Bartender! A bottle of your finest." Wallace ordered as he approached Matt at the bar and swept the floor with his gaze. Though disappointed at not seeing Kitty, he felt that only a temporary condition soon to be rectified after he finished his dealings with Dalton.
Setting a fine bottle of bourbon on the counter, the barman nodded to the rich man. "That'll be six dollars, sir."
"Six?" Wallace scowled. "Did the rates go up?"
"Nope." Matt spoke up with an even stare. "I told him you were buying mine as well."
Wallace's temper flared but forcefully he tamped it back down. His anger would serve no purpose right then and accomplish less. Dalton was needed right then. Besides, though he couldn't put a finger on why, Dalton intimidate and even frightened him in some way. He didn't want to tangle with the man unless totally necessary.
After paying for the whiskey, Wallace motioned towards a table in the back. "Let's have a seat, shall we?"
Matt said nothing as he followed Wallace across the massive room and to a table in a small alcove where their talk could be a little more private.
But no sooner did the men sit down, than Deborah appeared at their side. "Well, Miles." She exclaimed when she caught sight of Matt sitting beside him. She hadn't seen a man that good looking in a long time. "Who's your friend?"
Wallace could see the interest in the proprietress eyes and it amused him. "Mark Dalton, meet Deborah Villon. She is the owner of this establishment."
"Ma'am." Matt nodded towards her politely, offering little more than a half smile.
"You, uh… here in town permanently?" She asked moving a step closer.
"No, ma'am." He answered. "Just here for a few days on business."
"Oh." She was a bit disappointed then suddenly brightened as a thought occurred to her. "Well, since you won't be here all that long, why waste time? How about you joining me for supper tonight?"
"Uh, no." Matt refused. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. But I uh, I have something I need to do."
"Oh come on." She pleaded. "You have to eat anyway." She leaned in very close so that he could smell her very expensive perfume. "If you're afraid to be alone with me, Miles here can join us."
"Me?" Miles questioned. "I'm sorry, Deborah but I have better things to do than act as chaperone."
Deborah looked at him with an arched brow. "Like chasing after a certain dealer I know?"
When Miles didn't answer she chuckled. "What if she joins us as well?"
Miles considered the idea and realized it might be the best way to get close to the beautiful woman. "Alright." He nodded graciously. "Shall we say seven? Dalton and I will pick you two up."
"Alright." She smiled happily at the thought of getting to know the tall man.
"Now wait a minute." Matt protested. "I didn't agree."
Miles ignored him and looked up at Deborah with a smirk. "We'll be there."
When Deborah walked away, Matt glared over at Wallace. "Who do you think you are? I decide who I have dinner with. Not you."
"Not tonight you don't." Wallace regarded him seriously. "Tonight, as your employer, I decide."
Matt sat up a little. "You accepting my terms?"
Wallace nodded. "Monetarily, yes. But please let me make it clear. You work for me not the other way around."
Matt shook his head. "I work for myself."
"Semantics." Wallace sighed. "You are taking my money and doing a job for me. No matter how you look at it, you are working for me."
Matt pushed back from the table. "Don't mean I have to have dinner with you and that woman."
Wallace gave him a sly smile. "It does if you want an advance on your money."
That evening, Matt and Wallace stood at the bottom of the stairs, bathed, groomed and waiting for the two ladies upstairs to come down. Matt had no desire to be there, but Wallace giving him money would be worth it. It'd be one more nail in the man's coffin. Tangible proof he could use against him.
"They sure don't mind taking their time." Matt groused when he looked up again at the empty staircase.
"They're women and women are always late." Wallace told him.
Up in her rooms, Deborah was still arguing with Kitty about going. "Kitty, please. You have to."
"Why do I have to?" Kitty asked with a crinkled brow. "I don't owe Miles Wallace anything. And anything I owed you has more than been repaid these last few weeks and you know it."
"I know." Deborah sighed. "And it's not about owing anybody. It's about helping out a friend."
"Isn't that what I've been doing?" Kitty asked pointedly.
"Yes, of course. But that was for business. This is for pleasure." When Kitty still didn't agree, Deborah grabbed her hands. "Oh, Kitty, please. Please. Just this once, okay? I promise I won't ever ask you again."
Kitty shook her head, knowing she should continue to decline. But she knew Deborah wouldn't leave her alone. "Alright." She groaned as she got up and gathered her reticule and hat. "Let's go."
Down below, the two men were beginning to get impatient when suddenly a door closing could be heard above and both men looked up to see two women heading for the stairs.
For just a moment Matt's vision blurred and he felt faint as he saw the one figure descending the stairs and gliding towards him. He couldn't believe it. And by the look on her face, the feeling was mutual.
"Kitty, my dear." Miles smiled broadly and took her hand when she reached them. "You look wonderful as do you Deborah."
"Thank you, Miles.' Deborah returned, her eyes resting on Matt. "You and Mr. Dalton didn't do too badly yourselves."
Matt knew he had to do something, he had to break the connection between he and Kitty, for both their sakes but it had been so long.
Kitty was dry mouthed as she stared into the face of a dead man. Or at least one purported to be. Finally, after an insistent tug on her hand by Miles, she looked away. "Uh, sorry, it took so long. My fault, I'm afraid."
"That's more than alright, my dear." Miles grinned. The looks exchanged by his tall employee and the red head didn't go unnoticed by him but he had no idea of their origin. "Mark Dalton." He turned to Matt, possessively hanging onto Kitty's hand. "May I introduce you to Kitty Russell? Kitty, this is Mark. He's a temporary employee of mine."
Matt glanced at Wallace in understanding. He was trying to make sure he and Kitty understood that he was beneath him. Forcing a stranger's civility into his voice, he bowed slightly. "Good to meet you, Miss Russell."
Kitty could do little more than nod. "Mr. Dalton." She murmured.
TBC
