"Oh, no, I know we all gotta worry 'bout livin'...th' usual things...where's th' food gonna come from, where'er we gonna go ta get outta th' snow or rain, or where we're gonna sleep. I got that now, an' no mind ta give it up."
There was no dispute that he had those things at the ranch, in addition to some bit of comfort and safety, those were things he didn't need to worry about.
"But...if I take up a gal...there's gotta be more. I can't expect her ta be happy in a tent when th' wind's howlin' an' it's freezin' cold. Nor ta be eatin' beans an' hardtack, sleepin' on nothin' but a cot, plasterin' newspapers over th' windows."
Leaning back, he shook his head. "Before I even start considerin' a wife." Oh, just saying that was mortifying! He couldn't imagine any gal wanting to live with him, nor having a 'normal' life with kids and whatnot.
"Anyway, ain't nothin' ta think on fer a long time yet, if ever. Don't want ta do it wrong an' make a mess of things."
It was actually good to hear that this young cowpoke was giving the whole matter some serious thought. He wasn't just looking at spending time with a gal for sex. Like so many men. That impressed the normally cynical saloon girl.
"Well, good for you, hon!" she patted the top of his hand.
"One thing about marriages, they do bring on children. And children cost money, need a lot of care. Why, I would be the first to admit I'd be a shit mother. Me working in this business, I ain't got no time for kids and such. Can you imagine me up on that stage with a big belly with child trying to dance for the menfolk? I'd probably get fired," she remarked.
She left out though she never could have children even if she wanted them. The doctor back in Chicago said she was too damaged.
"Anyway, ain't nothin' ta think on fer a long time yet, if ever. Don't want ta do it wrong an' make a mess of things," he reasoned.
"Yer a smart young jasper, hon. I like you. But I guess that means you don't wanna marry me then? I'm heartbroken," she teased with a big Cheshire cat grin.
"Pretty gal like you?" Justus shook his head and chuckled. "I think a fella'd be lucky ta have a gal like you." Which brought up the conundrum -- why didn't he ask her out? Not to would be a bit of an insult, but to would be disingenuous, wouldn't it?
"I mean...well, yer nice enough, an' pretty. If I was in a position ta be lookin' fer a gal, I'd consider askin' ya. Take ya away from all this, set ya up in a tent cabin, an' you could help me chase cows all say!"
At that, he laughed. "Ya seen happy here, doncha? An' if there is a fella ta whisk ya off yer feet, this is good a place as any he might wander inta. 'Sides, I think I'd like a couple'a children."
For a moment he paused, thinking, then shrugged. "Yeah...never did much think on it until now, but some young'ens'd be nice." He rolled his eyes. "More money, like ya say!"
"Pretty gal like you?" Justus shook his head and chuckled. "I think a fella'd be lucky ta have a gal like you."
"Why thank ya, you'd think so, wouldn't ya?" Caroline grinned.
"I mean...well, yer nice enough, an' pretty. If I was in a position ta be lookin' fer a gal, I'd consider askin' ya. Take ya away from all this, set ya up in a tent cabin, an' you could help me chase cows all say!"
"Oh gosh, hon. I actually like where I am and what I do. And chasin' cows, nope, not fer this gal," she was highly amused at even the thought of it though.
He did then admit to wanting children. Seemed natural enough.
"Well, I wish you luck on that. No kids for me though, I'd be shit fer a mother," she shrugged ruefully. Left unsaid, she could never have babies anyhow. No sense wishing for what one can't have.
"Wouldn't fault ya fer that," Justus told her. "Some folks ain't made out ta be parents, an' it's best ta know that before ya have a little one that looks up ta ya, an' wants yer attention an'..."
He shook his head then grinned. "Anyway, don't let no one make ya do anything ya don't want...make everyone unhappy, right?" He knew that counted for him, not that his 'anything' had been legal, but he'd had to realize that he didn't want to walk the path his father had for him, and he'd turned his back.
"An' just so ya don't get too lonely, when I got little ones, I'll bring 'em 'round ta visit!"
"Wouldn't fault ya fer that," Justus told her. "Some folks ain't made out ta be parents, an' it's best ta know that before ya have a little one that looks up ta ya, an' wants yer attention an'..."
Caroline chuckled, "I already got a lot of menfolk wanting my attention here at this job." She waved one hand in the direction of the stage.
"Besides a saloon ain't no place for a child to be raised," she added even though she'd spent her childhood in one.
"Anyway, don't let no one make ya do anything ya don't want...make everyone unhappy, right?"he declared.
"I tend to do what I want in my life, yeah," Caroline nodded. She and Fortner no longer got along but he was too smart a businessman to get rid of her act, it drew a lot of men to the place over and above the whiskey and beer. They tended to just leave each other alone.
"An' just so ya don't get too lonely, when I got little ones, I'll bring 'em 'round ta visit!" Justus now promised or was that threatened?
"Ha! Don't you dare. A good pa don't bring in children into a joint like this and I got you for good father material," she retorted, "And I don't like to be wrong."
Just then the cowpoke's friend was back with a look on his face that said he was rather satisfied with himself. Caroline smiled at the sight and leaned in to Justus.
"That didn't take long. Bet it was his first time. It usually don't take very long," she explained.
Just then the busy little pot-girl, Sally Cutts, passed by with a hand full of glasses. Sally like Caroline, generally steered clear of the whores, not wanting to be associated with them or, God Forefend, mistaken for one of them! Still, over the months, they had started to notice a certain pattern: they had started to notice how long different men took to 'do their business'.
Young men were usually quick, especially if the went out with Tilly Burke, aka "The Beauty" or, as Cade had, "Sad Annie" - on the other hand, Hettie Rosencrantz, aka "Big Red", seemed to make 'em last longer: she was the most experienced of the prostitutes who worked The Stardust, and clearly had a policy of offering value for money.
More experienced men seemed to take longer to come back into the bar, and often looked more shame-faced, like they'd indulged in a vice that they had sworn off, but then crumbled.
Elderly men were the biggest gamble some were back even before they'd made it to the brothel across the street, having had 'an accident' on route - others seemed to take hours, some never re-appeared at all!
Sally wondered why Mr Fortner bothered with all this card playing business, he could just run a book on the endurance of the sad 'Johns' of the place.
Anyway, as Sally passed Caroline she caught her eye and nodded to the beaming Cade and half whispered, half giggled "It's a record.... quickest ever!"
Then, as she passed the good looking teen himself, couldn't quite restrain a snort of laughter.
@[Bongo] Wayfarer
"Ha! Don't you dare. A good pa don't bring in children into a joint like this and I got you for good father material," she retorted, "And I don't like to be wrong."
"Oh, well, just lookin' ta make this inta a respectable place!" He liked chatting with Caroline, she was funny and easy to talk to.
He glanced up as Cade returned to the table, looking all full of himself.
"That didn't take long. Bet it was his first time. It usually don't take very long,"
Justus felt heat rise in his cheeks, this was something he wasn't accustomed to discussing in mixed company, but he didn't have to make any reply as another of the saloon ladies passed the table.
"It's a record.... quickest ever!"
"So long as everyone's happy, ain't that right?" Justus wanted to defend his friend as much as he could without getting into specifics, and hopefully, this was the end of the conversation. "Mr an' Miss Caroline were just talkin' 'bout what a nice place this is here. Seems right, so far, an' better still if she's doin' her singin'."
Cade sidled up then and sat down at the table, he hadn't caught the conversation (luckily for his pride) but he felt good and it showed. He addressed his friend first.
"Well, that was sure ....nice. You're next if you wanna? I told Annie you were a real decent sort and she said she trusts us. I like her," Cade informed Justus.
Then he nodded acknowledgement to the other gal standing there. He didn't know who she was but probably not another hooker. She just didn't look like one.
"Hello miss," he nodded.
Caroline sipped her drink, bemused by these young cowpokes really.
"So now, Justus, you gonna give Annie some business?"
It was none of her affair, either way but she was intrigued to see if Justus was going to follow up on all that father talk with a little practice for that future event should it ever occur. If she had to give it odds, she thought it was about 50-50 he'd go thru with it.
“Hello miss," he nodded.
Caroline sipped her drink, bemused by these young cowpokes really.
"So now, Justus, you gonna give Annie some business?"
The swing doors swung, as was their nature, and in walked Hettie Rosenkrantz, tightly clad in a green silk dress, tits bubbling over like a pair of dumplin’s coming to the boil in a pan of hot water. She looked about for quarry with the eye of veteran huntress, and shimmied over to where Caroline, Cade and Justus were gathered.
“Hey, you’re that big brute who’s just been with Annie!” she said to Cade, tipping his hat over his eyes and ruffling his hair “What d’you do to her? She reckons she never been so thoroughly done by a feller in her whole life. You know, well equipped fellers like you should come with a warning label! I’ve had to take over her shift! Reckons she won’t walk right for a week.”
If this ‘telling off’ sounded rather flattering vis a vis the young man’s prowess between the sheets, it was meant to!
Actually, because Cade’s performance had been so swift, Annie had decided to use the extra time to do some darning and coaxed Hettie to button up her boots, tuck her boobs into her low-cut dress, and clock on early.
“Oh, hello Caroline, didn’t see you there, who’s your friend?” she cooed in the blonde singer’s direction.
“Another handsome fellow! They do seem to grow in pairs round this-a-way.” She smiled at Justus. “I’m Hettie” she said to the home-grown looking fellow at Caroline’s side, holding out her gloved hand for him to kiss or, well, do something with.
