After the fight at the East Cat Cellars and the package he'd received from Isabella, William had started to go stir crazy. He had filled his days back in Philadelphia with work to drive her out of his mind, but he spent his nights restless in bed with her smile playing hell with his mind. He'd already decided that he was going to tell her how he felt, but he didn't know when he'd next see her. After several such sleepless nights he realized that she'd given him exactly the thing he needed in their last moments at the airport. The gym.

He'd done enough legwork for the gym to be plausible and he'd known from the moment she told him that he wanted to do it. On the Pier that meant one thing: The owners had to make a pitch to Tara Byrne. It may not be the ideal circumstances, but it would bring Isabella to the city for a while and he could spend some time with her once the work was done. He'd have a chance to open his heart to her and face whatever came of it. That night was the first sound sleep he'd had since coming home.

The following day he made a point to stop by Tara's office and tell her that he knew an investor looking to open a business with him as a partner. He had never been able to completely mask his tone when he spoke about Isabella and this time was no exception, his fondness apparent by the way her name softened everything about him. Tara put on a knowing smirk but simply told him he'd need to bring her here and pitch the plan just like anyone else. William thanked her and got out of the office trying to keep his excitement from bursting out of him in a cheer. His first act outside was to find a telephone to call Detroit and let Isabella know the good news.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It had taken a few days for business in Detroit to settle enough for Isabella to make the trip, but the time finally came and William was at the airport pacing the tarmac over an hour in advance waiting for her plane to arrive. She was technically a guest of Tara's, but he was going to make sure he was the one attending to her so long as she would have him around. The longer he waited, the more he began to worry that they wouldn't be the same when their lives weren't in danger. Not for the first time he also wondered how he'd compete with Gavin's charm. As much as he hated to give the man credit, Gavin had a way with people that was something out of the ordinary and while William got to know people well enough he wasn't in the same league by any stretch of the imagination.

Wracked with doubts and fears, William tried to be patient and sit but there was nothing for it. He'd pace until the plane came in and he could see her face once more.

Isabella came off the plane smiling in a way Will really had never seen her smile before.  She looked like a weight, a great burden, had been lifted from her.  She seemed happier - blissful really.  Her pearly white teeth shown as her smile positively lit up her face and brushed on her large doe-like eyes.  She waved to Will from the top of the stairs exiting the plane and came down as fast as was safe to do so.

"I'm so glad you called."  She said as she reached him, pulling him into an embrace, kissing his cheeks in greeting.  "I didn't expect you to take me up on my offer so fast, but it was JUST the thing to get me out from under a huge pile of work.  It honestly couldn't have come at a better moment!  In fact, if you hadn't called me to come here I was about to book a flight for Miami to take a three day weekend.  I HAD to get out."

"So... who are we meeting with, Jack or Tara?"  She looped her arm around his and let him lead her to the car as he filled her in.

The moment Isabella walked off the plan all of William's insecurities melted. The broken weariness that had been there before was just gone and replaced with an exuberance that accentuated her beauty more than ever. She could have picked his jaw up off the floor when she ran up and pulled him into a greeting.

"You look absolutely fantastic, angel." It slipped out before he even knew the words were coming. He dropped his gaze for a moment to catch his nerve and readjust to business. "If I'd been thinking clear I would have told you yes when we were still in Detroit." In his head he added "and I've been missing you ever since I stepped on that plane." but he knew it was not the moment. "I'm glad I can help give you a reason to come out and relax. I think you'll find we have a few advantages on Miami, but we'll get to that after the meeting. We'll be talking with Tara Byrne about the gym. She's the one in charge of new businesses that come to the Pier and a friend. She's actually one of the first people I met out here in Philly."

William walked her to the car as he spoke and opened the door for her before going around to take a seat on the other side, wincing a bit as he bent and put pressure on his ribs. Once they were both situated he indicated to the driver to take them to Tara's office before turning back to his guest.

"How have things been for you? I feel like we're in a whole different world to what we were last time we met." A better one by the look of happiness on the face of the angel in front of him.

She sighed happily.  "Well, I have to admit that after you left Detroit I felt really down again.  You'd made such a difference for my mood and it was hard to accept the loneliness once I didn't have you around to distract me."  She paused, letting that sink in.  She wanted him to know without a doubt he'd had an impact on her before talking about her friendship to Gavin.

"So... I got on a plane and I flew to Philly hoping to 'accidentally' run into you while 'here on business.'  I know it sounds desperate of me, being that there really was no 'business'... but you had made me smile and laugh for the first time since I lost Eli and... well, I missed you."  She looked down at her hands in her lap as she sat beside him.

"So, I bought some ice cream and then... fate happened.  This terrible flirt of a guy inserted himself into my presence. At first I tried to joke around with him thinking he'd give up, but the next thing you know we're on a plane to Canada!"  She laughed at her own impulsiveness, not knowing that Will had heard some version of these events already. 

"We played poker at an Irish pub, got into a terrible bar fight, and broke into the tallest building in Montreal all of which happened before I eventually put a priceless car into a ditch and my new friend punched a Moose!"  She laughed again remembering the look on the poor beast's face. 

"Well, I know that none of that comes as a shock to you... I had been making some really bad decisions around you and... I was still willing to do just about anything to forget all about my troubles."  She shrugged.  "But, as it turned out, that was the opposite of what I really needed." 

She looked to Will and said with a warm honesty that held no shame, "I just had to talk about him ... Eli and Me, I mean.  Not the anger and sadness that everyone seemed to be wanting me to unleash ... or that I thought I needed to share; but the good stuff.  The sorts of things no one wants to ask a grieving woman about, because she'll cry.  But you see, that's the dumb thing... that's just what I needed.  To hear myself say all those wonderful stories out loud, to share how he made me feel and celebrate his life - not mourn his death."

"I opened up about all the joy I had in life because of Eli.  I found myself just... dumping all these things onto this nearly perfect stranger, and it was SUCH a comfort.  Because he had no connection to Elias I knew I wasn't hurting him by sharing stories about his life.  Because he had no expectations of a future with me... he didn't mind hearing about the man I loved & lost.  So... we were on that roof all night talking about the life Elias and I shared together and somewhere along the way... something changed in me." 

She smiled.  "It was one of the kindest things I've ever had another person do for me in my whole life.  I mean to repay that kindness by making his sister a shit ton of money with you."  She reached her hand across the seat to take Will's hand.  "I dare say Gavin is one of my very best friends now - I've come to trust him implicitly.  I presume you know him as well as his sister?  Is she anything like him?"

Hearing Isabella talk about their time together in Detroit and the way he'd made her feel was as wonderful a compliment as William could remember hearing. It gave him hope that it might be time to open up his heart to her. She had even tried to seek him out, perhaps out of some of the same shared feelings.

Then the terrible flirt. Canada. All the wonderful things that Gavin did to make her whole. All the excitement and charm and bad decisions that made him so very interesting. Also so much like a disastrous car wreck that draws you in and keeps you watching even well after you know it's going wrong. All this distaste played across William's face as he thought about that comment in the bar, about Gavin's 'best work'.

More than that he hated that Gavin could be right about giving Isabella what she needed, albeit in a completely different way than he'd suggested at the time. Gavin hadn't wronged him, because he hadn't been anything more than a friend. He also hadn't wronged Isabella necessarily because she'd obviously not regretted what had happened and in fact seemed to be better for the experience. Yet some part of William still held a grudge. He'd thought it was because Gavin had done all this, and made a place for himself in her life that he never really intended to keep. Now Will had started to fear that grudge was against himself for being afraid to talk about the dead man and risk upsetting her. That he'd screwed up his chance to say what he really meant when the storm of troubles was still raging around them. William momentarily recoiled when Isabella reached for his hand, but didn't want to lose contact with her and quickly took hold of her hand with his own.

Will's voice came out soft and audibly guarded. He wasn't sure what to say so he spoke the first thing that came to mind. "I know them both. Tara is everything her brother isn't. Consistent, patient, and considerate of the impact her actions have on the future and people around her. She's a friend I trust completely because I know she has the best interest of others in mind when she does what she does. Gavin lives in the moment, doing what he needs to for what he wants. He's not a bad person, but he can be careless and impulsive like a kid. He doesn't mean harm, but he also doesn't worry about doing right by people in the long run. He's told me as much and it's the one thing I can't stand about him." He gave a quick squeeze of Isabella's hand and let go. He knew this wasn't going to come out right no matter what and while he didn't want to push her away, he also didn't want to force her to act as though everything was fine. "I'm glad he was able to help you. Lord knows you deserved to find some peace. There are times I've found respect for him too and God knows he can be a lot of fun. There have just also been times that the things he's said have made me come unglued. We...we actually had one of those times just recently." 

As much as he wanted to explain he could feel his throat closing up and he just couldn't continue. He hated that he was saying these things, but he also couldn't lie about it even if he wanted to. It was better to be honest and face what came of it. That's what he had arranged all this for after all.

Isabella watched Will struggle.  There had been trouble between him and Gavin, she knew it even before he'd admitted it at the end of his statement.  She steadied herself.  If Gavin had stole a girlfriend away from Will, and perhaps had become a source of issues here in Philly, her connection to one or both of the men might have long term ramifications... very political ones.  She had to tread carefully for the sake of peace in the cities.  Her first and foremost duty was to her father, the Godfather, and while she cared about both men in differing ways she was sure she had to make things right.

"Will, would you please pull over?"

Will did as she asked and she slid across the seat to be nearer to him.  "I feel like I've stumbled upon something I didn't know was here.  I want to apologize for hurting you by bringing up some past conflict you have with Gavin.  I can... see how it might have happened - and you don't need to tell me the details; I can see how you struggled to say kind things when it's clear you harbor a pain in your heart.  Gavin is all the things you say, though perhaps you judge him a bit harshly due to whatever wrong he's done you."

She tilts her head to the side, trying to catch Will's eyes.  "She must have been so dear to you - I see you love her intensely, even now.  I can see the pain in your eyes when I spoke about Gavin."  She smiled.  "But my darling Will... she has no idea what she's lost in walking away from you.  I see it, and I know, when the time comes, your happiness will make all these bad memories fade away as if they were just dreams lost in the first bits of morning light.  Good men like you deserve such happiness as can not be measured and I believe that if there is justice in this world at all - you will find it."

"Will you accept my apology for stepping into a bee's nest I couldn't see?  And will you let me make amends by taking you to dinner tonight after our meeting with Tara?  I promise not another word about Gavin and we won't talk about this lost love of yours either... just about the future and good things for good people.  What do you say?"

He was sure for a moment that she'd wanted to pull over to leave and not look back. As she spoke of lost love and past conflicts with Gavin he almost thought that would have been easier than having her so close and yet not knowing what was really there. He was tempted to take her up on her offer and try to avoid all this for fear of hurting her, but he knew he couldn't. It would mean lying about everything by omission and if he really cared about her then she deserved to hear him tell the truth. This was the last way he would have imagined telling her, but now it was the only way.

William cringed knowing how hard this would be for the both of them, but he turned to look Isabella in the eye all the same. "I've got to tell you something and it would be wrong to hold off and make you feel this way any longer than I already have. It's not about the past. There is no long lost love." William took a deep breath and smiled softly at the woman he'd been missing for a week that seemed like forever. "It's you, angel. I haven't been able to get you off my mind since the day I met you. I'm sorry I didn't say it back in Detroit in the first place."

At first Isabella wanted to melt.  That he'd thought of her, that he'd been feeling a small spark was there between them - as she had, was beyond joyful news.  And then, it hit her.  Why should any of that be troublesome when speaking of Gavin?  Unless...

"Oh..."  She realized that Will had still confessed his feelings, despite CLEARLY knowing about her and Gavin's weekend tryst.  He hadn't decided to write her off as a cheap Moll - a hussy or whore.  These were good things.  

"And... you both... that is to say... there was a fight on my account?" 

So much for NOT causing trouble for the Godfather of Philly - SHE WAS THE TROUBLE!  Her father would NOT like this at all.  So far she'd gotten away with her fling with Gavin, there had been no ramifications but if it got out that Gavin and Will had come to blows over her - how long would that last?  Her father was fine with her having a friend in whom she took comfort ... so long as it was unknown.  Gavin's slip (or bragging if it had been that) might well cost him the ass kicking of his life and she could never forgive another father figure for putting hands to him.  Especially not with all he'd done for her.  Granted, she strongly suspected Will had gotten a stern thrashing and he'd risked his life for her too.

William still wasn't sure what would come of his confession, but she wasn't pulling back and that was enough for him. He dropped his head in embarrassment as he continued, knowing that he'd had as large a part in that conflict as Gavin. Possibly even a larger one.

"Yes and no. I hadn't known Gavin too well until a few days ago when we both went to the same fighting ring. We'd both been drinking and fighting guys there, but while he was riding high on it all he said something about..." William shook his head and looked back up to Isabella, "...what happened. I didn't know the whole story and I got angry. Part of it was because it sounded like he'd treated you bad. Part of it was feeling like I wouldn't have a chance to tell you how I feel. So we fought hard. After we'd both been beat up good we talked a little and promised to keep it a secret. I had no right to go at him the way I did. I know that now." 

William's embarrassment began to cede ground as the truth poured out of him and gained steam. "I just couldn't stand the thought that I had let you go like that without ever telling you I was falling for you. That would have hurt worse than anything that Tyler Durden or Godfather Luciano did."

She sighed.

"My father does what he does for his own ego and his own station... I'm sure from the outside it looks like he's protecting me, but I'm quite capable of protecting myself as I suspect he and you are both aware."  She smiled remembering their first night together. 

"But Will, I hope you understand that I'm just finding myself again.  It's... hard when the person I'd defined myself as - Elias' fiancee - isn't who I am anymore.  I will never be his wife.  Some days are better than others, like today.  I've looked forward to it for days now.  The idea of seeing you again and spending time in Philly, well... it was just the ticket."

"I might see other men while we are getting to know each other better. I hope that you understand that it's no statement of your worth if we're not exclusive right away or of their value should you believe I've been intimate with someone.  The truth is I never planned to be dating another man for the rest of my life.  I should be someone's wife by now.  I'm trying my best to navigate it."

"If I had been his widow, in some ways, it might have been easier.  No one comes calling on a widow the day after her husband's funeral... but that exact thing happened a day after I buried Elias.  I don't think you realize how many men come to ask my father to see me each day.  I'm back in the pool of sharks.  Most of them want to find themselves one step closer to my father, his money and power.  They don't want me.  I'm a trophy for a shelf or a business expansion plan."

"And while this is going on... I'm juggling all the other things you know about in my life - the emotions of loss, my crew and it's daily work, and all my work for the Godfather.  I had hoped to marry Elias and that would be the end of me and looking for a partner in life & having to determine whether men asking to see me were there for me... of it they have other motives.  I was suppose to be done with the lonely virgin in the Tower gig... and yet, here I am.  Up in my Ivory Tower again ... untouchable despite having known the love a man... and horribly alone."

She shook her head.  "So... please, try not to think bad things about me for needing human contact.  This so damn hard... and I'm exhausted from wearing masks & playing pretend to make others comfortable.  Smiling when I didn't feel like it.  Trying to wear bravery for my crew, so they didn't know that there were days when all I managed to do was shower."

Isabella looked out the window, "Five months I've been this way... and then the clouds broke open and the sun shone on your face when we were in that ring together.  For the first time since Elias passed away, I felt like I had something to fight for.  I wanted to live and I was scared I wasn't going to.  Worst of all, I feared I had cost you your life as well.  And that... would have been tragic."

"In the future, please don't indulge Gavin's ego with fights.  You both are good men, and you both care about me and the good of your city.  There could be horrible ramifications of me - another godfather's daughter - causing such conflicts among Philly's residents.  If you really want to get the better of Gavin, just leverage your position of respect politically as a reason TO see me, if you're sharp about it my father won't be able to touch you without offending your Godfather.  I doubt Gavin will ever be able to do the same." 

She smiled. 

"Besides... as you said, Gavin's not the settling down sort.  Wedding rings remind him too much of dog collars.  I will write you a check for $1,000,000 on the very day that Gavin says "I do" to any woman on the planet.  That's how sure I am that it's never going to happen.  Gavin will never allow himself to love anyone, least of all the daughter of a Godfather who would expect him to bend the knee to him and kiss his rings and ass in order to get his blessing.  Even if he could find himself in love with me... the second half would be an impossible ask.  I know that and so you have NOTHING to be jealous of because what he and you want from me are two VERY different things... at least I think so."

She moved back to her passenger's position.  "Two more things and then I'll be finished.  Since you've indulged me this far, may I?"  She looked to him and when it seemed he was willing to hear her out she continued in a very prim and businesslike tone. 

"The first is that I asked you to be my business partner for less than sound business reasons.  I did it because you are one of the most alluring men I have EVER had the pleasure of sharing a bed with... and you never touched me.  Not once." 

"And the second is," She fastened her lap belt.  "I have deeply regretted that fact every single night since.  If given the opportunity & you are agreeable, I would like to rectify that matter at your earliest possible convenience, Consigliere.  It was the reason I sent you my secret home address in Port Huron.  My father doesn't keep tabs on EVERY thing I do.  And if Canada's adventure taught me anything... it's that all rules can be bent so long as they a done so with discretion and it brings the Godfather no public humiliation."

She smoothed the fabric of her skirt.  "So... are we good?"

It was a struggle not to speak, not to reach out and try to find a way to try to protect her from all the hurt and troubles she was facing. That wasn't what she needed though. If it was, then Gavin wouldn't have meant so much to her. All he could do was listen and let her get this off her chest.

A part of him tensed up while she spoke of seeing other men and it pained him but not because of her words. What Gavin had said to him in the bar stung as it echoed again in the back of his mind. He had learned a way of life that left him acting just as possessive and overbearing as her father. He had no right to expect anything of her and if it helped her face all that she had lost then not he or any other person had any right to judge her for it.

He couldn't blame her even if Gavin or another man had been something more. In spite of what they'd been through she really didn't know that much about who he was and what he stood for. With that and the considerations she had to take for all the troublesome facets of her life she couldn't afford to commit to someone like William even if she had been emotionally ready. And she wasn't. How could she be given what she'd lost?

Yet even in the midst of all that was hope. She'd encouraged him to come and see her. To try to get the best of Gavin. They might not be in a position to be what he'd hoped they could be, but the future was still to be seen. That was as much as he could ask for in this moment.

He'd nodded when she asked to continue and been shocked by what came after. Her tone had changed so abruptly, and he wasn't sure if it was to reassure him or simply because she wanted this aspect of their life to be separate from all that she had poured forth before. The thought of going to that place and being with her was enough that he couldn't decide if it mattered in the moment.

"Of course we are, angel. We always were if I'd just pulled my head out of my ass." William gave a half-hearted chuckle and smiled at Isabella. "If there's anything I can do to help you with all of the things you have to fight you just tell me. I can handle getting beat up and I like to think those first two days show what I'd face for you. For what it's worth too, I'd never think different of you for trying to find happiness wherever you can though. I'm not always the most level headed person, but I'll try not to judge others so quick from here on too. No more fights with Gavin unless it's in a proper match and that'll probably be a while." The last bit had a warm mirth to it, though Will's eyes betrayed him and told that it would be a struggle for a while.

William straightened up and took on a more formal tone before continuing and getting their vehicle moving towards the pier again.

"As for your request, Don Luciano, I am flattered by your assessment of me and would want nothing more than to address this oversight on my part. Perhaps we could discuss the possibility further over dinner after our current endeavor is finished. Provided, of course, you would still be interested. I want to make sure that if we proceed we do so for the right reasons. As with all our interactions, I would wish to do right by you and treat you with the respect that you've earned and deserve."

The formality slipped away again and William's eyes pled with Isabella as he glanced over. "And don't be too hard on Godfather Luciano. You ought to know that he seemed more worried about whether my intentions towards you were serious then about my behavior in New York. I told him the truth too."

"Of course we are, angel."

How she loved when he called her angel.  There was a warmth and familiarity that existed between them, not the immediately intimacy she'd forged with Gavin (though paper thin in that they really knew so little about one another) it was a slow building thing, the way it had been with Elias and in that she felt secure - safe.

"We always were if I'd just pulled my head out of my ass." William gave a half-hearted chuckle and smiled, she mirrored it back at him and then looked down at her own hands.  She hadn't thought of his behavior as asinine.  Truthfully, she'd never had two men fight over her before and she found it somewhat flattering.  Though she'd never own that aloud.

"If there's anything I can do to help you with all of the things you have to fight you just tell me. I can handle getting beat up and I like to think those first two days show what I'd face for you. For what it's worth too, I'd never think different of you for trying to find happiness wherever you can though. I'm not always the most level headed person, but I'll try not to judge others so quick from here on too. No more fights with Gavin unless it's in a proper match and that'll probably be a while." 

So, it seemed that Gavin must have won.  Poor William.  First he finds Gavin had beat him to the punch in romance with his desired girl and then he clearly beat him down physically as well.  Not shocking though.  The truth was that, while Will was a brute force, Gavin had lived a life that had clearly made him able to endure a beating well.  No doubt he was in just as much physical agony as Will... he just outlasted his opponent.  She would have to be sure to always put her money on Gavin when he entered the ring... unless against Will again.  Will would have learned from his first fight with Gavin and the rematch would be a thing to make the foundations of the earth shudder.

William straightened up and took on a more formal tone before continuing and getting their vehicle moving towards the pier again.  She smiled as he matched her business-like tone for speaking about something so terribly intimate. 

"As for your request, Don Luciano, I am flattered by your assessment of me and would want nothing more than to address this oversight on my part."

So, it seemed he wasn't a prude and he was willing to court danger for a chance to be with her.  In that regard, he was something different than Elias and perhaps a bit more like Gavin after all.

"Perhaps we could discuss the possibility further over dinner after our current endeavor is finished."

Silently she made note to, at her first opportunity, call Calimero and tell him to cancel her meetings for tomorrow morning.  She sincerely doubted she'd be home in time.

"Provided, of course, you would still be interested. I want to make sure that if we proceed we do so for the right reasons. As with all our interactions, I would wish to do right by you and treat you with the respect that you've earned and deserve."

Hmm... She looked him over physically, taking in the shape and mass of his body, trying to imagine him in a more intimate setting.  It was disappointing to hear him speaking about 'right reasons' and 'respect' when it came to being with her when he so clearly wanted to be.  Maybe he wasn't so different from Elias after all.  Perhaps the call to Calimero could wait.  What a shame.  While Gavin might be his match in a ring, she sincerely doubted that extended to the bedroom.

"And don't be too hard on Godfather Luciano."

This stunned her.  Hadn't her father beat the hell out of him?  Why would he EVER tell her to not be hard on her father?  He was an asshole, and proud of it!  She couldn't think of many people who didn't think Salvatore deserved a good tongue lashing from time to time - even those who loved him.

"You ought to know that he seemed more worried about whether my intentions towards you were serious, then about my behavior in New York. I told him the truth too."

Isabella was caught off guard with her father's concern.  Either he or Will were lying.  She expected the prior.  Salvatore would never tell her he was worried about her lest she accuse him of treating her differently than the other Dons in Detroit and she loathed the idea that he gave her even a drop of nepotism.  She would have lost her shit over it... and yet, she found herself emotional at the thought.  The little girl, the one she tried to keep hidden, couldn't help but feel her heart swell at her father's confessed affections to her beau.

"I'll cut him slack because you asked me to."  She said look at Will through a curtain of raven locks.  "But trust me when I say... you're a kinder man to him than most; you're friendship is more than he probably deserves considering what I imagine he's put you through and will yet put you through." 

She sighed at the thought of how her father might be making Will operate for the right to spend time with her.  "I'm sorry for whatever he's asked you to do in regards to showing him respect enough to see me."  She shakes her head.  "It's positively galling he does this... but, I suppose, his heart is in the right place."

She watched as the car turned into a parking lot for Race Street Pier and she got her first sight of things by the light of day.  "It's kinda pretty down here, but I'd really love to make a drive out to Atlantic City later... if you're up for it?"

William's lip quirked when Isabella said the word 'friendship' in the same sentence as Salvatore Luciano. It was one thing to give a man acknowledgment for his priorities and a whole different one to be his friend.

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself. I can respect a guy without being his buddy. If he were anyone else we'd have had some problems with his approach. Don't you start apologizing for him though. You make it worth the trouble."

The car eased into a parking place and William felt as if some of the tension he'd picked up during the drive stayed behind in his seat. The Pier was his home and a place that he could hold his head high knowing that he could count on one hand the people who stood above him. He circled the car to open Isabella's door and offer a hand to help her up.

"I've been meaning to get by Atlantic City and check it out. It's a big center for business and I've heard I guy can really let loose and enjoy himself there." A smile not unlike that of a shark broke out on Will's face thinking of all the trouble he'd gotten into whenever he'd had a few drinks. With Isabella along who knew what might happen. "Of course, I got a bad habit of taking risks when I'm drinking and gambling. Getting into trouble when I'd normally know better. If we aren't careful, I'll end up getting us stuck there for the night.

Letting that sink in, William turned and started towards Tara Byrne's office. They still had a pitch to make and he was eager to cement one more way he could keep Isabella close as much as possible.

"You ready to sell the gym idea? Tara's a friend, but she means business when it comes to the Pier. We'll have to make a good showing of ourselves if we want to make this happen and I do regardless of the reason the idea got started."

"I was born ready.  Selling good ideas is what I do and I strongly suspect than unless Gavin has tainted her thoughts on me in some way," She laughed, it was possible after all, "that she and I will get along with our mutual desire to make shit tons of money."

As they came to the door of Tara's office she quickly leaned over and gave Will a peck on the check.  "For luck."  She said as they knocked and waited to be let in.

Tara reached for the gun in her desk draw and pointed it at the door underneath her desk. She'd never actually had anyone come to her door and cause trouble... but since Gavin had been hitlisted, she preferred to act cautiously. If, as she assumed, her guests were friendly, she'd be able to put the gun back without them noticing. 

"Come in!"

With her skill and smarts and his strength and talent William was sure they wouldn't need luck. As he opened the door he reflected that he still wanted it. Especially with how it was delivered.

"Hey Tara, I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time. This is Isabella, she came so we could talk with you about the gym I'd mentioned last time." 

William stepped into the office and smiled as he caught sight of the more businesslike of the Byrne twins. She was a woman he respected deeply and he hoped to be able to live up to expectations with Isabella's plan. For her part, Tara welcomed them and offered a drink out of courtesy. William accepted a glass of Irish whiskey and settled into one of the chairs, waiting for Isabella to take the lead.

Isabella offered her hand instantly to Tara and shook it firmly.  "We've met before, if only briefly, when Jack Mezzo first invited me to come check out the Pier.  I knew he had hoped to work out a business deal of some sort with me... but I hadn't expected him to deploy a secret weapon in the form of William here."  She smiled. 

She accepted the offered seat and a glass of water, she'd hold off on the gin while working out business details.  "I'd be lying if I didn't say that William is a major part of my inspiration and I think he'll be instrumental in what we're planning.  He's got a mean right hook." She smirked at Will, no need to tell Tara that she knew how good it really was from the receiving side, but she'd have her joke at Will's expense to show him there was no hard feelings.

Isabella opened her briefcase and pulled out a business plan and passed it to Tara for review.  "The details are straight forward and most of the money on the front end is bankable and clean - traceable and taxable.  BUT, as we both know that a gym alone won't make us any real cash, so I've come up with a side venture operating out of the legitimate front."

"I'm proposing a fight club, the sort Durden runs, but with a whole lot more bells - whistles - and profit.  The long term plan being that we eventually open one in each of the major cities over the course of the next six months to a year.  The initial investment coming from a fight promoter, we'll offer that opportunity to a variety of people with deep pockets.  Philly will be our proof of concept and when they see the kind of cash we're making they'll line up for a chance to get a piece of the pie for themselves."

"The Godfather of each hosting city & the Don where we're operating will make a percentage of the over-all profits ensuring good blood and protection for the operation.  In the case of Philly, Godfather Spaceman & Don Mezzo."

"Profits come from two locations.  The first is a baseline guaranteed income which comes from membership fees.  We'll invite every Don and Godfather in the nation to submit their best fighters and pay a monthly membership fee.  If a fighter isn't up to date on their dues, they don't fight & can't win.  Simple as that.  Now why anyone would pay the dues... I'll come to that in a moment."

"We use membership funds to make certain our host Don & Godfather are paid well and never go without; so that there is very little chance they will ever decide the return on investment isn't worth it.  We don't, however, pay promoters from those funds.  After all, the promoter's job is to make sure we have people coming to the fights and betting on their favorite guy... which is where the second source of revenue comes from."

"The fight club, ideally, will cater to an elite crowd providing entertainment and betting opportunities.  Which is where we return to the WHY of Dons paying dues.  Power and influence in a nice tidy - ILLEGAL - location that we're giving them prime access to for the small fee of loaning us fighters and paying membership fees.  AND, let's face it, bragging rights.  No one wants to be known as the only Don who doesn't have a prize fighter when every other Don in the country has a man they can put into the ring.  But more than that, every Don in the nation wants to be known as the person who has the best of something... cars, women, race horses... and now, if we do our jobs right, prize fighters."

"Having a fighter in our club gets you a seat in the VIP section of each fight club's main arena.  Box seats where complimentary beverages & meals are served to our fight backers by the prettiest working girls in any given city.  Dons and Godfathers can use these boxes to wine, dine, and seduce city elite... giving them a great place to do their business that's both classy... and down right bloodthirsty.  This isn't about men just bashing each other's brains in though... it's about influence and power and a place to deal in both."

Isabella takes a sip of water giving Tara a chance to take in the details.

Tara's face lit up when she saw who it was. William Bowden had hit Race Street like a meteor, and he'd impressed her a great deal in the time they'd known each other. He was also easy on the eyes, which never hurt. She'd met Isabella some time ago; the two women seemed very similar, and she knew that the Detroit business district was one of the only ones that could keep up with Philadelphia's. Tara grinned at William when Isabella spoke.

"Secret weapon, huh? William here is definitely a weapon, but he won't be secret for long. If I'm not careful he'll be in my seat any day now..."

She nodded as Isabella mentioned William's fighting prowess.

"I'm not surprised to hear it. Gavin told me that the two of you got into a scrap... he also mentioned you were... how did he put it? "One of the toughest sons of bitches he'd ever had to fight", I believe?"

But when Isabella handed her the business plan, she was all business. Tara devoured the numbers, even as she listened to Isabella speaking. 

"What you're proposing... this fight club... it's been done before- and to great success. I think there's definitely a place for this in our society. My only piece of advice is to be careful with the rate of expansion. It may be wise to, for example, expand from Philadelphia to Detroit- and then from there, to a single location on the West Coast before trying to push it further..."

She continued to listen to the breakdown from Isabella- by the end of it, she'd raised an eyebrow.

"Well... this sounds very impressive. William, do you have anything to add?"

A day where he received praise from two women the likes of Tara and Isabella, especially in the same room, was a good day. William beamed with pride right up until Isabella made mention of his right hook. A minute grimace passed across his face even though he realized she was making light of the situation. It was something he'd regret for some time to come even if it was necessary when it happened.

Then Tara mentioned the fight with Gavin. His mind began racing as he wondered how much the other man had said, though his lip twitched into a brief smirk at Gavin's words about him. He shifted slightly in his seat, wincing slightly from the damaged rib he'd earned in the very same conflict, and listened to Tara's thoughts about the proposal while silently thankful that nothing further came of the fight for the time being. He had no doubt that he'd face questions from her later though.

"I think Isabella hit on all the main points. I will be supporting the business from the operational side, overseeing equipment, vetting fighters, and lending my experience in matters of the sort. I've actually made in-roads with a group of fighters here in Philly who could assist on that side. They're all competent bare knuckle fighters with good heads on their shoulders. Nothing to write home about, but they'd be solid for sparring with potential prize fighters as a qualifier to weed out those who won't be able to hold up in the ring and training those who'd want it on the front of the house. It takes them off the street and removes them as a potential problem in the future and turns them into an asset that can help generate income for us."

In spite of his earlier shocks, William began to hit his stride. Tara's compliment was appreciated and while they both knew he'd never threaten her connection to their Don, he certainly had ambitions of his own.

"In addition to the potential earnings from a project like this I think we need to keep in mind the political advantages it offers. Detroit and Philadelphia are both prosperous cities in this thing of ours and a business like this represents a union between the two that brings them closer together," His eyes briefly glanced to Isabella as he said this while his mind wandered to other bonds just for the briefest of moments, "and offers a reassurance to both parties of their continuing cooperation in the days and months to come. That alone is a goal worth pursuing. Of course, a profit in addition is a hell of a bonus."

Tara watched William closely as he spoke- glancing over to Isabella as he mentioned politics. Then she smiled.

"I don't need to hear anything else. You have my full support. Send me the finalized plans and we'll talk about making this a part- a big part- of The Pier. What else can I do for you today? An updated tour? Dinner?"

Her eyes flicked between the two of them as one of the corner's of her mouth flashed a hint of an impish grin.

"... if you have plans already, I'll of course take a rain check."