“I won!” Emily said, doing a small victory dance.
Kyle shook his head, “Had to do it, didn't you?” he asked the fearful heku.
“I'm sorry, it was so fast,” he tried to explain.
Emily smiled and went to Frank, “You can pick two guards… we'll go to dinner tonight.”
He grinned and nodded, “A deal's a deal.”
Kyle was irritated that Frank seemed pleased at the outcome of the bet. He made sure to keep an extra close eye on the heku. He also wasn't sure how the Elder was going to react to the prize in the bet. Chevalier was a lot better at hiding his jealousy lately, but this was pushing even his control.
“Put the horses up. I'll meet you three at the Durango in an hour,” she said, and ran into the palace to get ready.
Emily took a hot shower, excited at the thought she was going to go out and have some fun. The palace was dull at times, and she missed going out on the town. She dressed casually in a blue halter top and jeans. She hoped the coiled snakes weren't too outlandish for mortals, but it was getting too warm to wear long sleeves. She ran a brush through her hair and went to the bedroom to find her shoes.
“Going out?” Chevalier asked from the edge of the bed.
“Yes, I won a bet, so I get to go out to dinner,” she said, looking around.
“Oh?”
Emily was impressed, as he wasn't yelling yet.
“It's just dinner, a fun bet with Frank,” she said, slipping on her cowboy boots.
“What was the bet?”
Emily went to the bed and sat on Chevalier's lap with her knees at his sides, so she could face him. She kissed him softly.
“Honestly, do you really want to know?” she asked.
“When you say it like that, I wonder if it's best if I don't know,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.
She smiled, “I thought so.”
Chevalier fell back against the bed, pulling her with him and looked up into her eyes. She leaned down and kissed his neck, lightly running her lips across his jaw and pressing them against his.
“Have fun,” he said, smiling up at her.
“We have time,” she said, kissing him again.
He pushed her gently away from him, “Go to dinner, Em.”
She rolled off of him and grabbed her purse.
Chevalier watched as she walked out of the bedroom. He laid back on the bed, seething. He growled jealously, and slammed his fists against the bed. He debated trailing them secretly, and then was able to pull the jealousy back and he opted to take Allen to the game room instead.
Emily saw Frank and two other heku waiting by her Durango. She was pleased to see them in jeans and t-shirts. She crawled in and started up the car when everyone was ready.
“Where shall we go?” she asked, smiling.
Frank was grinning broadly from the seat by her, “As you are the only one eating, I say ladies choice.”
Emily turned to the two in the backseat, “Do you two talk?”
“Yes we do.”
“Yup, Ma'am.”
“What are your names?”
“I'm Silas, and this is Nelson.”
She nodded, “Nice to get a name finally. I don't think Kyle likes us to get too close during training, so most of the time I don't really know names.”
The three of them nodded in agreement.
“Do you dance?” she smiled.
All three of the heku nodded again, and Emily pulled the Durango out of the garage. She turned up the Toby Keith CD and sat back to enjoy the ride. The heku visited about people she didn't know, but then turned to their horses, in which she was much more interested. Not long after dark, they pulled up to a small bar that promised the best steak in town. Emily cut the engine, and they all looked to the doors as someone was pushed out. He landed against the cement, stood up, and walked away.
“Ready?” Emily asked, smiling.
She was glad to see the heku were anxious to be out of the palace, too. The bar was noisy and overcrowded, but the four found a table finally. The table was sticky and stained with bottle rings. Emily ordered a medium-well steak and fries, while the heku each ordered a shot of Jack Daniels and a beer. Emily grinned and ordered a shot for herself.
Emily frowned, “You drink?”
Frank laughed, “You mean more than blood?”
Emily nodded, it was hard to hear over the noise from the dance floor.
“We can,” said one of the other heku. “We just aren't supposed to.”
The drinks were delivered first. Emily held her shot glass up, “Here's to following orders.”
She grinned as the others toasted and they all downed their shots quickly.
“Another round,” Frank said to the waitress.
“I can't drink much. I have to drive,” she said.
“I can drive us home,” Frank told her.
“Not if you're drunk you don't.”
“We don't get drunk,” he said, laughing.
She frowned, “Then why drink?”
“The taste, it's second only to blood,” Silas said.
“Then why is it banned?” Emily yelled over the music.
Silas looked at Nelson, “Well...”
“What?”
“Nothing to worry about, we're fine,” Nelson said, smiling, and he downed his second shot.
Emily nodded and downed her second shot, and then cut into the steak. They talked about nothing of importance while she ate. She quit counting the number of shots the guards did, but she stopped herself at three.
“Oh!” Emily said when the music changed. “I love this song!”
Emily scooted out of the booth and ran to the dance floor. She joined the line dance as it started, and laughed when she saw the three heku also join. She was surprised to see they knew the dance and were actually good at it. When the line dance ended, the band started a slow song.
“Shall we?” Frank asked, putting his hand out.
“Well, we're breaking all of the rules anyway,” Emily said, and took his hand. He twirled her expertly around the dance floor, leading with a strong hand to the small of her back.
“You're a good dancer, I'm impressed,” Emily said, laughing.
“You sound surprised,” Frank said, and grinned.
After the dance, they went back to the booth. Silas and Nelson were downing yet another shot. She slid into the booth