“You know,” said Ori. “Having a big house… mixed blessing. On the one hand, I like having extra bedrooms for guests. On the other hand… cleaning all this shit takes forever. I feel like I should have a French maid outfit on. And before you say anything, no we’re not hiring anyone. It’s a security risk. We don’t have enough security yet to vet these things. Another thing I need to talk to Eric about.”

Tara smirked. “I didn’t say a word.  Besides, maybe the whole point of continuing to stay here is that I keep hoping you will put on a french maid outfit?  And yes we should talk to Eric about it. You know the guest house was actually once used for the security staff. My grandparents bodyguards lived in that house.  My Nona Bella’s people were always close at hand… granted, that is what bit her in the ass in the end I guess, but not everyone goes out like that. I mean, you can’t live constantly fearing everyone you let close to you.”

“... yeah,” said Ori, who lived like that.

“We do have another option that my grandparents didn’t have though.  We could keep both a place in the city that’s NOT Hollowpoint and have Hollowpoint for when we have guests.  I mean, nothing says we have to be here all the time. Maybe just retreat here for quiet time occasionally or for when we have guests.”

“I like this place, though. I know I had to get shot to make it happen. Twice. But this is where we’ve had just about all our time together when we’re not running around.”

Tara smiled.  “I’m glad you feel that way.  I do too. Honestly, this place has become home.  I mean, all my family has been here in some meaningful way.  Mom grew up here, Dad fixed the place up for her, my Grandparents spent almost their whole marriage here.  This place is as much a part of the family as anything ever has been and us living here together feels… right.  Like everyone is standing with us, maybe not all the time you get my meaning.” She laughed.

Ori smirked.

“Tara Montini.” 

Tara lit up.  “Speaking of which!  I wanted to show you something.  So, obviously there is no official wedding or paperwork or whatever, but … I thought about this a bit and I had the local print shop make me some stationery that I’m going to write some letters to friends on.  I thought you’d get a kick out of it.”  

Tara pulled open a drawer and handed the stationary to Oriana.  It had Tara’s new, legally changed name, embossed upon it in gold leaf.  “Very fancy I thought. In lew of a wedding announcement, I figured this was a subtle yet bold way to let our friends know.  I was going to send out a few friendly letters to folks as I sometimes do, catching them up on our happenings, on this. And well, let them connect the dots as they will.”

Ori just smiled, but her grin was worth a thousand words as she happily returned to her cleaning.

“Where did you want to meet Jo and Alejandro later, when they get back to the country? Bar? Host them here? Go meet them somewhere warm and sunny?” asked Ori.

“Oh I bet Jo would get a kick out of popping by Treble Club.  I’ve gone a few times now. It’s really a swell place. Good food, great music.  We could have dinner and let them cut a rug before coming back here.”

Ori sighed. “I knew you’d say that. But you and I need to get back on a beach soon, when we’re not being hunted by Germans.”

“So… on that front.”  Tara went over to the desk and began digging through the drawers.  “Varadero.” She pulled out some official looking correspondences and handed them over to Oriana.  She smiled brightly as she waited to see Oriana’s reaction to the details written about a small resort in the town of Varadero, Cuba - sometimes called ‘Blue Beach.’  

“My mother, allegedly was conceived there.  The story goes that her mother was dating a Godfather… I forget his name but some guy from out in California when her believed to be dead lover returned out of nowhere.  Salvatore. Sal wanted to woo her so he begged her to come with him to Cuba to handle some business. By the end of it they bought a resort and Marie Lucania came back with the ultimate souvenir.  She was later married to Sal. Or so the story goes. Anyway, Mom never got down to Cuba. She literally never laid eyes on the place and the guy running it for us has been sending her letters about it for years.  That and money, of course. Granted, I mean, the place could be a hell hole but….” Tara fished out a picture of the most perfect looking beach. “This is the view. So… can’t be all bad.”

“When can we go? Soon? Or do we need to wait for some of that heat to die down with the Germans?”

“Well, we can do this one of two ways.  Either we go before we cut the ribbon on Liber or it’ll be a while.  I mean, I don’t want to rush off and leave the place without it’s Chief Maenad so quickly.  Wouldn’t seem right to promise men they could come and admire us and then not be there, now would it?”

“Let’s wait until after, then,” said Ori. “With the money Jo sent you, we’ve finally got enough to start building it. Let’s make that happen.”

“Agreed.  We’ll make plans for sometime in the relatively near future, just… not right away.”  Tara smiled. “I’m excited to see them. I have a very good feeling about those two working together - in more ways than one.”

“Uh huh,” said Ori, polishing. 

Tara put away the letters and the photo, “You know, maybe when we go to Cuba I’ll try on one of those swimsuits like Jo wore.”

“... if we’re not going yet, don’t tempt me. That’s cruel of you… Tara Montini.”

*

A few hours later, Ori was sitting in The Treble club. She was wearing a silver halter-top dress with a long slit up the side. It covered almost her entire chest, but left her back bare to the waist and revealed quite a bit of her long legs. She was glancing at Tara when Jo and Alejandro walked in. Jo practically flew across the room, an impressive feat in her tight black dress and heels, as she hugged Tara, then Oriana.

“Holy shit I’ve missed you guys.”

Alejandro was right behind her, offering them an embrace and kiss on the cheek.

“My friends! God, it feels like weeks… those three months flew by.”

Tara wore a black with gray pinstriped dress with wide belt around her waist, the shoulders of the dress were non-existent allowing a bit of modest skin to show in an otherwise very serious-looking dress.  It was smart, sharp, and more conservative than Oriana had chosen to wear.  Her shoes, however looked as though they were made only of straps of leather which wrapped about her toes and ankle, propping her up on a severe heel.

Jo and Alejandro slid into the chairs next to their friends, with Jo sitting next to Tara and Alejandro next to Ori.

Tara made a point of laying her hand on the table near Jo so that her the ring on her left hand was instantly noticeable.

“Holy SHIT!” yelled Jo, attracting the attention of the staff. Alejandro looked confused for a few moments until he realized what was going on. “What…” Jo’s eyes flicked to Ori. “I mean, 

Tara instantly blushed and laughed.  “It’s just a ring, Jo.” Her smile suggested it was anything BUT just a ring. I’m wearing it in celebration of my recent legalities.”  She played coy.

“You got arrested?” teased Alejandro.

Tara shook her head.  “Allow me to introduce myself, as since the last time we saw each other my name has changed - legally.  I am now Tara Marie Montini.”  She smiled at Jo, the corners of her mouth drawn up towards her eyes to the point they almost touched them.

The table erupted in congratulations. There was another round of hugs and laughter, and either Jo or Alejandro managed to order an $8,000 bottle of champagne in the confusion.

Tara pulled out and offered to Alejandro one of her father’s cigars and one to Jo as well if she was so interested.  “Oh and I guess this means eventually we have to go back to New York, Ori!  I was just realizing, you’re the proud owner of a home there too.”

“I was thinking about that,” said Ori. “But… it’d be strange to live there. I was actually thinking, depending on where Jack or Sage went to school… but fuck it, that’s a conversation for another time. Let’s drink.”

“Obviously.  Yes, fill my glass first, I hear this stuff allegedly tastes like the stars?  I definitely want to know for sure.”

The champagne was popped open, and a few toasts were exchanged.

“Do you want to tell her? Or should I?” bounced Jo, shooting a glance at Alejandro.

Tara looked to Jo, “Tell me what?  If you say you’re moving to Mexi-”

“I’m pregnant!” said Jo.

Tara’s mouth fell open and her hand covered it almost instantly.  She looked to Alejandro as if looking for confirmation.

“Nah, I’m just shitting you,” said Jo, almost immediately. “But I do have good news.” She removed a slip of paper from her purse and slid it across the table to Tara.

Tara smacked Jo.  “DAMN IT, WOMAN!”  She turned to Alejandro, “Do you know one of the first things your father said to me when I met him was that he feared he was going to have red-headed grandchildren if he left you alone with her too long!  I was about to make a crack about his prophetic powers!”

“So you got my earlier wire transfer, sending the money over from Europe, right?”

Tara nodded looking at the paper, finally.

“There’s part two,” smirked Jo.

“For some reason,” said Alejandro, “the men and women of Europe found the sales pitches from Jo and I irresistible, And Roland, despite his lack of an official degree, certainly knows how to spin a yarn and pull people in. That should be the last of what we needed to move; there’s still a few last things to tidy up back in Peru… but I’d say things will wind down now.”

“Glad to hear it.  I hope everything is well with your father and the resort?  Have you spoken to him?”  Tara asked politely, looking at the number trying not to gape. 

“I wanted to surprise you by dumping all the money out on your bed and rolling around in it, but-”

“He’s fine,” said Alejandro, cutting off Jo. “More than fine, I think. He had to sell the resort- too many Germans showing up. But he’s currently touring the world with plans to build a new hotel- one named after my mother. He’s just looking for the right beach to build it on.”
 

Tara smirked, “Well, maybe he should meet me in Varadero in a few months.  We can talk business. I have a resort down in Cuba. Can’t say that I know what condition everything is in but it keeps making money so it can’t be all bad.”  

“I’ll make sure he gets the invitation; perhaps I’ll be joining you as well,” he said, sipping the champagne as Jo and Ori whispered back and forth to each other.

“I was hoping to convince you both to come out and stay with us at Hollowpoint, my family’s home… mine and Ori’s now.  It’s a lovely place, not far from here. Has a long history going back to the American Revolution. I think you’ll like it.  Lots of space for guests.”

“Sounds wonderful,” said Jo. “Anywhere where we can talk to the two of you as much as possible. I got so used to having both of you around in the jungle. I must have said your names to the empty air a thousand times in the last few months.”

Tara picked up her glass and drank deeply, giving a glance to Oriana and under the table putting her foot against hers.

The corner of Oriana’s mouth turned up as she drank her champagne.

*

Later that night, the four companions settled into the chairs and couches of the living room at Hollowpoint. Alejandro insisted on starting a fire in the fireplace. He’d lost his suit jacket and tie, and his shirtsleeves were rolled to his elbows. When a fire was roaring, he sat into one of the comfortable leather chairs and took a small taste of the whiskey Oriana had poured him. Tara and Oriana had sat on opposite ends of the couch, each leaning against an armrest. 

Jo grimaced as she kicked off her shoes. “God, I’ve been wearing heels way too often. And this dress…” she sighed, plopping herself down between Ori and Tara. She raised her wine glass, and the two women on either side clinked theirs with a grin.

“I can’t believe we went into the fucking jungle like that,” said Jo. “It seems like another lifetime, especially after darting around Europe with Alejandro and Roland.”

“So where will your club be, Tara?” asked Alejandro. “In the city? The suburbs? Or on the outskirts?”

“Well, I scouted about two dozen or so locations.  Of course, the original site was a bit of land in New Jersey but… that ship has sailed.”  Tara smirked at Oriana.  “Here in Philly there’s so much that’s tied to my family’s past I thought for sure I’d just find the perfect spot but the thing was every place we went to wasn’t right.  I had a list of things I wanted and nothing felt quite as it should have - at least in my opinion and if we were going to do this I didn’t want to settle.  I know Bacchus wouldn’t have settled and so I just decided that if I couldn’t find the right place then… well maybe the issue wasn’t location?”

Tara gave a small shrug.

“Well anyway I was down at the old pier where my namesake had built up her own empire and I was walking along looking at the shops and thinking about what it was I’d do with myself if not open this club and before long I’d reached the end of the pier and I was staring out into the open water at these huge ships sailing in.  The waves didn’t move them.  They are so large that it would take a hurricane to even challenge them, you know?”

Tara shook her head, “They’re not pretty, these big vessels.  They’re really meant to crossing oceans and going long distances - they have job, so it wasn’t for their appearance that I found myself looking at them.  I suppose it was destiny.  Don’t laugh, I’m not trying to be silly.  I … I bought a ship.”  

Tara’s smile touched her eyes as she continued, “It wasn’t anything to look at and I’m sure Oriana probably thought I was crazy when we first set foot inside but I had some of Calico’s architects fly out from Vegas and go through it with me.  We made some floor plans and contacted a shipwrights guild to find welders and painters and … all sorts of professionals I never dreamed we’d need.  I mean, it was a logistics nightmare honestly and even I started thinking I must be insane.  We’re not quite ready for anyone to really see it yet… but, it’s coming along.  The ship will have a HUGE advantage over any brick and mortar establishment.  Not only is it able to move about and we can do business wherever we are, but … international waters are governed by no state or country.  So about thirteen miles out to sea, I can run any sort of business I want.  I could ferry men and women out to my house of pleasure and gambling, alcohol, and sex will be available in abundance and the police will never raid us or be able to shut us down.”

“Oh, the ferry is a good idea,” said Ori. “I was thinking that you’d be out there and it’d cut down on people coming and going, but you could have a few speedboats shuttling people in the summer, and some heated ones in the winter.”

“I thought that ‘international waters’ thing was a myth,” laughed Jo, but you’re right; it’ll give people a good reason not to look too closely.”

“And think about it, for as hard as it was for someone to try shit at Bacchus’ place and get away with it - if you commit an act I find offensive out in the middle of the ocean… well, I suppose you’re not very bright.”  She chuckled.  “The ability to flee repercussions will probably discourage a lot.  And I think we’ll be able to control what is brought into the house this way as well.  We’ll be well aware of trouble coming and going, for the most part.  And if it gets too hot parked out in the waters near one city… we can always move the ship if we like.”

“I also think it’ll help people relax- let go of their inhibitions even more,” said Alejandro. “I’m assuming you’re going to try to limit the seasickness, though.”

“Agreed.  The ocean will provide nothing familiar to people who have spent their whole lives on land.  Nothing to remind them of home or their troubles.  It’s a beautiful blank canvas outside every porthole and off the side of every deck.  Granted I do have concerns about seasickness but on such a large ship, unless the seas are very bad, most folks shouldn’t even notice.”  Tara said, having done a little research on the topic already.  “It’s how those luxury steamers pick up so much business.”

“What’s going to be different, between your place and Naples?” asked Jo. “Are you going to play up the water/underwater theme?”

“You’re very smart to think of that, actually I had considered running with a maenad theme, worshipers of Bacchus, a way to honor his memory and his inspiration.  Once I came up with the ship thing, I started contemplating nymphs and sirens and I think we’ll probably put a bit of a focus on that with our staff.  I still covet the title of Maenad though.  I miss Bacchus.  I know Ori does too.”  she smiled at Oriana, who nodded.
 

*

Later that night, the four companions settled into the chairs and couches of the living room at Hollowpoint. Alejandro insisted on starting a fire in the fireplace. He’d lost his suit jacket and tie, and his shirtsleeves were rolled to his elbows. When a fire was roaring, he sat into one of the comfortable leather chairs and took a small taste of the whiskey Oriana had poured him. Tara and Oriana had sat on opposite ends of the couch, each leaning against an armrest. 

Jo grimaced as she kicked off her shoes. “God, I’ve been wearing heels way too often. And this dress…” she sighed, plopping herself down between Ori and Tara. She raised her wine glass, and the two women on either side clinked theirs with a grin.

“I can’t believe we went into the fucking jungle like that,” said Jo. “It seems like another lifetime, especially after darting around Europe with Alejandro and Roland.”

“So where will your club be, Tara?” asked Alejandro. “In the city? The suburbs? Or on the outskirts?”

“Well, I scouted about two dozen or so locations.  Of course the original site was a bit of land in New Jersey but… that ship has sailed.”  Tara smirked at Oriana. “Here in Philly there’s so much that’s tied to my family’s past I thought for sure I’d just find the perfect spot but the thing was every place we went to wasn’t right.  I had a list of things I wanted and nothing felt quite as it should have - at least in my opinion and if we were going to do this I didn’t want to settle. I know Bacchus wouldn’t have settled and so I just decided that if I couldn’t find the right place then… well maybe the issue wasn’t location?”

Tara gave a small shrug.

“Well anyway I was down at the old pier where my namesake had built up her own empire and I was walking along looking at the shops and thinking about what it was I’d do with myself if not open this club and before long I’d reached the end of the pier and I was staring out into the open water at these huge ships sailing in.  The waves didn’t move them. They are so large that it would take a hurricane to even challenge them, you know?”

Tara shook her head, “They’re not pretty, these big vessels.  They’re really meant to crossing oceans and going long distances - they have job, so it wasn’t for their appearance that I found myself looking at them.  I suppose it was destiny. Don’t laugh, I’m not trying to be silly. I … I bought a ship.”  

Tara’s smile touched her eyes as she continued, “It wasn’t anything to look at and I’m sure Oriana probably thought I was crazy when we first set foot inside but I had some of Calico’s architects fly out from Vegas and go through it with me.  We made some floor plans and contacted a shipwrights guild to find welders and painters and … all sorts of professionals I never dreamed we’d need. I mean, it was a logistics nightmare honestly and even I started thinking I must be insane. We’re not quite ready for anyone to really see it yet… but, it’s coming along.  The ship will have a HUGE advantage over any brick and mortar establishment. Not only is it able to move about and we can do business wherever we are, but … international waters are governed by no state or country. So about thirteen miles out to sea, I can run any sort of business I want. I could ferry men and women out to my house of pleasure and gambling, alcohol, and sex will be available in abundance and the police will never raid us or be able to shut us down.”

“Oh, the ferry is a good idea,” said Ori. “I was thinking that you’d be out there and it’d cut down on people coming and going, but you could have a few speedboats shuttling people in the summer, and some heated ones in the winter.”

“I thought that ‘international waters’ thing was a myth,” laughed Jo, but you’re right; it’ll give people a good reason not to look too closely.”

“And think about it, for as hard as it was for someone to try shit at Bacchus’ place and get away with it - if you commit an act I find offensive out in the middle of the ocean… well, I suppose you’re not very bright.”  She chuckled.  “The ability to flee repercussions will probably discourage a lot.  And I think we’ll be able to control what is brought into the house this way as well.  We’ll be well aware of trouble coming and going, for the most part.  And if it gets too hot parked out in the waters near one city… we can always move the ship if we like.”

“I also think it’ll help people relax- let go of their inhibitions even more,” said Alejandro. “I’m assuming you’re going to try to limit the seasickness, though.”

“Agreed.  The ocean will provide nothing familiar to people who have spent their whole lives on land.  Nothing to remind them of home or their troubles.  It’s a beautiful blank canvas outside every porthole and off the side of every deck.  Granted I do have concerns about seasickness but on such a large ship, unless the seas are very bad, most folks shouldn’t even notice.”  Tara said, having done a little research on the topic already.  “It’s how those luxury steamers pick up so much business.”

“What’s going to be different, between your place and Naples?” asked Jo. “Are you going to play up the water/underwater theme?”

“You’re very smart to think of that, actually I had considered running with a maenad theme, worshipers of Bacchus, a way to honor his memory and his inspiration.  Once I came up with the ship thing, I started contemplating nymphs and sirens and I think we’ll probably put a bit of a focus on that with our staff.  I still covet the title of Maenad though.  I miss Bacchus.  I know Ori does too.”  she smiled at Oriana, who nodded.

“How many people will you have working there?” asked Alejandro. “By which I mean working, not the support staff.”

“Obviously.”  she chuckled.  “I mean we’ll have cooks, and security, and people who care for the ship and keep it running.  It’s a far larger task than I had first considered but I think it will be worth it.  The actual count of maenads, as I’d been calling them, is around twenty right now.  I think that might be about right but I’ll know more as we go forward.  We’ll need to build clientele and then we may find we want a few more.”

“You’ll have some guys too, right?” asked Jo.

 “Don’t be silly, of course.  I’ve had Oriana helping me spot promising young talent but luckily Bacchus did give us some very gifted people to help train in our newest Bacchantes.”

“Spotting talent has been the fun part,” smirked Ori

“And by spotting talent you mean…?” smirked Jo. 

“Well, it’s not the sort of job you can trust references for.  I want to be sure my house of pleasure has only the very best at what they do.  What I don’t sample personally I have to entrust to the hands of someone whose judgement I value as my own.  Oriana has been a very good sport about it.” 

“God, you seemed so clean cut when I met you, Tara. Just a college girl going on a rescue mission for her friend. And look at you now!” laughed Jo. “Although I should be surprised, if you’re following in Bacchus’s footsteps. Are you ready for all that?”

“The last time I saw him, well, the second to last time… we had a long talk.  We did other stuff too but he wanted to make sure I shared the spirit of what he was trying to do.  That I understood that he wasn’t just a flesh peddler in another bawdy house. There are thousands of places like that around the world but what he’d done… it, it moved me and I don’t mean just physically.  Maybe some of it is because of the place I was in mentally when I found Ori again or because of how my life has gone, but I felt like I’d found a kindred spirit in Bacchus. I felt like he understood how to make the most of what can be a really shitty life and it isn’t just about getting drunk or the sex or drugs… it’s… about not being afraid to live true. To do and love as be as you please… to be free.”  Tara explained.

“Amen to that!” said Alejandro, raising his glass of whiskey.

“So there’s nothing else you need to cross off the bedroom bucket list before you call yourself Chief Maenad?” asked Jo.

“If Bacchus taught me anything it’s that I can never know everything.  I am the eternal student.” She smiled. “The great wisdom is knowing that you do not know everything.  I’m looking forward to not only opening doors to people to enjoy themselves, but learning from people who will come from all over the world, perhaps.  Maybe they will bring things to my temple which I haven’t even dreamed of yet and how exciting would that be?!?” She laughed and then put a hand on Jo’s leg.  She looked into her eyes. “Of course, I think you that I’m slowly shedding that shy odd girl skin of mine. It’s not utterly gone, more… like a caterpillar. I’m changing, but the old me is still in there.”

“Good,” said Jo. “I love the old you. And the new you.”

“I’m pretty fond of both as well.  And that wasn’t something I could always say.”  She glanced around Jo to Oriana. “Luckily someone talked some sense into me.  I don’t know what the hell I’d be doing without her.”

“You’d be fine,” said Ori. “Just boring.” She winked.

“Well, I can’t be mad at her when she speaks the truth.”  She looked then to Alejandro, “I do have a small problem though.  Maybe you’d be interested in helping me with it? I mean, you don’t have to… but I figure you might be open to it.”

“Scouting more talent?” asked Jo.

Tara smirked, “I can only test the girls in certain ways.  I lack … certain necessary tools.” She eyed Alejandro pointedly.  “I’d love a man’s point of view on the new girls we picked up. They’ve been staying with the original staff at the lofts where I’ve put them up for now.  I definitely wouldn’t object to someone spending time with them who has some experience in spending time with beautiful women.”

“So first you hire me for a job where I make millions of dollars? And now I need to do you a favor by screwing a bunch of beautiful women?” asked Alejandro.

“Working for my family is a hardship, I recognize that.”  Tara joked.  “Like I said I can always find another volunteer… maybe one without as much stamina as you or one who is less physically appealing to the girls, but you know… I’m sure I’d find someone.”  

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” sighed Alejandro. “Fine. It’ll be torture, but I’ll do my best.”

“Fantastic.  What good friends I have.  Of course,”  She glanced at Jo, “It would be rude of me not to offer you the same.  You’re welcome to give your feedback if it pleases you to do so.”

“Maybe,” said Jo, eyes gleaming. “We’ll see how my mood goes.”

“Well, in a few weeks the ship should be ready for a tour.  And the moment it is, you both can be part of the first official walkthrough.  Until then, I’ll make the introductions so you can pop by and visit our talent at your leisure.  I wouldn’t expect you to marathon such an endeavor after all.”  Tara actually blushed a little at the thought of Alejandro making a marathon of testing out her new girls.

“You’re a good friend to have, Tara,” said Alejandro.

“I’m so glad you’re back.”  She said to Jo, kissing her cheek.  “I don’t know about you both, but I’m thinking about calling it a night.  You can stay up if you like, my home is yours… my alcohol too.”

Jo pointed to Ori, who’d fallen asleep leaning on her hand on the other side of the couch.

“I’m pretty tired myself,” said Alejandro. 

“Well, Gavin said the bed in the guest house is really nice.  The big bedroom.  No point in you both taking smaller rooms.  Just grab the master suite out there.  I put in a really nice comforter we picked up at one of those Amish farms a week ago after getting back.  They have the most adorable things.  All handmade.  It’s heavy and very warm.  Nice on cool nights like tonight.”  Tara’s eyes lingered a moment on sleeping Oriana.

“Oh!”  I nearly forgot to tell you Jo.  “I got a tattoo.”  She chuckled.

“Show me!” said Jo, while Tara’s words were still in the air.

Tara stood up and hiked her skirt on one side revealing her long leg.

“I like it!,” said Jo. 

“Very nice,” said Alejandro, and it was clear that he was talking about both the tattoo and Tara. 

“In my family,”  Tara explained to Alejandro, “You remember that we sometimes compare one another to animals.  It’s almost like a … a spirit that guides us or is kin to our personality traits? Well, I got the fox because I think of Oriana as being like the fox.  And… she has one too. Her’s isn’t a fox though.” Tara let Jo look as long as she liked at the fox on her side before lowering her dress again.

“Alejandro,” said Jo. “Why don’t you carry Ori off to bed? I wanted to talk to Tara for a bit.”

“You might let me try to wake her first, just to be sure she’s not … well, if she’s not sleeping very deeply yet that could end bad for Alejandro.”  She walked over and gently kissed Oriana’s cheek. “Sweetie? Are you awake?” She listened for Oriana’s snoring; between a long day and the many celebratory drinks, Ori was effectively in a coma. Tara could wake her up if she needed to, but Ori had always been a heavy sleeper. 

“Yeah, she’s out.  You’re good to take her upstairs.  It’ll be obvious which room is ours.”  She kissed Alejandro’s cheek. “Thanks for taking care of her for me.”  Tara settled back into her spot on the couch.

Alejandro lifted Oriana gently, and Tara watched the blonde hair fall across her face as Alejandro supported her head and lifted her into the air.

Tara watched the handsome man walking off carrying her wife, a strange thing to think of still, but she liked the word.  As soon as he’d gone up a few steps, “You must have had the time of your life in Europe.” Tara chuckled, without looking back at Jo yet.

“Alejandro is a good man,” said Jo. “One of my four best friends in the world.”

Tara noted the use of the word friend and merely nodded.  It meant nothing had changed between them and her hopes for Jo and Alejandro’s future happiness was not going to come to pass- at least not yet.  It was just as well, honestly she couldn’t imagine Jo settling down into married life.  She was as free a spirit as Brigitte in so many ways.  It made Tara happy, at least a little, though she hoped for Jo’s sake she wouldn’t be without someone forever.

Tara leaned her head on her friend, looking up at her face.  “What did you want to talk about then, since … clearly you have decided that you and Alejandro are just friends.  It’s obviously not about him.”  She chuckled. “Or are you about to give me all the racy details of your romp across the known world together?”

“Do you want to hear them?” asked Jo as she tucked her legs under her on the couch. “And yea, we’re good friends. Really close, obviously. If I was going to marry anyone right now, it’d be a battle between him and Ren. I just… I dunno. I feel like that’d be closing a chapter of my life that I’m enjoying.”

“Well, I know which I’d put my money on, but I suppose I’m not really qualified to understand and appreciate their strengths and weaknesses in the same way you do.”  Tara joked.

“They’re both wonderful men. Very different, but both wonderful.”

“He and Ren will likely want to kill each other.”  she chuckled.  “We should never let them meet.  Best for everyone that way.  Of course, that’s only because you’re such a catch.”

“God, that’d be a bad night. And thanks. Europe was a lot of fun.”

“Bad… or very good if you could get them both really, really drunk and neither of them knew who the other was.”  she laughed and winked at Jo.  “Carnival in Venice or something.  Masks.”

“Yea?” asked Jo, sipping her wine with a smile. “You want to see that, Hayloft?”

“I wouldn’t find it disinteresting.  I happen to like watching you.  You’re pretty.  And that quirk thing your lip does it’s kinda adorable.  Right there.”  Tara touched a place on her own lip.  “When you stop thinking about it… it’s literally the best tell ever.  I thought I’d imagined it in the barn but I saw it again in the jungle.”  She, of course, totally admitted then to having remembered the loft.

“What do you mean?” asked Jo.

Tara smirked and gave a tiny shrug.  “Maybe I remember a little bit, I just didn’t want to make things weird but after the jungle you… know.  I figure maybe there is no point in false modesty now.”

“I still want to know what my lip does,” said Jo. “Don’t distract me with thoughts of the jungle. That was like… top three for me. Top five, at worst.”

“I still have a very short list of experiences but I can’t imagine much matches that beautiful pool.  That was like heaven.  I mean, I thought Naples was heaven but that place that moment… other than the fear snakes and such.”  She laughed.  “Seriously though, it was pretty amazing.  And the water in that place might have made me all the more open to the idea of a boat rather than a house.”

Jo looked at Tara steadily, then blinked and seem to intentionally derail her train of thought. “I can’t… can we save this conversation for after the other stuff I wanted to discuss? You’re distracting me.” She grinned.

Tara seemed to nod as if she understood and she sat up.  “Alright, well,”  She turned to face Jo, a bit more serious.  “What’s on your mind?”  She folded her hands into lap and kept herself distant from Jo’s body save her knees which couldn’t help but touch the other woman on the couch in the position they were sitting.

“Alejandro and I were both talking about the money we earned from Peru. We want you to take a good chunk of it, manage it for us. You mentioned you had a financial guy, and the two of us, frankly, have no fucking idea what to do with that much money- or how to report anything on our taxes or any of that shit. So we figured we’d basically invest it in Tara Mas- Montini. And then you could put us on your payroll, pay us our own money over time so it looks more legal? And I know you have a lot, but having a little extra clout couldn’t hurt you, moneywise. What do you say?”

“I really don’t know what to say other than, yes.  And … I’m so happy.” Tara smiled brightly. “Part of me was worried you were going to tell me you were running off again on another tour of some other place now that you had all the money you could ever need to travel with.”

Jo sighed, leaning back on the couch near Tara, and moved a strand of auburn hair from her face. “The opposite, really. I’m in a weird place, Tara. I just don’t know what to do. I have the money to do anything, but I just… I dunno. Blitzing through Europe was great, but I just don’t know what to do with my yourself, you know?”

“You could get a normal job.  Drop it the second something interesting comes up if you want but literally go back to doing what you’re trained for - if you wanted.  Or you could work on my floating house of pleasure… I’ll need a nurse on hand for our guests. One who doesn’t look like she’s going to either fall into every coupling happening nor judge everyone who comes to enjoy themselves.”

“That could be fun,” said Jo. “But who says I won’t fall into things?” She laughed.

“Perk of the job is you could, but you’d be on call.”  Tara winked at her friend. “Of course, that might limit the amount of alcohol you get to drink I suppose.”

“Maybe I do that for a little while. I think... eventually I’d like to open up a clinic here in Philadelphia. 

“There used to be one, according to my Nona’s journal.  Race Street Company had a doctor, a lady, who worked for them and she ran a clinic.”

“You guys do get shot a lot,” acknowledged Jo.

Tara agreed, “Yeah, well, and when she wasn’t helping members of the crews in South Philly apparently she did a lot for the poorer families in the area who couldn’t go to the hospitals.  Santino I think was her name… or no. Santoro. Doc Santoro. I could give you the address of the old building she worked out of. If it wasn’t one of the ones burned, maybe I could make that one of my investments.”

“Sure. We can talk about that later,” said Jo.

“Anything to make you happy, Jo.  You’re my best friend.” She smiled.  “I don’t want you to ever be far away.”

“Speaking of,” said Jo. “Ori said we should stay a couple more days and that you’d be insulted if I even asked you. I think Alejandro and I both need to recharge, kick this jet lag.”

“I’m glad she told you that,”  Tara looked back to the stairs noting that Alejandro hadn’t come back down yet.  “She’s right. You both should stay here as long as you need. The place is huge and it’s meant for family.  Ori and I love it too much to go elsewhere but at times… it’s so damn empty. It’s nice to have you here with us.”

“Good then,” said Jo. “Well, that’s just about everything I wanted to talk about. Okay. You can distract me again!”

“Did I miss Alejandro coming back down stairs?”  She asked Jo quietly.

“Nope. Still up there. Do you have guest rooms? He had a lot to drink. He might have just lain down to rest.” She paused. “Or he could be railing Ori, I suppose.” 

Tara chuckled, “Oriana as drunk as she is, she’s either dead to the world for the next twelve hours or if she did wake up it’s entirely possible she attacked him and I don’t mean with a knife.  She does appreciate a good looking man and the last time she was this drunk around him, she ended up dancing on a bar.”

“I dunno. Alejandro isn’t too drunk, but he’s pretty damn tired from all the traveling. I basically slept 90% of the time I was on the plane. He couldn’t.”

“Probably sleeping in one of the other rooms then.”

“Want to go look with me?” smirked Jo.

“How can I refuse an offer like that?”  She got up. “You’ll have to ask Oriana to show you her Tiger tomorrow.”

“Unless it happens to be visible now,” murmured Jo as she followed Tara upstairs. “You look good, by the way. I think I said it earlier. But you seem happy. Hot, too, but you know what I meant.”

“You’re always good looking.”  Tara whispered. “It’s hard running around with you and Ori and not picking up an inferiority complex.”  She smirked motioning for Jo to stay on the left side of the stairs as one of the steps creaked on the right.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re gorgeous.”

“Of course I am,”  Tara said in a proud tone.   “But traveling with you two is like traveling with runway fashion models.  Or like those girls in the pin-ups.  You’ve got these hips… and Ori’s legs go on forever!”  She stopped at the top of the stairs and listened.

They could hear the sounds coming from Oriana’s room immediately. Loud, deep, rhythmic snoring. Jo looked disappointed.

“Well, they’ll be other chances to catch them in the middle of mischief I think.  Like you said, it’s been a long day.”  Tara crept over to her bedroom door and peeked in on Oriana in the bed.  She smiled at the sight of her.  

“Guessing Alejandro must have grabbed either Will or Mom’s old bedroom.  Here, I’ll take you.  The bathroom is just there.  This an office.  This is uncle Will’s old room and mom’s is at the end of the hallway.”  Tara paused at Will’s room and gave a gentle rap upon the door before reaching down and turning the handle to look in trying not to wake Alejandro if he’d fallen asleep.

Alejandro was lying on his back on the bed, clearly asleep.

“Well,”  Tara said pulling the door closed mostly.  “You can either try to share the bed with sleepy or, you can steal my mom’s old room.  Here.”  She walked down to the other door and opened the door without hesitation.  Flipping on the light inside.  “Not much in here now really, but comfortable.”

Jo looked back ruefully toward Alejandro. “I should let him sleep, I guess.”

“I don’t mean to pry but… is that you’re sad Alejandro is asleep or just… lonely?”  She arched an eyebrow.  “I could sit up and we can talk more or if it’s something else it’s not like I don’t know people.”  She smirked.

“You’re going to be very good at your job,” said Jo. “But I’m fine. I should sleep. Maybe tomorrow.”

“I’m sure you’ll feel right as rain tomorrow.  If you need anything, I’m just down the hall.  Don’t hesitate to come wake me, okay?”  

“Do you have something more comfortable I could wear? I don’t think the bulk of our luggage gets here until tomorrow, and I don’t have much in my carryon. Nothing clean, at least.”

“Oh yeah, you mentioned that.  Let me see about finding you something.”  Tara went back down the hall to her room and began to quietly rummage through her dresser until she found a shirt that she felt would fit Jo.  It was long and would hang down to the middle of her thigh, or it should even though she was more top-heavy than Tara herself was.  

“The fabric is very soft.”  She whispered so as not to wake Oriana.  “You should find it comfortable.  It doesn’t get too hot.  Breathes well.”

Jo watched Oriana sleep, then whispered to Tara. “She seems happy, too”

“She is.  This is what life was life before South America.  Her and me, in this place, peaceful.  It’s honestly been some of the best days of my life.  As much as we’ve both gone through and lost, I still don’t know if I wouldn’t have chosen this path if I knew then what I know now.  I miss my family but… Oriana is everything to me.  I’m the luckiest dame in the damn world.  It doesn’t always look like what I was told a family would or should be - but we’re as happy as anyone ever hoped to be.  Our lives are just about perfect.”

“Good. You deserve it after all you went through. And after our night in that little grove, I know how happy she makes you.” She smirked.

“Fair is fair… did you like what you saw?”  She asked seemingly unembarrassed in the dark room where only her outline could easily be made out by the light coming from the first floor.

“Is it weird if I say yes? You’re my best friend, and you and Ori are both beautiful, but I’m not attracted to either of you. It was just… hot.”

“I don’t think it’s weird at all.  Bacchus helped me to understand that humans are kinda the most messed up animals possible.  No other animal would think twice about doing what instinct tells them to do and yet humans judge ourselves and each other for the damnedest things.  If something makes you feel good, well, as long as it harms no one else - I say it’s a good thing.”
 

“If I’m being honest, a lot of why I enjoyed it was the impact on Alejandro. I mean, he was obviously enjoyed himself beforehand.” Jo gestured to herself with mock seriousness.

“Obviously.”  Tara quipped.

“But… it just got better. If I’m being honest, feeling him… change while he was watching you guys? When he was already in me? That was just fucking…” She shook her head appreciatively. “He’s really talented, obviously, but it’s going to be hard for him to live up to that first time.”

“I thought, on our first day lost in the jungle I though he was going to lose his mind on me when he realized the truth about Oriana and I.  I was glad I was wrong and after several days I realized, like most men, I think it turned him on.” She laughed. “Maybe frustrated him too that I wasn’t fawning over him the way other women do.  Or maybe that made him want time with me more, I wasn’t sure. There was this one night we slept close together to keep warm… he certainly was having a good dream.” She smirked.

“How much experience do you have with guys?” whispered Jo. “Just the couple times with Bacchus? Or do you ever jump in during Ori’s… hiring?”

“I’ve joined Oriana before, I like seeing her so happy.  She enjoys men and I enjoy her. Occasionally I’ve been lost in the moment enough not to care.  I’ve learned that once you get to this point in sex it all just… is feelings. I think when you start to relax and get out of your own head a little, you stop worrying about the minutiae.  It’s more about what feels good.” She shrugs.  

“Yeah,” said Jo. “Do you have a hair tie?”

Tara nodded and went over to her vanity, picking up something to bind her friend’s hair back with.  After half a heartbeat she grabbed her brush as well. She walked over to Jo and offered the objects to her.  

“I don’t need the brush; our stuff will get here tomorrow. I’ll call the airport and have them deliver it here.”

“I can’t sleep without brushing out my hair, well, I mean I can… but it’s nicer.  I think it’s one of those little ways I tell myself I’m ready to sleep. I do it every night before bed.  I have almost a routine I follow. Somewhat specific. It’s a little crazy I know.”

“Alright. Well let’s all get some rest. Talk more tomorrow? I know Alejandro wanted to talk to you about a few things as well.” 

Tara gave Jo a kiss on the cheek and then said, “Good night, Jo.  Sweet dreams. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Or hear me, depending on the thickness of these walls and Alejandro’s mood.”

Tara chuckled, “Well, I’ll keep an ear out before coming to knock on your door offering breakfast.”  Tara reached back and began to undo her dress as Jo was leaving. Dressing in a simple night shirt and panties before crawling into bed beside Oriana.  

With a smirk on her face she whispered into Ori’s ear, “Admit it.  You’re awake.” Tara chuckled and wrapped her arms around Ori’s waist, snuggling in tight beside her with a yawn.  It didn’t matter if she was or not, Tara was more than ready for sleep.

***

The next morning, when Tara woke up early for her run, she found herself presiding over a silent household. She left a big glass of water and two aspirin on the nightstand for Ori, then took off on her morning run. 

Her mind wandered from friends to family, to Liber and that brought back Bacchus and far more somber thoughts.  The peace of the forest trail which she’d cleared was just the sort of place where she worked through things, things like her worries for Sage, Cerise, and mostly Oriana.  Her thoughts about Victoria growing up not knowing Billy and Rora.  Thoughts about Malcolm and the sort of man he was becoming and what role she’d play in that in time.  She’d raced through dozens of thoughts related and unrelated to these topics before she’d come full circuit back to the house again, covered in a thin sheen of sweat.  Her heart pounding, she stood outside and looked across the wooded lot taking in the morning light allowing her peaceful state to settle her heart and mind once more.  Just listening to the wind in the trees the way she used to as a little girl.

Finally still, she turned to the house and went back inside to shower.  She’d made a plan.  She’d dress and start on breakfast.  A big one, like her dad used to make.  She’d pull out all the stops.  It would feel good to cook for everyone and it would help Ori recovering from all that alcohol she consumed the night before.

Tara turned on the shower, as hot as she could stand it, and stood beneath the falling water breathing in the steam silently repeating prayers her mother taught her as a girl.  Prayers for health and for her family.  Mentally she checked herself, it wasn’t Sunday and yet something about the day felt important.  Was it someone’s birthday?  She went down the list of siblings, none of them.  A holiday?  No.  That wasn’t it either.  She couldn’t remember.  Putting the nagging sensation on a mental shelf she dried herself off and braided her hair.  Tara stood in front of her dresser in a bathrobe for a while before walking over to the closet and pulling out a dress.  

Tara seldom wore dresses.  Occasions called for dresses but every day?  No.  That was slacks.  And yet slacks felt wrong today.  A dress.  She put on a navy and white dress, with a wide belt.  The skirt flared and moved with her when she walked.  Tara admired herself in the mirror and pulled out a few hairs on the sides of her face - wisps really.  Then, before she knew it she’d settled down in front of the vanity and had begun gingerly digging through the small bag of makeup which Brigitte had helped her put together over the last two years.

Bit by bit she laid foundation and rogue, eyeshadow, lined her eyes and lips, curled her lashes.  She found herself smiling at her reflection as she dabbed a bit of perfume on her wrist and at the place where her breasts came together.  It was the from the bottle she’d found on the vanity when she and Ori had moved in.  Lilacs.  The flower had grown near the cabin where she grew up and she’d been fond of the scent though she had no idea where she’d buy more when this ran out.  She’d never seen such a bottle in the stores.  It was decorative and dainty, the glass was spun like ice or sugar crystals.  She supposed it once belonged to her Grandmother or maybe her mother, though that didn’t feel quite as right as Bella.  Her mother was not a woman for dainty things.  Sturdy stuff.  That had always been Aurora’s way.

Tara slid the chair back away from the vanity taking one final look at the woman in front of her, wonder filled her.  Brigitte hadn’t done this, or Ori, or Jo.  She had.  She looked, good.  Tara smiled and turned to leave the room as quietly as she entered.

Not having woken Oriana, Tara went down the stairs and into the kitchen.  She opened the shutters and let the morning light in, watching bits of dust floating in the beams.  She smiled as she hummed a song her mother used to sing when she was a girl.  She pulled out the eggs and bacon.  She grabbed flour, sugar, vanilla and a rare treat, a banana.  Before long the coffee was brewing and the house smelled like home.  Tara’s voice drifting up the stairs with the scents of breakfast summoning her guests and her love from sleep’s firm grip.

Tara set the table with plates and cups and utensils for all, making each placement with as much care as she’d made her face.  She smiled at all she’d done as she put out the pile of bacon, pancakes, and eggs.  She fetched a jug of juice in case someone wanted that rather than coffee and once it was done, she made her way to the base of the stairs and looked upward, listening.

Tara climbed back up the steps, having heard no real indication of anyone being up and about and went first into her own bedroom.  Smiling at the sleepyhead in bed still she crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed and reached a hand back to brush fingers through Oriana’s hair.
 

“I’ve got aspirin.”  Tara whispered. “And coffee.  The day is slipping away, my love.  Wake up.”

“Mmmmmmf. I have a surprise for you today, once I can think straight.”

“Oh good.  Then you must remember what it is I’m forgetting.  I swear today is important for some reason and I can’t put my finger on it.”

“Well, not that. No idea what you’re talking about. Give me five minutes in the shower, then I’ll be down.”

22 Minutes Later

Oriana, Jo, and Alenjandro stumbled downstairs, all having just rolled out of bed, and blearily took their seats at the breakfast table, their heads bowed as if they were saying grace. They all mumbled their thanks to Tara and began eating.

4 Hours Later

Every day for nearly a week, Tara had been up early and home late. She’d spent her days meeting and directing the builders and interior designers, ensuring that each tiny detail was in accordance with her precise wishes. Usually, she got home late, had a quick dinner, and fell asleep only to wake up and do it all again the next day. To have time for herself, as her companions retreated to bed, was rare.

Finally, though, it appeared that everything was in order. Breakfast was cleaned up, the house was tidied. Now she had to deal with the mountain of paperwork that had shown up on her desk. 

When she reached her office, though, the only thing on her desk was Ori’s feet. The blonde, wearing a mid-thigh light blue sundress flashed a vulpine grin at her business partner. Alejandro and Jo were standing beside her.

“Surprise,” said Ori. “Paperwork is done. I handled it for you the last few days. Just four issues left to handle- and I was going to do them on my own, except they’re a little more… sensitive. I also checked with Alejandro and Jo, and they said they’d be able to help us out with a few things today. Over the last few years, I think I’ve come to know you better than anyone… but you still surprise me sometimes. So I’ve organized all the information you need to make your decisions, although you may want to follow up or implement something in person, of course.”

“If you want, you can handle each of the issues with all of us, or you can put us each on one problem, then check in with us later today. You’re the boss.”

Tara was staring at Oriana with a smile and slightly gaping mouth.  She shook her head, “This is quite the surprise. Well… um, why don’t you go over the things I need to address.  Since you seem to have everything so well in hand.” She walked over to her desk and sat across from Oriana.

“I got bored,” shrugged Ori. “You were gone a lot.”

“I should let you get bored more often so I can stick to the fun stuff.”  Tara winked at Oriana.

Ori smiled. “First issue is getting all the permits from the mayor’s office. There’s been a lot of delays and problems there, but I don’t think it’s personal. Might just be typical bureaucratic bullshit. Either way, the mayor is someone that you need to get on your side. If you didn’t know, mayor’s name is Harry Wilson. He’s a younger guy, right around forty. He doesn’t seem to be interested in a higher office, so you might have to deal with him for a long time, assuming he stays popular.”

“As far as I can see,” continued Ori. “There’s three moves that stand out to me, although I wouldn’t be surprised if you think of a new approach. The first one would just be to straight out bribe him. I’m not sure how dirty he is, but based on the rumors he’s not squeaky clean. Everybody has a price, and we have deep pockets now. Second approach… well, let’s just say that Mayor Wilson isn’t strictly monogamous. He steps out on his wife- nothing rampant, but more than once. We could set him up with a mistress, then either use her to control him or take some pictures and blackmail him. Last approach I can see is to just seduce the guy- either literally or metaphorically. Win him over, bring him on board and get him following you.”

“Sounds like the sort of guy who will probably enjoy our club once it’s up and running.”  She smiles.  “Wives of politicians are important, not shaming them or him is a priority.  Don’t need the kind of blowback that comes from a pissed off wife or angry politician who was banking on Mayor Wilson staying in office for the next decade or three.  If we were up and running the solution would be simple - let him indulge discreetly however, I doubt he’s going to be interested in IOUs from unknowns.”  She smirked.  “Pockets might be the way to go for the time being with plans to later hook him with his true weakness.  Will want to keep him on our side in case of future issues after all.  Also might not be a bad idea to win over Mrs. Mayor.  A man’s life can be made hell by a woman, more so if he can’t afford the scandal of his wife walking out on him.  She stays happy, maybe we all do.  And she might be a potential ally for us in dealing with him and others.”

“... or we can have Alejandro seduce her, Jo seduce the mayor, and keep both of them in line.” Ori chuckled. “I’m kidding. Mostly. But sure, maybe money in the short term, with plans of inviting him to the club and winning him over?”

“Yes, but we’ll put a thumbtack in that other suggestion - especially if money doesn’t work.  I’m not above giving the Mayor some perks at our club if it helps get the word out about the exclusivity and class of the establishment - and if it keeps anyone from giving us trouble at City Hall.  Just because they can’t bust us for prostitution doesn’t mean they won’t find other ways to creatively give us hell if we don’t keep them happy.” Tara chuckled.

“I like our odds of charming him more than charming her,” said Jo. “Most wives don’t appreciate random women just showing up around their cheating husband… uh, I’ve heard.”

“Yes”, said Tara,  “but if you know you’re married to a man who cheats and you’re in the marriage for something other than love - all manner of options open up to us.  Not everyone marries out of love. My time at Vassar taught me that. Most marriages cool quickly, women who marry men in politics find other things to amuse them… lovers, causes, the thrill of being important and above other women socially.  One thing Nona Bella was good at was making men lust after her and women indebted to her because she didn’t bullshit them. More than a few politicians wives in old Philly were won over by Nona Bella because she funded their charities or favorite social groups.  In turn the wives made their husbands lives hell if they came down on things Bella supported. It was a strange way to get what she wanted to most Gangsters but it was highly effective. After all, the only thing worse than trying to survive the scandal of your wife leaving you was living with a pissed off wife.”

“Well, something to think about,” said Ori. “Want to hear #2?”

“Yes.”  Tara said brightly clearly eager to get through the pile of untended to items.

“Second issue,” said Ori, “is a personnel one. The people that Bacchus sent over have been holed up in the Lofts for a long time, and they’re starting to go a little stir crazy. Anyway, the main issue is that we took fifteen people, most of them sexy as hell, and tossed them into the same building. We’ve currently got three or four relationships, five or six former relationships, and one pregnant courtesan. Most of it was handled, and the pregnant courtesan took some severance pay… but the main issue is that we’ve got a love triangle that needs to get sorted. Two of the women fell for the same guy; apparently, he was sleeping with both of them. So Zita and Giada both love Giorgio, and it’s at the point now where one of the women has to go. Now they’re both highly trained, experienced courtesans- not easy to replace. I figured you’d just want to let one of the women go, since they’re the ones who hate each other, but I suppose you could get rid of both if you wanted to. We could meet with them, if you want, or you could make the call here.”

“Which do you suppose is harder to replace… a female or a male in this profession?  A male I’m guessing… but maybe not. Men do enjoy these sorts of lifestyles, and they’re not soon to get pregnant so they can be at it for years.  Of course, the skill set…” Tara rambled out loud wondering at which she could replace more easily a man or woman.

“See, way I figure it is this,”  Tara began, “Our pal George managed to possibly cost me a well-trained courtesan.  He’s likely to do that again. I’m tempted to pull him into a meeting in a room where the girls can both observe our conversation and then get George to admit he’s not keen on either of them - at least not so much as to lose his job over it or ask him which woman he wants me to keep around.  Point being that they get to hear he’s a jerk and hopefully end up not hating each other and I cut him loose instead. Not likely the two women are going to be seducing one of our males into a similar situation after all. Or am I crazy?”

“No, that’s actually pretty clever,” said Alejandro. “I didn’t even think of that.”

“Worst possible case scenario is he declares his love of one of the women and I have to let them both go because I can’t imagine a married couple doing well in that line of work long term.  But I’m sincerely doubtful that will occur.” Tara said. “Chances are far better he’s getting his rocks off watching two women bicker over him and I’m not inclined to reward him for it by costing some woman her job and letting him keep his.  This isn’t just a pleasure house for them… it’s also a business. Our clients needs are first.” she nodded.

“We did just lock them up in the Lofts for two months while we were in South America,” said Ori. “I can’t blame them too much for fooling around. We’re not a business yet, and we don’t have clients- although you are paying them, so I suppose that’s that. Want to hear the next thing?”

Tara nodded, “Yes, go on.”

“Third issue,” Oriana ticked off the number on her fingers. “There are few other brothels in the city, but most of them are cheaper working-class places. A place where a dockyard worker shows up to get laid for a few bucks isn’t the sort of place you need to worry about, obviously, but there’s only one place that currently tries to cater to the wealthy and elite. Jack Saunders has been running this expensive brothel for a decade in a mansion in the suburbs. My sources tell me that he’s an asshole, but I didn’t reach out further because I wasn’t sure how you’d want to play it. We could burn his place to the ground and bury him, of course. Or you could try to meet with him. Up to you.”

Tara sat quietly for a moment.  “We don’t need to arrive on the scene with blood and fire right out the gate.  I’d prefer if we could operate as businessmen first - killers only if we have to.  There’s always time for guns and a hole in the ground later.”  Tara smirked.  “I know just the place for him if it comes to it though.  So… let’s try to set up a meeting with this guy.  The question is what sort of angle should I try to play here.  Talk to him about some of his favorite clients, try not to woo them specifically?  Maybe offer some sort of terms for friendly business operations so we don’t step on any toes?  Honestly, this is the part where things are going to get complicated for us.  It concerns me far more than the issue of the Mayor.  So, I’m open to suggestions.”

“How is he an asshole?” asked Alejandro. 

“Misogynist,” said Ori. “He doesn’t treat his women particularly well. Nothing horrible, but… he’s not too popular on a personal level. Cuts people loose easily for causing problems, even ones they had no control over.”

“Sounds like if you take him out, that could be a good source of recruitment for you,” said Jo. “Considering Ori, uh, handled the men?”

“Does he even employ men?  I wouldn’t be shocked to hear he only keeps women on his payroll if he’s that sort of guy.  Might be that our willingness to cater to all tastes and my being a woman will make him think he has very little to be concerned about with me opening my own business.  Will likely assume I’m doomed to fail.”

“Nope, no men working there.”

“We could adopt a live and let live policy and disregard him.  When he eventually catches wise to us and our success and eventually tries something… we do the city a favor and rid it of that den of sin.”  She smirked.  “But … by waiting, keeping our hands very clean, looking like we’re above conflict we can hold to the ideals that Bacchus wanted us to stick with.  We’re not looking for trouble but if you pick a fucking fight with me… I will finish you.”

“Sure, it’s not like you need the money in the short term,” said Alejandro.

“We do have that going for us too.  Not a lot of new businesses could afford to wait on turning a profit as long as we can.  He doesn’t need to know that though.  And if we’re not flashing our money everywhere, he might suspect we don’t have the capital to wait out the day we start seeing our books in the black.”
 

“Fair enough,” said Ori. “We’ll have a slow rollout then, build word of mouth rather than get a wave of initial customers.”

“Quality of revelers over quantity.  In fact, I’m toying with an interesting idea I heard about being done in a place over in Chicago.  It’s a whole different outlook on bawdy houses. See, the madam there - two of them… sisters, their principle idea is that it’s better to serve one man willing and able to pay $500 than then ten who can only pay $50.  Clients are of a different class. And, some pay a membership fee to come and go and partake in the location on a monthly or yearly basis. They have a whole system in this house, they run it like a large never ending party.  Very similar to how Bacchus always had feasts and hours when one could expect people to be just about anywhere in the middle of anything.” She chuckled.  

“To keep the police off them  they had key political figures and high ranking officers given rights to visit.  This created buzz and then people wanted to enter only to come with cash in hand and find they couldn’t come in the door without first being the guest of an established patron three times.  Once they’ve proven they can behave and respect the rules… then they’re offered a chance to pay for their fourth, fifth and so on delights.”

“That sounds pretty great!” said Jo. Ori and Alejandro nodded.

“I like the idea that a person with cash in hand can’t buy their way in,” said Tara. “It creates a sense of the place being for only a certain elite … and getting your foot in the door is suddenly a process.  People vet each other for me. I mean, we still have work to do, of course, but there’s no just walking up and knocking and getting invited in.”

Alejandro, budding businessman, nodded more emphatically than the others. 

Tara continued, “When rich people who are used to getting what they want by flashing money realize they can’t just buy their way in, it becomes all the more desirable.  There’s very little people with that kind of money can’t just buy after all. And anything a rich man wants, people in the middle class want even more because it establishes them as people of means in society.  I know it’s playing on snobbery but it will help us keep the place up to a certain calibur and our girls and guys won’t be overworked by people who can barely pay. They’re treasures, my maenads, nymphs, satyrs and sirens… they should be treated and desired as such.”

“And the last one,” said Ori. “I’ve done no work for except get a list of recommended names from some guys Eric knew. But you need a captain- a good one, I think. Not just someone who can drive the boat, but who’s good enough to avoid turbulence and run the nautical side of things for you. Unless you had someone else in mind?”

“I don’t have anyone in mind.  We Byrnes are notoriously NOT boat people.”  She smirked. “Though we do like being out on the water.  I suggest we find a good captain. I’ll have to go through Eric’s list and see if we can’t hire one of those.  I can’t believe we’re getting closer and closer to this being a reality. It seems like a lifetime ago when I first thought of trying this and now we’re finally getting near to the start of it all.  Thank you for all this hard work, Oriana.”

“You’re welcome. I’m sure you’ll find a way to thank me later.”

“Maybe I’ll…” Tara stopped mid-sentence.  She sighed. “That’s what it is. Well at least it’s nothing I need to be worried about, all day I’ve been driving myself crazy trying to remember what was important about the fourth.  It’s Nona Bella and Grandpa Gavin’s anniversary. Mom always made a dinner, special. Maybe we’ll do something nice for dinner tonight. I’ll take flowers to the gravestones today too. I think Mom would like it if I did that.”  

“It’s nice how much you  honor your family,” said Alejandro. “A strong link there is important, I think.”

“Family is the only thing that matters.”  Tara said reaching over and taking Oriana’s hand.  She then turned and smiled to Alejandro, “You I nearly didn’t talk to you because you had been dancing with my girl on that bar.  One of the only reasons I did was, well beyond needing a translator, was your father’s dedication to your mother. It was sweet. I felt a kinship with him and I figured you couldn’t be that bad of a guy if your father so loved your mother.”

“Well, lucky for both of us, then.”

“Indeed.  Very lucky.”  Tara said nodding and releasing Ori’s hand.  “Well… shall we get to work then?”