Hailey was speaking the truth, he knew that she was right. He knew that he needed to just give in to the night, forget about everything that had to do with losing his job at the Ministry for the night. If he kept harping, he'd end up in a spiral before the night was done. "I'll call Kenzie tomorrow," he conceded, just before drinking the last of the beer that was in his glass. "I'll redirect my thoughts, no more talk of the Ministry, or Lucy," he promised, setting the empty glass down on the table.
Unbeknownst to the pair at the table, Penelope Ahuja had walked into the grubby little pub, looking completely out of place in her pant suit, black heels, and flawless make-up. She always dressed to kill, especially when she was playing in a poker game instead of hosting. She had noticed Hailey immediately upon entering, she hadn't known however if Hailey would avoid like she had the last dozen or so times they had run into each other. It was for that reason that she had made her way to the bar first.
It was all about timing. Penny ordered a round of shots and waited until it looked like the pitcher between the pair was almost empty, before she made her way over to the table. She set the shots on the table, flashing at smile at Hailey, and her cousin. At least, Penny was almost certain that the tall, dark, and handsome man was Hailey's cousin. Her memory wasn't that bad. "I won't stay long, but I wanted to extend an invitation to the game going on," she said, motioning with her head towards the door to the poker game. "Consider this a peace offering," she said, eyes only for Hailey then. "Please," she said even softer, dropping a bit of the mask that she always had up.
On the other side of the table, Jaimeson was trying to peer at his cousin. His brows were raised with curiosity, glancing up at Penny. Of course he knew of her, the pair had been friends in school, and that Hailey had been hung up on her for years. He had never met her however, especially not like this. Curious eyes met Hailey's across the table, both brows raised in question. Were they going to play poker? It would be a good distraction.