Vito waved bye to Billie and watched her leave. He continued to smoke his cigar as he turned to Tony.

"All this romance in the air Tony, it's a nice refreshment from the usual business talks I gotta say. Well friend you should get this place ready. If I know John boy he'll be bringing her here."

Vito puts out his cigar on an ashtray that Tony had brought over. He swore that man was a mind reader or something.

"Well Tony I leave it in your capable hands. Think I'll go take a nap. Make sure to give the love birds my regards."

Vito says as he heads back into his office. It had been quite the eventful day. He needed to catch a bit a rest if he was gonna be able to keep up with the night.

I walked into the Royal and handed my jacket to the man behind the desk. I then took a seat and waited for Ms. Faegan to arrive, it was time for our date and we agreed to meet at this location.

I order a glass of whiskey but I wanted to limit myself, not drink to much tonight. I held off on ordering food until Billie arrived.

Billie slipped into the Royal almost entirely unnoticed; an understated entrance completely at odds with her usual brazen flamboyance, but befitting her understated elegance. She looked dazzling, in a form fitting, trumpet style evening gown of black sateen. It was arguably her favorite outift. The cowled, decollete neckline perfectly mirrored the deep, open-V back. Layers of bustled pleats, gathered just below the plunging back, perfectly accentuated her curvature. Elbow length gloves sheathed her petite arms, protecting the deep cut on her left hand recently won along with her acceptance into the family. While a double strand of black keshi pearls cascaded salaciously down her bosom. The whole outfit was topped off with obsidian curls, pinned into a luxurious up-do and crowned with black Cymbidium orchids; the pink inner petals ever so subtly lascivious. Very Audrey Hepburn meets Jessica Rabbit.

She lingered in the doorway for a moment, a little breathy, as she scanned the familiar dining area. With a heavy gulp and a shake of her curls she made her way to the table where her date was waiting. Shaking a little and hoping no one noticed. Is this what stage fright feels like? She wondered to herself as she slid into the chair opposite Noto.

She smiled timidly, tucking a stray curl behind her ear, “Evening, John.” Was all she could make out before lowering her eyes to the table, afraid the tremor in her usually confident voice would give her away.

As Billie looks down, I take my index finger and slightly lean across the table. I place my finger under her chin and slowly lift it, making our eyes meet.

"No need to be nervous Billie, we work together... and we bleed the same. Lets talk about your trip to Paris, I know your excited for that... and you deserve it."

Tony walks over to get our orders.

"Tony ill have the Alfredo, already set with my drink... get Ms. Faegan what ever she likes."

I look to Billie as she places her order.

Billie cleared her throat and smiled again. Turning her attention to Tony, "I'd like a steak, please. Blue," she shot Noto a don't-judge-me kind of glance. "Um... and a water." 

She turned back to the table with a soft chuckle, "Paris," she muttered under her breath. It was still hard to believe. "How did you... I mean... Paris, John?" She covered her face as she giggled. 

"Actually," she said with a slight wave of her hand, "lets put work on hold for a moment. I'd like to talk about you. S'only fair, right?" She leaned closer, elbows on the table. 

"Not much to tell really. Paris was simple, years ago I fled to Vegas...I had some complications in my childhood which made me leave my hometown of NY. Anyway while in Vegas I saved this Frenchman named Dupree from a group of thugs, we became friends after that. He always told me he was a showmen kind of guy, not a gambler. Him and his mom moved to Paris and I remained in Vegas, but before he left he told me he owed me one. When I made a call to Paris I did some digging and found that my old friend Dupree was one of the assistant managers at the Grand. So I called in that favor he owed me."

Pausing, I take a drink before continuing.

"As for me, as I said not much to tell...I'm a business man, a Hotel guy...I thrive to be the Hotel guy. I do what I can to make other people happy, I guess its my way of making up for all the bad I've done in my life. Most recently I met this women right here at this spot, she had beautiful green eyes... she was an entertainer. I say this with a grin, as Billie knew I was referring to her.

"This line of work is short, so as I told you from the beginning... you want something?... go after it."

Billie's face lit up a little when John mentioned a childhood in New York. The more she listened, the further her eyebrows knitted together. Her minty eyes tracing his features with a calculating curiosity. Suddenly she was feeling like water wasn't the best choice. Reaching across the table she slid his glass of whiskey from between his hands and stole a sip, leaving a perfect crimson arch on the glass. With a smile she slid it back, taking a deep breath. 

"Okay... let me get a few things straight, " she said with a wave of her gloved hand. "You called in a life debt to get me an international gig?" She laughed. "And you thrive on making other people happy?" She looked stunned... in a good way. "How... I mean... where did you... I... uh..." she cleared her throat, not wanting to sound too dumbstruck. 

"Okay, well, in my experience it's good to know exactly what you're getting into before you get into it. So.... tell me something bad. I mean, " she blushed a little, "you obviously have plenty of great features. So, what's your worst?" She was relaxing, but there was still that tinge of unsettled tension to her voice. 

Leaning back in my chair, I take a sip of whiskey.

"I don't want to ruin what we have here by telling you about my dark side, its not something you talk about on a date." I notice Billie staring into me with those green eyes of hers... she wanted answers. I lean in close.

"Billie...I'm a business man, but I'm also a criminal. I left New York because I stabbed a guy in the throat, leaving him to die... which he did. He deserved it, but still. Then there's... family business, there's a decent body count on my background. And life favor...I wouldn't call it that. A Frenchman who never hurt anyone in his life could never save me. So I used the favor for something useful."

I sipped my whiskey again.

Billie tossed her head back and laughed. "John, darling, you said it yourself - we work together and bleed the same. If you think a body count is going upset me you've seriously underestimated my fortitude." She stole another sip of his whisky, "I don't care," she smiled, her voice soft and adoring. "Doing whatever is necessary to protect yourself, your family... that will never scare me away." She reached across the table to timidly take his hand. "I'm far more concerned with... I don't know... serious character flaws and shit." 

She rubbed her thumb across his knuckles shyly, "I don't care if you have to take care of business occasionally. But if you're going to be 'going after' me, I want to know your dark  side... ahead of time. Everybody's got one. If we already know each others then there's no surprises. Besides, I can't think of something more intimate or more vulnerable than showing that part of yourself to someone..." 

Billie lowered her eyes to the table. Talk about vulnerable. 

I pick up the glass of whiskey and hold it close to my mouth.

"Ok Billie, I will tell you who Noto is... grew up in the Bronx, my father was a Capo for one of the crime families. When I was 2 years old he was gunned down at a diner in Manhattan. Lived with my mother until I was 15, she passed due to illness. I lived off stealing and fighting in the streets, until one day when I was 16 someone tried killing me in a fight. Big mistake on their end! That was when I stabbed him in the throat, let him bleed to death. From there I fled to Vegas where I lived quietly for over 10 years, when I got tired of gambling all the time I moved out to Detroit. Met KateLogan a few weeks after moving here. She funded the Tower for me and here I am today."

I take a drink and lower it almost to the table, before placing it down I say one last thing.

"And recently I fell in love with you!" I exhale slowly "I chose my life path, the killings won't stop, the love I have for the Tower and the Paragons. So now you know who Noto is, a guy with a tough break of a childhood and a short temper who will stop at nothing to go after the things I love, and flat out kill anyone who tries and take those things away." 

Billie exhaled, motioning for Tony. They were going to need more whiskey. "hooo... okay. I... um... you... wowza." She cleared her throat, trying to wrap her head around the nuclear bomb that was just dropped in her lap. She laughed again, at herself. "Y'know Vito and I planned this all out. He suggested this big surprise, and we worked it all out, and I was gonna make this all memorable and shit.... and you just." She shook her head. There was no way she could go through with it now. Not after that L-bomb. 

"I... don't  know what to say, John. I'm... um..." she bit into her bottom lip, embarrassed, "I'm falling... fast. And hard." She shrugged... and then slapped his arm, "And you ruined my surprise. Shame on you!" she giggled. 

"Surprise! What surprise?. You told me to lay everything out there, I held nothing back."

I took a big gulp of whiskey.

"Oh fuck... leave it to me to ruin a night. You know after my mom passed I lived at an orphanage for awhile, and this one lady who worked there always said I was destined to fail. Guess I proved her right huh?."

Tony walks over just in time with another bottle of whiskey, refilling my glass and offering Billie some. He then places our food on the table.

"Aw... oh... no. Honey..." she said the word more like a mom than a lover, but this was the first date after all. She got up slid over to his side of the table. She didn't sit, but leaned over and kissed his cheek, leaving a bright crimson imprint. "Look, just let me go powder my nose, okay. And then I'll... I'll show you what Vito suggested as a thank you gift, m'kay?" She smiled reassuringly, winking before heading off to the restroom. 

She was gone a few minutes -- long enough for Noto to get nervous and Billie to get calm -- before soft piano music filtered out of the bar area. She heard it clearly from her position by the door. That was her cue. She closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the wall for a moment to gain her composure. This was definately what stage fright felt like. Taking a deep breath she put on her best performance face before sauntering back to the table. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. She performed here all the time. She moved slowly, sultrily, toward the table; her steps and movements matching the beat of the music perfectly. 

All eyes snapped to her, but she only looked at John -- singing for him, and only him. She felt RIDICULOUS. But she hid it well. She wasn't about to let him feel like he'd failed. Not after the past few days. He'd been amazingly brave for trusting her and for pursuing her. Now it was her turn to be brave for him... and let everyone know it. 

Click Here if you wanna hear the song I picked.

Ps. it wasn't my first choice, but it fit the scene better. 

I was blown away, I never heard Billie sing before. No one ever sang directly at me before, it was the most touching thing anyone ever did for me. At one point I saw the Grand in Paris, and visualized Billie giving it her all on stage.

After the song she sat back down next to me, she looked nervous... to be honest I was to. It was a gutsy thing to do, so I tried something gutsy as well. I leaned in and kissed Billie, I know had more lipstick on then she did. I waited for her reaction, but I didn't fear rejection...I felt like it was right for me to do that after a performance like that.

It was all out there now, just had to see the reaction I got. 

A kiss seemed like nothing compared to what she just put herself through... and was totally, absolutely, unequivocally, unarguably worth it. With a shy smile she bit her bottom lip in that fetching way women sometimes do. With a soft giggle she slid her gloves off and tossed them down into her chair. Running her hands through his dark hair, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. 

Pulling away she giggled at the lipstick on his face and pulled the handkerchief out of his jacket pocket to wipe it away.... from both of them. Her nude lips were a pale, caramel mocha now... not as eye-catching but arguably equally fetching (if not more so). Bumping his forehead with hers she confessed, "I'm not sure I can eat..." whether it was nerves or excitement she wasn't sure, but she was definitely not hungry anymore. "Maybe... maybe we could take this to go?" 

She wrinkled her nose. That sounded slutty. "I mean... not 'TO GO' to go... just... oh my god." she face palmed, turning bright red. 

I couldn't help but laugh as Billie rambled. I turned in Tony's direction and yelled "TONY WE NEED THIS TO GO!." Half the restaurant looked at us, but after what Billie did...I wasn't embarrassed. While still close to Billie I say to her "you know I have to confess something! I really like when you ramble and then slap your forehead... it makes you unique."

I laugh once again as Tony gets our food packaged up, me and Billie then head out after a wonderful date.

The setting sun shone through the windows of the 313, and live music entertained the guests. It was Billie_Faegan and her band of musicians setting a swingin' mood for the restaurant. The first set was just beginning and already people were filling up seats in the bar area, along with the tables of the establishment.

A wonderful La Famiglia Gato inspired song rung out with many of the patrons tonight. Thomas and Noto sat at the bar enjoying Billie's performance while Vito_Scaletta was busting his balls to make sure everyone in the 313 was being taken care of. Billie truly was a boon for business.

Poor Tony and Vito, Thomas thought to himself... They looked a bit frazzled. Luckily, a few new waiters and waitresses had joined the staff of the 313.

He turned to Noto and smiled, "Billie can sing, hi? Fockin' voice she got on 'er. Make a man think things. Yeh gonna be able ta handle that, ol' boyo?"

He laughed and took a drink from his pint of stout, socking Noto in the arm lightly. Camaraderie... He had it again. His friends among the Paragons were steadily growing.

He'd made sure to put flyers out for Billie's performance tonight. All family and associates were invited, as well as anyone who wished to come enjoy one HELL of a performance by an internationally renowned ★STAR★.

--->  ((CLICK TO HEAR THE SONG))  <---

I sat with my head down, looking at the table... but I focused on the lyrics. Began to think a little, a few times during the song Tommy snapped his fingers at me while asking if I was ok.

I made a hand gesture to Tony, signaling that I wanted a drink. Just before the song ended Tony placed my drink down, as I wasted no time in picking it up.

"Sorry about that Tommy... just thinking about something... her voice is amazing, and yes I can handle her."

I clap for Billie as I now had an idea for Paris. Something that would shock Billie, and make her night at the Grand unforgettable.

Vito had been enjoying a relaxing day in his office as usual while keeping an eye on the numbers, which is something he hasn't had to do as much since Tony had come in to be the manager, had been made to leave his office by said manager due to the all the incoming business the restaurant was expected to get tonight. So here Vito was watching the floor and looking over all the patrons who had come in today, at both the restaurant side and the bar side. As he was looking over to the bar he spotted two of his friends from his underworld business. He walked over to the bar as he listened to Billie sing her heart out. He walked up to his friends with a smile on his face as he patted them both on the back.

"So I'm in my office looking forward to enjoying another simple day here at the restaurant and what do I find out? That Tommy boy here is planning to throw a party here spur of the moment. Ya know I had to talk Tony outta doing something drastic Tommy. He get's real anal about preparation and what not. So in the future make sure you don't surprise him. Or you'll find out that they didn't call him Mr. right hook for nothin'."

Vito says as he rubs the side of his face where his jaw would be.

"Anyway how you boys doin'?"

Thomas smiled and laughed at Noto, then nodded to Vito as he walked up. He perked a brow at Vito's comment about planning a party and chuckled a bit, "Yeh know, lad, I wouldn'ae so much call it a party as just good advertisement. All I did was put flyers up fer Billie's show. Tha people just came ta hear her." His face beamed, then he looked over to Tony in the other room... "Vito, if yeh need help I can help yeh. I can go put on one o' yer little uniforms an' work wit' Tony an' teh ot'ers if it would ease tha mans tension."

He turned back to Vito and patted his shoulder. "Ot'erwise, things be good fer me. Just family business, tá?" He looked at Noto for his answer for the night.

Thomas couldn't help it, he was -literally- beaming from ear to ear. He hadn't had a night of music, booze, and friends since Ireland.