Good help is not so hard to find

[DUEL Tex]

The room was large and empty apart from a thick layer of dust on the
floor and a small card table in its center. Low light from a single
candle provided insufficient light. Robert shaved himself in front of a
bowl of water and a cracked mirror. TSC sat on the only chair with his
feet up on the table, chain-smoking, so that the dust and smoke gave
off a rank, earth-smelling odor. After three quick pulls on the
cigarette TSC looked about for a place to deposit his ashes. Finding no
ashtray he gave a shrug and simply tapped it towards the floor, adding
a new layer to the dust.

"So let me get this straight, you spent the whole night and how much
money on..." He paused as he tried to catch Robert's eye and said
incredulously, "a cigar girl?"

Running the razor over his face Robert didn't even bother to look
up. "Well I felt the place needs one." Even if Robert had looked up it
would have been impossible to see the wide-eyed look his right hand man
was giving him through his mirrored sunglasses. TSC kicked his legs off
the table, took a quick pull of his cigarette and exhaled quickly.

"You have no furniture, no booze, one card table, and no female
companions for the customers and you say to yourself, Hey let me blow
some dough on a cigar girl?" TSC’s hands waved around like he was
working a puppet show and abruptly came to halt when he finished his
question. Robert still refused to look over, but he did pause in his
shaving and rapped the straight razor against his cheek to consider the
question.

"You are right, I bet if I had given her a bigger tip she would have
come to work here immediately."

TSC’s head lowered and he gave a sigh. He pitched the cigarette off
into a corner and removed his sunglasses and sent them spinning forward
on the table where they made contact with Robert’s shaving bowl. The
clang from the contact of the two objects was the only sound for
several seconds.

"Look Robert," TSC’s hand ran over the front of his face and he tried
to pick his tone carefully. "I am not trying to tell you how to handle
this, but you are on borrowed time. You don’t have forever to get this
place up and profitable. You disappear for days on end, you are getting
mauled in the duels where you used to make money…."

It was right about that point that Robert started to actually listen to
what his employee was saying. The words "mauled in the duels" were
picked up especially well and the vibrations from the words hit his
eardrum, causing an instant bodily reaction from the proprietor of the
Wild Jasmine. In one motion he moved out of his chair, grabbed TSC by
the neck, forced him backwards in his chair and deposited him - still
seated - on the floor. His fingers clenched tightly around the neck,
leaving rising bruises on the neck of his compatriot. Robert calmly
brushed the blade over his shirtsleeve cleaning the foam from his shave
before placing the blade close to TSC’s neck.

"I really wouldn’t say mauled. Mistreated, bruised, injured - but
mauled?" Robert’s head shook as he peered at the wide-eyed TSC who
gurgled for breath. "Now I want you to listen very close my friend."
Robert began to gently stroke the razor over TSC’s cheeks, just lightly
enough to where the panting man could feel the sharp stick of the
blade.

"I know who we are dealing with and what the expectation is. You are a
good friend so I am going to explain to you what I am doing. You see,
running a successful poker room involves having good people skills."
Roberts’s hands clenched hard around the neck to the point of where he
could feel the pulse throbbing around his hand. "It involves having
employees that are attentive," Robert squeezed even harder as he
continued "courteous," TSC was now turning a deep shade of purple that
was masked by the near darkness of the room "and above all pleasant to
be around. Such people are a rare find and when you do find them you
must seek to hire them on the spot, no matter what the capacity might
be."

Having explained himself Robert released the pinned man and went back
to his own chair and began to scrutinize himself in the mirror. He
continued about his business as if nothing had happened and began to
hum a low melody that he had learned many years ago.

TSC coughed and wheezed on the ground for a bit and finally staggered
to his feet. He righted his chair, pulled out his pack of cigarettes
and lit one shakily. He grabbed his sunglasses and affixed them back on
his face. He puffed for a moment or two and peered over at Braxxx, who
was continuing to primp in the mirror.

"Well at least tell me she had big tits"

Braxxx smiled into the mirror and shot a conspiratorial wink over at
his companion. As if the whole incident of a few minutes ago had never
happened TSC broke into a leering grin.

"Oh boss!" TSC flicked his ashes forward, managing a wagging finger
towards Braxxx. "Shame on me for ever doubting you!"

Braxxx waved a hand "Now, now, don’t get to excited. She isn’t a circus
freak."

TSC waved the comment aside "Well who does she look like?"

Braxxx considered for a moment. Pictures of the thousands of girls he
had worked with flashed through his head. Fixing his thoughts upon an
image, he snapped his fingers. "You remember Adora? Just like her"

TSC’s head leaned back as he tried to place the name with the
face. "One-armed Adora who used to work half price nights?"

Braxxx frowned and shook his head "No you idiot, Adora from Son
Servera."

The cigarette was puffed a few times and from the cloud of smoke
created the face of the proper Adora came clear. "She was nice, but not
something worth shooting the husband over."

Braxxx moved his chair so that he could face his friend. "Ah but
remember this is why I am the boss!" He slapped his hands down on his
knees. "Imagine a girl with Adora’s looks but who does this!" Fishing
in his pocket Braxxx withdrew a cigar. Slowly putting it up to his nose
he took a small whiff and then drew it fully across his nose, rotating
it slightly.

The cigarette in TSC mouth shook up and down as he watched intently.
The image of Robert faded and the image of the appropriate female came
to the fore. Twisting slightly in his chair the female image drew one leg slowly up over the other and struck a match with her free hand. The flame produced by the match waved slowly back and forth over the end of
the cigar, not only lighting it but also allowing the brilliance of the
flame to reflect off her eye. The cigar finally lit, she took a small
pull off the cigar and exhaled slowly, her lips pursed slightly
together.

The illusion was quickly lost when Braxxx grinned, reached out and
slapped TSC on the knee. "Well what do ya think?" Robert’s normally
gravely alcohol strained voice rises in a high feminine pitch. "Would
you buy a cigar from me big boy?"

His hand covering his mouth as he coughed through his embarrassment,
TSC finally managed to say. "Your cigar girl that looks like Adora can
do that?"

Smiling wide with the cigar stuck in between his gleaming choppers
Braxxx heaved a throaty "Uh huh".

One eyebrow moved up and nodding his head, TSC placed a hand to his
chin. "She might do." Robert still nodded and smiling listened to his
friend try to collect himself. "Yeah she might do fine."