Much like the first time they met, she simply smiled and rolled her eyes at his little 'sweetheart' comment, not taking much offense to it or viewing it as anything more than playful banter. Inara had always been cautious about just how far she let certain people get with her, finding that given the opportunity, people were more than eager to throw her profession into her face. They viewed it as her simply offering her body to men, to be demeaned and used. People like Cass, whether in his mask or not, understood it to be far more involved than that. She picked her clients like her friends based on energy—

which is why she immediately put in his order and her own— a simple salad with a side of salmon to balance out all the small bites for them to share. She set aside the menu for now, returning her attention to him with as much focus as she could muster. Clearly he was brought here for a reason, and she was going to be as gracious of a host as she could. Even if little by little those boundaries were being pushed.

"Apparently I have to come up with heists for the crew these days. They're not going out to the right planets, where my clients are or new ones could be. Can you believe their last pull was a bunch of dolls?", she said, a slight air of annoyance in her tone. Clearly there was more bothering her, but it was easier to focus on the more trivial matters as she bit into some of the bruschetta, a delicate bite with her teeth, lips curled to avoid smearing her lipstick. It was always in those little movements that showed just how poised and in control she was.