“Baths are a service we provide,” Victoria started, warming herself to offer one with a smirk and a wink. Because earlier frustrations combined with the adrenaline of the robbery and she really could have gone for getting off right about now. But Jeb left before she make a more prurient suggestion, and Tom seemed more interested in chasing down a story lead, so Victoria sighed, and let Missy handle the questions from Tom. Because she was interested in an entirely different set of questions.<br/><br/><i>“Want me to run him off, boss?” she asked Miss Vickie, nodding towards the cowpoke. “You said you had business to attend to.”</i><br/><br/>No, no, work before pleasure.  “It’s fine, Miss Cassie,” Vicki said, trying not to sound defeated. “I’ll just be a moment.”<br/><br/>Once she returned to the Dusky Belle, most of the girls were up, watching the doors with concern in their eyes and guns on their hips. Maria nodded towards the street behind them. “Everything okay Vic? We heard gun shots.”<br/><br/>“Just some bandits trying to make a quick buck off honest folk,” she explained. “No one got hurt, ‘cept the dumb bastard that Miss Cassie here shot. Hopefully his fellas will think twice ‘bout hitting Onyx Landing next time.”<br/><br/>“Now, while I got y’all here, gather ‘round, and let me introduce Miss Cassie here right proper. She’ll be helpin' out round here, makin’ sure the men mind their manners. So if you got a problem, you give ‘er a holler.”<br/><br/>“What if we don’t got a problem, can we still give her a holler?” Xia teased with a wink. A few of the other girls giggled as well, and gathered in closer.<br/><br/>“That’s on y’all, but try not to distract her too much in the evenings. Town’s still a damn powder keg, and we need sober heads to prevail. But if ya’ll are feeling that friendly, ya might as well show her where she can draw a bath. And when Miss Huntington shows up, assuming she does bring by that case of whisky she promised, send her back to me in the kitchen.” And with that, she left Cassie in the company of the working girls.