Walking through the art and the couples didn't really have any effect on Alex tonight.  Sure he had hoped he would find an item or two to invest in.  He was always open to investments.  But Victoria kept him nicely distracted.  A welcome distraction he clung to.  Forgetting Sabine's departure over dinner and the odd pull towards Anthony, he put all his attention into Victoria as she strolled between them.  A bit of silly flirting and a kiss on his cheek.  Smudged lipstick.  Now isn't that a scandal as a homosexual couple?  Ok, not really, but one could hope.<br/><br/>She turned her attention from him to Anthony.  Alex took the breather to exchange glasses of champagne.  He eyes dart over the exhibits as he did so.  An investor always has process working in the subconscious even when they are half drunk, hiding from a painful breakup, dodging an unwanted sexual attraction and playing with a powerful client.  So it was at this time his eyes were drawn to one piece.  He firms his arm to bring Victoria with him.  Having Anthony there as a former art expert was quite the stroke of luck and Victoria with her sizeable.... ability to invest.  Who is this artist?  The style looked familiar at first sight.  The work was obviously new, it was a showing for new pieces, but the artists weren't new, just homosexual.  His mind tried to swim through the alcohol and pheremone flooded brain cells to the information he needed.  To buy himself time he gets the other two talking.<br/><br/>“This painting drew my eye.  Tell me your thoughts?”  Always test the water before diving in.  A statement like that could mean it was so horrid, he couldn't look away, it says something political or he just fell in love with the beauty of it.  A good safe line.  Of course, he was fully unaware that they were fighting over him like two dogs with a bone.  He was also blissfully unaware that he wasn't the one in control of this little moment in time.  As far as he was concerned, he was the expert she looked to about money and investments and Anthony was so new in town, he needed a friend.  All in all, he was the grounded, expert guiding his chosen ones around happily.<br/>