Wonder Woman: Warbringer (DC Icons #1)(58)

“Is she gay?” asked Alia.

“Who cares? She’s wearing Badgley Mischka. I just want a better look at the dress.”

“Aw,” said Theo as he approached with two full flutes of champagne, “I chased Nim off. Such a shame. I swear that girl gets worse and worse.”

Alia pursed her lips. “Leave Nim alone.”

“Will do. All alone.”

“And what are you doing with champagne? None of us are old enough to drink.”

Theo took a big gulp from one of the glasses. “Don’t tell me you’re going to send me packing, too.”

Diana followed Theo’s gaze to where Jason had moved on to a group of young men, all of them with summer tans and artfully shaggy hair. Their raucous laughter, the way they took up the space around them, reminded her of the businessmen on the train. And there was something in the way they surveyed their surroundings….“They look at the room as if they own it.”

“You don’t say,” said Theo.

“Some of their fathers are on the board,” said Alia. “Jason’s just doing his job.”

“By joining the Legion of Bros?”

“Are they a club?” asked Diana.

“Pretty much,” said Theo. “And Jason’s hoping if I’m not around they’ll forget he’s black and teach him the secret handshake.”

Diana took a longer look at Jason, remembering what Alia had said about how the world saw her. Maybe Jason had good reason for the wary way he carried himself.

“Think of it like this,” Alia said. “If Jason waved you over, you’d actually have to make conversation with those guys.”

Theo shuddered. “They’d probably make me talk American football.”

“And how much they love the Red Hot Chili Peppers.”

Theo hissed. “Stop it.”

“And Dave Matthews,” Alia said ominously.

Theo threw his arms over his head. “You monster.”

Alia waggled her fingers at him. “And how they once saw Jimmy Buffett live at Myrtle Beach!”

Theo flopped across the table as if he’d been grievously wounded. “Save me, New Girl,” he rasped. “You’re my only hope.”

Diana had no idea what they were talking about, or the names of the demons Alia was invoking, but she moved one of the candles out of the way so Theo’s sleeve wouldn’t catch fire. “There,” she said. She nodded toward Jason, who had detached himself from his friends and was heading toward them. “I’m afraid your reprieve may be over, Alia.”

“Quick,” she said, “stuff me under the buffet.”

“Too late,” Theo said, righting himself and taking another gulp of champagne.

“Have you come to drag me back already?” Alia asked Jason.

“You made a commitment.”

“Alia!” said a booming voice, and Diana saw Theo flinch. A barrel-chested man with a salt-and-pepper beard approached the table, with another man in tow. He swept Alia into a hug, then stepped back to look at her. “It’s been too long. Jason said you had summer travel plans.”

Alia smiled. “I didn’t want to miss the chance to meet some of the Foundation donors.”

Diana was impressed with how smoothly Alia lied, even as she realized how easy it must have been for her to pretend she intended to visit the spring with Diana or to toss the cell phone into the bag, knowing her brother would use its signal to track them. Remember that, she warned herself. For all the dresses and the laughter and the ease you feel, remember how little you know these people, how easily deception comes to them.

“I’m delighted you’re here and taking an interest,” said the bearded man. “You should have seen your brother at the board meeting earlier. He’s a natural.”

“I had a good teacher,” Jason said, though he looked pleased.

“Dad has always been great at telling people what to do,” said Theo, taking a swig of champagne. Dad. So the bearded man was Michael Santos, Theo’s father and Alia and Jason’s godfather. Next to him, they looked impossibly young.

Michael chuckled easily, but the mirth didn’t reach his hazel eyes. “I can always count on Theo to keep my ego in check.” He turned away from his son. “Alia, Jason, this is Dr. Milton Han. He’s doing fantastic work in environmental remediation, and I think he could take Keralis Labs in some interesting directions.”

Dr. Han shook Jason’s hand. “I knew your father at MIT. He was one of the smartest and most creative thinkers I ever met.”

“I can assure you we’re continuing in that tradition.”

“I was just reading about some exciting work in biofuels,” said Alia. “Is your research focused primarily on the use of bacteria for waste disposal or conversion?”

Dr. Han seemed to startle, as if he was actually looking at Alia for the first time. “Ideally conversion, but that may be a long way off.”

Theo laughed softly and said under his breath, “Do not test Alia Keralis, Girl Genius.”

Diana remembered what Nim had said: The hard part is being seen. She wasn’t sure what Theo saw when he looked at Alia, but he was certainly paying attention.

As Alia and Jason fell into conversation with Dr. Han, Diana heard Michael mutter to Theo, “Getting a quick start, I see.” He glanced at the two glasses in Theo’s hands.