The happy tune from the keys of an old piano was easily heard from outside
a saloon as the eight men rode into town. Jesse looked to the wooden
building, reading the sign aloud. "The Capulet Inn and Saloon. Why does
that sound familiar?"
"Romeo and Juliet," Frank answered, "Shakespeare. We ought to go in, don't you boys agree?"
They all murmured their agreements before dismounting the stallions and tying the reigns up to the log post. Each made sure their guns were at their side in case a bar fight would start up. Strutting inside the bar, they took a quick glance around and found that it was a decent looking place. There were a few drunks just hanging around and flirting with the paid-ladies while others were gambling their latest paycheck. Glancing to each other, Jesse raised his voice so everyone could hear him, "Alright, listen up! This boy here has a little scratch that needs to be treated. Anyone here know how to do something like that?"
Glancing over to the group of men, a young waitress set some empty glasses on the table before jogging up to them. "I'm not to bad at treating wounds. Who has it?"
"Uh. I do," Jim said as he moved a step forward.
The teenaged girl looked over his shoulder before taking his hand, "That'll get infected! Come upstairs and I'll clean it up!"
As she pulled Jim towards the stairs, he glanced over to the others in his gang with a slight grin. They watched the two disappear upstairs before taking their separate ways. Each one spread out to either join in the gambles, talk to the women or buy a few shots of whiskey. Jesse hooked a thumb on his belt as he scanned the busy bar. It looked like he was just about the only person in the facility that wasn't merry-making; be it gambling, drinking, or wenching. He walked slowly to the bar counter, where he saw the prettiest face in the building working. Jesse casually took a seat and propped his elbow on the counter, "Can I get some whiskey, miss?"
The bar wench glanced up at Jesse, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before the brunette smiled politely while putting a lock of hair behind her ear. She turned around and pulled down three shot glasses before setting them in front of the charismatic man. Grabbing a large bottle of whiskey, she poured some of the booze into those glass shots, "There ye' are."
"Thank you kindly, miss," He gulped one shot and slammed the glass on the counter. Jesse paused a moment to let the whiskey sink in, "So, you get this big and happy a crowd every night?"
"Only when they know someone famous strolls into town," She leaned against the counter, a sweet grin on her face, "Like, oh... Jesse James?"
He stopped short with the second glass in his hand, "Those posters really gettin' that good?"
"I just remember faces," She wrinkled her nose before picking up a rag and wiping the counter off.
Jesse thought to himself; she left the field wide open for a smooth compliment, "Well, your face sure is rememberable..."
The waitress stopped wiping the counter when he said this and she looked at him, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks, "Well... Thank you. I s'pose the stories are true about you, then."
He laughed nervously and shifted his position on the barstool, "What stories?"
"Oh, just those ones about you being a smooth talkin' ladies man..." She threw the rag over her shoulder and ran her tapered fingers through her short ponytail.
He laughed more heartily this time and downed another shot in the middle of doing so, "I love those stories rightly, I do. I should read some of 'em sometime."
"Maybe you should..." She arched an eyebrow at him before turning away again and picking up some dusty glasses to clean up.
Jesse stared at his third shot glass while shifting position again, "What'd you say your name was, miss?" He looked up.
She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Brooke Capulet."
"Capulet? Like... that one... Shakeybeard? Shakes..." Jesse scratched his head contemplatively, "Isn't that a name in a play?"
Brooke giggled at his mistakes, "Romeo and Juliet, yes... Shakespeare. One of the greatest playwrights in Old England."
Only anxious to not focus on his tiny education, Jesse waved his hand and changed the topic, "So, you own this inn?"
"My Pa does... My younger sister and I... We work as waitresses when he's busy," She decided that since the drunks were clearing out, she really didn't have to worry about working much for the rest of the night. Pulling a stool up, she sat in front of Jesse and looked him in the eyes.
"It's a mighty fine place, Miss Capulet. One of the happiest places we've stopped by, I'd reckon." Conversation is going smooth... bring it back to a subject he can get lots of compliments in with, "My boys sure seem to be enjoying them paid ladies you've got 'round here."
"Well, its business," She sighed a bit, "Just... business."
A smirk tugged at the side of his mouth, "What was that sigh for, eh? Eh?"
"Ah, it can be a borin' life," Another giggle escaped her, "Well, why are you smilin' like that?"
"To get you to show me your pretty smile, of course, Miss Brooke," His smile broadened, "Why you livin' a borin' life, anyhow?"
"Workin' in a bar every night certainly isn't an exciting life. After our Ma died." She suddenly cut herself off and glanced downward, silently cursing herself for mentioning her beloved mother.
Jesse was caught rather offguard and his gaze flicked to Brooke's downcast eyes. He searched for something to say before placing his hand over her's and speaking genuinely. "I'm sorry."
Brooke looked at their hands and a small smile formed, "It was a long time ago... We all just miss her," Inside, she felt her heart beginning to beat faster and her face grow warm from her slight nervousness.
"How about a few more shots of whiskey?" Jesse suddenly said, "And then you can tell me some more about yourself."
"Romeo and Juliet," Frank answered, "Shakespeare. We ought to go in, don't you boys agree?"
They all murmured their agreements before dismounting the stallions and tying the reigns up to the log post. Each made sure their guns were at their side in case a bar fight would start up. Strutting inside the bar, they took a quick glance around and found that it was a decent looking place. There were a few drunks just hanging around and flirting with the paid-ladies while others were gambling their latest paycheck. Glancing to each other, Jesse raised his voice so everyone could hear him, "Alright, listen up! This boy here has a little scratch that needs to be treated. Anyone here know how to do something like that?"
Glancing over to the group of men, a young waitress set some empty glasses on the table before jogging up to them. "I'm not to bad at treating wounds. Who has it?"
"Uh. I do," Jim said as he moved a step forward.
The teenaged girl looked over his shoulder before taking his hand, "That'll get infected! Come upstairs and I'll clean it up!"
As she pulled Jim towards the stairs, he glanced over to the others in his gang with a slight grin. They watched the two disappear upstairs before taking their separate ways. Each one spread out to either join in the gambles, talk to the women or buy a few shots of whiskey. Jesse hooked a thumb on his belt as he scanned the busy bar. It looked like he was just about the only person in the facility that wasn't merry-making; be it gambling, drinking, or wenching. He walked slowly to the bar counter, where he saw the prettiest face in the building working. Jesse casually took a seat and propped his elbow on the counter, "Can I get some whiskey, miss?"
The bar wench glanced up at Jesse, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before the brunette smiled politely while putting a lock of hair behind her ear. She turned around and pulled down three shot glasses before setting them in front of the charismatic man. Grabbing a large bottle of whiskey, she poured some of the booze into those glass shots, "There ye' are."
"Thank you kindly, miss," He gulped one shot and slammed the glass on the counter. Jesse paused a moment to let the whiskey sink in, "So, you get this big and happy a crowd every night?"
"Only when they know someone famous strolls into town," She leaned against the counter, a sweet grin on her face, "Like, oh... Jesse James?"
He stopped short with the second glass in his hand, "Those posters really gettin' that good?"
"I just remember faces," She wrinkled her nose before picking up a rag and wiping the counter off.
Jesse thought to himself; she left the field wide open for a smooth compliment, "Well, your face sure is rememberable..."
The waitress stopped wiping the counter when he said this and she looked at him, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks, "Well... Thank you. I s'pose the stories are true about you, then."
He laughed nervously and shifted his position on the barstool, "What stories?"
"Oh, just those ones about you being a smooth talkin' ladies man..." She threw the rag over her shoulder and ran her tapered fingers through her short ponytail.
He laughed more heartily this time and downed another shot in the middle of doing so, "I love those stories rightly, I do. I should read some of 'em sometime."
"Maybe you should..." She arched an eyebrow at him before turning away again and picking up some dusty glasses to clean up.
Jesse stared at his third shot glass while shifting position again, "What'd you say your name was, miss?" He looked up.
She glanced over her shoulder at him. "Brooke Capulet."
"Capulet? Like... that one... Shakeybeard? Shakes..." Jesse scratched his head contemplatively, "Isn't that a name in a play?"
Brooke giggled at his mistakes, "Romeo and Juliet, yes... Shakespeare. One of the greatest playwrights in Old England."
Only anxious to not focus on his tiny education, Jesse waved his hand and changed the topic, "So, you own this inn?"
"My Pa does... My younger sister and I... We work as waitresses when he's busy," She decided that since the drunks were clearing out, she really didn't have to worry about working much for the rest of the night. Pulling a stool up, she sat in front of Jesse and looked him in the eyes.
"It's a mighty fine place, Miss Capulet. One of the happiest places we've stopped by, I'd reckon." Conversation is going smooth... bring it back to a subject he can get lots of compliments in with, "My boys sure seem to be enjoying them paid ladies you've got 'round here."
"Well, its business," She sighed a bit, "Just... business."
A smirk tugged at the side of his mouth, "What was that sigh for, eh? Eh?"
"Ah, it can be a borin' life," Another giggle escaped her, "Well, why are you smilin' like that?"
"To get you to show me your pretty smile, of course, Miss Brooke," His smile broadened, "Why you livin' a borin' life, anyhow?"
"Workin' in a bar every night certainly isn't an exciting life. After our Ma died." She suddenly cut herself off and glanced downward, silently cursing herself for mentioning her beloved mother.
Jesse was caught rather offguard and his gaze flicked to Brooke's downcast eyes. He searched for something to say before placing his hand over her's and speaking genuinely. "I'm sorry."
Brooke looked at their hands and a small smile formed, "It was a long time ago... We all just miss her," Inside, she felt her heart beginning to beat faster and her face grow warm from her slight nervousness.
"How about a few more shots of whiskey?" Jesse suddenly said, "And then you can tell me some more about yourself."