It was a cluster of shimmering outfits and guests dripping in gold and diamonds, and Ronan Ludolf paid very little attention to them as he wove his way through the crowd, in search of the bar. He’d promised to get Tatiana something to drink--a ginger ale or sparkling water, more likely than not--and had something a bit harder in mind for himself. As Ronan elbowed his way through the crowd, grumbling in mild irritation to himself, he held a hand up to catch the bartender’s expression.

“A glass of water and a beer--whatever you’ve got cold and on tap.”