Damon chewed in slow motion while looking at James with a blank expression.
James requested a car and not to be disturbed. That was not a problem, but Damon didn't want to respond right away.
One second, two, Damon could see James' impatience growing. Four seconds, five, six… Damon jolted when Talia pinched his thigh under the table.
"Alright.", Damon said and then he cocked an eyebrow at Talia while speaking to her through their mind-link. 'Why did you do that?'
'Why did you delay?', Talia responded with a question. 'Don't you see that they are having a conflict? Help him pacify Cornelia, and he will be indebted to you.'
'If I help him right away, he won't appreciate it.', Damon said. 'While he is waiting for my answer and sweating, he is thinking about what will happen if I don't cooperate, and the fact that he won't need to go through THAT will make him indebted to me.'
