Hello everyone! This last week was rather hectic with precious little time to write, hence the few hours' delay in posting this new chapter. At this point, I'd like to thank K2 Black Panther again for his support, as well as those who put this story in their favorites and alerts. By the way, this chapter takes place not immediately following the previous one, but some time later, as you'll find out. Without further ado...
It was a slow morning at the Lagoon Company office. Rock was busy crunching some numbers, noting with satisfaction that the last few jobs had been quite profitable. Dutch was always careful about balancing the books and keeping a cash reserve, but since the Japanese man had joined the outfit, they seemed to be doing even better. Revy was the only other person in the office. She was in her customary position, sprawled on the couch reading a magazine. The bell above the door jangled, announcing an arrival. Revy's hand went to a holstered pistol out of habit, but she relaxed when she saw Dutch enter, followed by Benny. The two had gone down to the harbor to do some work on the boat and get some stuff from the now rebuilt warehouse/boat pen at the docks.
"Yo, Revy, Rock, you're both still here, good," said Dutch. "I have a job for you two."
"Good, I was getting bored," drawled Revy without looking up from her magazine. "What's the job?"
Dutch chuckled, knowing what was about to follow. "Just some errands I need you to run."
Predictably, she shot upright. "What? I don't like playing errand boy, you know that! Can't Benny go with Rock instead?"
"Calm down, Revy, and just listen to me for a moment." He waited until she huffed and nodded. "I need you to go, because you'll be doing deliveries today. You know; the packages we've been picking up here and there this week. Some of it is sensitive stuff, not to mention the pay we'll be getting, in hard cash, I might add, so Rock is going to need protection. I can't go and Benny isn't packing, so that leaves you."
"Fine, I'll go. Rock, get your ass up and let's get this over and done with." She was storming towards the door when she screeched to a stop. "Where's the stuff we're supposed to deliver?"
"Everything is in the car," replied Dutch.
"Destinations?" Rock asked.
The big African-American reached into a pocket and wordlessly handed Rock a folded piece of paper. He glanced at it, mentally mapping out the delivery route, and nodded. It was going to be easy enough. Even the amount of cash he was expected to bring back didn't make him uneasy in the slightest. After all, Revy was going to be with him. Benny tossed him the car keys. He caught them easily and followed his partner out the door.
As he drove, he sneaked occasional glances at her. She had her feet up on the dashboard and was idly smoking a cigarette while fiddling with the radio. She found something she liked and bobbed her head to the music. There was no angry outburst like the last time they'd gone on errands together. Finally, she spoke. "Where's our first stop?"
"Club Heart," he replied. It was one of the more upscale establishments in the City of Pleasure. Its owner was nothing like Rowan either, which was a plus in everyone's opinion.
"Swanky joint," she remarked. Reaching over, she plucked the paper with their itinerary from Rock's shirt pocket and studied it. The number written next to the Club Heart order got her attention. "Phew, that's quite a bundle. What are we delivering, liquid gold?"
"That's one way of putting it, I guess," he told her. After all, Perrier-Jouet was one of the most expensive champagnes in the world and a case of the stuff had made its way into the Lagoon Company's hands during an acquisition job for another client, which had happened to require a mild case of piracy. The Club Heart, with its higher-end clientele, was happy to buy the merchandise and pay premium for it.
"OK, now I see why Dutch wanted me to go with you," she said as she mentally tallied the total sum of money they were going to receive from their clients. Then she had an idea. "Hey, if we're done with the deliveries early enough, we could go to the Kao Khan for lunch. What do you say, Rock?"
"I'm game," he said and checked his watch. It was still early, so if they didn't run into any major trouble they could make it to their favorite Chinese food joint with time to spare.
The club's manager had been given a heads up by her boss and she was positively ecstatic when a bouncer led Revy and Rock into her office, the latter carrying the case of champagne. "I know we don't often get to do business with you, but it's a pleasure every time," she said. The woman was about Balalaika's age and quite beautiful, too. In fact, she'd been a dancer until she broke a leg in a traffic accident and could no longer perform, but she was capable enough to be promoted to manager.
"Where do you want me to put this?" Rock asked.
"Just leave it by the desk, thank you. Now, regarding your payment…" She opened a drawer and took a bundle of cash. "Sixty thousand dollars, as you agreed with the boss."
Rock quickly counted the money and put it away in his pocket. "Just like you said, it's always a pleasure doing business with you." He and Revy shook hands with the manager and left. The redhead was in a decidedly good mood, especially since this was turning out to be quite a payday.
As the morning wore on, they visited several other clients, delivering anything from confidential documents to special ammunition, the latter going to the Rip-Off Church. Yolanda had even paid without a murmur and Eda hadn't made a fuss or flirted with Rock either. Apparently they already had a buyer lined up. They were crossing the Slip Knot Bridge, heading back to the city after delivering a package to Roland the contemporary archeologist, who was with his team at an old WW-II Japanese Army base.
"OK, all that's left is a delivery to Balalaika and we can call it a day," said Rock.
"I know," she replied. After mentally counting her bonus from the day's pay, she thought it'd be nice to see the Russian woman again. She also wondered what the Twins were up to lately. She hadn't seen them since that night at the San Kan Palace.
-o-
"Good morning, Two-Hands, Rock," Private Sakharov greeted them from behind the front desk at the Bougainvillea Trade Company.
"Morning," Revy returned the greeting. "Where's the boss lady?"
"She's upstairs, somewhere. Go right ahead."
"Thank you," said Rock and led the way to the elevators, two thick manila folders clutched under an arm. When they reached the top floor, they ran into Boris, who pointed them towards the video editing room.
"She won't be in the best of moods if she's editing porn again," remarked Revy as she walked down the hallway next to Rock. They paused outside the door when they heard laughter. The sounds coming from inside the room told them that Balalaika wasn't alone in there. A familiar giggle could also be heard through the closed door. "What the fuck? Gretel's in there too?" Revy wondered. Rock shrugged and knocked.
"Come in," three voices said. Rock and Revy entered. Sure enough, Balalaika was seated at the console, with Hansel and Gretel on either side. She wasn't editing porn this time, though.
"Revy, Rock!" The kids jumped up and went to greet their friends, giving Rock a high-five each and hugging Revy. "You're just in time," said Hansel. "We're just about finished editing the last tape from our vacation. We'll make some copies for you too."
"That's nice of you," said Revy, mussing their hair to an annoyed squawk from Gretel. She also nudged Rock with an elbow.
"We have something for you as well." He handed one of the envelopes over to the kids, who thanked him and eagerly opened it.
"Look, Aunt Sofiya, it's copies of photos we took on our vacation!" Gretel exclaimed. Specifically, these were the photos taken with Benny's cameras.
"I can see that. Why don't you go get the copies of the other photos we made for Lagoon?" The kids had bought their own cameras and the films had been developed.
"Leave it to me!" Hansel was out the door in a flash and returned less than a minute later with an envelope labeled 'Lagoon Company', giving it to Rock.
"Why don't we take this to the lounge downstairs while the machine here makes the extra copies of the tapes? Balalaika suggested.
"Great idea!" Hansel grabbed Revy's hand and Gretel Rock's, pulling them down the hallway towards the elevators, Balalaika following behind them.
The lounge was a big room on the ground floor, where off-duty staff could relax, being essentially a combination of a break room, play room and café bar. A bar counter took up almost the entire length of a wall, and served refreshments, hot and cold beverages and snacks. Another wall was lined with pinball and arcade game machines. The rest of the area was taken up by card tables, pool tables, even a couple of air hockey tables, plus comfortable couches and armchairs placed around coffee tables. The small party took one of the couches. Rock and Revy browsed the photos the kids had given them, while the Twins showed their Aunt the rest of the photos taken during their vacation. The blond woman raised an eyebrow when she saw the photos of Revy and the Twins having fun at their improvised firing range, but that was the full extent of her reaction. Maybe that was why they were both pestering her to let them join a gun club. Revy had let them see guns from a different perspective. Her mind's eye pictured Gretel competing at the Olympics, something she had dreamed about but never had the chance to do and unconsciously pulled the girl closer.
Half an hour later, Rock and Revy left, taking with them the pay for the latest delivery, as well as the photos and video tapes Balalaika and the Twins had prepared for them. Gretel had also insisted on showing Revy pictures of her new room, just in case the latter had any decoration suggestions to add. It was a typical girl's room… mostly. The Iron Maiden poster and the M1918A2 BAR poster on the walls were the odd socks in there, contrasting with the wallpaper, the bedspread and the stuffed animals. But they still made the redhead laugh. She'd also noticed how prominently both she and Balalaika featured in the collection of framed photos displayed on a shelf. In the end, she said that the room was perfect and that Gretel herself was going to improve it as she grew up.
They made it to the Kao Khan just as the early lunch crowd began gathering, much to her delight. They got their orders and took a table outside. As they ate, he couldn't help but notice she was still in a very good mood. Normally, she hated that part of their work with a passion, preferring to work out or sit in the office doing nothing instead of going on errands, but this time she appeared to be enjoying it.
-o-
"We're back!" Revy announced loudly as she entered the office and then vaulted over the back of her favorite couch, reaching out to grab a magazine once she'd settled into a comfortable position on the cushions.
"There was no trouble, I take it?" Dutch queried from his chair, where he was reviewing some company paperwork.
"None whatsoever," replied Rock. He bent down and carefully placed the money he'd collected on the coffee table. "All our clients paid and we even had time to see Hansel and Gretel when we were done with the business for Balalaika. They also gave us copies of photos and videotapes they took on their vacation with us." The relevant packages went next to the money on the table.
"Benny will take care of those when he gets back." Picking up the money, he quickly counted it and then split it into five piles. Four were their bonuses, while the fifth was to go into the company's cash reserve. He pocketed his share and gave Rock and Revy theirs. "You gotta love it when your hard work pays off," he commented with a smile.
Soon, Dutch left to go on one of his walks. By now, Rock knew how their boss liked to conduct certain business over payphones instead of using the office phone. Benny was still out somewhere. Probably having internet sex with Jane, Revy had theorized (she had used rather more vulgar terms, though). She was still vegging on the couch, while he was almost done updating the books.
"Revy, have you got any plans for tonight?" Rock asked out of the blue.
"Not really," she replied. "Why?"
"Assuming we don't get a new job, would you like to go out with me?"
She got up on her elbows and turned to look at him, an unlit cigarette dangling from the corner of her mouth. "You mean go out like we discussed that night on the boat?"
"Yes, I mean exactly that. I think it would be nice, considering how hectic things have been for all of us recently." Hectic was kind of an understatement. A lot of their most recent jobs, the one they'd done for the Rip-Off Church involving 'Greenback' Jane especially, had been everything from grueling to right down dangerous.
"Sure, I could use a good time," she said after briefly thinking about it. "As I recall, you claimed you can show a lady a good time. I'll leave the planning to you. Oh, and I'd like to go somewhere not too casual."
"Got it," he said. So, she wanted to dress up again. That was no problem. He'd already given the matter some thought and come up with various plans. Time to put one of them in action, he thought. It was still early, just three in the afternoon, as the clock on the wall showed. All he had to do was find out if he could borrow the car or adjust his plan accordingly if it turned out to be unavailable. "Pick you up at your place around seven?"
"Fine by me," she replied and went back to her magazine.
Dutch ran into Rock in the stairwell leading up to the office. "Going out, Rock?"
"Yeah, for a bit. Got some things to take care of." Rock paused just short of the exit. "Dutch, do you know if I can borrow the car tonight?"
"Well, we don't have a job or anything lined up for today and I don't have any other plans either. Benny should be here in less than an hour, so you can ask him as well."
"Ok, Dutch, thanks. See you later."
As expected, only Revy was in the office, rooting through the cabinets in the kitchenette. "I just saw Rock heading out," Dutch told her. "It's not like him to leave the office, unless I send him off on a job. What's he up to?"
"I'll tell you in a minute," she replied. "Want some coffee? By the way, he's done with the books."
"Please." Dutch sat down and saw that Rock had indeed updated the company books. He looked up when Revy handed him a coffee. "What's that?"
"It's coffee," she said and sat down with her own mug. Then she smiled. "You mean the mug? I got us a new one each. Remember when Rock suggested that I go for a walk a day or two before we took the Twins on that trip? I found them in a little store and then forgot about them." Hers had a skull on one side of the grip and 'Death Before Decaf' printed on the other. Dutch's mug was even bigger and had 'A Giant Cup Of I'm The Fucking Boss' on one side and 'I'm not Bossy, I'm The Boss' on the other. "As for Rock, he's taking me out tonight, so he went to take care of some things."
"So, you two are going on a date, huh?" With those two, it was a question of when, rather than if.
"Rock and I have an understanding. It will be a date only if I decide so. Otherwise, it will be just two friends going for a night out on the town."
"And to think you once told me that you couldn't partner with him, remember?" He watched her carefully and noticed the slight uncomfortable shift of her eyes. "I won't lie to you, Revy. Having Rock around has been good for you. It's like what was eating at you deep inside is more bearable now. And then came the business with Hansel and Gretel, two kids broken just like you were. You know what I think? By helping fix them you also fixed yourself a bit more."
"You really think so, Dutch?" Revy asked.
"I wouldn't have said it otherwise." He took a sip of his coffee. "Thanks for the mug, by the way."
"You are welcome." She smiled and drank some coffee as well.
"Since we haven't got any new jobs, why don't you take the rest of the day off after you finish your coffee? Just relax, get ready for your evening out… you know."
"I might do just that. Thanks, Boss." For the moment she was content to enjoy her coffee, smoke and read.
-o-
The dress and the belt were neatly laid out on the bed. The boots were on the floor and the shoulder bag was next to the TV. Satisfied that everything was in order, Revy went to take a shower. She relaxed under the soothing spray of water, thinking about her upcoming evening out with Rock. There was no doubt in her mind that he was going to take her somewhere nice. Although he had adjusted pretty well to living in the City of Immorality, he was still mostly a normal guy who liked doing normal things. Therefore, it stood to reason he was going to come up with something good for their outing. She shampooed her long hair, soaped up and then rinsed off. She was still toweling her hair dry when she emerged from the bathroom. The closet doors were still open, so she inspected her body in the full length mirror inside one of them. A glance at the clock told her it was time to get dressed. Soon, she was ready, so she sat down on the bed and watched some TV while waiting for him to come pick her up.
Rock was quite pleased with how things had turned out. Benny had told him he was planning to stay at home and chat with Jane over the internet, so there was no problem about taking the car for the evening. He had a good plan, if he said so himself, and had even had the time to shower and visit the barber for a nice shave. He'd also decided to eschew wearing his usual tie in favor of a more casual look. At seven on the dot, he knocked on her door. "Come in," she called from inside the room.
He opened the door and peeked inside. "Hey, are you ready?"
"Yes. Let's go." She got up, picked up her bag and went to the door. "What, no flowers?" She was teasing him and she was certain he knew it. His chuckle confirmed it. Instead, he held an arm out for her and she looped hers through it. When they reached the car, he even held the door open for her. The radio was tuned to an easy listening station and the traffic wasn't bad as he weaved the GTO through it. At the restaurant, one she'd never been to before, he again pulled out a chair for her and ordered for both of them. Revy decided she liked a take charge man on a date. Well, she hadn't yet decided on whether it was a date or not.
"So, how is it?" Rock asked her at some point, trying to start a conversation.
"Well, it's too early to tell, but so far it's not so bad," she replied, fingering the dog tag the twins had given her. She was feeling somewhat out of her depth there, not being used to going out like this.
"I meant the food," he clarified. "I found this place completely by chance and thought we might give it a try."
"The food, right," she said. "It's great, actually. I never thought Mexican would go so well with Chinese cuisine." She held up her glass of Tsingtao beer. "This stuff isn't bad, either."
"Glad you think so. By the way, the owner is Mexican and his wife Chinese, so they thought they might as well combine the two styles."
She could go with this kind of conversation. Rock was keeping it light, not delving into issues that might be uncomfortable or embarrassing for her. "So, tell me, Mr. White Collar, what have you planned for us next? You're doing rather well right now and I can't help but be a bit curious."
He smiled slyly. "You'll just have to be patient, Two-Hands, but rest assured you'll like it." He mentally reviewed his plans and surreptitiously checked his watch. Good, he was still within his carefully prepared schedule. They kept up the small talk, focusing on fun subjects, such as Benny's still new relationship with Jane, concluding that the two deserved each other. Rock also revealed some details regarding Jane's presence on the Black Lagoon that Revy ignored, having been busy dealing with the pyromaniac lardass, as she described the late Claude 'Torch' Weaver. Her narrative of how she had taken him out with some help from Dutch had Rock spellbound as he listened. He'd been inside the boat with Benny and Jane and missed all the excitement on the deck and in the engine room.
After the meal, he took care of the check and they went on a short walk. They stopped at a street vendor and he bought her some ice cream, saying that he'd recently promised to get her one and he wasn't one to break a promise. She laughed when she remembered it and said that she still owed him some cotton candy.
The next stop was at a movie theater. The Chase starring Charlie Sheen and Kristy Swanson was playing and Rock had chosen it thinking it was right up Revy's alley. He went all out, buying popcorn, soda and sweets for both of them before leading her to their seats.
"Where to now, Rock?" Revy asked him as they exited the cinema. She'd enjoyed the movie and was generally having a great time, as evidenced by her smile.
"That's up to you," he informed her, wanting to let her have some initiative. He still had a couple of places in mind, just in case she wanted to pass and leave it up to him.
She looped her arm through his and led him to a nearby park. They strolled aimlessly around, passing couples sitting on benches or walking by. "It's very peaceful here, which is saying a lot. We're in Roanapur, after all," she commented. "Come to think of it, I didn't have to draw my Cutlasses yet."
"Let's just hope you won't have to, at least for the rest of the evening. A shootout doesn't exactly figure very highly in my plans."
"Speaking of the rest of the evening, I could definitely use a drink," she said. "Let's go someplace not too loud, though."
"Okay. Let me think… We could try one of the bars nearby, or just go to the Flag."
Going to the Yellow Flag sounded appealing to her, but trouble could flare up at any time over there, as they both knew perfectly well. She decided to try something else. "There's this lounge bar I've heard about, near Balalaika's place. Do you know it?"
"Never heard of it until now," he replied. "But it sounds like a good idea."
-o-
The bar wasn't very crowded and the music wasn't too loud either. The lighting and spacious seating arrangements also made for a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. They took a corner booth by the front window and once again Rock took the lead and ordered their drinks. While waiting for their order to arrive, they sat in a companionable silence, just watching the night traffic outside.
"What's this?" Revy asked when the waitress set two martini glasses down on their table.
"Drink and find out," he told her. "Cheers." They toasted each other and drank.
"Damn, this is good. It's got Bacardi in it, right?"
"You can't have a good Daiquiri without Bacardi," he said sagely. "I did a bit of research on the subject."
"Pfft, now you sound like Dutch, always doing your homework," she laughed. "What other drinks with Bacardi in them can we order here?"
He had been expecting such a question and just smiled. They ended up drinking a Hemingway Daiquiri, a Mulata Daiquiri – she loved the rich taste of aged rum and cocoa in the latter – and finishing with a classic Bacardi Cocktail, followed by a glass of 151 each. As it was getting a bit late, Rock paid for their drinks and they walked back to the car, taking a longer route to work some of the alcohol off their systems.
-o-
Rock parked the car in front of the hotel they were both staying in. He got out and opened the door for her, doing the same for the hotel's front door as well and then escorting her to her room, where he waited patiently as she rummaged inside her bag for the key. She opened the door and moved to go inside, but paused.
"Rock, I had a great time tonight." She turned around, fully facing him, placed a hand on his shoulder, stood on tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "We should do that again sometime soon."
"Any time you want, Revy," he said. "I had a great time, too."
"Goodnight and thank you. You really know how to plan a good date."
"So it was a date, huh?"
"Do you want me to change my mind?"
"No, not at all," he replied.
"Good, because I don't want to."
"Sweet dreams, Revy."
She gave him a small wave and went into her room, closing the door behind her. He didn't realize it, but he had a big smile on his face as he walked to his own room.
I hope you enjoyed it.
