Insidious [DisgruntledCute+Ringmaster]

Caine chuckled into his hand.

"How cynical, Mr. Greyson." He leaned backward and motioned to the expanse of the room, "We're all here for the same reason, to support the F C.O.T.A. foundation. As you said, its a very worthy cause." He turned and smiled back at Thomas, "Still though," he patted his pocket, "chance does favor the prepared mind. I'd be remiss not to at least keep an eye open. Everyone has problems and I just want to do my part, as a doctor, it is my oath."

He set down the last bit of his drink on the counter. He was getting cheeky. It was time to slow down.

"Yes of course." he smirked, locking his eyes onto the doctor at this point to gauge his reactions to his questions.

"Lets see one then." he held his hand up, palm facing the ceiling as he requested a card. He knew the man would have one. Or a stack. Most of the people here had their pockets stuffed with business cards to hand out at the drop of a dime. The people here were desperate for business and simply looking good. The event was more a conversation starter than a genuine caring organization.

"If you insist..." Caine reached into his pocket, sliding one card away from the slim stack. It was a glossy black card with simple white print stating his name, number, e-mail, and location. On the back of it was an intricately designed SC, (he'd paid the graphic designer through the nose for it). It was swoopy and interconnected, looking more like an abstract at first glance.

He held it between his index and middle fingers, aimed at Thomas' face.
The bartender placed the sweet drink on a napkin in front of the blonde, and collected Caine's glass.

Thomas took up the card with one hand, and grasped the drink in the other, taking it to his lips as he scanned over the information. He'd obviously spent a pretty penny on it, so he did belong in this crowd, he wasn't just a feeding little parasite.

"So how much do you charge?" he pocketed the card and directed his attention back at Dr. Caine. "And where are you located?" he continued, almost interrogating the man. He wanted a conversation, he'd get one. Greyson style.

"Location's right there on the card. Ellis plaza, maybe you've seen it. It's the garish glass brick that ruins this town's skyline. As for the prices," he picked some nonexistent lint off his sleeve, "Being the heir to Greyson Oil, I think you'd find my prices to be more than affordable." That cheeky grin reappeared, "But of course we do accept insurance plans. Interested in starting therapy, Mr. Greyson?"

Thomas watched the man carefully. Was he interested? Yes. Should he spend that kind of money...

Hell yes. Especially when this man seemed to have a decent head on his shoulders. He could afford to have someone to talk to if they were interesting.

Better than the people here. Their minds bent more on the money than on human interaction. This man however...he was after something more. He was curious to see what.

Caine quirked an eyebrow. The man said nothing for a moment but Caine could feel satisfaction filling him. The contemplative look Thomas' face told him he was half way to a new client.

The hall filled with the shriek of feedback from the microphone as a chubby elderly woman attempted to speak at the podium.

"We should probably have a seat. Wouldn't want people to think we're just here for the bar." Caine dropped a few bills on the counter and rose to join the crowd.

"Hm? Oh yes." he snapped back to the situation at hand, having lost himself in thought for a moment. Thomas put the drink to his lips again, taking long gulps from it as he followed Caine into the hall where the tables were finally filled with guests. He wasn't particularly hungry for anything, but he was interested in more conversation with the doctor, and ironing out the details for 'treatment.'

He was curious what the doctor would end as...a man or another visitor to the warehouse. It all depended on Caine really.

Caine settled into a seat and sipped from his water glass, casually watching Thomas.

It was really an incredible stroke of luck that Greyson had caught his attention. Out of all the people to chat up he'd really scored the jackpot. Looking back he'd only been somewhat factitious when he had called the man royalty. With his business he could expect to garner all sorts of lucrative clientele from tycoons and the like, making state senators and local lawyers look like small peanuts.

There was also the bonus that this man had actual problems and anguish in his life. It would refreshing to hear something so deliciously traumatic.

"I'll have you know, Mr. Greyson, that my work is my life. Should you choose to pursue treatment with me, I'll happily give you my personal number. I'm always available to my patients."

Thomas smiled lightly, setting down the glass for but a moment.

"Yes, I think I'm interested. Sometime I fear I've not properly grieved over my losses you see." Good enough for the doctor, he knew. Any psychologist not willing to jump at a Greyson was either richer or just ignorant. Especially with the known problems the family had. More than a few traumas had occurred in the Greyson household, but that didn't stop greedy people from still trying to make 'friends'.

"Understandable. With these sort of things, I find an outsider is the most apt listener. Its quite cathartic to-"

"More water, Sir?" a female voice interrupted. Caine glanced up, seeing the clumsy girl from earlier.

"Yes, actually. Thank you." she leaned forward to tilt the crystal pitcher over his glass. Her mess of mousy blonde hair was pulled back into a thick ponytail, when it tumbled over her shoulder the smell of cheap coconut shampoo filled his nostrils. His nose crinkled at the scent.

With his glass filled to the brim, she pulled back when he caught her wrist in his hand. She gave him a startled look.

"Would you mind terribly getting my friend here another Tom Collins? There's a good girl, and do keep the change." with his other hand he pulled out a folded twenty dollar bill with a card tucked in the fold. He let go of her wrist when she accepted the bill, looking confused and flustered.

"Hope you don't mind the presumption." he said inclining humbly his head at Thomas.

Thomas covered a small smirk with his hand as Caine was cut off of his bullshit speech by the waitress.

He watched carefully however as his hand clasped tightly on the woman's wrist. It was an aggressive movement, one that the woman wouldn't understand, but the blonde would see as irritation. He took a note that Dr. Caine wasn't fond of being interrupted before he watched another drink being ordered for him.

"You're very gracious, doctor." he said with a smile.

"Oh not at all. Think nothing of it." he said with a dismissive wave, his smug smile argued otherwise. Still he was now off the track he'd been on. Time for a small tactical change.

"Mr. Greyson, I fear I've been monopolizing this conversation with business. Tell me a bit about yourself. I know there has to be more to the man before me than just work. What are your hobbies? Interests? What brings a smile Thomas Greyson?" He threaded his fingers together leaning on the table, indicating his interest. From the corner of his eye he could see the girl was sidestepping between tables, making her way back to them with the fresh drink in hand.

Thomas used the straw his drink had came with to absentmindedly sir around the ice in the glass. He didn't like any of those questions. With the original line of speech the man had prepared interrupted, he chose a whole new approach, instead of just continuing the previous.

"I don't have many hobbies, pastimes. I prefer to settle with a book than attend events like this. As for the things that make me smile, they're not terribly interesting either." he said, cracking a small smile as if amused by his own little inside joke. He knew damn well he wasn't that exciting of a man. It might very well deter the doctor, if he didn't think he was so bent on the money.

"A good book," Caine closed his eyes, as if savoring the thought, "Its been far too long since I've had the time to settle in with one. Count me envious."

The girl walked up behind Thomas, seemingly very interested in the wall over Caine's head.

"Here ya go, sir." she put it down and quickly turned to scurry away.

He raised an eyebrow at the other man, knowing it was his job to care of course, but he'd assumed a better performance out of a man charging what he could only imagine was a monumental amount of money.

Thankfully the waitress returned with his drink, which would hopefully make the conversation interesting again.

"Do you like your job, Mr. Caine?" he asked halfheartedly, not even bothering to look him in the eye at this point as he sipped the drink. He looked to be losing interest at this point, even trying to gather some of what the overweight woman at the podium was stuttering through.

A muscle in Caine's cheek tightened a twinge. He lifted his water glass to his lips, willing the muscle slack. Time and place, time and place.

"Yes, it's my everything. Helping people has always been a passion of mine. But I do so love psychology, the mind fascinates me. But of course, it would have to with a doctorate taking six years to earn." He was losing the man's interest. As Caine was preparing to form a strategy he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Caine reached down and looked down the glowing screen.

"Oh my." he said after a moment.

"I have to go, emergency. If you'll excuse me."

Evidently Jeremy had tried to hang himself tonight. Shame, that.

Thomas directed his attention back at Caine, the tone of his voice seeming to teeter on the edge of anger. That was interesting. He watched his face as he answered the question, but managed to slip an underhanded comment alongside it.

Ooh...you like your title. Do you feel powerful having it...?

Within the next moment however, Caine was out of his seat, gazing with interest into his phone. It appeared work called him away. Thomas nodded, standing himself. With Caine gone, there was little use to him staying as well.

It was well into the early morning hours when Caine pulled his BMW into his driveway. He was feeling comfortably exhausted as he dropped into his favorite high backed leather chair in his living room.

Letting his head loll back, he stretched and closed his eyes. It really had been a great day. And joy of joys they'd managed to save Jeremy. He would require a lot of extensive therapy with his doctor to get past this.

Caine chuckled.

And there was the other highlight. That rich boy. He seemed a bit closed off, but with some more face time he should start to open up. Caine briefly considered looking into what happened to Greyson's wife but decided against it for the time being. He'd rather hear it from the horse's mouth anyway.

His eyes opened suddenly.

Had Greyson been screwing with him? Little looks and comments flitted through his mind from the evening. That Mister bit, at the time he'd brushed it off as a slip from a man who had no sense of respect. Hm, already testing his doctor's boundaries maybe?

Caine settled back in his seat. He wouldn't be flustered. Besides there was plenty of time to establish dominance down the road. For now, he'd put him out of his mind. It was time for rest.

Thomas settled down into the same plush armchair he had this morning. A bookend conclusion to the days events. He got something out of tonight. A good few free drinks and...

He pulled the sleek black card from his pocket, absentmindedly fingering the sharp corners of the little rectangle. The blonde could stay as long as he desired if it meant a business venture, according to his father. It would make Samuel Greyson happier, get him to think he was starting to care about inheriting the oil company. It would be a good guise to stay here and mess about with Dr. Caine.

Dr. Caine was a condescending man, confident in his own intelligence and ability to outsmart others. He could tell that much. He was very alike to Thomas in that way, and all the more reason to keep conversing with him. He wanted to tear him down.


The building was indeed as garish as the doctor suggested, though it did flaunt the money you had to spend to receive treatment there. He fiddled with the checkbook in his pocket, ready to give the man the money he wanted so it wouldn't be part of the conversation any more. He checked his phone's watch as he walked into the first floor of the building, wondering if it was too early in the morning for this meeting. He didn't want to seem eager...

He raised blue eyes to the secretary, giving her a smile before asking his question, simple and without too much speech.

"Caine."

She smiled back at him, expectancy in her eyes as she pointed to the sign behind her displaying the floor numbers and the designated doctors to each.

F6 Psych and Phy. Therapy

He quickly sidestepped the woman and b-lined for the elevator, settling against the wall after pressing the assigned button. He was curious as to the reaction he would receive from the doctor, after the issue from last night. Thomas was sure he could sway his opinion either way. His opinion would change quickly once the blonde took out the checkbook.

Thomas walked swiftly out of the elevator and into...yet another secretary.

"Hello." he got her attention. She looked up from the magazine she was flipping boredly through and at the blonde.

"I'm looking for Dr. Caine."

Dawn straightened up in surprise. Her eyes flitted across his strikingly attractive features. She blinked rapidly, and tugged her chestnut hair behind her ears.

"Ah! Yes, the doctor's in his office." She flipped open his appointment book, "Oh but do you have an appointment? Doctor Caine is a very busy man. He doesn't just accept walk-in appointments." she said somewhat insistently.

"Now, now Miss Smith, I think we can find a way to squeeze him in." Caine broke in, slipping through the doorway, "Good morning, Mr. Greyson. It's a pleasure to see you again so soon." he said in his pleasant drawl.

The woman was quickly ignored as Thomas stepped in front of the doctor.

"Good morning, doctor." he paused briefly at the word 'doctor', making sure the man heard the title clearly. That's what he wanted after all.

"I was disappointed our meeting ended so soon last night. I didn't have the chance to book an appointment..." he fished his check book out of his coat pocket with a kindly smile.

A genuine smile broke through for a moment at his title.

"Oh, that's not a problem at all, Mr. Greyson. Miss Smith here will be happy to get your credit card number, we have a very convenient plan that auto deposits your funds so you'll never have to concern yourself with payments again." He tilted his head to the side a bit inspecting Thomas' expression.

"Of course that can all wait. Would you like to step into my office?" he swept out his arm in a welcoming gesture toward the dark wooden door he just came from.

Thomas followed the man inside the office quietly. Common sense would have told him to be careful at this point, that he was in the doctor's territory now. However Thomas wasn't here to be analyzed. He was here to analyze the doctor. Something dark was going on beneath the shrewd surface of Dr. Sirus Caine, and the blonde was very interested in what it was.

"Lovely view. I daresay you're spoiled." he noted, gazing out over the city. This occurred to the blonde as another grasp at dominance. Being able to look down on so many people...it was an empowering thing.

"Thank you, I do so enjoy it." He stood behind his desk, gathering a clip board and several sheets of paper. He looked up at Thomas, "Mr. Greyson, feel free to have a seat if that'd be more comfortable. Now, I don't know if you've ever tried therapy but let's start this off simply enough."

He walked over to the set of chairs and made sure to smile his warmest smile, "Mr. Greyson, why are you here?"