For a moment, Simon turned his eyes down, a light blush appearing on his neck and ears. He fought against a smile that forced its way on to his lips. When he managed to regain control, he looked up, a sparkle in his eyes. "I hope you'll be prepared when you meet her, ser." Was he crossing the line? But all of this was a crossing of lines - lines of class division not the least. And Simon had a feeling Zech would never get to the point if he wasn't encouraged to.

He wondered what it would be like to help both partners cheat on each other. That idea felt vindicating. And the rich buffoons would pay for their mutual betrayal as well. One of the corners of his mouth turned up in a smirk he tried to suppress. God, he enjoyed that thought.

Blissfully unaware of Simon’s sordid fantasy, Zecharian gestured his fork in a circle with a sly look.

“I hope she is enough to reel me in.”

Simon did not even try to hide it as his smirk grew wider. "She might pick another bait if yours doesn't appeal to her... Ye better impress her." He took another mouthful, still watching Zech to observe his reaction.

The sly look dropped for a second of hurt, before looking aloof as he stirred his foot around his plate.

“If it does not appeal to her, it was not meant to be.”

He loudly crunched a slice of carrot between his teeth.

Simon looked surprised and cautious for a moment. Not willing to negotiate what was probably a low pay, then? More like Hurley than he thought. And yet Simon was fascinated. "Aye... but it wouldn't hurt to get some practice." And with a shrug he added nonchalantly: "Least that's what the other guys say..."

“The other guys,” he said snidely, “did not realize I was not practicing.”

Then, he seemed to hear his own words, echoing in his presumably empty skull. Like a cup being filled with wine, Zechariah’s skin progressively turned red.

He took way too large a mouthful to comfortably chew.

Simon sat back a little and watched Zech trying to suffocate himself.

Except with Hurley, he thought.

"They all go see girls..." he said, as if he had not heard the man's words.

Zech chewed. And chewed. He cupped his mouth to keep the food from spilling out, and chewed.

Simon watched Zech. He frowned.

He swallowed a little, coughed, and continued to chew.