Alistair appeared from the back of the restaurant, tall and statuesque, head-to-toe in black. A silk blouse with the sleeves rolled up, tucked into high-waisted pants. A pair of pointed pumps. She dressed as if she missed the shadows, the comfort of being concealed by them. And yet even without any flashy attire she would've been incredibly hard to miss. A few heads turned as she walked past the booths; one of the more emboldened patrons even ventured to stop her and ask if she'd be performing tonight. Politely she turned to them and answered with a smile, merely a fine crack in her marble expression.
To her credit, she did make an effort to show amiability, and even appreciation towards the customers, especially those who came to see her perform. Sometimes, she even indulged them in conversation. This wouldn't be one of those times, however, her attention having been caught by a familiar glance coming from the bar.
Speaking of someone who stood out. She noticed Jayati just a moment before getting stopped at the booths. Veritas had at least another hour before the bar began filling up with the evening rush, but even then Alistair--even the most casual observer, she was sure--would’ve been able to pick her out from the crowd. In all the time she worked at Veritas, she couldn’t say she’d ever seen Jayati step foot there. This couldn’t have been a coincidence, she thought, but it was both a strange and intriguing sight, though she kept this to herself as she excused herself from the idle chatter and walked over. Alistair stood beside her, her eyes flitting over the menu Jayati had in her hand before looking back up.
"Branching out?" she asked, a small note of amusement in her voice.