Questionable attitude

Mike stammers his way through an apology. “I…sorry, I did not mean to offend. Delilah, you said? A pleasure to meet you.”

He extends a hand to shake, and she looks at him disdainfully. “Yes, my name is Delilah. You can put your hand down, this is not a friendly meeting, and I am not here to be nice.”

Mike sighs. “Fair enough. I’m simply trying to be polite. As I said, I didn’t mean to offend, I was mostly surprised that you’re a woman. All the people I’ve met who dislike me so far have been men.”

Delilah scoffs. “Feh, and the first time a woman doesn’t drop her pants for you you’re astonished?”

Mike shakes his head. “Not at all. Despite whatever reputation I seem to have developed, I am not an animal.”

She frowns, shaking her head. “We shall see. You caused quite a stir last night, with the display you made of yourself and that poor young woman.”

Mike blinks, surprised. “Display? Alicia and I were on a date. We’ve grown very close. I think you’re overstating what happened, we simply had a lovely dinner together.”

Delilah leans forward, and Mike forces himself to look into her eyes as opposed to down her cleavage. “And what then? You take her back to bed and ravish her?”

Mike looks at her curiously. “First of all, no, we went and watched the stars together and had a long talk. Afterwards we came home, and what happened then is not your business. Second, why are you so concerned about that? It’s always consensual, and every time it’s been the other person coming on to me.”

Delilah stares at him hard. “You’re a corrupting influence! A novelty that encourages that sort of thing!”

Mike shrugs. “I’ve enjoyed a surprising amount of popularity, sure. But from what I’ve seen, there’s been nothing unusual about it. Other than Alicia, most of the people who’ve come to me have been pretty open about that sort of thing to begin with. And Alicia…we bonded pretty quickly, she’s a wonderful person.”

Staring into her eyes, Mike notes that something in her expression has changed, but he can’t place it. He continues to speak. “Now, was this going to be an interview, or did you just come to admonish my sex life?”

Delilah sits up, slightly surprised. “No, that was not…fine, let’s continue. What do you have to say about the rumors that you’re simply a spy or a scout, preparing for an invasion?”

Mike chuckles. “That’s ridiculous. I wasn’t even supposed to be here. However, all I can give you is my word on that. Besides, I’m fairly certain that my actions tell that story pretty clearly. Interviews, dates, that sort of thing isn’t in line with the rumors.”

Delilah nods, seemingly satisfied with that answer. Her demeanor is becoming less severe quickly, but she continues her questions.

“What would you say to your detractors who claim that you’re simply here to bed women?”

Mike smiles. “Well, again, I have certainly enjoyed my popularity here. But I’m just one person. And I don’t think I should have to turn down a beautiful woman just because an unrelated person doesn’t like me.”

Delilah is visibly fidgeting now, seeming more and more distracted by something. Finally, she sighs, and stares at Mike. “You seem to have an answer for everything. Tell me this, then. What are your plans going forward?”

Mike thinks for a moment. “Well, for now I’m staying here. There’s still more testing that needs to be done, and as I said, I am happy with the people here, they treat me well. Afterwards, who knows? I know Fiona wanted me to work with her, which is certainly enticing. But that’s a ways off.”

Looking at Delilah, her distraction is now obvious, and she suddenly stands, looking flustered. “I…I think I’ve heard enough. I will leave now. Good day.”

Mike stands, offering a hand again. “If you have more questions, I’m happy to answer. You know where to find me.”

Delilah stares at his hand a moment, then clasps it to shake. Mike could swear her heard her gasp slightly, but after a quick handshake, she turns and leaves. Mike watches her go, wondering what happened, when Damon stands up as well, nodding.