Lackadaisy Friday Night
"You three will be back when?" Mitzi asked us as we headed out the door.
"It's just dinner, we should be back in a couple hours with the ladies in tow. You sure you're okay watching Riley?"
Mitzi looked behind her at the stage where Riley was busy annoying the band with questions about their instruments. "She'll be fine here. If nothing else it gives you boys the incentive to come back."
"Miss M, surely you've got some tasks for me to do, right?" Rocky asked, fishing for an excuse to not go.
"Sorry hon, but I'm afraid your schedule is clear. Now go have fun with the boys."
"Perhaps I could clean the truck, wash dishes, anything that might be—" Freckle and I each grabbed one of Rocky's shoulders and dragged him out of the speakeasy.
"Thanks again Miss M!" I said while waving goodbye. The door closed with a heavy thud as Mitzi settled back into reading the paper.
"Anything interesting happen today?" a small voice asked. She knew how annoying kids could be but figured out many ways of distracting them. "Nothing that pertains to us, Riley. But Ethan told me you liked to read this section a lot…" Mitzi then produced the comics section of the paper. "And if that doesn't interest you, you're welcome to get my band leader out of his daily coma."
"Thanks Miss M!"
She shooed the girl away, comic section in tow while she went back to reading the daily news. The body count was enough to be in the A-section almost every day now. Mitzi vaguely recognized some names; most didn't ring a bell. It was like a whole new generation of gangsters came to take the place of the old guard she once knew. Many, like her beloved Atlas, had been killed. Others were arrested, but most had left town. She looked over at Zib as he lay hunched over the bar, asleep with several shot glasses and numerous cigarettes surrounding him. Leaving town was Zib's suggestion, and it was certainly an idea with merit. Perhaps if things did go bad again, she might be able to tear herself away from the speakeasy. At least someone could stick around to keep an eye on the place, preserve it in some way for an eventual return. It was Atlas himself she couldn't bear to part with.
Mitzi checked the time. It was five on the dot and the speakeasy door opened as Wick stepped in for his evening entertainment. With a top hat on his head and cane in hand, Wick took off his glasses and nested them neatly in his pocket.
"Evening, Miss M." He said while tipping his hat and taking a seat next to the lady of the house.
"Ready for the week to be over?" She asked, knowing full-well what the answer was going to be. The cat instantly let the composure he had been holding all week fall away as he sank into his chair and leaned on the counter while rubbing his face. "This week looked especially hard." She commented.
"Yes, too many meetings to count. Lacy has been a saint though, picking up some of the slack where she can. And to the woman's credit, the scheduling was impeccable. Just got done with the last one for the week."
Mitzi rubbed Wick's back while motioning for Horatio to bring a bottle from the top shelf over along with two glasses. Putting the timid cat in charge of the bar was perhaps one of Ethan's better ideas to date. He floundered as a bouncer, but with his snappy suit and warm smile the young cat was exactly the kind of personality patrons wanted to tell their troubles to. The matter of security still needed to be settled though.
"Here you are, ma'am." Horatio said as he placed a full bottle and two tumblers between Mitzi and Wick. "Thank you, Horatio."
"And what's on the menu this fine evening?" Wick asked as he looked it over.
"Canadian Whiskey… though the bottle looks like it was from the Caribbean."
"So I guess we did drink through the good stuff." Wick said as he pulled open the cork.
"We'll get another load of the higher quality product when the Arbogasts can get a new shipment in. But for now, we'll just have to make do."
Wick swirled the glass before smelling it and sipping in a mouthful. It was by no means great, but no worse than the stuff they had been surviving on a few months ago. Letting it settle in his mouth, Wick kicked it back and down his throat, a burning sensation following all the way down to his stomach. "Like Zib says, it beats radiator fluid."
"Speaking of Zib…" Mitzi pivoted over to the washed-up musician hunched over next to her. "You should probably get the band ready; we'll be busy soon."
With a groan and a stretch, Zib mustered enough strength to lift his head and light a new cigarette. "Is it Friday already?"
"Yes, now go rescue your band from Riley and her questions."
Zib stood up and stretched once more. "Alright, alright. Is my violinist going to join in too?"
Mitzi shook her head. "Rocky actually has a different job for tonight, courtesy of Ivy."
"What? The kid never misses a chance to play. Did she resort to torture or blackmail?" He said, more alert than usual.
"I'm sure the threat is implied, but no. His job tonight is showing a young lady a good time and not wind up drenched in river water, mud, or maple syrup."
Zib took the cigarette out of his mouth and stared back, speechless. He struggled to get his quick wit back in gear. "So let me get this straight. Ivy got Rocky a date?"
"That's the long and short of it. Come on Zib, don't look so shocked."
"I'm not shocked, just afraid. Who is the poor girl?"
Improvisation
"I'm having second thoughts about this." Rocky said as he tried opening the door to the sedan despite us currently driving down the street. I had volunteered to drive just in case our anxious friend decided to run into a tree or a streetlight to avoid his fate. Freckle was now holding Rocky back from the door out of a fear he might try to bail out anyway.
"Rocky, just settle down would you. It will be fine."
"Your mother taught us never to lie, Freckle! Now let go, if I roll out the door, I'll be fine but you grabbing onto me is going to make things a lot more painful."
Rolling my eyes, I reached over and pinned Rocky back into his seat. "Pull yourself together, Rocky!" I ordered. "You wanted to be part of this little friend group, right?"
"Yes…"
"Then we need to find you a suitable date. Do you have any idea how hard it is to make reservations at exclusive restaurants for a table of five? They want four and they want six. Half the good establishments in this city won't take a reservation on a busy night for an odd number of people."
"I… guess there's some logic to that. But come on, Ethan. Dating has never been my strongest skill."
"He is right." Freckle started reminiscing. "You should have seen him as a teenager."
"Like you're one to talk!" Rocky was now defensive. "Says the one who buried his head in the books and ran away from every girl who noticed him."
"All but one." Freckle noted in a rare display of confidence. Perhaps Ivy was wearing off on him.
"Besides, this is Viktor's daughter we're talking about. She deserves better."
"Nonsense." I scoffed. "Viktor is probably spinning in his grave like a rotisserie chicken right now, but you are not beneath anybody. All you need to do is make sure she has a good time."
I could feel his heart rate settle and I let go of Rocky. True, I wasn't exactly the best person to be giving dating advice considering I hadn't even tried in years. But Rocky had to learn somehow and at least he had support from several people. I couldn't think of a safer, easier situation to practice all the small things men must know when out on a date. Checking the road once more I took a turn down the next street. "And entertaining a young woman surely can't be that difficult for you, right?"
"I… I guess." Rocky stammered, straightening himself out.
"Jeez, it's really unusual to see you be the timid one." I noted. "Freckle is normally the one trying to find an exit."
"Yeah, well, I haven't had a lot of practice, okay?" He explained. "Ivy had to coax Freckle out of his shell, and you literally bumped into Isabella. I'm going into this blind! And if Viktor were here—"
"He's not here, Rocky. Like I was saying, he probably would not approve of this. Might have tried to kill all of us for even suggesting it, in fact. But Alena seems like a nice, normal woman. I'm certain she's just happy to hang out with people she knows. Besides all that, even if you are going in blind, you're a jazz musician, right?"
"Yeah…" Rocky said.
"Then improvisation comes naturally to a cat of your talents. Now just try to be polite and enjoy dinner."
"Is that the place?" Freckle asked as the restaurant came into view. Out front there was a car with three familiar figures standing around it.
"Indeed it is, Freckle, and it looks like the ladies beat us there." I replied. For the first time that evening a smile spread across my face. Maybe I could forget the events of the morning for a little while.
"I wonder what's taking them so long?" Ivy asked as she leaned against the back door of the borrowed car.
"You said they were coming from the Lackadaisy, right?" Alena questioned.
Isabella floated a possible explanation. "Your aunt, or whoever Miss M is, probably needed them for something. But they're only a couple minutes behind."
"That would be like her- oh wait, I think I see them!" Ivy spotted the familiar sedan as it pulled into the parking lot. All three ladies flagged down their men as the car found a parking spot nearby. Ivy was quick on her feet and almost tackled Freckle to the ground. "Calvin!" She said while hugging him tightly. "How did the day go?"
"Oh, I uh… didn't do much. We got into another, uh, fight. Again."
"Did you ice anyone?"
Before he could reply, Rocky popped up in between them. "Ixnay on discussing business, Miss Pepper. But Ethan did finish the job."
"You did?" Isabella asked me as she pecked me on the cheek and held my hands. "So my killer boyfriend has another notch on his gun."
"Hopefully the last notch, but yes. Rocky is right though; we shouldn't even mention that out here. Save it for the speakeasy."
Ivy then grabbed Rocky and dragged him over to Alena. Rocky was noticeably putting on the brakes but couldn't muster enough strength to stop Ivy even though he easily had forty pounds on her. "Alena, you know Rocky, right?" She said while shoving him into Alena's personal space.
"I think we've met once or twice."
"Great!" Ivy then leaned in and whispered in Rocky's ear. "Come on, Rocky, just say hello."
Though nervous, Rocky took a moment to straighten himself out and instinctively wiped his hand. He didn't always have anything dirty or sticky on his hand but it was often enough that wiping his hand was an instinctive habit. "Miss Vasko, right? Nice to see you again."
Though Alena thought he was sort of cute, she could tell he was nervous. She gracefully took his hand and shook it gently. "Thank you, Rocky."
We all saw what would happen next, but Rocky seemed to freeze in place. This was quite strange behavior from a guy I've always known to be fluid and talkative. However, he did manage to stammer out something. "So, uh… you know, Miss Vasko, I didn't notice before but you look a lot like your father. Just with, you know, two eyes… and working knees."
Ivy shook her head. Bella leaned over to her. "Are you certain this was a good idea?"
"Just… give him a chance." Ivy replied. At least we were just out of earshot. But in an instant, she was back to being her chipper, excited self. She wrapped an arm around Freckle and nestled herself against his shoulder. "Shall we go get a table?"
"Excellent idea, Miss Pepper." I replied, doing the same for Isabella. "It'll be nice to have a proper date for once."
Ivy and I both grabbed our respective mentees by the arm and led them forward. "Come on you two, if nothing else this will be entertaining."
Freckle and Ivy were quick to settle into the booth provided for us. Bella and I were just happy to have a quiet corner in the restaurant. We were up in the hilly part of St. Louis and the lights of the city twinkled from one end of the horizon to the other. "So, you said your family lives here?" I asked.
Isabella smiled and nestled onto my shoulder. "All my life. They live up the river, just out of town. The house is hard to miss, it's a big New Orleans style house. My grandparents built it when they immigrated. Two generations later and just about everyone still lives there."
"No kidding. What we had in Montana could hardly be considered a shack around here. Only had two bedrooms for six people all under a tin roof."
She giggled at the thought. "You know, why is it that I'm always finding out something new about you?"
"Perhaps we should go on more dates?"
"Are you suggesting we get a little more… serious?" She said, biting my ear a little. Damn she knew how to steer a conversation! When she let go and I had a chance to come back to my senses I returned the favor. "I think that's a great idea." I was careful not to use too much pressure though, and I also didn't want it to be too obvious. "We should probably save that until the kids aren't around though." I said, giving her a wink. Unfortunately, we weren't sneaky enough as I picked up the distinct sound of a giggle from behind a menu. Freckle was trying to hide himself but Ivy was giving them both away. Rocky and Alena were too awkward with each other to notice, though.
Neither made eye contact, instead they looked around the room. Each struggled to come up with something that would spark a conversation. Once Ivy was done spying on us, she leaned over and tried to get the ball rolling. "You know, Alena, Rocky plays the violin in the band."
"You do?" She asked. "What music do you play?"
"…I-I'm in a jazz band, so jazz, I guess?"
"You should hear him when he plays old fiddle tunes. Rocky is a natural with a violin." I said, trying to find some way to help them talk to each other.
"Wow, such talent!" Alena complimented. And yet Rocky still couldn't find traction. Ivy leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Improvise!" That seemed to be enough of a reminder that he mustered up a question of his own. "So… now that you know something about me, what music do you listen to?"
"Me? We don't have a record player at home, but a neighbor always played music from the homeland. One of his friends has a violin too, and it makes each song feel magical."
It had been quite the week, and I found myself wondering just how deep Rocky's emotional well was. I had seen him happy, sad, jovial, depressed, angry, and now unusually flustered. He still carried himself with some measure of confidence, but the guy was using a certain level of caution that I had never thought possible before. Was it Alena in particular? Or maybe he tried too hard in the past and is trying not to overwhelm her. His personality was certainly strong regardless of whatever emotions he was showing, that could certainly get some people to turn their tail and run. Still, this was like watching Riley take her first steps. On the one hand the whole family was watching intensely knowing that she'd fall after a short distance. But on the other hand we couldn't help but feel pride because she'd inevitably walk further the next time.
A Question Too Far
This was perhaps the one area Freckle had his cousin beat because he and Ivy were lost in a world of their own as the food arrived. All was going well until, in the middle of it all, I heard one of the few questions that could derail the evening. "Do your parents come to town often to listen to you play?"
Freckle and I looked at each other while a flood of pent-up emotion hit Rocky. He was out of the booth and the restaurant before either of us could react. Alena turned to look at us. "What did I do?"
"Yeah, what was that?" Isabella asked while Ivy reached for Alena's hand.
"You know how I left you at the table earlier in the spring?"
"Oh… So Rocky…"
"Yeah, same boat as me, I'm afraid."
"I didn't mean to offend him!" Alena exclaimed, hoping we wouldn't be angry.
"No, of course not. I promise, Rocky isn't angry." I replied, patting her on the shoulder.
"We just don't talk about his parents. They aren't here and haven't been for some time." Freckle explained. "I'll go bring my cousin back."
"No, I'm the one who upset him, I should go apologize." Alena reasoned, getting up from her seat.
"You have nothing to apologize for, he understands. Really, he does." Freckle reassured her.
"I'll get him." Ivy said. "I'm sorry, Alena, I should have told you about certain things that upsets Rocky easily."
"Are you sure? Because I'll go, he had told me about his parents earlier this week."
"No, you all keep eating, this won't take long." Ivy ordered while walking in the direction Rocky fled.
Outside, a distant thunderstorm rolled along to the North through the inky-black sky. It's presence only revealed by the occasional flash of lightning between clouds. It was so far away the thunder was barely audible. Ivy walked through the parking lot trying to find her friend, but then it dawned on her where Rocky might have gone. Sure enough, someone was sitting in the Sedan.
Rocky's ears perked up when the door opened and someone climbed into the passenger seat. He was expecting Freckle or Ethan, so hearing Ivy's voice surprised him. "She didn't mean to upset you, Rocky."
"I know she didn't. I just can't help it. That's one of those things I don't like to think about, but this week has been a constant reminder of how alone I am. My mother is dead, my father doesn't want to see me…"
"Hey now, it's not the end of the world."
"That's easy to say when you have a father and a boyfriend who both love you." Rocky wiped a tear from his eye and went back to looking through the driver's window, trying to find an escape in the passing storm. "Who could love me?"
Ivy was quick to counter such a depressing sentiment. "I do."
"Wait, you do?" Rocky asked, being pulled right back into the conversation. "I thought you had enough of me."
"It's true, Calvin and I want time to ourselves. You know, some space. But that doesn't mean we don't care about you. That's why we wanted you to find someone you can be with. Maybe Alena isn't a good fit, but at least you're out there trying. You didn't master the violin in a day, right? Finding a good match is going to take a while too, and it won't happen unless you practice."
"Alena isn't going to be upset if this doesn't result in more dates, right?"
"Of course not! She just wanted to get to know us more and this was a golden opportunity. Now, are you ready to come back inside?"
"Not quite yet. I need to get myself together."
"That's alright, you can come in when you're ready." Ivy opened the door to get out but Rocky pleaded otherwise. "Please… stay. I just need to know someone is there."
"Okay." Ivy said quietly as she closed the door and settled into the seat. She could hear him sniffling, trying to get his composure back. Her mind went back to that night where Rocky split his head open trying to defend them from that hearse. He let his façade slip and she saw a side to him that few others ever caught a glance at. A lonely boy who was painfully aware of how much trouble he was. Breathing deeply, Ivy moved closer and rubbed his back, saying softly "It's okay, we're here. All of us are here for you."
We covered the plates for our absent friends with some spare napkins. The waiter quickly came around to check on us out of concern. "Two of your party just walked out the doors looking upset. Is something wrong with the food?"
"No, this is great." I said. "Our friend just needed some fresh air; Ivy was just keeping an eye on him."
"I'm relieved to hear it. If there is anything I can do, you need only to ask, sir."
"Thank you."
Once the waiter had left, we continued eating but at a slower pace to give our friends time to catch up. While Isabella kept Alena engaged in conversation, Freckle had that look of concern on his face.
"Hey, Freckle, I'm sure Ivy has it managed."
"What?" He asked, my voice bringing him back to attention. "Oh… no, it's not that."
"Well, care to elaborate? You look like something is upsetting you."
"I'm actually nervous. I've been thinking about a lot lately and haven't figured out when to say something."
"This is as good a time as any."
"Okay… Well, here it goes then. After everything that's happened in the last week, I don't want to keep working."
"Oh? I thought you were happy working for Miss M."
"Don't get me wrong, I like working with you and Rocky. I just… I want honest work."
"Hey, I understand. We can talk more about this after dinner, we shouldn't discuss anything business-related where others can hear you."
"But…"
I scooted over and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Hey, don't get upset too. We will talk about this, just not here in public."
Just then our friends made an appearance. I moved back to Isabella so that Ivy could continue with her food and Rocky returned to his seat. "Miss Vasko, I'm sorry about earlier. It's just that…"
"No, please. The fault was mine. I didn't know that subject was so upsetting."
"Well, regardless, that is not how a gentleman should behave and I promised my friends I would do my best."
"How about we finish up here and head back for some more lively entertainment? After all, it's Friday night and we should be trying to forget about the labors of this week." I suggested, hoping we could move on with the evening. The image of that boy bleeding out in my arms was far too painful to think about right now and I needed the distraction just as much as everyone else.
Drinks and a Show
The Lackadaisy had a steady stream of people ducking in and out of the stairs. It was almost busy enough to attract attention, but luckily this part of town was often ignored by cops on the beat. Parking the cars a safe distance away, we all got out and paired up once more. "Ooh, it's been a while since I was down here!" Isabella rejoiced.
"Yeah, not since the re-opening." I replied.
"So, shall we go on the dance floor first, or sit at a booth for a while?" Ivy asked Freckle. In the time they had been together she was at least starting to ask for his input on some things.
"We can dance if you feel up for it." Freckle answered.
"That's what I was hoping to hear."
Alena looked around in the car for her jacket but couldn't find it. Did she forget it? A finger taped her on the shoulder. "Looking for this, Miss Vasko?"
She stood up and turned around to see Rocky standing there, holding her coat. "How did you get that?"
"You, left it under the table. May I?"
"Oh, of course!" Alena allowed Rocky to slip the jacket on her. This was the first night all summer that had a chill in the air. Rocky then offered her his arm. He was finally starting to get his confidence. "Shall we?"
"You weren't kidding about trying to be a gentleman."
Downstairs we made a triumphant return. Well… more like a thirsty return. Even so, it was great to see the speakeasy running so smoothly. Zib and the band had the place hopping while several large groups gathered in different corners. Unlike most gin joints the Lackadaisy could be as loud as any party, the caves concealed everything from lights to acoustics.
"There's our valiant crew!" Wick saluted us with a full glass. "I trust the restaurant was up to expectations."
"It was amazing, Mr. Sable!" Ivy praised. "Dad would approve."
"I'm sure he would, Ruby is the one who recommended it to me years ago. And how was Rocky?"
Both of them looked through the crowd and spotted Rocky with Alena in tow. "Could be worse." Ivy said.
"Well, good on him."
As soon as I sat down Riley pounced out of nowhere and landed squarely in my lap. "Ethan, you're back!"
Hugging her tight, I settled into the plush seat of the booth while Isabella slid in beside me. "And how was it being down here?"
"Boring." She said, disappointed.
"Well it's going to get more exciting now that we're back. Ivy is around here too." Bella explained.
"Yay, I want to dance!"
"What? Right now?" I asked.
"Yeah!"
"Go on, soldier boy, I'll take the second dance. Maybe when something slower plays."
"Okay, young lady, show me how."
"It's easy, Ethan! Just follow my lead." Riley said confidently.
Alena joined Isabella just as she was ordering drinks. Rocky winked at both of them "Wait until this song is done and then watch the stage."
"Why?" Alena asked but he had already gone into the crowd.
"Rocky is an odd one, that's for sure." Isabella shook her head. "I hope you aren't too disappointed with the evening."
"Disappointed? Besides that… incident, it's been good so far. It's amazing to see this place when its open."
"So what do you make of St. Louis?" Isabella asked.
"It's livelier than Quincy. I just wish I could have seen Dad here. That's part of the reason I came here, to get to know my father through the people who knew him."
"Well, from what Ethan has told me it sounds like he had a big hand in keeping this place going."
"Oh yes, Miss M has told me all about it!"
"Call it a woman's intuition, but I don't know if it's a good idea to completely trust what Mitzi May says."
"What do you mean?"
Their conversation was interrupted though as the distinct sound of a violin pierced through the air loud enough that it didn't even require a microphone. Both their heads swiveled as, from behind the stage, a familiar grey tabby found his place front and center on the stage. Zib nodded as Rocky took the lead and the saxophone joined the string instrument with the rest of the band falling in. His timing was impeccable as fingers and bow moved in harmony with each other with a fast tempo that would challenge even the best dancers. Rocky didn't even open his eyes, the music seemed to flow through him and out across the room. If there was once thing on this Earth, he was good at, it was playing his beloved violin.
After a mere two minutes, most of the band was running on fumes trying to keep up. Zib gave a signal to switch to something slower to give both the band and the dancers a much-needed respite. I needed a break as well and Riley, despite her enthusiasm, slumped in my arms as the band got ready for another set. "Come on, little sister. How about you keep Alena company while Isabella has a turn?
Leading her by the hand, I let Riley down gently into the seat before offering my hand to Isabella. "I believe you were waiting for something slower?"
The smile was all I needed, and soon we were moving and swaying with the slow, long notes that flowed from the violin like liquid honey. In a town full of big jazz bands, none had a violinist and that gave this one a rural charm that anyone born west of the Mississippi would appreciate. I took a moment to glance over at Ivy and Freckle who seemed to be mirroring us.
"So, is now a good time to pick up from where we left off?"
I didn't hesitate to lean in and kiss her, every fiber of my being seemed to explode like fireworks. Stealing a quick kiss here and there was fun enough, but to be on the dance floor surrounded by enthusiastic people while listening to passionate music took things to a whole different level. For the rest of the song she leaned into my chest and I took the opportunity to crane my neck over her head. Three minutes of pure bliss all courtesy of Rocky and his violin.
A dozen empty glasses filled our table after two hours. Ivy could boast she managed to hold in three drinks despite her five-foot, ninety-pound frame. Isabella had four to her name while Alena and Freckle each sampled one. I took it easy at three, not wanting to slip into darker thoughts about today, or the war, or Butte, or really most of my life up until this point. Even so, the evening was fun! It wasn't often we could let loose like this. Eventually two words convinced me it was time to call it a night. "I'm hungry!" Came the complaint from Riley. I should have packed more food for her, but at least it would be an easy drive back this late at night.
I looked around the booth and saw that currently the only one still active was Rocky on stage. Most of the customers had left and all that remained was piles of empty glasses. As the last note ended, Rocky bowed before the remains of this evening's festivities.
"Well kid, you sure know how to liven up the place." Zib complimented as he lit a match for his cigarette. "How was the date?"
"It went… better than expected."
"That's the one over there? Alena, Viktor's daughter?"
"Yep."
"Just count yourself lucky Viktor isn't around to know that."
"Yeah, that's what I tried telling Miss Pepper, but she insisted. Still, it wasn't so bad, I guess."
"Looks like Ethan is waving you over, must be time to hit the road."
Rocky looked across the speakeasy and saw me waving at him. A thumbs-up was his reply. Slouching back down into the seat, I stretched out and put one arm each around Riley and Isabella. "We better head home, plenty of work to do on the farm."
"Yeah, what time is it, anyway?"
"Judging by the state of the speakeasy, probably two in the morning."
"You know, I've been wanting to see the farmhouse. I haven't been there since you boys had the frame up."
"Are you trying to invite yourself over?" I teased. A blush revealed the answer. "You're welcome out there, Bella. We'll just have to drop off Alena and Miss Pepper."
"No!" Ivy exclaimed while leaning against Freckle for support. "I can't show up at the dorm smelling like booze."
"Okay, so I guess we just need to drop off Alena then."
"And park the other car." Bella added. "You'll have to bring me back to town this weekend."
"Well, that's still a short enough checklist, should be home before three."
"And food." Riley said, burying her face in my side. Hungry and tired was a dangerous combination with a kid.
"Yes, and food. We've got plenty at the house, you'll just have to sleep for a while in the car."
Rocky jumped over the back of the booth and landed between Alena and Freckle, violin case in tow. "Now that's what I call a show!" He beamed.
"You were on point tonight, Rocky. You got the rest of us tired of dancing. Now, are all of you ready to hit the road?"
Nods and 'yeses' confirmed it. Dragging ourselves from the booth, we started for the door.
"Good night, everyone." Mitzi said as we passed by. "Will you boys be back here tomorrow afternoon?"
"I think we can make that work. We've got a couple of things to discuss." I said. "How's Wick?"
We both looked over at the man slumped over the bar. Mitzi shrugged her shoulders. "Some nights he beats me, other nights I beat him. At least he's got a chauffeur."
"Take care, Miss M." I said before turning toward the door. But as I did so a figure appeared from the shadows. Glasses, black suit, everything pressed perfectly and every hair laid neatly in place. "Good evening."
Steel ripped from leather as I produced my new pistol, the sights of my Savage placed center mass on my foe. Mitzi was startled as if she had seen a ghost. Yet Mordecai calmly adjusted his glasses.
"Everyone stay behind me!" I barked. You could hear a pin drop as my heart pounded away in my chest, adrenaline readying me for a fight. Yet, Mordecai did nothing. "I didn't come here seeking violence."
"Then why did you come here?" Mitzi asked. "I thought you left this place behind."
"I came here for the Ghost of Charlevaux."
