Tara permitted herself to be hustled into the crowd and around the corner. When they had put enough distance between them and that stupid mick, she stopped, flat out, causing the couple following her to tread on her heels.<br/><br/>"Look, I don't know what you were doing  back there but I  will just have to contend with that goon later. He isn't used to someone standing their ground with him and so we have this 'dance' for lack of a better word. While the kiss was good, I don't need a protector. I can live with  my arrangement with his boss. He and I have an  understanding. That is just the way of life here. New Orleans is a rough town and for a woman on her own,well, buying protection isn't a bad idea. Moron back there won't rough me up because his boss would have his balls in a sling." She blew out her breath. "but thanks. Really. You were trying to help and that was really sweet."<br/><br/>She leaned in and kissed the tourist on the cheek.<br/><br/>"I'm going to to the Fais do do to listen to a little Cajun music than I'm turning in." Tara pointed up the street to a sign with a turtle on it. "You can come if you want, but they are really strict about purchasing a drink when you step in the door. I like their hand grenades."