Propositions

[Querylon]

Querylon studied the sleeping man. Sleep and the soft colored light of dawn creeping through the window took at least ten years off his face, perhaps more. Robert had said he slept rarely and when he slept, he never did so for very long. His evening must have been the kind that allowed him pouring a lot more whiskey into himself then she had originally guessed. What little of the potent tea he had drunk couldn’t have had that much of an effect, even combined with a fifth and little for dinner. Still, it would be a few hours before he would wake again. She covered his sleeping form with a blanket before she hurried to the door to answer Boot’s scratching, picking up the clothes she intended to wear on the way.

“Oh no, you little rascal.” She scooped up the mostly black cat one handed. “There’s nothing inside for you. You are coming with me.” Querylon closed the door behind her quietly.

“Meow.” Boots gave her a stare as only a cat could, expressing disapproval and grudgingly granted forgiveness all at once.

“Exactly.” Querylon was not impressed. “And I am about to upset you even more. I am going to get washed up and dressed before opening the kitchen door for you.”

“Meow.” Boots didn’t wait for her to set him down, but jumped from her arm and disappeared around a corner.

While Querylon went through the motions of her slightly modified morning routine her thoughts drifted back over the offer Robert had made after he had woken her with loud knocks at her back door half way through the night. He had been very careful in the way he brought up the subject. In a way, his invitation to the Grand Re-opening Celebration of the Wild Jasmine must have been more then just him wanting her to be his date.

[Querylon]

What exactly had Robert offered? Her answer did appear extremely important to him. Querylon mulled over his words and gave them serious consideration.

‘Well if you ever need a place to stay don't pass my door by. I would offer you a job but I see the potion business is your first love. I think there would be a fantastic job for you. I could see you as our prime hostess. You have the looks, a good sense of speech, you put me at ease. We got to work on you being a lil more chatty but I think deep inside there is the makings of a first rate employee. You are not like most of these other ladies in Rhydin. They either come on too strong to make up for something they lack, or they are empty-headed. You are a little unsure of yourself but still have that underlying confidence. I like that. It's very sexy. I on the other hand am like every man in Rhydin. I think with my genitals, drink to excess and end up ruining every good relationship I start. Well, I have hope for this one. We will just have to see what happens.

‘Your job is to be the female face behind the Jasmine. Your personality, your manner, your smile everything you do is a reflection on her reputation. You need to remember I wouldn't sully her reputation any more than I would yours. I had a floor man, whose job was to take care of these things, but he is well, a money man not a welcome man. The Jasmine should have a powerful female presence. It was fine with just a strong male one. But I think a ladies touch would give it an extra edge. Not just any lady, but a lady who understands what my goals are. Not many ladies can handle all that.

‘I wanted you respected as much as the Jasmine itself. I have very few precious things in my life and the Jasmine is one and I am highly considering making you the other. If you do not trust that you well be treated well and respected by myself and others that's a shame. I like you personally, I don't know where it will go but I am I am willing taking the gamble that on you both professionally and personally. I see you as wonderful potential partner in both regards. You are going to have to learn to trust me if you are going to be around me. I won't put you in a bad spot. I would ask that you try not to look down on the girls upstairs though.

‘They work very hard and their job isn't an easy one. Men are almost impossible to deal with and handling in that particular setting takes more skill than any other job I know. You don't have to like what they do, but just be nice to them.’

Robert’s words were still on Querylon’s mind as she sat on the porch swing hours later, absently scratching Boots behind his ears and looking out into the drizzle.

[Querylon]

Boots jumped off Querylon’s lap and disappeared into the foliage just off the porch. Her slender fingers quickly brushed wrinkles and cat hair from her skirts. She looked up to see what had disturbed the cat just in time to catch Robert standing in the doorway, squinting into the skyline. He very much managed to appear as if he belonged there, jeans and shirt and all.

Robert declined the offer of breakfast and a shave in favor of getting to enjoy Querylon’s company and undivided attention. He joined her on the swing for a while.

It wasn’t long before their conversation returned to the offers Robert had made earlier. The moment Querylon let Robert know she was willing to let him know her thoughts about them he rolled of the porch swing and dropped to his knees at her feet in a most dramatic fashion. He took her hand in his and looked up to her with hope in his eyes.

“Pray tell Miss, what hath you to say to me!” Robert’s choice of words went straight to her heart.

“You have made me very happy inviting me to be your date at the re-opening party. I am very much looking forward to that. I gladly accept.” Querylon struggled to add modern words into her reply. The look on Robert’s face told her that though he was happy with her answer, he needed to hear what she thought of his other offers right now, too. His facial features took on a warm and inviting glow as he listened to her carefully phrased but positive reply.

“Don't think because I offer you a job that I am releasing my personal feelings for you. You are mine without question.” Querylon would never forget those first words of his response. They burned themselves into her memory right with the loving yet firm quality of his voice with which he said them.

Robert eventually got off his knees and sat down next to her again. They talked and talked without noticing the afternoon slipping away. The drizzle never stopped. Mostly they talked of their feelings for another while avoiding to give them a name, and often their conversation returned to the Jasmine.

“You will need to have the strength to keep our relationship between us to the general public. As Host of the Jasmine I will have to keep a certain image, as the hostess of the Jasmine you will have an image to keep as well. What happens between us however is purely between us. I hope you can understand that.”

Querylon was sure her heart would stop beating, as the meaning of his words became clear to her. Robert’s words did not match what he spent most of the day telling her. The logical sounding explanations he offered only made things worse.

By the time Robert finished with, “…without any type of public display.” Querylon had risen from the swing and taken a step toward the porch railing. Though her gaze was trained upon the dripping foliage in front of her, she did not see the waterdrops rolling of the leaves.

Querylon knew she was no actress. Robert was asking something impossible. Robert had stepped up behind her. She gave his hand that he had slipped into hers a brief squeeze.

“I regret I will not be able to accompany you to the Grand Re-opening of the Wild Jasmine.”

“I understand. I hope the debut of your new dress is a memorable one.” Querylon felt his fingers touch her chin briefly while he spoke, was aware of the smile in his voice. But she stood as if she had turned into the statue.

Robert was leaving. He fished for something in his pocket. Querylon noticed his hair turning wet. He forgot his hat. She magiced the hat into his path to the gate. Robert bent to pick up his hat. The movement was so very slow.

[Querylon]

Querylon did not think. She just acted. With a wriggle of her cute nose she stood before him before he had straightened from picking up his hat.

“Me not wanting to ruin your business by being at your party hanging at your every word doesn't mean I decline everything else, too.” Querylon still wasn’t thinking. “And if you need to leave I at least want a proper kiss.”

“You will be at that party,” Robert’s green eyes burned into her own. Querylon returned his stare bit for bit. She did not care if he saw the unshed tears in her eyes. “It wouldn't be a celebration for me if you weren't there. As far as kissing you goes, I will do that anytime you ask. I just have to keep playing the part of the jackass drunk in public because that is what people expect.” His hands moved around her shoulders. “Please, find a way to work with me on this. I can't afford to lose you.”

Robert put his head next to hers. He held her firmly. There was no escaping him now, even had she wanted to. His voice swelled with frustration.

“Don't leave me, don't you dare do it.” His green eyes blazed. “We have to figure out something.”

“Kiss me.” Querylon asked insistently. This time he didn't hold back. The passion and fury spilled from his lips into hers. His arms wrapped around her body unwilling to let her go.

[Querylon]

Boots decided it was time for his human to return the bed to him. He daintily picked his steps around Querylon’s head. He paused, and then jumped onto exactly the spot that would have her wide awake in the least amount of time.

“Good morning, Boots.” Querylon reached for and scratched the feline’s head before she sat up. “You could come up with a new method to wake me.” The mostly black cat refused to give a verbal reply. He simply walked over to the pillow and made himself comfortable. Querylon took the hint and moved on to her morning routine.

She didn’t see the note on the table right away. Not until she sat down with her cup of tea and a breakfast gathered in the back yard did she notice the sheet of paper. Her face lit up as she read the few lines. Robert must have left the invitation there after he had tucked her in.

Of course she would meet him for dinner. Nothing could keep her from doing just that. Querylon danced the note over to her desk, humming the now familiar tune Robert and her had first danced to. Her reply was quickly penned.

She finished her breakfast while she gathered the jars meant for the apothecary from the shelves of the kitchen cabinet and tied them into a bundle with a piece of burlap. She’d have to remember to ask Robert about her basket or get a new one. As soon as Querylon was done packing, she picked up the bundle, a handful of coins and the note to Robert.

“Protect the house, Boots. I’m going out.” Boots pretended he hadn’t heard, but his ears wriggled.

[Querylon]

Boots was nowhere to be seen when Querylon returned from her trip into town. Nor did he turn up when she called for him. She left his treat on the front porch. He would find the smelly fish eventually.

Though the day had dragged on, her outing had been much more profitable than she had expected or hoped for. The apothecary had ordered a whole list of salves and potions on top of giving her a good amount of coins for the jars she had delivered. He had also been able to give her directions to the restaurant she was to meet Robert at later. She had been able to haggle out some good deals at the market, too. The purchases, including a new wicker basket and a bottle each of wine and whiskey, were quickly stowed away. She’d not be caught again without having proper refreshments to offer. At least not anytime soon.

The dinner with Robert was mere hours away. Had she been any less excited and nervous about dinner, she’d have started with the potion making right away. She had been wishing for and dreading evening to arrive all day long.

She sat down at her desk and started to pin up her hair in a copy of the Grecian style she had admired on a lady in a picture at the fine art museum. The window made a bad excuse for a looking glass while the sun was still up. Despite that difficulty, dressing her hair and slipping into the new, bright-blue gown was accomplished far sooner than she had planned for. Her eyes searched the room for any small chore that might in its doing keep her from getting any more nervous than she already was.

Querylon’s gaze fell upon the shelf beside her desk. She wandered over and straightened the scrolls. In doing so she dislodged a small piece of wood. She bent to pick it up. It was the slice of rare wood she had gotten some months ago in trade for a burn salve. The slice was thin, perhaps three inches across, and so light of color to be almost white. She was about to return it to its hiding place when the image of a playing card superimposed itself upon it in her mind’s eye.

“So this is what you want to be.” Querylon greeted the idea with a smile. There was not enough time to start on this project before she had to leave, either. But there was enough time for her to ready the tools needed. She would start shaping the wood and burning the image into the surface with the morning light. Querylon set the piece of wood on her desk, fetched everything else she thought would be useful and laid out the tools on the desk.

A glance through the window told her, now it was time to leave.

[Querylon]

Boots decided it was time for his human to return the bed to him. As he daintily picked his steps around Querylon’s head, she reached out and scratched his head and behind his ears. He purred at the unexpected but pleasant greeting.

“Good morning. You sound just like Robert’s motor car once it runs along a straight stretch of road.” With that thought Querylon sat up. Boots promptly flopped over, exposing his belly to some more loving attention.

The ride home from dinner had been quite an experience. Even getting into the black beasty Robert called a car was an adventure into a foreign world with its own language. Perhaps she should have taken notes. Querylon giggled as she recalled the face Robert had made when she had asked him to borrow his car. Of course she had not wanted it for transportation. She wanted the use of the car to practice getting in and out without hurting or embarrassing herself. Once she had told him that much he appeared very relieved and all too happy to promise, he’d ‘park it out front’ of her house for her use.

“Meow.” Was Boots’ instant response at her merriment and he extracted himself from her stroking hand. He jumped off the bed and headed in the direction of the kitchen. He stopped at the doorway long enough to throw an impatient ‘Meow’ at the woman before he walked on.

Querylon got herself ready for the day before she joined Boots in the kitchen. Her eyes fell upon the list sitting on the table the moment she walked in. She picked it up and compared the items with the jars sitting on her shelf. If she got lucky she could find all the ingredients she’d need to fill the order in a single day. If the weather held, she could go do that tomorrow. For this afternoon she had already promised to meet Robert at the Wild Jasmine.

They had ‘electricity’ for everything and a number of ‘gadgets’, Robert had warned her. This afternoon she should start familiarizing herself with at least some of them. She wondered what exactly a ‘fridge’ was and why one would want some ‘gadget’ to whirl while she prepared breakfast and set out a dish for Boots.

After the breakfast things had been cleared away Querylon sat down at her desk to work on the project she had readied for the previous evening.

The image of the ready piece came back to her mind the instant she glanced at the surface of the wood. She took the cover of the oil lamp and lit it. Then she picked out one of the fine pins from the pincushion and held it into the bottom of the flame. While she waited for the metal tip to heat she turned the slice of wood. As soon as the metal tip was glowing she started to burn the pictures from her mind into the wood with a steady hand. She repeated the process of heating the pin tip and drawing many times over, picking a new pin ever so often. Slowly the ace of all four suits with a cowboy hat in their center became recognizable as such.

The heart and diamond would have to wait for their color change until Querylon could perform the magic needed to do so. Now was not the time for spell work. A glance through the window told her, she should ready to leave if she wanted to avoid being late.