Grace sat at Tibby's with the Jack, Race, David, and Les, eating lunch.
"You think you'll ever make it out to Santa Fe?" Grace asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.
Jack shrugged. "I dunno. Before the strike, it was all I thought about but now…"
"He's got family here," Les grinned.
Jack chuckled and ruffled Les' hair.
"Hmm," said Grace, chewing.
"Why? Antsy to get rid of me?"
Grace shook her head. "No, I was just thinkin' of a change myself."
Race and Jack shared a look. "You're gonna leave New York?" Race asked.
"Maybe," Grace shrugged. "Out west, they've got houses like mine. Fewer men, but a lot fewer women." She pushed around her fries. "I heard a story about a madam who bankrolled a road building project and owns her own farm. There's money out there."
"What about Spot?" asked David.
Grace's face turned cold. "What about Spot?" she asked him back. "Should I ask every one of my customers what he thinks about me moving?"
"Well, no," said David. "But Spot is…you know…"
"He's what, David?" Grace challenged.
David shrugged. "Nothing, I guess."
"Exactly." Grace bit into her sandwich once more.
The bell over the door to Tibby's rang and Spot walked in.
"Haven't seen you around here lately," said Spot, sitting next to her.
"I could say the same of you," said Grace.
"So what's news?" Spot leaned back in his chair.
"Grace here is talkin' about leavin' New York," said Race.
Grace gave him a look and whispered, "big mouth."
Spot raised an eyebrow and looked at Grace. "You movin'?"
"Thought about it."
"Where would you go?"
"Out west somewhere."
Spot smirked a bit. "Been talkin' to Cowboy here too much."
"There's no future for me here," she said.
"Yeah? Says who?"
Grace looked at him for a few beats, and then turned back to her sandwich. She didn't want to open that can of worms in front of the guys.
"And you think there's a future somewhere else?" Spot asked.
Grace shrugged. "Could be. I got offers, you know."
"Offers?" Spot glanced at her.
"Sure," said Grace. "I get customers all the time who are on their way out of town. Even a few regulars talkin' about leaving and wanting some companionship on the long, lonely train ride out west. They pay my way out there and then we part ways."
"Sounds like a good deal," said Spot. "Then you could brag that you slept your way across the country."
His words stung. He was never that cruel to her in front of others – or in private, for that matter. She looked over at him and as soon as she did, he averted his eyes. He regretted his words, but there was no way he would take them back in front of people. He didn't want her to leave. He wanted to beg her to stay. He wanted her to quit the business and come back to Brooklyn and never leave the borough again. But they were past that.
Grace stood up and walked out.
"You were a little hard on her, don't you think, Spot?" said Race.
"She ain't goin' nowhere," said Spot, eating her abandoned fries.
Deep down, Grace's talk of leaving made Spot nervous. He wanted to think she was as attached to him as he was to her.
Later, Spot walked to the house and knocked on the door. One of the girls answered.
"Hey, Conlon," the girl said, leaning against the doorjamb.
Spot nodded. "Gracie here?"
"Sure, but she ain't workin' yet. You could come with me. Half price." She winked.
"No, I just need to talk to her."
The girl opened the door wider and he walked inside. He took the familiar route up the stairs and down the hall to Grace's room. He knocked on the door.
"Come in!"
Spot opened the door and saw Grace sitting at her vanity, getting ready. She rolled her eyes when she saw him.
"Come to tell me more of how me leaving is a stupid idea that will never happen?" Grace asked, turning back to the mirror.
"No," said Spot. "It's your life. You can do with it what you want."
Grace raised her eyebrows. "I think that's the closest thing to an apology I've ever gotten from you."
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to leave," said Spot. "But you're certainly welcome to."
"I'm so glad to have your permission."
Spot sighed. "Look, I came here to make peace and you're making it difficult."
"Fine." Grace put her brushes down and turned in her seat to face him. "Make peace."
When put on the spot like that, he didn't know what to say.
Spot sighed. "Ever since the strike…things have been all upside down and backwards. If that damn Cowboy hadn't turned scab, and I hadn't left…or the damn Walkin' Mouth hadn't given Jack the idea to strike, then we wouldn't…you wouldn't…"
"Spot, stop trying to blame all of this one someone else," she said. "This here is about you and me. No one and nothing else. I made my choices, you made yours. Now we're just have to live with them."
"But you wouldn't have done this if…"
Grace threw her hands up and stood up. "Spot! I didn't have to do what I did, but I made the choice to. I could've gone to you. I could've gone to Race. But I didn't. No one forced me to do this."
Spot was silent for a long time. "I guess I'm always gonna think it's my job to protect you."
"I'm a big girl," she said. "I don't need protecting."
"Yeah you do," said Spot, smirking. "You need protecting from stupid ideas like leaving."
Grace rolled her eyes and turned away.
"Oh, come on, Gracie, it was a joke." Spot reached for her hand and pulled her back to him. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Come on. Let's go somewhere. Let's go…I dunno, to Medda's or the Park or somewhere just the two of us."
"I have to work."
"I'll pay the madam for the time."
Grace scrunched up her nose and shook her head. "I don't want you payin' for somethin' like that."
Spot raised an eyebrow. "You'd let me pay for sex, but not to go for a walk?"
"It's different," said Grace. "It would be like you're paying to be my friend. I don't want that part of us mixed up in…" she gestured around them, "this."
Spot sighed. "Fine." He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I gotta get goin'." He turned and walked away.
"Spot?"
Spot turned back around once he got to the door.
"Maybe one morning next week, we can go to the Park," she said.
Spot gave her a small grin and nodded. "It's a date."
Grace rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but grin. "Get outta here, I got business to conduct."
Spot winked and walked out the door.