Her bright smile made something glitter in his eye. It was always rewarding to make a beautiful woman smile and no number of years would diminish that pleasure for Matthew. He grinned back, glancing over to the crowd behind them and the woman that had been on his arm was still sitting at the bar, talking to someone else.

He shook his head. "Merely company for the card table. She also fetches me drinks when I've run out. Like a very expensive tavern wench, but it fosters a certain air that the people here respect. Next to you, she's an ugly little mouse." A small lie, but a very workable one. The woman was beautiful, as all his companions were, but she was just a whore and a human which made her disposable and leave able. Especially when put next to a vampire.

"You're much more interesting by far."