"Good to see you again, doll," the King greeted, straightening up in his seat a little bit when the Courier took a seat across from Pacer and next to the King himself. "Things have been a lot better here with what you've done."
"I think it just might get better. Julie Farkas says that there's a man in Jacobstown that can help fix Rex," she informed, fingers laced together. Her helmet was on her lap; Boone depicted that whenever she wasn't wearing her helmet, she was showing a sign of respect. He also remembered her telling someone once that she preferred to look somebody in the eyes, hence why she was always uneasy about Mr. House.
The King frowned, albeit being pleased. "She said what? Why didn't she just say so when I was down there? Actually, come to think of it, I was pretty angry when I went down there. I vaguely recall something about upending a few tables, maybe knocking out one of her doctors. Anyway, that's incredible news!"
The Courier couldn't help but laugh at that. The King looked so happy! No bond like a dog and his master, apparently.
"Only thing is, there's too much going on around here for me to take a trip like that, and I need all of my guys just to keep things settled here." Then, something shone in his eyes. He leaned forward a bit over the table. "You seem awfully interested in my boy Rex here. And you've done some good work for me already. I'll tell you what. You promise to get Rexie here to that doctor, and I'll lend him to you. What do you say?"
"Sounds great. We're gonna rest up for a day or two in Vegas, then get on that right away."
He sighed gratefully, eyes a little worn and dreary, but still filled with life knowing that his friend was going to be okay. "I can't thank you enough. Now, there's a few things you should know about ol' Rex here if you're going to be traveling together."
At that, Rex's ear perked up. He rested his head on the King's leg and listened as his master gave a run-down of what the Courier should expect.
Hats. The female traveler bit back a grin and glanced back at Boone, who was wearing his beret, as usual. Rex had been eying him up, too.
"I wish you both luck. Take care of my Rex now, y'hear?"
The Courier lingered a moment, locking eyes with the enigmatic King. Boone almost rolled his eyes; the woman had it bad for him. Though it seemed so much like a celebrity crush, like if she said the wrong thing, everything would crumble. When the King broke contact, he went to looking over at his dog and explaining that he was to follow the Courier now. She also looked away, seemingly embarrassed, and quickly put her helmet back on.
"Thanks again, doll. Good luck."
She nodded and gestured for Rex. "C'mere, Rex. Let's go. See you around, King."
"Home sweet home."
Boone considered her proclamation. The presidential sweet was big enough to house nearly nine people, more if you liked limited space, and had enough replenishing assets to live there. He left Novac for good, and he was with her until she wanted him to leave, she considered this home, so, yeah … this was for him too, he supposed.
And so he felt as anyone would when entering their home after a long journey of travel. Rex immediately went on to explore while the Courier went to her master bedroom to drop of her supplies and get a towel and such for showering, Boone ventured off to the guest bedroom to do the same, seeing as there were multiple showers. She slipped in the washroom before Boone did, towel wrapped around her, and she nabbed the first stall before hanging the towel over the door.
Soon after, she heard her sniping companion do the same, but she didn't focus much on him, but rather the steaming hot water that poured out of the shower head …
Those twenty minutes in the shower were completely worth it. Boone had left around ten minutes ago, not needing as long of a shower as she did. The Courier had a razor she had constructed and was using it to shave her legs, underarms, and other places where hair was becoming a nuisance. She lathered her entire body with the soap provided, used shampoo to clean her knotted and messy hair, and eventually ended the shower with a sigh of contentment.
In her bedroom, she sifted through her wardrobe and pulled out a Pre-War outfit, relaxedwear, that was a soothing pink dress, with matching heels. "I knew this would be useful sometime." She had a plan for tonight, and it was flawless.
Mr. House was so kind as to provide make-up (they were terrible brands, had parts missing, and had the occasional spot of dirt, but it was useable nonetheless), which she put on carefully; she'd be damned if she ever wore this stuff another time. This was a one-time thing.
Her hair dried on its own, but she brushed it back in a way that was popular now among the beauties of the Strip. In the kitchen, she sifted through the equipment around her work bench to find something that could be converted into a pair of tweezers. Fortunately, she did just that with scraps of metal she had been collecting by heating them up with the stove and smoothing it out with a compressor on the table.
"Hey boss, you look even smoother than normal. What's the deal?" Raul inquired, stopped at the kitchen entryway and peering at her curiously.
"Goin' out tonight."
"No armor?"
"Wont need it."
He watched her for a moment longer and decided that she could handle herself, whatever she planned on doing. Gambling, maybe? Going to the Ultra-Luxe to dine, perhaps? No matter, Raul knew she'd be okay.
The Courier brought the tweezers back to her room and carefully started to pluck away her too-thick eyebrows into a feminine, arched strip. Hell, she wasn't a very womanly person, but after getting all dolled up like this, she felt … pretty. That never happened, not even before she was shot in the head.
Eventually, she was done with everything. She even spun a bit in the mirror to check herself out, decided she was satisfied, and headed towards the elevator.
She caught sight of the sniper just leaving the guest bedroom, eyebrows up in surprise. "Who—oh, Courier."
"Were you just about to ask who I was?" she asked in astonishment, although she couldn't be offended. Not with how repulsive she looked before. But that's why armor was so great! Cover up all that ugly. "I'm going out to find Plaid-man. Mr. House says he's at the casino over there, and it shouldn't be a problem getting him to talk. Trust me on this one."
"By yourself?"
She placed her hands on her hips. "Does it look like anybody's coming with me?"
"It does now." In a few strides he was by her side. Before she could argue, he said, "I wont be next to you, I'll just be in the area. He shot you in the head, Courier. He'll do it again."
"He wont have the chance," she seethed.
"Damn right he wont," he agreed. Although, that came from the fact that she wouldn't be hurt as long as he was in the vicinity. Boone almost couldn't believe that she thought she was just going to march up to the guy, get information, and then slaughter him on spot when he probably had a group of bodyguards or something. He wanted to call her foolish, but he knew that she probably could have pulled it off. Ah, well. Better safe than sorry.
She lifted up the hem of her dress to show the sniper. "Look," she started, although instinctively he glanced the other way. "No, Boone, I'm not flashing you."
Reassured, he saw that there was a strap around her thigh that held a combat knife and a plasma mine. "So you weren't going unarmed."
"No. I guess it'll be safer with you there, but still. I need him to think that I'm unarmed and innocent."
Boone let out one dry laugh. "You're far from either of those."
"He doesn't know that! Come on, in the elevator."
"What in the goddamn …?" Benny's eyes were wide with surprise and hints of fear. "Let's keep this in the groove, hey? Smooth moves. Smooth …" he consoled himself. "Hello! That broad everyone saw go into the Lucky 38, that was you? Shit."
Now the fun could commence.
"When you shot me, you ran off so fast I never got your name."
It took a small silence for Benny to register that. "You making a pass at me, sister? Because I'm out of your league."
"Aww, is it wrong for me to want a guy who'd shoot me in the head?" She slowly stepped forward, heel clicking lightly, eyelids half open. An eyebrow was cocked seductively, but the man just stared at her in disbelief.
"Did those bullets scramble your egg? Or have you always been a naughty broad …?"
She shrugged, smiling. "Girls like bad boys. And you've been downright awful," she purred. The man didn't even notice her hand trailing up his chest and lightly grasping onto his tie, but hell, it sure was working. She saw the flush around his neck and ears, the signs of him giving in …
Boone, watching through his scope, couldn't believe what the hell that Courier was doing. She was … she was seducing the man? Definitely not the way he would have done it, but it was apparently working, and if it all turned out well in the end, then maybe it'd be fine. He couldn't help but wonder if she was actually going to sleep with him or kill him before he had the chance to get his grubby hands on her.
"You're one sick pussycat, baby. There's quins and then there's … I don't even know what to call you."
"I'm saying I dig you, despite it all. What do you say?"
He let out a strained laugh. "I hear 'dig' from you, babe, and all I can think of is a shovel. How can this be? This ain't forgiveness, it's something … wrong."
And now it was time for the pun she'd been waiting to use. "I'm a courier, remember? Don't you want me to handle your package?" As corny as it might have been, it had a powerful effect on Benny, and he shook his head and shrugged.
"All right, honey baby, this is all kinds of wrong, but to my suite it is. Thirteenth floor. Don't keep me waiting."
Hook, line, and sinker. The Courier knew this was going to be easy, but damn. His guards were warning her not to pull any sudden moves, obviously smarter men than the checkered guy himself. Coyly, she waved to Benny and sauntered up the stairs and out of his view. She sighed. Benny really was dumb if he fell for all of that, but hey. Maybe it was all the added effort of hair, make-up, no-unwanted hair, and so on.
The Courier slowly unlocked the suite and ventured inside, smirk on her lips. She found his bedroom easily and leaned against the wall, waiting for the eager footsteps that were soon thumping through the halls.
"Benny is gonna show you the Tops! I hope you're built sturdy, you crazy broad!"
"Oh, you bet I am," she murmured, grabbing for his tie again and slamming him down on the bed. She crawled on top of him and kissed him with as much passion as she could muster for a guy that blew a hole in her brains, so to speak. The dominance was to Benny's liking, for he let a contented moan that reverberated through the kiss.
He was rubbing his hands along her back, moving down to the small of her back to around her ass, and yanked her closer. She didn't particularly like being handled by that, especially by this scumbag.
She lifted his chin up with one hand and continued to press her lips to his in successive meetings, one after another, and while that distracted him, un-holstered her combat knife with the other. When her warm lips left his, he felt the stark cold against his neck.
"Ah, shit."
"You're a foolish man, Benny." Still on top with the blade so close to his skin it almost made him bleed already, she felt him growing hard underneath her. "Like the power trip, do you? You like the control I have?" She ground against him once, eliciting a choked mutter, his containment of a groan.
"Crazy broad. Don't kill me, I can help you out. I have information."
"You've actually got nothing I don't already know," she said, pressing the flat side of the knife against him harder. He writhed a bit against the comforter and she saw the level of fear increase. It was written all over his face.
"Please, Courier."
She was not a sadist. She was also not a murderer when she didn't have to be, nor was she one to carry around a grudge. It was anticipated that she would back out, but it was okay. "Where's the Platinum Chip?"
"Gave it to one of my guards. You didn't think I'd bring it with me while we get it on, did you, honey baby?"
"No. So you're not so dumb after all. Where's your guard?"
"Don't know. Told him to get the hell out of here, wherever he wants, just to make sure that you don't find out. I'm sure he and I will meet up sometime soon enough."
She pressed the knife closer, then pulled it away and slid it back in the slot around her thigh, then crawled off of him. He heaved a heavy sigh of relief, nodding to the Courier with his eyebrows pulled back. "Thank you."
And with that, he was out of there before she could say anything more. Damn her and her morals, sometimes.
