Re: Sitting Area
A friend, was it? Richard guessed that it was more complicated than that. Lucy's pause for consideration said a lot, and nobody looked ready to throw a punch when they found their 'friend' sitting at a party. Whatever he was about to step in, it was a lot more than just a 'friendship'.

But as he sized James up, Richard couldn't quite bring himself to care. Something about this new guy... The familiarity was almost expected when he met new Californians at this point, but there was something else. Something strong, which he couldn't identify. He stood, slowly, and met James's eyes. If he wanted a fight, Richard would be happy to oblige. Lucy was here with him after all, and he was a little surprised by how possessive he felt about that.

And Richard had learned the best way to annoy men like this a long time ago. The smile he offered was direct, and he stepped just a little too far into James's personal space as he offered a hand. "Any friend of Lucy's is a friend of mine," he said in a perfectly calm and friendly voice. "I wouldn't have had anything to wear here if she hadn't been there to help me choose my clothes." The wink at the end of the sentence was probably a bit much, but he couldn't quite hold it back.