“It was certainly unexpected.”

He smirked, and I had a feeling he wanted to ask something else, but it never came.

“So, where’s Evan today?” I asked. “Isn’t he supposed to be your security?”

“He’s around here.” Xavier’s mouth twitched, and his eyes went over my shoulder. “Ah, here he is now.” Xavier leaned back and lifted a hand.

I turned to see Evan strolling down the street from the other direction.

“No room for me at the inn?” Evan said as he eyed our table. “Dauphine, there’s an acrobat I just passed. Shall I take you to go and see him?”

She jumped up. “Oui! J’adore!”

“I just ordered her a drink,” Xavier protested.

Evan smiled and looked at both his boss and me. “And it will be here when we get back.”

Xavier scowled, and I felt like I was missing something.

Dauphine grabbed Evan’s hand, and they disappeared into the throng of pedestrians, leaving Xavier and me alone. At the next table a woman with dark hair kept looking over at us. Xavier noticed and slipped his sunglasses back over his eyes. Silence stretched.

“I’m sorry about the Rod thing,” I said.

“What are you sorry for? It wasn’t your fault.”

“I know. I just mean sorry it happened. If it helps, I know he didn’t mean anything by it.”

“He didn’t. He’s young and doesn’t think sometimes. But still, I can’t have him making comments like that. He won’t learn if no one corrects him.”

“True. So how do you know Evan? I get that he works for you, but you seem to be friends too.”

Xavier leaned back, and his fingers drummed on the table. “I’ve known Evan on and off since we were kids. His father worked with mine. And after Evan joined the British military, I knew one day when he was ready, I’d hire him.”

I cocked my head to the side, waiting for him to elaborate.

“Since I was a boy, it was always a bodyguard who usually spent the most time with me.” He paused, his jaw setting. “Apart from nannies, of course. I figured out early on that it may as well be someone I respected and consider a friend. Real friends … are hard to come by the more successful my company becomes. Oh, I know a lot of people,” he responded to whatever he saw on my face, and I could tell he was uncomfortable talking but he didn’t stop, though he kept his voice low. “You don’t come from my family or get to where I have in my business life by not knowing a lot of people and cultivating every relationship you can. For the sake of the other staff who work with me, Evan and I are always simply boss and employee in public. But in private we are friends.”