Her utter confusion of what had just transpired between them paralyzed her for a moment. She didn't understand what this stranger wanted, what he meant, but the way he spoke reminded her of the society balls of her own world, where the men echoed the gentlemen of bygone days and not dusty, crude space pirates. Was he... someone she had known long ago, at home, perhaps?
Inara.
Her smile faded and her hand fell, sharply, to clutch at her wrap, the fingers trembling slightly. As strange as the City could be, this was the strangest thing yet that it had thrown at her. She was completely taken aback by the edge of sharpness that permeated the stranger's voice now - and the fact that he knew her name. And the bitterness with which he emphasized his words... she should turn around and go back into the restaurant and forget the encounter, but she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep if she did. There had to be a more reasonable explanation for this.
"Sir," she called out after the retreating figure, glad her voice didn't waver, "how do you know my name?" She should apologize if she'd offended, if this was truly someone she'd known before, but she couldn't do that until she knew.