I thought I had them in my pants,’ Cade said smilingly. ‘I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for the time being.’ ‘Ha, no way if you’re acco...mpanying me to the toilet. You better find those keys right now. But I thought you said they were at your hotel?’ ‘I lied. I didn’t want you to try and tackle me again. I had them right here.’ He tried all the pockets one more time. ‘No, they’re not there. I wonder…,’ Cade mumbled to himself. Suddenly the phone rang and Erin answered. ‘Warren?’ Cade heard her. “So how is the Emirate these days?” I asked as I watched Simma helping the kids to climb a tree.“A lot calmer. The planetary fighting is over and the Amirzade faction reduced to impotency. I’m still manoeuvring various allies into positions of power and having several Viziers forcibly retired as an example to others though,” Lauralla replied.“They weren’t part of the Amirzade faction?” Kirim asked.“No. Well, not all of them. But they took advantage of the chaos to enrich themselves and remove. To find out about each other.’ ‘So I’ve been told. Is this a date then?’ she asked. ‘I guess it is,’ I agreed. ‘Then where are you taking me?’ ‘Lunch at the Gardens? My treat of course. We can take the long way or the short way.’ ‘It’s a nice day. Let’s take the long way. My roommate and her boyfriend are there.’ We zipped along the quiet Sunday side streets that run through the middle class neighborhoods, chilled by the crisp fall air. I kept pace with her easily. Either I had gotten stronger. I look at the door, and think that I should just leave, but he sits next to me putting his arm around me. He asks me if I would ever do anything like that, pointing at the screen. "Oh my god, no" I say, feeling my self blushing. But he starts rubbing my left arm and with his right, he reaches over and starts rubbing my leg. As he pulls my dress up over my knees, I reach down and push it back down. He laughs, and apologizes, and helps to straighten my dress, but I quickly notice he is.