were living to your full potential? Xavier was an accomplished academic, having studied histories all around the world and been involved in multiple archaeological breakthroughs. After burning through school a whopping four years early, then making his way through the University of Oxford in only two years. He’d set off on a one-way track to stardom, and at least in the world of academia, he was considered something of a celebrity.<br/><br/>Now at the bright young age of twenty-six, Xavier Smithe was the author of multiple published journals and a tried and true colleague to many a historian. In his free time, he delighted in giving talks at universities worldwide, lecturing anybody who cared to listen on the wonders of the past, and how they affected the present and the future. But despite all of this, despite the dozens of exciting things Xavier had going on at one time or another, his family could only manage to ask him whether or not he’d managed to snatch himself a man yet. It was rather frustrating, actually, and so he’d decided ultimately that he needed to put a stop to the near constant assault of questions from his dearest family. He needed a boyfriend, if only temporarily, but how was he meant to get that done?<br/><br/>He wasn’t a cold enough person to trick someone into a relationship with full intent to shatter them only a few public appearances later. Sure he didn’t have much of a desire for human company, but he was a sociopath either; Xavier was, in fact, a rather empathetic person despite his introverted, callous disposition, alongside his fairly negative outlook on life. He’d gone to one of the few people he would consider a friend, a woman named Elizabeth White, with this problem. Elizabeth was an older woman who had hired him once upon a time to do an extensive study into her ancestry about a year prior. They’d remained in contact as he continuously delved further and further into her family’s past and gradually he’d come to consider her a friend, and he thought that she considered him as such as well. He’d complained to her about his predicament, and she’d come up with a solution quite promptly.<br/><br/><i>Well, have you thought about hiring an escort, dear? I’m sure you could get a perfectly suitable man on your arm for a price … In fact, I could probably set you up with Dexter if you'd like.</i><br/><br/>Xavier had never met Dexter before, but he’d heard of him plenty of times from Mrs. White. He’d seen photographs of him and heard stories of his and Elizabeth’s outings, and directly after she’d recommended him Xav knew that he was the perfect solution to this issue. A handsome, put together gentleman to hang on his arm and charm his family, with no strings attached aside from a bit of payment? It was the ideal solution, really, so he’d accepted Elizabeth’s proposition and now he was on his way to meet his temporary partner.<br/><br/>Xavier had dressed in a<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.twimg.com%2Fmedia%2FDGwNphHUQAAmLG1.jpg%3Alarge&amp;hash=423bf6bb1be6423b4c7b722f58e9d305" href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DGwNphHUQAAmLG1.jpg:large" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">business casual style outfit</a>with a fitted warm brown sweater over the top of a patterned collared shirt, on the bottom he wore a pair of simple, nicely pressed slacks with a beautifully polished pair of<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic2.businessinsider.com%2Fimage%2F59c2d97b38d20d20008b8df9%2F10-of-the-best-brown-dress-shoes-guys-can-buy-right-now.jpg&amp;hash=a15554664298dcd24bc626b9cb8cc312" href="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/59c2d97b38d20d20008b8df9/10-of-the-best-brown-dress-shoes-guys-can-buy-right-now.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">brown dress shoes</a>. His hair wasn’t styled in any particular manner aside from the fact that it was pushed back out of his face in an appropriately messy way. He looked nice enough, though perhaps not as nice as the man he was currently stepping into The Emerald Lounge to meet, it wasn’t of any matter to him however as he wasn’t there to impress anyone. He was there to work out a business deal, and to brief his newest temporary employee on the terms of their time together. He was thinking over these things as he stepped through the doorway, scanning the lounge briefly before his eyes landed on Dexter. He didn’t miss a beat in shifting his course of movement towards the other man, walking along at a clipped pace.<br/><br/>“Mr. Beckett, I assume?” he queried as soon as he came to a halt just in front of the man. He didn’t even wait for a response from Dexter, as he knew who the man was. He stuck his hand out abruptly for the other to shake, his facial expression not shifting from neutral as he introduced himself, “Xavier Smithe. I’m sure our mutual friend Mrs. White has mentioned me once or twice?” he commented as he shook the man's hand firmly before sliding down into the chair just opposite of him, fishing in his pocket as he slid downwards and setting his keys, cellphone, and wallet down onto the table between them. “I apologize if I come across a bit rude to you, Mr. Beckett, but I’m a busy man and I’ve other things to attend to this evening. I simply need to run over the job with you and figure out if you’re even willing to take it along with my offered price. If not we can go our separate ways sooner rather than later,” he explained abruptly as he leaned back into his armchair, resting his elbows down and folding his hands in his lap neatly as he gazed levelly at his new acquaintance. He was a rather handsome man, even someone as unavailable as Xavier could tell that much with a mere glance in his direction. Despite being able to admire the man on the surface, however, the young researcher found himself experiencing little to no desire to no him in any more depth than was absolutely necessary.