The Prince and the Plant Whisperer

Into A Lair

[~~Posted Mar. 4, '21

A/N, So the guy who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies—that's who's in my mind. ]

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Once more, Kai checked the address Barry'd sent her. The place she was supposed to meet his brother.

200 Crown Street.

She stood face to face with a black door with brass trim. In cursive font, a brass plaque on the door read:

CROWN CLUB

With a push, she swung the door open. Inside, her eyes adjusted to the light. She was in a swanky bar of some sort.

What is this?

It looked like the lobby of a small but upscale hotel. Marble floors. Polished brass fixtures. Dim, warm lighting. Up on a mezzanine, sunlight streamed through an arched, stained-glass window flanked by bookcases.

A staircase led upward to the mezzanine, then curved around to the floor above.

Footsteps, down the stairs.

And then...

A blonde man with a diamond-like stare appeared before her. He wore a dress shirt and black pants. Something about his vibe matched the decadent space.

"Kaia?" he asked.

She nodded. "Are you— are you Barry's brother?"

"No. Barry's my brother." He smiled at his weird joke. Which Kai didn't find funny.

Tom was a junior. But he looked older. More....

...more hardened, somehow.

The man gestured for Kai to come with him. They walked up the mezzanine and around to a second floor full of dark-blue, velvet armchairs.

Tom brought over a tray of with glasses next to a decanter that held amber-colored liquid.

"Woolford reserve," he explained, and poured himself a glass.

He started to pour her one too, until she gestured to stop him.

What WAS this place?

Seeing her confusion, Tom said, "We're starting a new members-only club. Select students will be members. Students going on to do bigger and better things after they graduate." He grinned. "It's a family business."

Family business? Kai's eyes widened. "Barry's doing this too?"

Tom shook his head. "No. It's my project. Our dad's an investor. But Barry—he's not into this stuff. All Barry does is live in made-up worlds—"

"—The rest of his family—we shape the real world."

Looking down at her overalls and sweatshirt, Kai felt out of place. Tom crossed his legs.

"Anyway," he continued. "My little bro—

—he told me you saved him from some childish orientation activity. Getting hit by eggs."

"It wasn't a big deal."

Without saying anything, Tom looked at her from head to toe. Took a slow sip of his drink.

Then out of the blue, he said, "I should thank you. Here—"

She realized he was holding a metallic-gold box with silver ribbon on it. Pushing it toward her.