The stale scent of smoke and sex lingered in the air, tickling her nose as Abby slowly nursed the glass of warm whiskey in her hand. Sitting bare skinned on the chair King had vacated a few minutes before, she stared sightlessly ahead of her and swallowed another burning mouthful. Her mind was tumbling end over end with the news he had sprung on her. King owned Lola's. Or near enough at least. And Lola, true to form, was being stubborn about it. How it had happened, Abby did not understand.<em>Didn't Lola buy this place ages ago? How can the saloon be owned separate from the ground it stands on?</em>That one worry nagged at Abby, putting King's whole claim into question.<br/><br/>Idly tracing her tongue over the rim of the glass, Abby retraced her response to King. She had been curious, interested, and wholly noncommittal. She had, of course, ensured him that she would try to talk to Lola on his behalf. Even if she had no intention of doing so, she'd be stupid not to tell him what he wanted to hear. Regardless of the validity of his claims, King was the richest man in town and apparently had designs on running the place. Abby had decided immediately that she in no way wanted to land on Desmond King's bad side.<br/><br/>Finally, Abby decided she ought to clean up and get back to work; she was doing herself no favors by getting drunk alone in one of the guest rooms. In no time, Abby's practiced hands had her undergarments, skirts and corset back on. Standing in front of a mirror she stared at herself and winced slightly. Her lips were plumply swollen and a bright shade of pink, her hair was mussed, and her skin was slightly flushed. There would be no doubt what she had been up to in the room upstairs...then again Lola would have known that all along. What had she expected? For Abby to somehow seduce King into forgetting all about his property rights? The woman was obviously daft. Or...Perhaps she was having him test the wares before selling? Frowning at her reflection, she suddenly felt overexposed by the low neckline of her corset. Self consciously tugging it up another inch or so, she finally gathered enough courage to leave the room.<br/><br/>The cacophonous roar of voices hit her like a brick as she stepped onto the landing of the stairs that overlooked the main floor of the saloon. Lola's was always bustling and loud, but this was a different level than she was accustomed to. Patrons were clumped tightly together, talking loudly and gesticulating wildly. Abby's natural curiosity had her taking a step or two down the stairs, intent on discovering what had happened to cause such a stir. Then she saw Lola and Eve. The two were thick as thieves and judging by the looks on both of their faces, the commotion stirring downstairs was serious. Her foot hovered over another step down before she reconsidered and drew it back. Still reeling from the news King had dropped on her and the knowledge that things were changing drastically in Silver City, Abby wasn't so sure she could handle another revelation of "big news."<br/><br/>Just as Eve parted from Lola's side, Abby spun around on her heel and disappeared up the set of stairs to the third story of the saloon, up to the staff's quarters. She didn't care if Lola needed her to help staff the saloon. She had been contracted out all night, after all, so obviously she wasn't needed. With that bitter thought in mind, Abby found her tiny bedroom and locked herself inside. Her mind was still racing, and after having seen Lola, even for those brief moments from across the saloon, she knew she could not face her that night. What could she possibly say? "Lola, King says he owns the saloon, you better play nice" or "Don't do anything stupid, the rest of us still need our jobs"? She would have to think long and hard about what approach to take to the whole situation.<br/><br/>It wasn't long before she was stripped bare and laying naked in the sheets of her small bed. Clutching her pillow to her chest, she stared into the darkness of her room and idly wished Jackson were with her. The strength of his arms and the power of his presence would assure her that everything was going to be all right. With a smile on her lips, Abby eventually drifted off to sleep with the intent of speaking to Jackson tomorrow. He would know what to do, and he was likely the only person in Silver City that could talk some sense in Lola.