Hypernova : A Sequel to Supernova

Episode 7.2 - Old Habits

The restaurant buzzed softly with hushed voices and the gentle clatter of cutlery. Sunlight spilled over the tables, illuminating the polished silverware and casting a warm glow over the patrons. Jade sat opposite his lunch companion, his chin propped on his hand, a faint, almost bored smile lingering on his lips. Across from him, Annelise—or was it Annette?—filled the air with stories about her travels, each one more extravagant than the last.

Her earrings swung like tiny chandeliers, glinting with each animated gesture. "The Maldives was a dream," she gushed, her voice airy and dripping with satisfaction. "Private islands, secluded beaches—you wouldn't believe how exclusive it was."

Jade's smile never wavered, though his fingers drummed lightly on the table, a subtle rhythm betraying his impatience. He cast a brief glance at her jewelry: a necklace too bulky, bangles that jingled too loudly, a collection of clashing stones that screamed wealth but whispered nothing of taste.

Mistaking his glance for admiration, she leaned in, her grin widening. "I only wear custom pieces from Le Devoir. Standards, you know?" Her voice was a smug purr.

"I'm sure they're... one of a kind," Jade replied smoothly, watching as she preened, clearly delighted by what she took for awe.

Her laughter, a shade too loud, broke the relative quiet of the restaurant. She launched into another tale, this time about a yacht in the Maldives, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "The upholstery—absolutely ghastly with the mahogany detailing. They have no sense of refinement, do they?" Her eyebrows arched, awaiting what she must've assumed would be his emphatic agreement.

Jade nodded, suppressing a yawn. Mahogany detailing? He shifted his gaze to her fingers, which gleamed with a myriad of rings — one with a massive emerald that seemed to have declared war on the purple amethyst on her opposite hand. Was she dressing in the dark? The jewels looked more suited for a grand masquerade than a simple lunch. Jade fought the impulse to reach for his phone, anything to rescue himself from the ordeal.

"Oh, but you wouldn't believe the waitstaff at this little bistro I found," she continued, flicking her perfectly manicured hand, "I had to tell them three times to bring my champagne without too many bubbles. Can you imagine?" Her voice was tinged with disdain, as if she'd suffered a great injustice.

Jade inclined his head politely. "Must have been awful," he murmured, lips curving in a faint smile. Awful for them, maybe.

Her laughter pealed out, assuming he'd commiserated with her on some profound level. Jade studied her outfit, trying to find something to distract him from the painfully slow ticking of time. His gaze drifted to her dress a painfully bright shade of pink cinched with a gaudy gold belt. The jewels sparkling from her ears, neck, wrists were all competing for attention. The irony of wealth wasted on such tasteless display made him want to laugh.

She continued, oblivious to his mental retreat. "And then, at the gala, everyone was asking where I got it—the custom Hermes, of course. Anything else would've been intolerable."

"Fascinating," he replied, raising his glass to take a long, slow sip. Fascinating how  people thought that because they had a certain level of wealth they had toshow that in their dress, like this one who ended up looking like she'd raided a costume shop.

His mind drifted to future meetings his mother would undoubtedly arrange. More jewelry, more exaggerated laughter, more stories of private islands and designer labels. He held back a sigh, glancing at her untouched plate and wondering how many more lunches like this he'd have to endure.

She leaned in, her eyes gleaming with expectation. "Jade, aren't you captivated?" Her voice broke into his thoughts.

"Captivated?" he echoed, his tone flawlessly smooth. "You have no idea."