Ben laughed and handed over the bottle of whiskey. "Well, truth be told I don't see a lot of pretty girls around these parts." he said before closing the book and placing it back on the shelf. He leaned back in his chair a bit and looked at her, "And you have to trust someone eventually, so why not you? At least until you screw me over." he told her with a wink. 

Kate can't help but chuckle.

Uh huh. Sure. I suppose the fact that we're working together now doesn't hurt either. And Detroit can't be that much of a beauty wasteland. Although it would explain why people are so polite to me all of sudden. 

She poured another glass from the bottle.

So tell me about you, Benny. How'd you get into the life? What's your story?

He glanced at the clock on the wall and noted it was almost time for him to catch his flight out. "Finish that up, while I give you the quick version." he said to her as he drained the rest of his own glass. "Basically, my parents died when I was young, Malcolm Shepard took me in when I was younger and helped me out by giving me odd jobs, kinda like what I offered you. He ended up being like a brother to me. Then he was murdered, and I fell in with Gato, who was who suggested I first get in touch with Shepard." he got to his feet and reached for his coat. "And so, following Gato I've found myself here in Detroit, just doing the best I can." he shrugged his shoulders before slipping his coat on. "Thats it, me in a nutshell." he told her, "Any other questions, or are you ready to go?" 

"No questions here. Sorry about your old business partner there. Hope your current one comes to a better end."

She finishes her drink in a mock toast.

"I'll try to take care of the place for ya. If you want my own story, I'll return the favor next time."

She winked at him as Benny moved toward the exit. Kate walked toward the bar, lightly dragging her fingers over the polished wood. Not bad for a day's work.

Benny paused at the door and looked around the place. It was really killing him to be leaving it after having just opened the doors, but business called and somethings were more important. He sighed and pointed his finger at Kate, "Whatever you do, please don't burn the place down." he told her. "And my numbers where I can be reached are in the office as well, if there are any issues." he added before giving a wave. "Good luck!" he called over his shoulder just as the door started closing behind him. 

Kate hid the match under the bar before Benny could see it. She loved flaming rum drinks. Sighing, she leaned on the bar to keep an eye out for customers- or anyone else interesting who might walk in the place.

"This seems like the place to be," Kerosene says as he strolls in, Stussy on his arm.

"One of your best for each of us. Whisky sours."

They take a table and the waiter brings them their drinks immediately. "I like this place," Kerosene says, nudging Stussy. "It's popular for a reason. Nice ambiance. Look at the walls." He slams his drink and motions for another. "And the drinks here are definitely top notch. Class all the way around. Just like you, broad." He wiggles his arm around her waist and motions for the waiter.

"Some more of the same," he says, "and whatever she wants."

They enjoy the place tremendously.

Kate leaned on the bar with her hat resting beside her elbows. She was sipping a glass of whiskey as Tony, her new employee, hustled over to the customers and brought drinks to Kerosene and Stussy as they reclined in their chairs.

As they ordered a second round Kate waved off Tony and brought the drinks over herself with a grin.

"Anything else I can get for you lovebirds?"

After the couple had taken off, Kate had returned to the bar. Hopefully Benny wouldn't be too pissed when she got back, but she'd had barely any customers. She'd better stop borrowing bottles herself. Maybe she'd recommend a renovation when he returned.

(A large man walked into the bar. The wind that followed him in as cold as his eyes as they scanned the room. He had come into town recently for business and remembered a post card from a friend. Maybe he would get lucky and run into her, though it seemed unlikely. He looked over at the counter to see an attractive blonde knock back a slug. Turning he saw a waiter cleaning tables and called out for a menu. Then walked to the counter and sat down near the only other patron to wait.)

Kate looked up from the quiet bar and smiled as MikeTheBear entered the room. 

After Tony brought him a menu, Kate strolled over.

"'evening, sir. Can I get you something to drink?"

(The Bear looked up from his menu and into the smiling eyes of the blonde. She was standing next to him and asking him what he wanted to drink.This was an interesting turn of events. Usually cute broads asked him to get lost. Looking her in the face for the first time he noticed hard lines behind the smile. This wasn't just some waitress this. She had a relaxed confidence to her.) He smiled his lopsided smile and said,"Take a Makers Mark. Double. Help me take the chill off while I wait and see if an acquaintance shows up."

"Good call."

Returning to the bar, she quickly made his drink and returned to MikeTheBear. Hell, you got great service when the place was empty.

"So who's this person you're waiting for? Anyone I'd know?"

(He took the glass and swigged, letting the bourbon burn its way down his throat before he answered, "She's a leader in the community around here, runs the Logan Review, a paper that just started up. Name of Kate Logan.. She ever come by?"

Kate pondered for a moment, wondering what she should do. "Oh, she does come by here. What do you think about her?" "That bitch stole my husband! And my daughter!" "Who?"

Sighing at her new sense of responsibility, she slid into the chair across from Mike and smiled.

She's here pretty often; you're looking at her.

(The Bear's face cracked open in a wide smile that crinkled his brown eyes as realization dawned.) "It's a pleasure to meet you face to face Kate, I'm Mike the Bear." (He extended his paw for a shake) "Wanna share the rest of that bottle? I'll buy. It would really be something to tell the grandchildren, the time I drank with a celebrity."

"How can I resist a good drink?"

She reaches out and firmly shakes his paw.

"Nice to finally meet you, although I may disagree with the celebrity remark. Glad we can finally get together. Mind telling a bit about you? What's your story? What business you're in?  What brings you to Detroit? That sort of thing. Bourbon's not usually my drink, but I'll gladly make an exception."

Kate reaches out and pours a glass for herself before topping off MiketheBear's drink.

"Sounds like you had a hard life, Mike. But it's obviously shaped you into someone formidable. A story with some similarities to my own."

She raised a glass to toast with a dark half-smile.

"Here's to hard living, I guess? Better than not living."

After drinking, she refills her glass.

"And you're right, I couldn't even pick up an accent. Always wanted to travel to Europe, although I don't expect I ever will. How's life compare there to here? Outside of the war, of course."

(He refills his own glass and raises it in return.) "Germany's a lot like Pennsylvania really. Big, open, green. And a city's a city. Wherever you go that's true. But the people. (He shrugs and makes a grasping motion in the air.) The people where I was born are all stiff. Sure when you get down in the dirt you get some variety. But the shop owners and the captains and the aldermen that my father knew they were so precise about everything. They never really seemed to relax. Well except for when Oktoberfest came around. And the Elbe. The Delaware's got nothing on that stream. You've never seen that color blue until you've seen it in summer."

"What about you Kate? Whats it like were you come from. The only time I ever saw a real cowgirl was when Annie Oakley came to Berlin for the Kaiser, and that was only in the papers."