The next day passed without much drama. At least not until the sun started to set. I went through my nightly routine of a shower, applying pomade to my hair, and the right amount of cologne, just enough to smell good, but not enough to overwhelm.

When I was ready to go, Kurt was waiting for me. My mom had given him a nice suit, nicer than anything he'd brought anyway, and he put on a pair of dark sunglasses. There was no denying they looked good on him. If he was someone I'd met at the club, I'd want to go home with him. As it stood, he didn't seem like he'd be up for a good time.

We walked to the front of the palace and I was about to walk outside, when he put a palm against my chest to stop me.

"Wait here," he said. He opened the doors, stepped outside, and looked around. Other than the Rolls Royce that would take us to The Apple Tree, there was nothing unusual. Kurt signaled to me. "All clear," he said.

He opened the door to the car and ushered me in, then followed behind me. The driver, Duncan, sat in the front with a smile on his face, ready to take us both away. "Good evening, your highness," he gave me a little salute with his hand.

"Good evening," I returned the gesture, Index and middle finger together, I touched my forehead and pointed them towards him.

"The Apple Tree, as usual?"

"Naturally," I said.

"Who's this?"

"Kurt Thomas," he stuck his arm through to the front of the car to grab Duncan's hand.

"Duncan Reese."

"I'm assigned to keep Beau safe and protected," he sat back in the seat, pushing himself to the corner, trying to become as small as possible. "Please, just continue as if I wasn't even here."

"Uh-huh," Duncan said. "He'll be joining you, then?"

"I have no choice," I made no effort to hide the frustration in my voice. "Either he joins me, or I stay home. Those were the options I was given."

"I heard," Duncan shifted the car into drive and moved forward over the newly paved street. "The entire staff was given a memo to be on the lookout for anything unusual."

Duncan stopped at the front gates, which two guards opened for him. He waved to them as he drove through.

"Of course," he continued. "The details were somewhat vague."

"Oh," I said. "It's just…"

"It's a matter of national security," Kurt interrupted. "We can't say anything more than that."

"I thought we were supposed to pretend you weren't here," I said.

"My job is to protect you. If you start sharing what you know, then it becomes more difficult to ensure your safety."

I didn't want to argue with him. I didn't even want to talk about it. I just wanted to move on and get to the club.

"I apologize, sir," Duncan said. "I had no idea."

"It's fine."

"Look," I said. "You understand where we're going, right?"

Kurt shot me a blank look.

"We're going to a night club, and I can't have you in my way. I've got to work my mojo on people and that's going to be difficult if I've got you up my ass all night."

"I’ll keep as much distance as I can."

"How far is that?"

He thought for a second. I could see him doing the mental math, how far he could jump in how much time. "I'll have to see what it's like in there, but I can give you a five to ten foot cushion."

Five feet was close, but ten would be workable.

"You're giving me your word on that?"

"I’ll give you as much space as I can. That I promise you," he put his hand in the air. "I want you to have a good time tonight," he continued. "I also need you to remain safe while you're under my protection."

We arrived at the club and Duncan let us out. I walked to the front of the line, stretched out down the block as usual. They waved me in and, once again, Kurt put his hand up against my chest and went in ahead of me. After a few moments, he came back out.

"I can't ensure your safety in there," he said.

"What are you talking about? That's your job."

"It's too loud to hear anything and too dark to see anything. On top of that, there are lights flashing everywhere and it's wall to wall with people."

"Yes," I said. "It's an awesome club."

"Be that as it may," Kurt said. "I can't keep you safe in there."

I patted him on the shoulder. "Just do the best you can," I said and started to walk inside.

"No, Beau," he stopped me. "I can't allow you to go in there."

He was being difficult. "What is your job?" I asked.

"To keep you safe."

I shook my head. "No, your job is to accompany me wherever I go and keep me protected. It is not to tell me where it is or isn't safe for me to be."

"But…"

"Did my mother stop me from going to The Apple Tree? No. She specifically hired you so that I could come here. You do your job and accompany me inside."

He nodded. "Okay," he said. "But I can't guarantee your safety."

"I heard you the first dozen times," I said, and I walked inside the club.