The silence between them started to thicken, almost awkward. Ashley suddenly remembered something and dug into her bag. She pulled out a sleek bottle labeled The Empress Line and set it right in front of Vance.

Vance’s brows shot up, genuine confusion written all over his face. “Uh… why are you giving me this?”

Ashley nodded firmly. “Yeah, I’m handing you one of our samples. Honestly, you look kinda worn out, so I figured this might help you look way sharper.”

Vance’s ...