And for that, he'd have to stay on high alert, careful with his words, and pounce on any opportunity she might offer for him to unchain her from him with most haste. He tightened his jaw. Shape up Landgraab, It's time for yet another performance.

So he did the only thing he could do. He gave her a cursory side glance. "It seems to fit the criteria well enough." Otillie's face lit up that much more. Matthew's skin prickled. He'd walk this fine line till he found a quick way out of this conversation.

Matthew was far from what you would call an oblivious person. He knew that Tillie was fishing for both a compliment and his attention—both things he was loathe to encourage her with. But he also knew if he continued to say nothing, she'd be chained to his side for the rest of the night.

But rather than a return compliment, it was more silence. Silence Otillie knew she had to continue to fill until Matthew's attention was truly hers. "I was actually unsure of what to wear tonight. Dressy but not too dressy, fun but not too causal. I'm still unsure if this dress meets the criteria."

She hoped her enthusiasm would prompt him into further conversation, but he seemed stingy with his words, which was not unlike most nights, but she would not squander this opportunity to chat just the two of them. "Your ensemble tonight, looks very dashing." A compliment to elicit one in return.

"It's been a long time, Matthew," Otillie said shyly as she approached. "Welcome home." It didn't take more than one guess for Matthew to decode who had addressed him. Even without looking up he already knew. "Tillie. I assume you've been well." "Yes, very." Her voice brightened.

And even more agonizing than the time apart was the barage of news from the project he'd been working on with some industry tart. Her mother assured her she had nothing to worry about. Feather Arias was a trashy celebrity. She was an Alto-DeBateau. It was obvious who was more fit for a Landgraab.

"You won't forget in favor of this friend?" "Yes, Ronald, we will dance all in good time, but if you'll excuse me." Otillie moved past two of three McBurger triplets in favor of a much more desirable prize. It had been months since she'd last spoken to Matthew.

"Otillie?" Wendy McBurger III turned toward Otillie as she noticed her distraction. "Is everything OK?" "Everything's fine," Otillie reassured her. "I just noticed a friend. You wouldn't mind if I said hello, would you?" "Well, you did promise me a dance." Ronald McBurger said meekly.

But as Matthew's attention was occupied, his presence captured someone else's attention. Otillie Alto-DeBateau looked up from the polite conversation she got roped into and noticed the only reason she decided to come out to a party tonight—the only person who could secure her attendance anywhere.

Just a sad plate of overpriced vegetables meant to be classed up by the just as overpriced meat dressed around it. It was almost comical how similar they both were. He let out a sigh, as he began to take inventory of just how many hours he had left of this soiree.

And then there was him. Always the most out of place of Landraabs with the wrong hair, wrong skin color, and a temperament that ran both too hot and too cold to entertain like a Landgraab should at special events. He stayed focused on a plate of prosciutto wrapped asparagus like it was a lifeline.

Matthew sauntered over to the hor dourves table where he was intent on staying perched for the rest of the night. A cursory scan of the room, proved there were too many people in here, the music was too loud, and Tylor and Elizabeth were missing meaning they must be planning grand entrances.

"Yeah, sure, make friends." Matthew reassured him back. Though it was a task he didn't exactly plan to make good on. Instead, he nearly had to survive this. Outside of Dale, the only company he knew he could tolerate tonight was his own, and he didn't see that changing.

Matthew learned very quickly that when it came to Dale, so long as a song had a peppy beat to it, it was his song. "Go on, don't want to miss dancing to the best parts of it." Matthew prompted. "You're right! And don't forget what we talked about!" Dale was antsy but reassuring.

Matthew wanted to ask what kinds of things they talked about when it came to him—what kind of things she thought about him. But instead— "They're playing your song, Dale. You should dance." "Oh," Dale listened into the beat, "Oh! They really are playing my song!" Every song was Dale's song.

"Oh, and don't forget to smile!" "Now why would I do that?" "Because you've got a great smile. You know, Cordelia had said so too!" Matthew's heart twinged. "There's no way you could know that." "Sure there is. Cordie and I have club together. And we've talked about you before."

"No." "Wave to guest?" "Nod at a guest." "And then engage in one dance." "No." "Vibe to the music?" "Silently acknowledge music is playing in the way that I deem fit." "Deal! You know, you and I are great negotiators." "Sure, Dale."

"More than sure." Matthew turned away from him.' "But—" "If I go stand by the table full of hor dourves will you let me brood in peace?" "Well, I really do think you'd like hearing about who I saw out there, but I guess that's a good enough meeting half way. As long as you talk to one guest."

"Dale—" "Oh, come on! Give it a chance." He smiled. "While I was scaling the building I saw so many great people, and I bet every last one of them would want to be your friend. And guess who else I saw?" "To be honest, Dale. I really don't want to know." "You sure?"

"That's unlikely. Most of these people are business acquaintances of my father and their children. I'm not actually friends with any of them." "You're friends with me." "Yes, because I invited you not my father." "But you're so likeable. This an opportunity to make friends!"

"Of course." Matthew said flatly. "But never mind my eventful start of the evening, what are you doing hiding back here. Aren't you the man of the hour?" "I think you're thinking of Tylor. This whole thing is for him." "Perhaps, but you're finally back. I'm sure many people here have missed you!"

Matthew had so many questions regarding how he was able to manage scaling a wall, but instead of opening that can of worms, he simply asked, "What would you have done if the door off the gym had been locked." "That would've given me the opportunity to practice my lock picking skills!"

"You're correct, but my mom would only let me come to this if I practiced my survival skills on the way. Wall scaling is actually a very useful tool." "You scaled the wall to my house?" "Sure did! You have very immaculate masonry work on this building, by the way."

But with some doing he knew that he could possible just— "Tough it out!" A voice proclaimed from behind him. One he recognized, but one he was most certainly not expecting to have just crept up on him. "What the hell, Dale? How did you even get back there. The door off the gym isn't an entrance."

...meanwhile upstairs in the Landraab mansion... After Matthew's anger cooled it was displaced with an intense amount of cold feet for having to be at the a party at all. There was nothing Matthew disliked more than a room full of overdressed people mingling en masse in an oppressively small space.

Gotta push the queue back to 2pm ET today. I'm the only one in for my department today so gotta lock in early while I can 😅

"—I get ice cream after this. Your treat." "Well, I guess I could promise that. But it has to be 10 minutes. Not a second longer." "As you command, my liege." A smirk quirked Milie's lips. "And don't call me that. We're suppose to be bonding, so you have to be nice." "Yeah, yeah. See you in 10!"

"Oh, so I'm dramatic for just wanting to spend time with my little sister." Cordie said under breath. "Fine. Ten minutes. I stuff my face for 10 minutes while you stay as incognito as possible upstairs. Then I'll be your guard pooch for the rest of the night. But if I'm still hungry—"

"I'm not! It's just, I dunno. I haven't spoken to Elizabeth in a really long time. And I thought the whole point of us coming here together was for us to be here 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. And now you're just ditching me immediately. It just doesn't seem—" "Ugh, Cordie! Must you be dramatic?"