[Hugh Cleary]

“Well it is a bit much,” said Hugh grudgingly. “But it will pass in time as I burry myself in work once more. Still, nothing is as interesting or as fun as it use to be around here, and that is a reason to feel sorry for myself a bit.”

He sighed and took a sip of his drink before looking to Viola and saying, “Oh and thankyou for the offer but... thankfully you habe never been in my system. But if you ever are you will be the first to know...”

A very safe promise to make.

Looking back to Iris then he said, “Why don’t you distract me from my morose state so that I can return to myself. Tell me about the latest gossip at the market perhaps. I hear rumors that a certain eligible batchelor there has been seen in the company of the ex Mrs Cleary...”

It wasn’t really the sort of thing Hugh was terribly interested in, but he knew Iris wouldn’t talk about the business side of things, so it was something she might talk about to take his mind from Zara at least!

[Iris Thorne]

Iris took another sip, and with a bit of a smile added "perhaps I'll give you that. Though you lose points because it was only one person, and not three."

She glanced over to Viola, "he says that now but..."

Iris was increasingly getting into a playful mood, frankly if she wasn't by now then it was a wonder the amount they had drunk between them had any actual stimulants in it.

"I have many ways in which I can distract you Hugh, but honestly you want me to talk gossip? Really, next thing you'll know you want to talk business." she scoffed, tilted her head slightly to one side as if surveying him before adding with a bit of a shrug of her shoulders, "well, let us just say that I wouldn't be in the UK at the same time as said bachelor was here making a tour of a certain reserve."

[Maximilian Rogan]

“If only I was rich huh?” Said Dice, leaning on the counter over Viola.

“Because... other than being filthy ritch I have everything else you would want in a man, huh?”

He smirked back at her, then said, “I knew you would come around to seeing what a quality guy I am...”

[Viola York]

Viola smirked, offering Dice a sly wink.

"I'm sure you knew that by the many nights we spent together. If I was single, you wouldn't even have the energy to stand up most days." She sat back in her chair, drinking from her glass.

Just because she was engaged didn't mean she couldn't at least ripple the waters, right?

[Hugh Cleary]

“Oh really?” Said Hugh, raising his brows. “Well... good for her I suppose. I don’t wish any ill will on Hera. Seems she and my little cousin were not happy together in the end, so she might as well find happiness someplace else.”

Hugh sat back in his seat, sipped his drink, then said, “But if you look disparagingly on gossip, why don’t you pull out one of those other ways you have of distracting me?...” he smirked at her then, only half hearing Dice and Viola’s banter.

[Iris Thorne]

"Yes, really..." she said in response adding, "...all rather lovely and happy, and I sure that your cousin will be thrilled to know" but her tone was as flat and dismissive as ever.

Iris polished off the remains of her drink, placed the glass on the bar top and moved away from the bar and came to a stop in front of Hugh. She leaned down and her fingers wrapped around his tie and pulled it so he was forced forward in his seat.

"I can do many things to you right now to distract you from your little trifles but it might lower the standards of this place even further. Not that it is much further to go." She smiled, her gaze might have softened for a moment. Though she would sooner deny having done such a thing, and would pin it down to the amount she had imbibed.

She a little closer and placed a kiss on the side of his face, released the hold of his tie, leaned back and turned to take a seat opposite Hugh.

"You know, it's been a rather pleasant evening."

[Maximilian Rogan]

“Oh yeah...” said Dice, looking her up and down and then leaning further towards her and she leaned back, “I don’t seem to remember being with someone else stopping you from in the past... I don’t think you are a one man woman Vi.”

[Hugh Cleary]

As Iris sat back Hugh finished off his whisky, then said with a smile,

“I think it’s about to get far more pleasent from here...”

That small kiss on the cheek, the touch to his chest, brought back such a flood of memories. Perhaps memories it was wiser to forget... He had at one time developed very strong feelings for the woman, untill she had ended their comited relationship with little ceremony. He had then, at various times, hooked up here and there with her, again not the wisest move for someone looking to move on, only to break that cycle when he began a sexual relationship with Zara but.... he was in a mood to indulge himself. Anything to remove Zara’s inconvinient spell on him as quickly as possible. Prudence was not a top priority.

Sliding his empty glass down towards Dice he said, “One more of these.” To Iris then he said, “How attached are you to spending the remainder of the night with this one here?” he said with a nod back towards Viola.

[Viola York]

Viola smirked at Dice. She was about to reply when she heard Hugh's words, scrunching her nose at him.

"Hey, it's my hen night. Why are you trying to steal her away, huh? You tryna bed my hen party?" She questioned, leaning forward into his face, examining him. But she started to smirk. "You can if you kiss the bride first you know."

But before he could, she pulled back, laughing, waving him off as she did.

"Nah, you can ask her out. I'll hang here with Dice, maybe we can call some more men to fawn over me and really make my night, hm?" She looked over to Dice, bringing her hand up and twirling a piece of his hair in her fingers, her eyes fiery and locked onto his.

[Iris Thorne]

"Is that so?" came her response to him, her gaze that was completely fixed on him, broke to look to Viola, her mouth grew into sly grin, and she laughed at her antics with Hugh. She then glanced over to Dice, "make it a bottle, to go. He's paying."

She got to her feet, perhaps there might have been a slight wavier but if there was it was only for a moment, "Viola, it's been thoroughly enjoyable evening, we should this again. But if you'll forgive me, this one needs dealing with." her hand gestured to Hugh.

[Hugh Cleary]

Hugh never look his eyes off Iris and didn’t bother hiding the intentions behind his gaze.... Taking the bottle from Dice the moment it was place on the bar, Hugh picked up his coat and followed after Iris.

It was nice to have an ex like Iris in his life...