"Sandor," I hear her voice behind me.
I turn to face Lorien's most beautiful girl. She's wearing an extravagant outfit like always, and it would be too much for my simple cepan mind to begin to explain, but I can say it's very colorful. Red and Green seem to stand out most though and I don't have to venture far to guess why.
"Already dressing up for Christmas I see." I say.
Devektra grins up at me and tugging on my open jacket replies, "and I see you're the same old Sandor. Where's your sense of fun?" She fake pouts and pulls me down to her height until I can clearly see the small fine clumps of mascara on her eyelashes.
"So tell me, Sandor," she continues, "have you been nice this year, or naughty?"
I return the grin and say, "The year's not quite over, so we'll have to see if I end up doing something nice for a change."
I lean into her and press my mouth to her cherry-red lips. She kisses me back with a forceful hunger for more and I have to control myself not to give in. There was a reason I asked her here tonight and I wasn't just for a make-out.
I pull away slightly and we slowly break apart.
"Unfortunately," I say, "I have some bad news."
"What is it?" Devektra asks with concern.
I pull out a thermos and hold it up. "I got thirsty on the way over here, so there's a little less than should be."
She looks at me in a questioning way, clearly not understanding. Devektra takes the thermos, giving me a look like asking for permission. When I don't retaliate, she takes it and unscrews the lid. She careful sniffs the contents and I watch as her heavily make-upped eyes grow wide with realization.
"You couldn't," she says, "only the richest can afford this…!"
The liquid inside the container was a rich drink from earth. It was so rare that they only sold it for part of the year, and it was nowhere to be found at other times. Lorics occasionally travel the Earth for stuff like it, as well as other non-eatable things, but this drink was something perishable and so could not be brought in too large amounts back to our planet.
"Who said anything about buying it?" I say with a smirk.
"You crazy, loveable thief," Devektra grins. "You're certainly not normal, which is good, I like a little rebelliousness."
She traces her finger in a curving line down my chest and then pulls me into another kiss. The thermos falls from her grip and lands on the ground with a clank sound. Thick white eggnog pours out, and the thought passes my mind that I worked hard to get that now-wasted drink. But then again, I don't really care. Because I know I made Devektra happy.