Daniel, by contrast, did not modulate his tone at all. He spoke just as loudly as he had before: his voice not raised, exactly, but loud enough to carry when the conversation around them dimmed. He had been all too grateful to find a reason to slip away from the girls, and he had no intention of curbing this newfound pleasure-slash-conflict.
"We sure do," he said. He folded his arms across his chest. "The party's just gettin' started and you're already tryin' to slink away. Why don't you get comfortable?" He gestured behind them, toward the pool table, where a collection of plush chairs and full pillows remained unoccupied. "Stay a while. Socialize. Especially since apparently the only way I can talk to you is to corner you somewhere you can't easily leave."
He grinned. "So. How you been, Chris? How are you settlin' in?"