The restaurant was called The Gilded Lily which was the kind of place where the wine list cost more than Alexander’s monthly rent and the lighting was designed to make everyone look ten years younger.

Alexander smoothed out his blazer and checked his reflection in the glass door to ensure he looked like money before he walked to the hostess stand with a casual bored expression "Table for one somewhere quiet near the window" said Alexander.

He was seated perfectly because three tables away Emma Moore sat in a velvet booth looking even more striking in person with blonde hair pinned back in a way that screamed old money.

Sitting across from her was a man in his late fifties who wore a tailored charcoal suit and a watch that probably had its own security detail looking like an apex predator in the world of finance.

Alexander ordered a glass of expensive red wine and a small appetizer he couldn’t pronounce while pulling out his phone to pretend to scroll through a news feed though his thumb was hovering over the camera shutter.

Suddenly a group of boisterous tourists at the next table started laughing loudly and Alexander saw his chance to lean toward a redhead at the table next to him who had been glancing his way since he sat down "I’m so sorry but do you have any idea what the truffle reduction actually is? My waiter seems to be speaking in riddles?" said Alexander.

The girl giggled while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear "It’s basically fancy mushroom gravy so you look like you’re having a rough night" said the girl.

"Just a long day of negotiations, I was hoping for a quiet dinner but..." said Alexander while flashing her a weary charming smile.

While he kept the girl engaged in light flirting he used her as his blind to angle his phone over her shoulder and captured three clear shots of Emma Moore and the older man as they were leaning in close to exchange a thick white envelope.

Alexander knew he had it but then the man stood up and Emma followed because they were leaving early so he quickly paid his bill while ignoring the disappointed look from the redhead "I have to run, duty calls" said Alexander.

"Wait I didn’t get your name!" said the girl.

"The Prince so just ask around" said Alexander with a wink.

He slipped out of the restaurant just as Emma and the man reached the sidewalk to begin walking toward a dark alleyway where a black sedan was waiting while Alexander stayed twenty paces back to stick to the shadows.

Suddenly a delivery biker swerved onto the sidewalk and nearly clipped him "Hey watch it kid!" shouted the biker.

The shout echoed and Emma turned her head but Alexander didn’t panic and immediately stumbled into a group of three elderly women walking out of a theater "Oh my deepest apologies ladies, I’m so clumsy today!" said Alexander.

He practically dove into the middle of their group offering his arm to the one in the middle and acted like a doting grandson to help them navigate the crowded sidewalk while keeping his eyes on Emma.

Emma scanned the crowd with eyes lingering on the group of old ladies and the helpful young man in the blazer but she didn’t see a spy so she turned back and stepped into the car.

Alexander waited until the door slammed shut and stepped away from the ladies with a quick bow "You’re all far too kind so have a lovely evening" said Alexander.

He sprinted to a nearby corner to watch the sedan pull away and checked his phone to see the perfect photos containing the man’s face and the license plate. Alexander pulled up his messages to attach the three best photos and sent them straight to Professor Vance’s private number while his adrenaline spiked.

He stood under the glow of a streetlamp waiting for the three dots to appear but ten minutes passed in silence making the cold night air feel even heavier.

Finally after twenty minutes of walking his phone buzzed in his palm and he unlocked it quickly expecting a detailed text but only found a short reply.

Professor Vance: Ok.

Alexander stared at the two letters on the screen "Ok that’s it?" said Alexander. He let out a dry frustrated laugh and shoved the phone back into his pocket.

He had just dodged a delivery bike and used a group of old ladies as human shields just to get a two-letter brush-off.

But as he looked down at his shoes he realized it didn’t matter because he had done the job by using his theater tricks to control the environment and Marcus was right that the world really was a stage where he was starting to love the lead role.