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“Shots. Tequila. No, make that two doubles.”
“A double?” Theo’s eyes went wide.
The bartender gave Theo the once over. “Sure the city slicker can handle it?” I had to admit, I nearly laughed out loud at Theo’s decorative button-down shirt, complete with bolo tie. As I saw the boots, I couldn't contain myself. Before we left, I gave him an hour to get ready. I thought he had gone into his bedroom to change, but now I was certain he teleported to Texas.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing. Just admiring how adorable you look.” I shook my head, laughing. With a quick double tap on the bar, Luke prepared to wow Theo.
“Double it is,” he said, adding a whistle for effect.
The Stallion was known for many things, but above all else, it was known for a good time. Luke reached up to the cowboy hat, giving a slight nod before he snatched a bottle off the shelf. He couldn’t offer a simple pour. He tossed the bottle, letting it spin as he reached behind his back, catching it with a practiced hand. I should know. I taught him the trick.
“You still tending at the hero club?” he asked.
“Until they fire me.”
“Until they fire him.”
I laughed at our echo. Good to know we were thinking the same thing.
“Al, sounds like the gentleman knows you plenty well enough.”
Luke pushed two glasses filled to the brim across the bar. The rim had been salted, and a napkin held a slice of lime. In my younger days, this would have been the start of my evening. The fastest way to get tips from patrons was to drink alongside them. It might explain why my youth was hazy.
Luke moved on to his next client. I handed Theo the glass. He didn’t look quite convinced. If he couldn’t handle a double shot of tequila, he might have to reconsider who he dated.
He went for the shot when I stopped him. Shaking my head, I laughed. “We have to toast. Can’t take your first shot of the night without it. So, what do we drink to?”
“Health? A night without supervillains?”
“Si te lleva el diablo, que te lleve en buen caballo.”
“I understood diablo.”
“Mi madre used to say it. It means to take risks, even when they’re big.”
“To taking a risk.” He lifted his glass.
I licked the salt on the rim, slammed the shot, and bit down on the lime. Theo sipped his, choking down the clear liquid. My cowboy grimaced as he swiped the lime, trying to chase away the burn. With his teeth clamped down, the green of the rind replacing his smile, I couldn’t ignore his charm. His beard begged to be grabbed and pulled in for a kiss so I could taste the booze on his lips. I could see Theo being dangerous in all the right ways.
“I didn’t take you for a cowboy,” he said.
I held up two fingers for Luke and pointed to some beer. “Cowboy? Where do you think those hombres’ got their sense of style? Don’t get me started on the food.”
I took the beers from Luke and headed to a table. The band had started their sound check, and I could see my plan for the evening laid out before me. I was going to see if my hero could brave more than villains.
“I don’t know what I expected…” He watched a group of locals clanking beer bottles. “But this isn’t it. You continue to surprise me.”
“Says the man who can…”
“Nope.” His hand shot up, covering my mouth. “Tonight is nothing but normal. I’m just a man, a poorly dressed man apparently, on a date with a stallion.”
I shook my head, scrunching up my nose. “We need to work on that label.”
“Stud?”
“Theyareused for breeding.”
