If she didn't want him to play along, she shouldn't have asked. It wasn't as if he was compelled to answer by any means, but on the other hand, he hated when someone else had the upper hand, so answering gave him the opportunity to at least collect his thoughts a bit.
Julius rolled his eyes at the insinuation that this event was somehow above him--alright the choice in alcohol was a little disappointing, but he was never opposed to a nice bonfire--because any event where there were people to meet and information to gather was not above him. There was a difference between having fine tastes and being elitist. She wasn't wrong though. He hadn't brought much cash. Mostly because if he ran out his home was only a hop skip and a jump away. "Or because I was afraid some light fingered pickpocket might relieve me of it?"
It really was the proximity thing though. He didn't have any reason to be distrustful of his neighbors. Yet.
He smirked at her question knowing it was likely rhetorical. Flipping open his Zippo lighter, he lit his cigarette before returning both the pack of cigarettes and the lighter to his pocket from whence they came. "I doubt it's a question of what I'd prefer. Would you really give me the truth if I asked?" Unlikely. Though if pressed, he'd probably prefer the riddle.