Victoria's eyes moved down his clothing with an almost theatrical slowness. Her face changed before she opened her mouth. The smile she had offered Klaus and Stefan disappeared, replaced by an expression that Darien recognized from other lobbies, other conference rooms, and other encounters with people who believed their first impression was an objective fact. She glanced at his portfolio, then at the sneakers visible against the immaculate white marble. She seemed to settle on an explanation for his presence that required no questions at all.
"Can I help you?" she asked.
"I believe we have an appointment to discuss your financing," Darien answered. "Priya Shah confirmed the details with Jenny Lawson."
"You believe you have an appointment?" Victoria repeated. "With me?"
"Yes." He kept his hand extended for another second before beginning to lower it. "Cole Ventures. We spoke with your finance team about the proposed Series C."
Klaus looked from one face to the other. He had been in the industry long enough to recognize the name, and he seemed puzzled that Victoria had not. Stefan shifted the briefcase in his hand and took a small step back, giving the approaching man room. But Victoria was focused entirely on what she believed she had identified. The quality of Darien's speech and the assurance of his posture appeared not to matter to her.
"This is a private business meeting," she said. "You can't simply walk into a hotel and claim that you know somebody important."
"I wouldn't do that," Darien said. "If you'll call Jenny, she'll confirm the appointment. I can show you the correspondence myself."
"Of course you have correspondence. People can make anything look official these days." Her tone sharpened. "I have serious investors standing here, and you are interrupting them."
"Victoria," Klaus said softly, "perhaps you should verify before making assumptions."
She lifted one finger in his direction without turning around. The gesture was practiced, the same one she used to silence junior employees who spoke before she had finished a thought. "I can handle this, Klaus. These situations happen when people hear a company is raising money. Everybody imagines they can talk their way into an opportunity."
Darien withdrew a phone from his pocket. "I can have my assistant call yours. This will take less than a minute."
"That won't be necessary. I don't need you putting on a performance with some friend pretending to be a banker." Victoria's voice had risen enough to carry across the seating area. "Frankly, I'm amazed you thought you could show up in a polo shirt and sneakers and be taken seriously."
A woman named Eleanor Price, seated on a sofa near the windows, looked up from the email she was writing. She had arrived early for a conference on medical technology, and she initially assumed the raised voices involved a scheduling problem. But she heard Victoria say "people like you," saw the way Darien's hand had been left hanging, and felt a sudden discomfort that was not simply secondhand embarrassment. She began recording with her phone, keeping it low enough to capture the voices without stepping into the confrontation.