Editing Adventures of Dash Karp and Cat Flynn (section)

== Chapter 11 "Dinner Dates" ==

'''''DASH'''''

The twins turned about and we followed them to a flight of steps that went up to another level. Somehow, I felt we were still in a subterranean area since I had yet to see a single window. Shortly, we entered a dining hall that was was richly appointed with oaken furniture of a very old design, but this room had nothing of the more salacious flavor of the Red Hall. Magdelena, Arnav, and Gladys were all there but Lorenzo was yet missing. There were waiters or some such milling about the long dining table, filling water glasses and wine goblets and adjusting every piece of silverware to perfection. The moment we entered, Gladys hurried over and literally stole me from Catarina. "You simply must let me have him for dinner, dear," she smiled far too sweetly and hurried me toward the table as though she wanted distance between us and the others. I never considered Gladys a bimbo; just a bored, rich socialite who resolved herself to enjoying life with daddy's money. "I need to get you alone. I know what Lorenzo is up to." But taht exchange, if it was sincere, ended abruptly when Lorenzo entered. "I am quite cross that we are missing the opera, Dash. I am still holding you to it!" I was tuning her out just then as I noticed how everyone else was dressed. Lorenzo in formal dinner wear with top hat and tails and Arnav in some sort of formal Arabic attire. Magdelena and Gladys were wearing similar long gowns that hugged their figures not only perfectly, but provocatively as well. Magdelena's was backless right down to her tail bone, while Gladys's seemed dip far below her sternum, giving a great view of her cleavage. And then there was Cat and myself looking, in comparison, like we were on our way to the county fair. Lorenzo immediately took charge of Cat, 'insisting' that he be her escort for the rest of the evening. "Please! Everyone be seated," Lorenzo called to his guests, but then all attention went to Cat. "I am fascinated by what you accomplished, Miss Flynn. Later, I do hope you will tell me more of your abilities." 


'''''CAT'''''

When Gladys ran over to tug Dash away she loosed her light touch, hands clasping in front of her body, her chin rising.  She did not miss the dress of the others, gaze lingering curiously on Arnav for a moment before the arrival of Lorenzo captured her attention.  His hands were strangely soft and hot as he wrapped one around her hand and one at her bare shoulder, steering her toward the table and holding a seat for her.  She could not help but notice the attention turning to her and her chin rose, her smile as bright and false as a stage light. "Oh think nothing of it, my people have a way with the mysterious is all," downplaying the entire affair. "It was my hope that later I could have a tour of the facilities here, Dash as well." She was still hurt but she was also a survivor and he was her best bet right now it seemed.


'''''DASH'''''


Depending upon the circumstances, I have the ability to transition from direct command to going with the flow. I was trying to go with the flow here, but I was feeling more and more like a ship without a rudder; a leaf in the wind. The events were spiraling away from me and I felt Cat was beginning to spiral away as well. But in a way, that would make sense! I knew her for all of two dasy hours now. She had no real reason to trust me anymore than she should trust Lorenzo. For all I knew, she might even find the situation with Lorenzo more appealing than meeting with Applewhite. She did say she wanted to go with me to Atlantic City, but I was rather brusque in my denial of that. Thinking on it now, it was probably not one of my brightest moments. It just might have pushed Cat a step or two away. Nor was Gladys helping with her cloying behavior that was so unlike her. She played her role as the confident, emancipated, American socialite quite well in most cases and rarely acted this flighty or flirty. There was something up with her and perhaps I truly did need to speak with her alone.
　
Gladys pulled me down into a chair next to her, while I watched Lorenzo take charge of Cat. I felt the need to shove a board in the spokes of his wheel and at least slow his momentum. "You are paying for her services, Lorenzo, not her secrets." There may have been a note of annoyance in my voice which was intentionally planted there. It seemed to surprise him, if I read his eyes correctly, but Cat was already asking for a tour of the facilities, which seemed to put Lorenzo back on track. Personally, I wanted out of the facilities, not a tour. Perhaps Cat found something appealing in the subterranean lair with the slave-like servants and pornographic room. Who was I to dissuade her? Who was she to me other than a person of interest for Applewhite? Dammit, she was a girl quite out of her element right now and rather defenseless to boot. Pa didn't raise me to abandon defenseless women and just as I was thinking that, Gladys patted and squeezed my thigh. "Sir Dash-a-lot, protector of us weak lil' wimmens," she said in a bimboesque voice that was hardly her own. But then her normal voice took over. "Darling, you really need to stop making me adore you, its simply not on my agenda." That was, I admit, oddly reassuring.
　

'''''CAT'''''　
 
She was in no way enamored of Lorenzo or his underground freak show.  The notion of a tour was intended to accomplish two things.  One, get a sense for where they were and how many were present here and two, to stall any intention he had toward her that might be less than pure.  The table was set with wine glasses and she reached for one, keeping the professional mask in place as she sipped her wine and tried to ignore the decidedly annoying bimbo voice coming from Gladys.  She was aware that she had zero reason to be irritated by it, and yet she was.  She looked to Lorenzo as he regarded her, his hand coming to rest on her thigh as he leaned in. "A tour might be arranged Miss Flynn....if, that is, you promise to behave for me." The man was clearly used to being able to seduce women or something, but while her stomach lurched at his words she gave him a dimpled smile and a thicker brogue. "Sure and I would never be any trouble to anyone Mr. Lorenzo, most especially you and your small staff here."

'''''DASH'''''

"Not now, Gladys," I said to her out of the side of mouth. I was deeply interested in forestalling any tours in favor of just getting out of this building. "there really is very little time for that, Lorenzo. Miss Flynn and I should be on our way to Atlantic City as soon as possible," and you need to forget about the pretty gypsy girl, I almost added out loud. Again Lorenzo's brow shut up at my temerity. "Mr. Karp, why, prey tell do you need Miss Flynn to accompany you into that den of gangsters. She would be much safer here...with me," and the last two words had a slimey sound to them. Magdelena was was sitting across from me and studying me intently the entire time Lorenzo was speaking. This seemed to induce Gladys into greater affection, which I had no time for her. I pushed her aside, but I knew Gladys would not be angry. "She has a connection to the item which may yet prove invaluable. Suppose its appearance has been altered somehow." 


'''''CAT'''''

As Dash spoke, Lorenzo curled an arm around the back of her chair, smoothly drawing it closer to his chair.  She flinched but softly, a gesture so small that a man of Lorenzo's ego may not have noticed but which Dash hopefully would not miss.  Her hand slid to Lorenzo's thigh as if it were natural, mask fully in place. "Mr. Karp is correct Mr. Lorenzo....think how disappointed you would be if you lost the object of your desire simply because I was here and not ion the field with him, hm?" She could only hope her words had the effect she desired, though the heavy dark gaze of Arnav was felt across the way.  Her blue eyes swung his way, the best defense being a good offense. "Do you not agree Arnav?  Such tragedy if he kissed this rare and singular chance goodbye, no?"


'''''DASH'''''

Now she was catching on! I could feel momentum shifting to me. "You are fortunate, Lorenzo, that the owner of Cleopatra's Barge is an acquaintance of mine. I assure you it is far better that I deal with him in my own way, and that way includes having Catarina with me." He wanted Cat for more than her alleged abilities, that was easy enough to see. The man's reputation might only have been whispered about, but there were a lot of whispers. "As security," I continued, "you need not pay either Miss Flynn or myself until we return with the item you seek." This whole time, Magdelena never took her eyes from me, while Arnav never took his eyes from Cat. The lust was evident and growing palpable and that's when I felt something rubbing softly against my shin under the table...and Magdelena was grinning. I was too polite to tell her openly to knock it off, but I did blast her with a very brief, but very potent glare the likes of which I am sure she never received from a man in her adult life. Lorenzo was shaking his head at the idea, but Gladys chimed in. "He's right, Renzi," that was the first time I knew of anyone calling him something different. "Afterall, Dash is one of the best in the field. I do have an entire dossier on him." Now it was time for both Lorenzo and me to raise a brow. Gladys had a dossier on me? On me for heaven's sake! What was this woman into?

'''''CAT'''''

Gladys did not back off, and now her foot was nudging Dash's shin, her hand roaming his thigh as she spoke of dossiers. "Come now Dash..., you didn't think I would leave anything about you to chance did you?" Gladys' sing song voice making Catarina thirst to feel her throat under her hands.  Two things happened then, Lorenzo's one arm left the chair to encirlce her shoukders while Arnav shifted from across the table
CatarinaFlynn: to the other side of her, his arm also going around her, and the energy was high, tense, a thrumming sound she was having trouble suddenly in focusing past. "And can you guarantee us that Our Miss Flynn will return, unharmed and," he paused, allowing his dark eyes to roam her stiff form, "unmolested from this den of inequity Mr. Karp?" Cat herself shifted, sliding his hand off of her smoothly. "Kindly do not speak to him of my welfare Arnav unless, of course, you do not believe I can handle myself?" Really no way out of that gracefuly for the dark eyed man.

'''''DASH'''''

From my previous glare, Magdelena had backed off from rubbing my shin, only to have Gladys pick up where she left off. "I assure you, nothing will happen to Miss Flynn that she does not wish to have happen. I do consider her under my protection. Don't forget, I too have business with her yet. On hold though it may be." I reached beneath the table as though to scratch my leg, but grabbed Gladys's naked foot and squeezed it in a powerful grip causing a small, ladylike "yelp!" to come out of the High Socialite. She had dossiers on me? That was incredible and unwlecomed, but at the same time quite smart of her. She bore keeping a closer eye on. Cat was speaking with some authority, but honestly, I did not know how well she could handle herself. Seeing her flanked by one known lecher, and another who more looked the part of the lech. "I don't trust him, Mr. Lorenzo. You promised me the gypsy would do a seance for me once I delievered that skull to you," Arnav complained, but Lorenzo seemed almost thunderstruck when Cat removed his arm. There was an undercurrent of something else. Something that seemed to be licking at the others, but not at me. At least I didn't feel anything. Magdelena was still staring at me, Gladys was draped all over me. Lorenzo and Arnav were practically drooling over Cat, and I felt that I was in total control of myself. Cat, on the otgher hand, was still a mystery to me, so I had no idea how affected she was, or not. 


'''''CAT'''''

She was the proverbial eye of the storm. "I am more than capable of handling myself," and as she spoke, Lorenzo seemed to struggle with something. Arnav was cast back more easily, pressed back in his seat. "I am afraid my accompanying Mr Karp is non negotiable.  He might not know a missile from THE missile of Eros, and not retieving it would be a tragedy that you can ill afford Mr. Lorenzo." She was trying to escape the touch and influence of the lecherous pair, partially successful.  Lorenzo seemed to fight through the swarm of energy, his grip shifting from her shoulders to sinking deep into raven hair, yanking her head back and stretching her throaty taut. "Enough Miss Flynn!!"


'''''DASH'''''

I shot up from my seat when Lorenzo started to get rough. "You have a funny way of trying to win allies, Lorenzo. Now get your hands off Catarina or not only will you get no help from us, but so help me I'll introduce you to pain like you've never known," I gave Arnav a glare of hatred then. "You I'll just kill." Magdelena gasped at my movement and words. But it was more like a gasp of arousal than fear. Gladys smiled seductively. "Oh Dash! If you keep this up I will be throwing myself at you right here and now!" I wasn't sure just how serious Gladys was but her comment wasn't even worth a retort. Lorenzo laughed, but I am sure I detected nervousness in it, and he did remove his hands from Cat. Maybe sex was in the air again (or maybe it was a constant condition in this place) but I ignored it all and embraced the anger inside me. I embraced and controlled it all at once and directed it in my steady gaze upon Lorenzo and no one else until he replied. "Very well, Mr. Karp," Lorenzo tried to appear at ease with his hands in his lap, "we will do it your way for now. My interest in the ancient relic currently exceeds my growing interest in Miss Flynn. I insist Albert accompany you both to look after my interests." Arnav had produced a hankerchief and wiped his face as though he were sweating. I felt I finally had an edge here. A tenuous edge, with little foundation, but an edge at the moment just the same. "No!" It was not simply a denial, but a demand as well. "It will be Catarina and myself. Period. Don't forget, Lorenzo, Applewhite has plenty of resources as well and is probably using them now to find Catarina and me. Certainly you would not wish to have your activities exposed." Lorenzo's jaw tightened and he slowly nodded but I knew I had not truly won yet. 


'''''CAT'''''

As Lorenzo's hands loosed their hold on her hair she drew a breath, a shivering deep breath drawn.  As Dash spoke she  rose to her feet. "There ought not BE a decision  between me and some object you seek!" She almost toppled over Lorenzo, his hand all quiet and submissive. "I am no fighter,"  meant in the physical sense, but mind the energy that surrounds her. 

'''''DASH'''''

Gladys was fanning herself while looking up at me, and Magdelena was nodding with a smile to Gladys. My performance sure had an effect on those two and a small part of me wished I could take full advantage of it. With Cat getting to her feet and away from Lorenzo and Arnav, I stepped away from my chair and went to her. Some prehistoric instinct, but I think it was less about protecting the weak and more about preserving territory. Well that might be lousy on my part, but I would analyze that and admonish myself later. "If you will excuse us, we will retire for the evening. In the morning, I want a car all gassed up and ready to go. With luck, we will be gone just one night." 


'''''CAT'''''

When Dash came her way she felt Lorenzo loose his grasp of hair and his gaze shift to Dash as if it were a physical sensation. "We will be sharing a room, and a car, so do not skimp on either," her voice not nearly as sure as she wished, the reality of local real world grab for coin scams scared her worse than she might have imagined.