"Now, if I am not mistaken, the servants should have set supper out. I forgot to mention to them that I ate while I was away, but I am sure you are hungry, Herr Hux."
Not terribly, but he did not want to be rude. "Supper sounds wonderful."
Snoke smiled, revealing unusually long, pointed canine teeth. The people in this area of the world were physically quite remarkable. Then again, they more than likely thought his Celtic red hair and green eyes unusual. Hux could not pretend that his views were more objective than that of another.
"Then come, friend." He rose gracefully from his chair and led Hux back into the main room. There, a full meal awaited them. A man sat at the table, and when he saw them, he stood. Though he towered several inches over Snoke's head and his powerful build could hardly be further from that of his father's, Hux immediately spotted the family resemblance. Snoke's son shared his father's pale, nearly translucent skin and full, plush lips. "Herr Hux, I am pleased to present to you my son, Kylo Ren. Kylo, this is Brendol Hux, the solicitor who will be completing the purchase of our new estate."
Hux bowed his head. "It is a pleasure to meet you." He extended his hand, and Ren took it. A shudder went through him at the sensation, a shudder that couldn't fully be explained away by how Ren's hands felt cold as ice.
Ren responded with a smile so wide as to be almost mocking. "We are honored to finally make your acquaintance. I have heard much about you these last few months - all good, I assure you."
And yet Hux had not known of Ren's existence until not ten minutes prior. He decided it best not to comment on that. "Thank you. It has been an honor to work with your father these last few months. I am glad to finally meet you both."
Ren must have sensed that slightest hint of spite in his voice, for he gave Hux another one of those smiles before glancing towards the table. "Would you care for a glass of wine, Herr Hux? The vines here are better than any you'll find in England."
"Yes, please."
At that point, Snoke interceded. "Please, let us sit down to eat. Herr Hux has so little time with us. It would be a shame if the only sarmale he tasted was cold."
They sat down, and after his first bite, Hux had to agree. The dish, ground pork mixed with rice and onions and wrapped in a cabbage leaf, tasted nothing like anything he had ever had before. He had not eaten since breakfast several hours earlier, and though he often went so long without eating while at work, tonight, the instant food hit his tongue, he felt ravenous. It took him a long moment to realize that neither of his hosts had yet taken any for themselves. He knew that Snoke would not eat, but surely they had not had so much food prepared for just one person. "Are you not hungry?" he asked Ren.
"I ate a very large meal this afternoon. No, I think I will keep to wine." He lifted up his glass, which he had been nursing the entire evening. Perhaps it was just a trick of the light, but Hux could swear that the liquid inside was darker than that in his own, and from the way it moved as Ren brought it to his mouth, he believed it thicker, more viscous as well. Hux could not tear his eyes away as Ren took a long drink. It was impolite, and he ought to know better, but the view as the man's Adam's apple bobbed in his throat was spellbinding. Were Hux asked to name the most handsome men he had ever come across, Ren's would never be brought up. Still, he had to admit that there was something unusually attractive about the man. Dark hair kept longer than any Englishman would dare, lips so plump and red as to be nearly pornographic, broad shoulders…
He forced his thoughts back to the matters at hand. The sale required his undivided attention. He would do well to remember that he was here for business, no matter how exotic the locale or its inhabitants. Hux directed his attention towards Snoke, surely the safer of the two men to focus on. "You mentioned that you wished me to accompany your son to London?"
Snoke nodded. "Yes. If you are amenable, I would that you departed the day after tomorrow." He glanced up at the clock, which showed it was well after midnight. "Or the day after today, as it might be."
"I would be very amenable." He had business to attend to in London and had already been gone too long. Though Snoke's was their largest and most intricate project, the office of Hux & Patton always had a huge number of cases open, cases with clients who would take their business elsewhere if they felt they were of secondary concern. "What do you wish to review before we leave?" Surely there was a purpose to this visit beyond serving as Ren's guide?
"We can discuss those matters tomorrow," Snoke replied. "For now, I would very much like to hear more of your London as you finish your meal."
"Yes, eat. You're no use to us as skinny as you are." At Ren's words, something in the air changed. He could not quite identify what had incited it, but goosebumps erupted up and down Hux's arms at the words. Though one would not phrase an encouragement so bluntly in polite society, both Snoke and his son had shown that their hold on the English language was less than masterful. He had not been the only one to notice Ren's odd choice of words. Snoke glared at his son, and the expression was met with no sign of deference or apology.
Hux tucked the incident away for later contemplation and took another bite of sarmale. He could feel Ren's eyes on him, and heat began to creep up his neck.
He was saved from embarrassment by Snoke's voice. "Tell me of London. I want to know everything about my new Star Killer."
"It is very old," Hux began, relieved to at last be firmly back in his element. "The previous owner was not able to provide an exact date for me, but after examining the records and the style of architecture, I believe it dates back to the fourteenth century at least."
"Good. I do not want a new home. It is best to be surrounded by history, as I am here."
"Then I believe you will be very pleased with your purchase. The manor has been added on many times over the years. It could practically serve as a history of English architecture." After seeing Snoke's library, Hux was certain the man already knew all of this and more, but his job remained to ensure that the client was well-informed of their purchase.
"And the neighborhood?"
"It is practically a neighborhood unto itself, given the expansive grounds. I believe that you could only see your nearest neighbors from the upper floors. Beyond that, the neighborhood is pleasant. Most of the properties in the area are similar to Star Killer in age and size." He kept his eyes trained on Snoke as he spoke, but he could still feel Ren's gaze on him, so intense as to be almost tangible.
They continued on in this vein until late into the night, only an hour or two before dawn, when Snoke again looked at the clock. I have kept you far too late, Herr Hux. I hope you will excuse my curiosity and feel no need to rise early this morning."
He suppressed a yawn. Ren and Snoke must be more accustomed to such late nights than he, for neither showed even the slightest hint of fatigue. No matter what, he had to soldier on. "I am glad I was able to answer your questions. I want you to feel confident in your purchase."
"And with your help, I do." Snoke bowed his head. "Now, friend, sleep."
"Thank you for the meal. It was very good." His head was swimming, perhaps from exhaustion, perhaps from the wine that had flowed so freely over the past several hours. Every time he finished a glass, Ren had pressed another upon him, and the vintage was so good that Hux had lacked the heart to argue. "Good night, Lord Snoke." He turned to Ren. "And good night to you as well. It was a pleasure to meet you."
"And you as well, Herr Hux." He felt himself being pulled in by Ren's eyes, deep and dark and impossible to resist. "I do hope our partnership will be a successful one."
