Cassie tensed assomeone grabbed her shoulder, then relaxed as she saw Miss Vickie. A little, at any rate, because she looked nail-biting mad.  “I don’t appreciate you smashing bottles over my customer’s heads now.”<br/><br/>“And I don’t appreciate men like that trying to force themselves on women,” she snapped back, “so if you...”<br/><br/>Miss Vickie’s expression softened into a smile. “But I do appreciate you lookin’ after one of my girls.  Are you looking for some work? I may have a position for ya.”<br/><br/>Cassie blinked at that. “Ma’am, I’d enjoy a<i>lot</i>of positions under you,” she smirked back before turning serious. “But, well, I’m not looking to, you know, earn my living on my back.  Not that I’ve got anything against the profession!” she added hurriedly. “Just, well, it... isn’t for me.”<br/><br/>No need to mention the few times she<i>had</i>turned a few tricks to survive. Or the bloody way the last time had ended, when her client and his pals decide they didn’t want to pay what had been agreed. “But...” she added thoughtfully, “if you need someone looking out for your girls, full time?  Well, I might just be the woman for you.”<br/><br/>-*-<br/><br/>“Shit. Shit shit shit.”  Tom sat on the saloon porch, staring into his match flame as he lit his cigarette.  Things had been going so well, and he might have been able to sleep in a real damn bed. And gotten laid, to boot. But then them rowdieshad to fuck things up.<br/><br/>“Well,” he grumbled, standing up and shaking the match out. “Ain’t like Ah ain’t slept rough before.  Mebbe Ah kin still get in th’ damn stable.”<br/><br/>With that he set off, unaware of the figures following him.