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She contained herself with just another smile. Bubbly and cheerful was one thing. Psychotically happy and clingy was another.

“Oh, you’re just terribly sweet, aren’t you?” said Madison. “Thank you for humoring me. I’ll try not to be too annoying--I promise!” She knew that fishing for compliments was an old and very well-known tactic, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t still be effective, especially against strangers. People who knew her well would doubtlessly show no mercy in calling her out on that, but she was betting that the mysterious gentleman in front of her wouldn’t mind.

“Not at all,” said Dimas. “It will be my pleasure.”

Madison didn’t even have to force her smile, this time. Sure, maybe Dimas didn’t have the most receptive tone or expression, but somehow, she still felt like he meant those words.

Ah, but that could’ve just been her wanting him to mean them, she knew. She’d certainly made that mistake before. She wanted to be smarter than her past self.

They exited the banquet hall together, with Madison having to take the lead. She had no idea where she was going, of course, and the two of them were now drawing even more attention than she’d been getting on her own, but none of that could remove the grin from her face.

A date. This was totally a date. Not an official one, of course, but it was basically the same thing, just not as formal. And there was plenty of potential there, she knew.

Now she just had to not fuck everything up.

In spite of herself, she was getting nervous. She was only twenty-eight years old, but truthfully, she was already beginning to feel a little bit like she was over the hill. She experienced heartburn for the first time in her entire life last year, and every time she thought about all the newer, younger actresses making waves now in Steccat... Not to mention, she hadn’t actually landed a movie role in several months now... Oh, and how many of her girlfriends had gotten married over the last few years?

And that wasn’t even broaching the subject of that old drug problem...

Agh. The more she allowed herself to think about it, the more reason she found to justify each and every one of her insecurities.

If Dimas knew everything she was thinking, right now, he would ditch her in a heartbeat. Hell, maybe he was already planning to and really was just being polite.

Hmm? Where he’d go? She looked around. Oh, goddess, please--

Wait, no, there he was, following a few meters behind her. Phew.

Someone was walking with him and talking quietly. A fellow Rainlord, presumably. Of course, she hadn’t actually gotten confirmation that Dimas himself was a Rainlord, but it seemed a safe gamble.

Madison slowed her pace to match theirs, but they stopped talking before she was close enough to overhear what they were saying.

Huh.