Adam believed he got himself into a losing battle.
It should not take more than a piece of cake to deal with this coy woman To Adam, Emmeline was a foolish girl he could push over.
She would throw herself at him at the sound of his command.
Alas, this did not seem to be the case.
The server brought the spirits out first.
A label indicating that it was 64% pure alcohol was plastered across the two alcoholic beverages.
Adam could bet his money that less than a handful of Imperial Palaceâs customers had ever seen alcohol of this kind.
Emmeline picked up a bottle and popped the cork.
A thick, refreshing aroma enveloped them.
âThis is the stuff!â Emmeline gasped in glee.
Taking after Emmeline, Adam popped the cork.
The scent of 60% alcohol filled his nostrils.
âAchoo!â Adam sneezed.
He took a closer look at the bottle, tempting to call on Emmelineâs bluff.
It was 2.5 liters of strong liquor. How could she beat him?
He was a man!
Adam was all man while the alcohol was only 60%.
It had been a while since he had strong liquor though.
Youâre going down, Emmeline!
The servers brought the food to the table.
***
It was one bucket of hot piping stuffed mushrooms and another bucket of greasy jerk bacon.
Adam lost his appetite just by looking at the food.
âAdam, we should have a drink in a show of respect.â Emmeline grabbed the bottle.
Adam took his bottle too.
Without another word, Emmeline threw her head back and downed big gulps.
âBam!â With the bottom of the bottle slamming on the table, Emmeline wiped her mouth across her sleeve.
Adam was taken by surprise How was he supposed to drink it?
Adam gave it a thought before downing two large mouthfuls.
It was some strong liquor. That was for sure.
Adam grimaced at the bitterness.
âLetâs eat.â Emmeline showed Adam a spoonful of greasy bacon.
Adam took a gulp and waved his arms. âI donât like that.â
âDidnât you order it? Why did you order it then?â Emmeline responded.
âIâll have the salad instead.â Adam picked the vegetable trimmings instead.
âIâll eat it if you wonât.â Emmeline opened wide to gobble down the bacon.
Truth be told, Adam was intimidated by Emmelineâs magnanimity.
The young woman looked delicate, but the way she carried herself was a stark difference from the impression she gave off. She acted like a boss.
Adam believed defeat was a very possible outlook for him today.
âUm⦠the food and drinks can wait. Iâll start with a story,â Adam uttered.
âOh, right. Iâm here to listen to a story. Where are my manners?â
âThe needle you received⦠Do you want to know who you got it from?â Adam narrowed his eyes.
âDidnât you tell me, Adam? You said it was Waylonâs,â Emmeline answered.
âThatâs right. It belongs to Waylon.â
Tilting her head, Ãmmeline furrowed her brows. âBut out of so many characters in Games of Thrones, why Hallyne?â
Adam was thrown off by Emmeline going off-topic.
âDoes Hallyne mean something to you?â
âEmmeline, Iâm talking about Waylon, Robertâs son, and not Hallyne!â
âBut Hallyneâs dad isnât Robert. Did you get it wrong?â
Adam had no words.
âI donât remember who Hallyneâs dad is. Iâll read the series again and let you know.â
Adam was at a loss for words. There was no way he could outtalk the woman.
âBut I noticed you were using the same needle at the party. Tell me. Where did you get your needle?
Whatâs your relationship with Waylon?â Adam proceeded with the questioning.
âFirst of all, Iâm not Catelyn Stark. Secondly, you can get the needle on eBay. I donât know whatâs so special about needles. No need to be dramatic. The needles cost 9.99 dollars, and you get 10 free for every bundle of 100 needles. I can get the needles for you if you like.â Emmeline scooped a stuffed mushroom to munch on.