He started when Zara seemed to pop out of nowhere, stopping inches from him. Atticus coughed a few times, the smoke he had been breathing agitating his lugs at the surprise. Zara just stared at him. He collected himself and was about to apologise for some reason when she snarled at him. An untouched pearl? What...<br/><br/>“... You shouldn’t leave your jewellery lying around, Miss Zara,” he said, sounded and looking confused. His accent was curling around in his vowels and sharpening his constantans like knives. He didn’t care. He lifted his cigarette, his hand shaking.<br/><br/>He held the smoke in, then blew it out, away from the pissed off whore. He remembered then the brief conversation they’d had that morning, and he realised that it might be why she was annoyed with him. “You asked for my company this morning. If you no longer desire it, it is of no consequence.”<br/>