Hello! It's new chapter time!

Callie's resolve to have a good time on her date with Feral might have unintended consequences...

Author's notes: Shout outs ahoy in this fic, and it wasn't my intention at first. Sometimes it pays to read all my fics.

Thanks for all the reviews! I'm glad everyone is liking this (and the Great Escape). Thanks for being patient with me.

Short notes this time. I'll probably have a ton next chapter.

As always I welcome your reviews and comments. Enjoy!

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The Blind Date

Let's Make a Deal

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"...Enjoying yourself?"

"Of course!" Callie raised a glass of lager to her lips. "I finally have my beer, my fish 'n chips, and good company...unless he decides to ruin it somehow."

Callie really was enjoying herself. It was her first date in ages and surprisingly she was getting rather warm and fuzzy feelings with her company she had a hard time suppressing. But she wouldn't dare tell Feral yet.

She settled into her seat located in a wooden booth. The Union Jack was the type of pub you would see when traveling to Saxton: Well stocked bar, a nice area to play pool, which Callie wanted to attack later, and a warm atmosphere. The publican, a blue colored, boxy tom named Bailey, even exchanged a few friendly barbs with Feral as he ordered. Feral even ordered a round for the few toms watching a soccer game which netted him a good amount of cheers.

Pausing to eat a chip, Callie looked Feral over as he dug into his own order. The tom was wearing a dark suit, and even though it wasn't as sharp as the one he wore to the Paper Lantern, it did look good him.

Feral paused to take a sip of his own beer. "I seem to recall you worrying about your figure."

"And I seem to recall a certain tom who said he would be glad to watch it for me!" Callie playfully retorted.

An odd look crossed Feral's face before he resumed drinking his beer. "I can still do that if you want."

Not knowing if he was joking or serious Callie decided to let the comment slide...though she felt herself blushing. Smoothing an invisible wrinkle out of her dress, she decided to change the subject. "So before we get into business, know any good drinking games?"

"You mean other than downing a bottle of beer in under ten seconds?"

"...You can do that?"

"It's one of the first things you learn at the Academy. Basic fundamentals."

Callie laughed lightly. Feral's dry sense of humor was showing itself. "Any others?"

"Well..." Feral hesitated. "...There was a game my brothers and I came up with."

"Oh? What's that?"

Feral smirked a little. "We called it Twenty One Shots."

"Twenty One..."

"It's Blackjack mixed with Truth or Consequences." Feral explained. "You take a regular deck of cards and draw from it. First one to get close to or hit on twenty one without going over is the winner. And the winner gets to ask the losers a questions."

Callie thought for a moment. "I assume this is where drinking comes in."

"The loser can answer the question, or if they don't want to, take a shot."

"Sounds tame. Anything else?"

"Loser who doesn't answer the question ...," Feral looked directly at Callie, "... also strips off a piece of clothing."

Callie, finishing off her drink, nearly spat it out. "Are you serious?"

"Hey, it's the best three, bored toms could come up with when there are a few cute she-kats around."

"You're certain the objective is to get drunk?"

"Sure," Feral finished off his own drink, "... if you want to play it that way."

Callie was truly shocked. "...I have completely underestimated you Ulysses. I wouldn't have thought my Commander would come up with a game like that."

"Well, Commander Feral has to be the resolute leader of the Enforcers. Ulysses Feral, on the other paw, ..." Feral's voice dropped a dangerous octave, "...is someone a bit different."

Blushing immediately. Callie forced herself into finishing her fish 'n chips. Why did his voice have to be so damn arousing? And the tom probably knew it too! Popping the last chip into her mouth, she stole a glance at Feral, who caught the attention of the waitress and ordered more drinks. Feral certainly seemed to know which buttons to push.

But a small part of her was beginning to enjoy it.

Their next round of drinks arrived quickly, and the both of them took a moment to take a few sips. Feral reached into his suit and pulled out the familiar looking envelope of the Altruism Society.

"So," Feral asked, "... business?"

Callie glared at him. "Spoilsport!"

"The faster we discuss this, the faster we can get back to the better parts of a date." Feral extended the envelope toward Callie. "Care to do the honors?"

"Fine!" Sighing, Callie took the envelope and began opening it. "When did you get this?"

"As I was leaving. My secretary caught me."

Pulling a card out of the envelope, Callie quickly scanned it. "Hmm...Looks like our first gala event is a Prohibition Era dinner party."

"Oh?"

"Apparently it's set after the ban on alcohol was lifted." Callie read the card some more. "And we have to be in period dress. 'No excuses!' is in bold print."

Feral rubbed his temples. "Oh for kat's sake..."

"Guess you can't get away with just showing up in your dress uniform." Callie teased.

"I suppose I'll be 'Chief' Feral and probably wear a three piece jazz suit." Feral sighed. "Time to make an appointment to meet my tailor."

Callie was almost done reading the card when she came across a line that made her blood run cold. "Oh, no."

"What?"

"They want us to show up and leave together. We don't have to stick together at the gala but we need to at least be available to the press on the red carpet."

Feral sat back in his seat. "Nice way to ratchet up the pressure. The press will have a field day with this."

"Especially since I haven't been escorted to these events in ages. We'll be fodder for the news for weeks!" Callie sighed, reaching for her glass. "There goes trying to keep this a secret."

"Speaking of which, have you told anybody about this arrangement?"

"I told my assistant Dani. She's proven herself trustworthy and I may have to have her cover for me in the future. You?"

"My lovely niece, who should really become one of Major York's investigators, figured it out."

Callie laughed. "How did she?"

"By noticing I didn't 'power down' since I was going off duty." Feral's sigh of resignation was laced with approval. "She saw I was still carrying my duty gun and figured the only she-kat worth that kind of firepower had to be you."

Callie was flattered. "I'm touched."

"You are the Deputy Mayor..."

"I bet you do that for all the she-kats."

Feral shook his head, giving her one his genuine small smiles. "Just with you."

Feral resumed drinking his beer, so Callie concentrated on placing the card back into its envelope. It was such a small comment to make, but his remarks gave her a wonderful lovely feeling. It was no big deal to him, but why did it make her feel so special?

A few cheers came from the group of toms watching the soccer game on the screens around the pub. Bailey, apparently a fan of the team scored against, could only shake his head in disgust.

"Wankers!" He roared from behind the bar.

Snapping out of her thoughts Callie slid the envelope back over to Feral. "This is your charity money. How do you want to play it?"

"We can play it off by saying I'm escorting you to the gala. The press won't buy it, but it's not totally unbelievable." Feral replied, retrieving the envelope and placing it back into his suit jacket's pocket. "As for future events, we play it by ear."

"Great! Now we can get back to our date."

Feral chuckled. "Hey, some of us might have an early shift tomorrow."

"Ulysses, don't be a wet blanket." Callie eyed her half-finished beer. "You are the first tom to ask me out in ages and I intend to enjoy it!"

"I am not above throwing the Deputy Mayor into the drunk tank, you know."

"Spoilsport." Looking around the pub Callie's eyes settled onto a pool table tucked into a corner. "Let's play pool."

Feral's brows rose in surprise. "...You play pool?"

"I haven't played in a while and I want to see if I still have it." Callie slid out of her seat. "Care to join me? Or do you want to be labeled a bad date?"

Callie couldn't place it, but there was something behind Feral's glare. "I'll go get the balls."

As Feral headed toward the bar Callie walked over to the pool table. She gave it a quick look. It was well worn, but well taken care of. Looking around she spotted the cue sticks mounted to the wall and began selecting one when Feral came over, holding a container of pool balls and the rack.

"Any particular game you want to play?" Feral asked, begging the rack the balls.

"8-ball."

"The classic game."

"So ..." Callie said, looking over a cue stick, "... care for a wager?"

Feral looked up at Callie from racking the balls. "Can't we keep this game friendly?"

"It isn't a game unless something's on the line."

"...You like living dangerously."

"Don't you?"

Feral sighed in resignation. "What did you want to bet?"

Callie smiled, knowing exactly what she playing for. "I get to open up your Cameo."

Feral looked surprised. "If you wanted to drive my Cameo all you had to do was ask."

"What fun would that be?" Callie retorted. "Now then, what's your bet?"

"I don't know..."

"Careful," Callie teased, "I'd hate to think my Commander is a scaredy kat."

Once again Feral had a look in his eyes, but this time it accompanied one of his rare smiles. Callie began wondering if she'd pushed him a bit too far.

"All right Calico. If I win, ..." Feral paused for dramatic effect, " ... you have to play a game of Twenty One Shots with me."

"W-What?" Callie immediately reddened, recalling how Feral explained the game. "But that's..."

"...And I here I thought you liked living dangerously."

Callie's blush deepened. "Oh, you."

"So, do we have a deal?" Looking pleased with himself, Feral deepened his voice as he extended his paw toward Callie. "Or is my deputy mayor a scaredy kat?"

Callie stared at Feral's paw for one long moment. Her mind was screaming at her not to accept the deal, but she really wanted to drive his Cameo at top speeds. She reached over and shook his paw before she could talk herself out it.

"Deal."

Grabbing her selected cue, Callie snatched up some chalk and began dusting its tip.

Win or lose, Feral was going to have to work for his bet.