Piano felt like a sanctuary tucked inside of a dark abyss. It was perfect for what Alcestis had in mind, just a drink and a smoke in a serene environment before she needed to head back to the chaos further east. 

"Do you carry Redbreast?" Without so much as a raised eyebrow, the bartender turned and reached high for the bottle, top shelf indeed.

"I won't waste your time, can you make it a double please? Thank you," she smiled her gratitude and took her drink to an empty spot nearer the piano player, who was just now tickling the piano keys into a jaunty ragtime tune.

With her back near the wall, Alcestis could see the entire room perfectly well, and didn't think anyone would mind terribly much if she fired up a joint. What were they going to do, kick her out? Lighting up, she further relaxed into her seat and tapped her nails along with the beat, something she recognized but couldn't name. 

I did a bit of wandering after I left Michigan Central Station. It was chilly in the city but it wasn’t terrible. Nothing that a warm coat couldn’t fight off.

There wasn’t an end goal here in the city, I didn’t have any business. I was just…here. Wandering around.

The soft melody caught my ear from the sidewalk, catching me off guard against the backdrop of the city’s noises. It was peaceful, serene. A stark contrast to most places around the country now.

I flicked my smoke away before entering through the front doors. I was immediately glad that I did. The music calming my nerves almost immediately.

Slipping out of my coat then hat, I hung them on the rack beside the door. Taking a few steps forward I squinted my eyes through the haze of smoke. I smiled wildly as I noticed Alcestis sitting off in the corner.

I guess I found what was drawing me here.

I quickly made my way over to her, “Fancy seeing you here, Al. Mind if I get a puff?”

Alcestis did a double-take when JamesBaxter approached. Was he really there? The little zap of static electricity that passed between their fingers as she handed him the smoke told her that he really was.

"James? What are you doing here?" She half stood, dragging her chair a little further away so that she could pull the one he'd be sitting in closer to hers, and so he could have his back to the wall, too. When he sat, she leaned over and kissed him while reefer smoke curled up and around their faces. Eventually, she slowly pulled back, studying his face carefully for a moment to make sure there was no hint of any bad news forthcoming. He seemed quite fine, though, maybe a little tired, but who the hell wasn't these days?

Alcestis leaned around him, signaling to the bartender with a hand gesture that more or less asked him to bring JamesBaxter a Redbreast, and that she'd have another as well. 

“Well, uh, to be honest, Alcestis, I’m not all that sure.” I skipped the joint from in between her fingers and drew a long, deep breath. I held it for a moment before fighting off the urge to cough loudly. “It seemed as good of a place as any to hang out in. Figures that you’d be here, too.”

I pulled the seat beside her a little closer, leaning my back against the wall like hers. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder as I passed her back the joint. “You in town for business or pleasure, Al?”

"Strictly business, came up pretty suddenly. Someone ripped off one of my guys in a big way, and I had to come teach that someone a hard lesson." She gave a single shoulder shrug in an attempt at nonchalance, but nothing about the act rang true. It had not sat well with her, after the week she'd had. People like them, her and JamesBaxter , they weren't allowed things like personal days off, or time-outs. If you slacked or fucked off, the next guy was going to slide into your place, and no one would even remember your name once you were gone. 

"I came in here for a drink, they actually have Redbreast here," she said, just as the bartender came with their drinks. He seemed to not be bothered at all by the cloud of smoke they'd created, and Alcestis made a mental note to tip him extra well when he trusted them enough to leave the bottle at the table. 

"Have you been here before? I didn't know this place existed. Didn't even see it, actually. I heard it. This guy's really good, too. Quite a repertoire." After the ragtime, the piano player had sailed through something classical, and was now weaving his way through some jazzy, bluesy number. 

“Once, a while ago. Almost too long ago to remember now.” I took my drink with a smile, passing the server a couple of folded bills, “We usually don’t get a chance at calm places like this. Although, thanks to you, I’m getting plenty of chances at this stuff.” I clinked my glass of Redbreast against hers lightly with a smirk, “Expensive as it may be, Alcestis, it is completely worth it.”

I settled into the haze of smoke as I leaned my back against the wall as I drew in another hit off of her joint. If I was going to relax, I might as well go all the way with it. I closed my eyes as I exhaled, finding her hand with mine.

Sometimes all it took was being with someone. We didn’t have to make small talk about our days, we didn’t need to get into some deep philosophical debate. We could just be there. Next to each other.

I gave her a smile and a soft peck on the cheek as the music washed over us.

"It's a shame Philly doesn't have any little hideaways like this. I mean, there's places to go and all, but nothing like this." Alcestis sighed, well and truly ripped now. If JamesBaxter wanted her to shut up, he was going to have to do it manually. It was one of those rare public moments when Alcestis was completely relaxed in her surroundings. No expectations, no looming threats, no pressure to do more, make more, be more. 

"I wonder if I could buy this guy out of his contract," she mused, a small smile curling her lips. "Just hire him outright. I could put a baby grand in my house and just have him play all the time." ​​

A few more moments passed. "Probably better to just get a cat. I assume there are laws against keeping musicians as housepets." She gave JamesBaxter 's hand a squeeze and sat forward a bit, refilling both their glasses from the bottle. 

“Oh, come on now, Alcestis,” I bumped her shoulder with mine playfully, “Don’t act like we don’t break laws all the time. For the right price, I’m sure you could make it work. This wouldn’t be the worst thing to come home to every night.”

I brushed my fingers along hers as I took my glass from her hand, “I’m sure you could pull off taking this place over. Rumblings are no one has heard from the owner in years. Probably loving it up on some nice, warm, sunny beach somewhere. I’m sure they’d be glad to be done with the headache. You should make a few calls.”

I smiled knowingly at her. She didn’t need my opinion on the matter, if she wanted this place, it would be hers by tonight. She wasn’t exactly someone who dragged her heels on matters such as these. But she still asked anyway.

Maybe this was what a partnership felt like.

"Hmm. Yeah. You could be right." She stopped talking for a while, letting the piano player's tune wash over the room. Music hath charms to soothe the savage Redbreast, she thought to herself.

After the song ended, he quietly excused himself for a break. Alcestis thought there might be a void after he walked away, but once the smattering of polite applause died down, gentle voices throughout the room immediately picked up the slack. She hadn't even realized that there were that many people in attendance.

"How about you, JamesBaxter ? Any further thoughts on Father Bren? Or is that a road you'd rather leave untravelled?" She wasn't smoking the joint anymore, just sort of playing with it, rolling the edge against the ashtray while very pointedly not looking at JamesBaxter as she did it.

“That I have, Alcestis. And I can’t really see a downside to it. I guess it really comes down to Father Bren himself. If he actually wants to head out the east coast way.” I drew in a large gulp of my Redbreast, the familiar sting snaking down my chest, “It’s a different life out that way, you know. It’s a lot to give up. Granted I might have pushed this into motion when I fucked up back there.”

I let out a soft sigh. If I could make Father Bren’s life easier, I should. I owed him that at the very least. “I say we do it. Just, uh, what do I have to do with things? I’m not exactly somebody who should be anywhere near a charity’s books.”

"Well, very little, really. That church is going up regardless, and Father Bren already requested the transfer. We just need to... not stand in his way, I guess? I don't mind facilitating the move, hell, the whole thing can be done anonymously. Although I don't really see the point in that. He's going to know immediately that you've got a hand in it." 

It was true. Father Bren held ​​​​​​JamesBaxter in high regard, despite the LA mess. Or maybe because of it? She probably would never know the whole story there, but it was very clear to Alcestis that the Father had a soft spot for James. She could relate.

"This is a good thing. I'd love being a part of it." She gave JamesBaxter a long look, probably because she wasn't necessarily talking about Father Bren anymore.

“Well, Alcestis, you know I’m content doing nothing.” I laughed heartily, the reefer finally hitting me, “And let’s be honest here, Al, any job we’re working on together, I’m going to be all in. We somehow find a way to keep things interesting. Might as well add this to the list.”

I wasn’t sure when it started, but I was swaying to the tune when the lounge singer hit the stage again, the soft murmurs of the crowd dying down. Maybe it was the drink or the weed but I could picture myself staying at a place like this. Maybe finding my way out of the rat race, settle down somewhere nice and quiet.

That was most likely just a dream. I knew what I signed up for. I knew what I was getting myself into. Blood in, blood out. That was the only way if things.

"Do we? I used to think that... nowadays I'm thinking 'interesting' somehow just keeps finding us." She slid down in her chair a little bit, quite content to rest her head against the arm JamesBaxter had draped around her while they were enjoying the music.

No one was saying it, but they were going to have to head back to their respective homes, and soon. Every hour that went by was going to create another small avalanche of work for them both in Philadelphia and New York. 

"I need to get this guy's name before we leave here," she whispered. 

“A Dane like you, Alcestis? You can get any guys name in number here that you want.” I couldn’t help but laugh, “Flash them pearly whites and baby blues and he’ll be eating out of your hand.”

My laughter trailed off a bit. I knew this night wasn’t going to last forever. Hell, I just came here on a whim and she just happened to be here. At least we enjoyed it while we could.

”You have any plans to get out of here, Al?” God, I hated even bringing it up, “I only picked up a one way ticket on the way into town. Suppose I should head over to the station at some point soon.”

"Oh, if only that were true," Alcestis replied, letting her head roll back on his arm until she was almost looking towards the ceiling. Her eyes were closed though, she was quite happy sitting here and she didn't really care to budge. 

"But you know as well as I do that money makes the world go 'round. Ugh. No, I left in such a hurry I just grabbed my shit and flew. No return itinerary. A train sounds nice. I'm already running behind so what's a few extra hours?" She said with a quiet laugh. Fortunately, her current boss played things pretty fast and loose, and he'd given her a long leash. Whether she chose to hang herself with it was at her discretion.

Carefully pressing the joint out in the ashtray, she sighed again, louder this time. She supposed she was about as ready as she'd ever be. She looked at JamesBaxter with a mischievous little grin. 

"Your turn to try palming the Redbreast."

“Alright, alright, ‘suppose it is.” I looked around the room cautiously, although with how stoned I was at the moment it probably wasn’t all that subtle. “Hm, ok one second.”

With a grunt of effort, I pushed myself out of my seat, letting my fingers slip from Alcestis’ as I did. Making my way through the crowd, I grabbed my hat from the coat rack by the door before draping my coat over my arm.

When I reached her side again, I grabbed the bottle of Redbreast by its neck, my jacket covering it from view. “Let’s get out of here, Alcestis.” I offered her my hand, “We’ve got some traveling to do.”

After placing his phone call at Michigan Central Station, Oliver made his way over to the meet that he had set up. He wanted someplace quiet, off the beaten path a bit for this. Somewhere free of prying eyes.

Slipping out of his coat as he stepped through the doors, he found an empty table off to the side in the dimly lit room as the soft tune of the piano filled the room. There were more patrons than he expected but it was a relaxed atmosphere, everyone lost in the music or their conversations at their tables.

Maybe the Midwest wasn’t so terrible in the winter, Oliver thought to himself if there were places like this around the area. Warm, cozy places where one can think in peace and quiet. It certainly didn’t hurt that it was also a perfect place to pull off the type of deal that Oliver was trying to set up at the moment.

Glancing down at his watch, Oliver leaned back in his chair, resting his head against the wall as he did, letting the relaxing music wash over him.