Des'Tai: Book Two

198: Faye

The pub we ventured to just on the outskirts of Hilara wasn't a complete bust. The beer wasn't stale, and the bar food was decent, but the strong smell of fish masked most everything else that might be good about the place. One could anticipate what the inside would look like with the dark stone walls and filmy windows from the outside. The lighting was pretty terrible, and the floor as sticky as a mousetrap, but as I said, the food was edible. I tried not to think what else had been fried in the grease vat before we ordered our meal, but that's neither here nor there.

After we ordered, I noticed they had a billiards table and shot Rune a cocky eyebrow, challenging him.

"You're kidding, right?" he grumbled, taking a long pull from his dark brown ale.

"You put up a good fight, I'm just better," I grinned, rolling my eyes before glancing between Nero and Ty. Nero was more fidgety than I'd ever seen him, and for someone I suspected had ADD, that was saying something. He seemed tense and a bit nervous to be out. I figured it was being out and about in a strange city had him on edge, but he'd gone on plenty of missions before without worry.

"I'll play," Ty relented, setting his half-full pint on the table. "But you have to promise to go easy on me. I'm a darts kinda guy."

Jumping off the hightop stool I sat on, I grabbed Ty's hand and tugged him towards me as he stood. Waving my hand so he'd bend down, I whispered in a hot breath against his ear, "I'd much rather play with your stick and balls, but since we're in the middle of a pub, I'll try to contain myself."

'Damn, woman. Why do you have to do me so dirty?.'

Shrugging my shoulders as I strolled away to grab a pool cue, I shot a mental image of myself sprawled across the pool table wearing nothing but a bra and panties, similar to one Ty had sent me a few short nights ago.

'I thought you liked me as a dirty girl.'

I did go easy on my Mate and let him win, but only just. I was starving, and as soon as our food was served, I suggested he take an incredibly easy shot that looked impossible to the naked eye. Since Ty tended to throw and shoot with a slight right curve, I knew he'd sink the 8-ball without a problem.

Linking my hand in Ty's as we stepped back out onto the street, Rune turned away from the direction of Thebe palace.

"Where do you think you're off to?" Ty called to his friend. Night had fallen since we entered the pub, and there was a nice salty breeze blowing through the air.

"To see the nightlife! If she weren't with us, I'd say let's go check out some strippers, but..." Rune whined loudly, enunciating the 'she' as he made a show of pointing me out like I was the odd man out.

Oh, wait.

"I'll go."

Simultaneously, all three of the males I was with turned to gawk at me like I'd spoken a foreign language and grown three heads.

"What?"

"Katinar, you don't have to act like one of the guys. Rune can..."

"I'm not trying to act like anything. I may have been a virgin when we met, but I've been to a strip club in my day."

Chasing the gazes around the area, I shook my head and marched over to where Rune stood, looking as skeptical as ever.

"Have any of you ever taken a female to a strip club before?"

"Faye, you don't have to do this," Ty began, walking towards me as he lowered his gaze.

'We can head back to Thebe, maybe find a quiet little nook for some alone time?'