Disclaimer: I do not own Agent Carter – but in some stories Angie does.
Flirting with Knives – A USO Show
ON WITH THE STORY
Italy was always quite picturesque this time of year and if she wasn't here on business, Peggy would have taken the time to enjoy it. For now, she had a show to catch and a soldier to wrangle.
"Major Carter, Ma'am!" Her attendant while on base snapped a sharp salute.
"Corporal," Peggy returned. "How goes the Front?"
He rattled off facts and rumors she already knew from reports but it never hurt to have an ear open to the troops and their talk.
"Very good, Corporal. Let's be off to the show and then I will need communications from the Comm Offices to take to the higher ups." Coming out of the briefing tent, Peggy watched in vague amusement as a passel of young men quickly saluted then dashed on to the 'theater' excitedly chattering about the girls of the USO Show that had come to visit.
"Those legs!" "I wanna get close enough to smell their perfume." "Move it! We want the best seats!"
Sedately Peggy followed the Corporal who barked at the soldiers milling about, arriving at a special box seat on the side of the floor nearest the stage. Chairs had been placed on the bed of the truck with the canopy half pulled back to shade her, the Corporal, and the Lieutenant who had yet to arrive.
"Tell me, Corporal Jones, the USO – how well received is this programe among the troops?"
The younger man sat back and nodded his head to indicate the full crowd of uniforms packed shoulder to shoulder in front of an obviously recently constructed stage of old pallets and canvas fabric. "Highlight of our time serving quite frankly, Major. Best damn decision the US Military ever made. The boys are all on their best behavior for months before and after just so they aren't barred from attending."
"It also boosts morale to see a beautiful dame dance and smile just for you," a deeper voice rumbled behind them.
"Lieutenant Pierce."
"Major Carter." The burly man with a full but neatly trimmed beard pulled up a seat next to her. "I hear you are off to the wilds of Russia soon."
Coolly Peggy nodded, eyes still out to the milling crowds, noticing the twitching curtains as the act got into place. "Reconnaissance."
"Hm," the Lieutenant stroked his beard. "I wish you luck. A word of caution, though. Strange tales have reached our ears of a special room – ghost stories, I'm sure, but the locals are extremely jumpy."
From the corner of her eye Peggy regarded the older man, simultaneously impressed that he shared this information with her unprompted and dismissive of his opinion. She knew the ghosts were real. "I will keep that in mind."
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" A booming voice announced from the middle of the stage where a soldier decked out in a blazing red tailcoat and black top hat stood. "Welcome to the USO Show! Tonight we have dancing acts to entice and tantalize, death-defying tumbling and knife throwing to shock and awe, and our very own Super Soldier to lift the girls up single-handedly as they sing our National Anthem!" With a flourish, the announcer spread his hands to the crowd. "So go wild with your applause and welcome our girls of the USO!"
The audience of soldiers clapped, stamped, hooted and hollered as a line of girls in knee-length dresses came swinging out of the curtain as it opened to reveal an American Flag backdrop. The small band began playing the latest tunes and two girls sang chorus to the announcer's lead.
Peggy watched, mildly disinterested until an exuberant "Whoop!" paired with flashing legs caught her attention. A petite woman had been swung high by her fellow dancers and she tumbled with grace back into their arms before joining them on their last twirl around the stage. Her smile was just as captivating as the forbidden flash of flesh, and Peggy found her eyes fixed on the dancer.
Act after act passed and the crowd never tired of the show, basking in the fantasy that these performers were attainable, and Peggy, with every flash of a specific bright smile, found herself falling into the same trap.
'Oh my god,' the thought cut sharply through her mind when the perky performer unveiled a knack for throwing knives swiftly and with deadly accuracy.
"What a woman," the Corporal rasped just as riveted to his seat as Peggy.
"Met that doll before," the Lieutenant laughed. "She's a pistol. Part Italian and got a mouth on her. New York or Brooklyn bred, I wager."
The Corporal tore his eyes from the scene to look at his commanding officer. "Could you introduce me, sir?"
The burly man laughed again. "You are on your own with that one, son. She nearly unmanned the last guy who got fresh with her."
The younger soldier deflated. "Just my luck."
Peggy let a chuckle huff out of her nose. "On behalf of working women everywhere, I appreciate your restraint, Corporal Jones. Perhaps if you see her in the bar afterwards you might start with a simple hello and introduce yourself."
The man perked up, returning his attention to the bowing dame as she finished her routine, making Peggy smirk lightly at his naivete. That woman would kindly, but firmly, chew him up and spit him out.
Then, a rousing trumpet blared as Steve finally took the stage to rally the troops and remind them of all they fought for.
"Gentlemen, have a good evening." Peggy waited until the end of the show then dismissed herself from the duo to go find the Captain and begin their mission.
Backstage was a cramped walkway of wood slats, ragged fabric walls, and a single changing space for quick costume changes walled off by thick curtains on shaky rods and slim poles.
Peggy perched against a stack of decommissioned pallets nearby to stay out of the way of stagehands and showgirls alike. Steve had obviously been caught or was having trouble with the spandex; either way Peggy felt her fingers drum a rhythm against the wood in a tic of impatience she never truly got rid of.
"Where is that bloody man?" she murmured under her breath at the fifth minute waiting.
"Prolly enjoying a farewell tour of the local USO hen pen, English," drawled an American woman's voice behind her.
Peggy froze and turned her head to look over her shoulder. Keen brown eyes followed a thin wisp of smoke to the lit cigarette between coral pink lips smiling at her under mischievious blue eyes.
"Those girls have been daydreaming of properly meeting Captain America ever since he was slated to visit. I don't think he'll surface for a bit longer." The woman stood up and, with the sharpness of dexterity she demonstrated with her knives, snuffed the tobacco and pocketed the remains. "Til then, how about I entertain you?"
A red alarm flashing 'Danger!' in her hind brain was outpaced by the sudden acrobatics of her heart as she beheld the full force of that smile face-to-face. "Mm, that's not necessary," she tried to demure only to be caught off guard when the other woman leaned forward to rest her palms on the crate and look up at Peggy from below with that smile still in place.
"Maybe not, but I guarantee it will be fun, English."
Every instinct fought to make her look down to the seam of the collar on the woman's soft blue dress that complimented her eyes so well. But she denied herself the chance to look even when the woman's smile grew a bit more cheeky, curling at the ends wickedly as if she could sense Peggy's struggle.
"My name is Peggy." Only God knew why that bit of information leapt out from her lips but the excited bounce her companion made caused her some distraction.
"Nice ta meetcha! I'm Angie." Angie stood up and rounded the corner of the crate, now standing square with Peggy, still looking up just a smidge to meet her eyes. "So, gonna take me up on my offer? Or are you off to rescue your soldier?"
Blue eyes zeroed in on her lips when Peggy licked them and swallowed. "Maybe another time, Angie. I really must be on my way." Regret stabbed at her heart when the confident showgirl grinning at her sighed and fell into the visage of a resigned woman with a half smile.
"Alright, English. Hope to see you again." She gave a lazy salute before turning on her heel and walking in the direction of the changing area.
For a moment, Peggy thought to let her go just like that. The upcoming missions were top secret for more than the sensitive information they were gathering. She might not make it back and getting involved with anyone was a poor idea.
...And poor ideas have never stopped her before.
"Angie," she called, not moving but smirking when the younger woman sharply whirled around as if waiting for a reason to do so. "I do plan on having a drink before I leave tomorrow. Will I see you there?"
The wide grin was back and this time it was accompanied by pinkening cheeks. "You bet your bottom dollar, English. And maybe I'll win us a free drink impressing you with my skills at pool." Angie winked causing Peggy to give a short laugh.
"I'll help, and walk you home afterwards," she promised.
"I'd really like that, Peg."
A commotion on the other side of the stage, just down the walk, brought their attention back from the future. A much more jaunty gesture from Angie had Peggy getting a little red in her own cheeks.
"Mwah! See you tonight, Officer."
Peggy imagined the blown kiss leaving a semi-permanent mark on her skin and she could only wave before duty shrouded her demeanor with the arrival of Steve Rogers.
"Steve. Where have you been?" A sheepish grin coupled with an apology lessened the severity of her glare but the steel in her voice stayed put. "Nevermind. I have a mission for us. Come to the Command Tent at 17:00 for debriefing." Her friend snapped a salute, grinning from ear to ear. "And for God's sake, get out of that ridiculous costume."
She waved at him as she left the backstage area; plans, strategies, tactics, and the Cheshire grin of a beautiful woman keeping her company until later that night.
The End