[30] Night of desire

The night wore on, and the strong rum flowed freely in Cassandra's lair. The notorious pirate lord, known for her iron resolve and fearsome reputation, gradually loosened up as she drank, her demeanor becoming more playful and less intimidating.

Leaning in closer, a slight slur in her voice, Cassandra hooked an arm around my shoulder. Her eyes, a little unfocused but still sharp, fixed on me with a mischievous glint. "So, tell me, Wang. What kind of women do you like?"

I was caught off guard by her directness, a rush of heat creeping up to my cheeks. Before I could muster a response, she leaned in even closer, her breath warm against my ear. "Do you like the dommy mommy type?" she asked, a teasing note in her voice.

My blush deepened, and I managed a somewhat flustered reply, "I, uh, I'm not uninterested in that... sort of thing."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Elara, who had also been enjoying the rum, watching the exchange with a drunken amusement. She sauntered over, slightly unsteady on her feet, and whispered into my other ear, "You know, I want you too, Wang."

The combination of Cassandra's flirtatious interrogation and Elara's unexpected confession left me feeling like I needed to escape, if only for a moment. I gently disentangled myself from Cassandra's grasp and stood up, feeling the weight of their gazes on me.

"I, uh, need some fresh air," I stammered, excusing myself as gracefully as I could under the circumstances.

As I stepped outside, the cool night air was a welcome relief from the heat and intensity of the lair. I took a deep breath, trying to clear my head. The rum, the attention from both Cassandra and Elara, and the weight of the evening's negotiations had left me feeling overwhelmed.

"Fk me, what a night," I muttered to myself, leaning against the cool stone wall of the lair. The evening had started as a high-stakes meeting and had evolved into something entirely unexpected.

***

The morning light filtered through the windows, signaling a new day and the end of an eventful night. Elara and I, both nursing mild hangovers, met to discuss our next moves. But first, there was the matter of last night's unexpected turn of events to address.

Elara approached me, a hesitant look on her face. "Hey, um... about last night. I was pretty drunk. Did I... say anything weird?"

I could tell she was fishing for information, likely recalling her 'drunk confession.' I chose to play it cool, not wanting to make things awkward between us. "Nah, you were just drunk. Didn't take anything you said seriously," I responded with a casual shrug.

Elara let out a visible sigh of relief, though there was a flicker of something else in her eyes – perhaps disappointment or curiosity. "Good, good," she said quickly. "I was worried I might have embarrassed myself. You know how it is with too much rum."

I nodded, keeping my expression neutral. "Yeah, rum has a way of loosening tongues. But don't worry, we've all been there. Let's just focus on what's ahead."

We both fell into an unspoken agreement to pretend the confession hadn't happened. It was clear Elara had used her 'drunken' state as a cover to gauge my reaction to her advance. By playing it off, I chose not to expose her tactic or make things more complicated for us.

"So, about Cassandra's deal," I steered the conversation back to business. "We need to be smart about this. Her backing could be a game-changer, but it also puts us in the spotlight – and not everyone's going to like that."

Elara nodded, back in her element discussing strategy. "Right. We've got to keep our guard up. More visibility means more potential enemies. And Cassandra's not exactly known for her stable alliances. We need to be prepared for any backstabbing."

I agreed, feeling the weight of our new position in the game. "We'll need to strengthen our defenses, maybe even expand our base. Can't afford to be caught off guard."

As we continued to plan, the awkwardness of the previous night's incident faded into the background, replaced by the familiar rhythm of strategizing and planning. In the complex world of 'Game of Kings,' personal entanglements could wait. Right now, we had a mercenary company to run and a reputation to uphold.

Q: Have you ever gotten drunk before?