Halliwell kitchen very early morning:

"Hey Fresca," Corthion said standing in front of the refrigerator door. He held the two-liter bottle in his left while unscrewing with his right. "The only soda better flat."

"You're not going to drink that from the bottle are you?" a voice said from the other side of the room. "At least let me leave before you start swigging. You know? Let me keep one fantasy in my life." Corthion stared at the bottle dumbfounded. "Glasses are in the third cupboard."

"Thanks, Piper isn't it?" Corthion responded, slightly abashed.

"You know my name now?" Piper threw back

"It helps to know the name of both friend and foe."

"Is that how you see me?"

"A pence from column A, a pound from column B."

"Nice to know where I stand."

Corthion turned around and noticed Piper sitting at the table with an inch and a half of wine left in its bottle. He sat down with his own beverage.

"Spending time with your good friends Gina and Jack?" the demon asked with a mix of disquiet and disdain.

"Phoebe was saving this for a special occasion. I figure the club starting to go under" she broke off with slight sobbing.

"What's the problem?" Corthion questioned, trying to empathize.

"The club, the mortgage, the cancellation, you!" she bit back at him.

"Ooooh-kaaay. Good list. I can only help with a few of those," he tossed up defensively. "Who cancelled?"

"DJ Kute." Piper bitterly said through gritted teeth.

"The DJ Kute?" Corthion's ears perked up. " I saw her down in San Diego a few years ago. She does a version of 'Safety Dance', I swear it's like a sonic orgasm."

"That is too much information. It was that damn song that lead me to book her." Piper threw back another glass of wine. "She double booked. It was me and a casino in Michigan."

"Casino in Michigan?" Corthion responded in disbelief. "I've been to all of 'em, nothing but a sea of blue hair and nickel slots."

"Well non the less there she goes and here I am. Stuck without a booking for Saturday."

"I know a guy that might be able to help out."

"Who? Unless you can book someone good for by then I'm sunk."

"How about Cory Thorne?"

"Cory Thorne? The magician? No one's seen him since the whole Eiffel Tower disappearing trick. How can you?"

"Cory Thorne, Corthion, I wondered when you would catch on."

"But, and this probably just the wine talking, why? How? He's a suave, sophisticated, Italian suit kinda guy. You are blunt, low brow, fat, what's left of your one and apparently only shirt just covers what I don't want to see, and you reek slightly of low tide."

"Ouch I'm trying to do you a favor. I would prefer your club and besides it might throw water on the wicked witch of the West Coast."

"I'm not sure how to take that."

"I'm not sure exactly how I meant it. We should save this for the morning. When you're not drunk on 'Gallo Sonoma.'"

"I'm not drunk I'm I'm, ah you're right."

Corthion noticed a three-quarters moon being graced by a stray cloud.

"You going to need help getting upstairs?"