Exasperated, Justus let out a breath and shook his head. While a part of him sympathized with her situation, she wasn't endearing herself to anyone with that attitude. The one wise thing she did, though, was to have the good sense to move on to another mark. It was a pity, though, she might be interesting to talk to, to get to know as a person, although he suspected she'd been putting on her act for so long that she couldn't just be herself. Was that something she had in common with his father?
Waiting until she disappeared through the saloon doors, then followed behind and headed to the table where Caroline, Cade and Sally were chatting. "Guess she didn't want to go home after all," he muttered as he settled into a chair. He glanced at Caroline, knowing she would understand what he was talking about.
Caroline was about to leave the table when Justus returned. She had to make the rounds of other tables, like the big poker game in the corner and spend time with them. Maybe get them some more drinks, that sort of thing. She had enjoyed the two young cowpokes, naive sorts unsurprisingly but decent.
"Guess she didn't want to go home after all," he muttered as he settled into a chair. He glanced at Caroline.
"Hettie is a whore, hon. They act all nice and say anything and everything to get a man. They only care about money. It's their job like your job is cowboy. They're notorious liars. Least you seemed to have figured it out," she smiled at him.
Cade frowned, "Annie was nice enough, she didn't lie...leastwise I don't think she did."
"Annie is one of the nice ones yeah, pretty quiet...kinda sad even. Hettie glories in her job. Gotta hand it to her, she is enthusiastic," Caroline conceded.
"You two are both good lookin' enough you should be able to get yerself some girls without paying for it. Nice gals who you can take on picnics or town dances or just a friendly walk on the boardwalk. Don't settle for whores is my advice."
"Anyhow, nice meetin' ya both but I gotta move about, spend some time with the rest of the customers so they don't get mad at me," she then stood up.
"Sally, take yer time finishing that drink, you deserve it. But then you better get back ta work too. Before our boss sees ya and gets all ornery."
With that Caroline headed for the card game.
"Guess she didn't want to go home after all," he muttered as he settled into a chair. He glanced at Caroline.
"Hettie is a whore, hon. They act all nice and say anything and everything to get a man. They only care about money. It's their job like your job is cowboy. They're notorious liars. Least you seemed to have figured it out," she smiled at him.
Sally let out an exaggerated gasp, as if she'd never heard the word whore spoken out loud before.
"I call them Ladies of the Evening" she told anyone who was listening. She hoped the one called Cade was listening. He was cute, even if he had just had his diddler in a Lady of the Evening.
Cade frowned, "Annie was nice enough, she didn't lie...leastwise I don't think she did."
"Annie is one of the nice ones yeah, pretty quiet...kinda sad even. Hettie glories in her job. Gotta hand it to her, she is enthusiastic," Caroline conceded.
"I like Miss Burke best of all, she is soooooooo beautiful." cooed Sal.
"You two are both good lookin' enough you should be able to get yerself some girls without paying for it. Nice gals who you can take on picnics or town dances or just a friendly walk on the boardwalk. Don't settle for whores is my advice."
"Unless you wanna do it!!" blurted Sally suddenly before clapping her hand over her mouth. What was up with her?! Maybe it was the close contact with two nice looking young cowboys who were more her own age than most of the old rounders who came in here. Or maybe the alcohol which should have been in Caroline's fake whiskey had found its way into her sarsaparilla.
"Anyhow, nice meetin' ya both but I gotta move about, spend some time with the rest of the customers so they don't get mad at me," she then stood up. "Sally, take yer time finishing that drink, you deserve it. But then you better get back ta work too. Before our boss sees ya and gets all ornery."
"All right" smiled Sally, she was always subservient to Caroline's commands. Fact was, she was she was bottom of the tree in this place and pretty much subservient to everybody's commands.
With that Caroline headed for the card game.
When Caroline had gone, Sally leaned in and told the two boys, in hushed gossipy tones "Caroline hates Hettie. But I think she's fun. Yeah, she is a big fat liar, but she's a fun big fat liar. Sad Annie is all sad and miserable. But Miss Burke is the nicest." then she looked sympathetically at Justus "Sorry you didn't get to do the thing with Mrs Rosenkranz. Maybe you could go on a picnic with a nice girl instead, like Caroline said. I like Picnics." She looked at Cade "Do you like picnics? I do."
Boys sure did make her giddy.
When Caroline had gone, Sally leaned in and told the two boys, in hushed gossipy tones "Caroline hates Hettie. But I think she's fun. Yeah, she is a big fat liar, but she's a fun big fat liar. Sad Annie is all sad and miserable. But Miss Burke is the nicest."
Cade frowned, "Annie wasn't all sad and miserable." He had liked her.
Then she looked sympathetically at Justus "Sorry you didn't get to do the thing with Mrs Rosenkranz. Maybe you could go on a picnic with a nice girl instead, like Caroline said. I like Picnics." She looked at Cade "Do you like picnics? I do."
"I ain't never been on a picnic with a gal," Cade shrugged, "So it's........well, what do ya do? Sit on the grass and eat food, right?"
"That's what it sounds like," Justus agreed. He'd heard of picnics, but didn't really understand the concept. "Kinda like we have picnics on th' trail every day, when Cookie sets up his chuck an' we all gather 'round fer supper!" Of course, he knew that wasn't exactly what a picnic was, but it was all eating outside, right?
"'Course, them same folks that talk about picnics think that 'campin''s somethin' ta do for holiday." Justus chuckled. They had days off now and then, but never more than a day at a time, and the idea of sleeping under the stars as recreation was just, well, absurd!
"I didn't intend nothin' with Miss Hettie," he then pointed out, "an' no harm in that."
Cade frowned, "Annie wasn't all sad and miserable." He had liked her.
"Oh!" Sally's interest was peaked "Does she kinda cheer up when she's doin' it, then?" she asked unabashed. Her interest in the murky doings of the three whores overcoming any veneer of shyness about the matter. "That's interestin'!"
Then she looked sympathetically at Justus "Sorry you didn't get to do the thing with Mrs Rosenkranz. Maybe you could go on a picnic with a nice girl instead, like Caroline said. I like Picnics." She looked at Cade "Do you like picnics? I do."
The two of them made some somewhat disparaging remarks about picnics being just like any normal outdoor meal with other cowpokes on the trail.
Sally frowned, a little disappointed at their lack of zeal on the subject.
"Oh well, picnics with girls are totally different! As well as nice food, you get to flirt and spark with each other!" she told them eagerly "Now, I bet you cowboys don't flirt with each other over your beans on the trail do you? Least, I hope you don't!" she laughed out loud and then covered her mouth, lest Ralph or someone heard her and told her to get back to work.
This BrokebackMountianesque tease seemed to prompt Justus into defending his actions, or lack of action, with Hettie.
"I didn't intend nothin' with Miss Hettie," he then pointed out, "an' no harm in that."
Sally glance around to where Mrs Rosenkranz was now laughing and joking with one of her regulars, Jimmy Miller, the obnoxious town saddler.
She sniffed. "Well, you can see why she got mad. It's like when I go into the general store and pick up and look at all the things I can't afford to buy, and feel the fruit and open the fancy perfume bottles and smell 'em and have a read of that high-toned magazine what Miss Orr had her poem published in and... well, now the feller as runs the store has put up a big sign sayin' 'If you don't want the goods don't maul 'em!'" she looked again at the redhaired prostitute and then back at Justus "Maybe Hettie should get a sign like that and attach it to her... bustle!"
Again, she let out a loud laugh at her own joke and smothered it with her hand.
When she'd recovered her composure, she looked at the two and asked.
"So... when we going on this picnic? Oh, and which other girl are you bringin' - I can't go on my own, I need a chaperone in case you two boys try and ravish me!" she said, looking more hopeful about such an attempt than otherwise.
This gal was sure nosy about what he and Annie had done up in the privacy of that room? Cade wasn't about to reveal any of that especially if Justus hadn't even done anything. Now a few of the other cowhands at the ranch had bragged about their bedroom romps with whores but that was just not his style.
"She was nice is all," he re-emphasized. That was it on the subject as far as he was now concerned.
The girl then asked about picnics. It wasn't that Cade was against picnics, he was simply ignorant about them, he'd never been on one and none of the ranch hands ever brought up the topic either. Justus' comparison with their cattle drive meals in the open was rather apt. Long as the weather was good it was as good a way to eat as any but...
"Oh well, picnics with girls are totally different! As well as nice food, you get to flirt and spark with each other!" she told them eagerly "Now, I bet you cowboys don't flirt with each other over your beans on the trail do you? Least, I hope you don't!" she laughed out loud and then covered her mouth.
Well, with a gal present, yeah it probably was different. She looked pretty enough to flirt and spark with he had to admit. He addressed the obvious part though, "Nope, we don't flirt, miss."
For a bit Justus and Sally went back to the topic of Hettie, one he stayed out of and simply drank his beer. He wanted to finish it for they really had to be going soon and check on Mrs. Pike. Girl sure thought she was funny, he smiled at least - to be polite.
So... when we going on this picnic? Oh, and which other girl are you bringin' - I can't go on my own, I need a chaperone in case you two boys try and ravish me!" she said,
So she already thought it to be a done deal? Bold of her. Still, he'd give it a shot now that he thought on it. But he could not speak for Justus.
"Now, we wouldn't ravish you, don't worry about that," to his mind ravish was another word for force oneself on a gal. He'd never do such a thing and he was confident Justus wouldn't either.
Another girl? Well, that made sense, it would be a bit odd with one gal and two men on this here picnic.
She was waiting for answers so he spoke up first, "Fair enough, Sally, I'd be willing to picnic with you. As for another gal, you know anyone?"
God, please don't have her say Hettie. He bet Justus felt the same.
"What about Miss Caroline?"
Well, Justus wasn't sure he was even considering a picnic, but if Cade was being railroaded into it, he wouldn't desert his friend. And Caroline was 'safe', and he thought perhaps that she'd be enjoy a day out.
"So, now, who brings th' food fer this picnic?" he asked. It sounded like there wasn't any cooking at the site, you just toted your own grub with you. And he reckoned the food would be more elegant than beans and sowbelly. "An' where'd we go?"
It didn't occur to him that they might need a buggy to get to wherever one picnicked!
"Now, we wouldn't ravish you, don't worry about that," to his mind ravish was another word for force oneself on a gal. He'd never do such a thing and he was confident Justus wouldn't either.
"Well, there's not much point me goin' then is there?! Ha ha ha ha!" again, she had to put her hand to her mouth to stop her noisy laugh. "O well, if'n you won't ravish me, I'll just have to ravish you!"
"Serious though, it'll all be good clean fun." she thought she'd better add, quickly.
"Fair enough, Sally, I'd be willing to picnic with you. As for another gal, you know anyone?"
"Oh, I know tons of nice girls." she lied. She knew lots of girls, that was true, but there was usually something not so nice about them. Still she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.
"So, now, who brings th' food fer this picnic?" Justus asked.
"Why the girls of course!" Sally answered immediately.
"An' where'd we go?"
"Well, somewhere pretty and secluded, lots of places out o' town. Don't want folks spyin' on us doin' all that ravishin'" then a frown creased her brow.
"Course, we'll have to wait a few months, but come next April, the weather ought to be just fine and dandy." Miss Cutts certainly believed in planning ahead.
"Well, there's not much point me goin' then is there?! Ha ha ha ha!" again, she had to put her hand to her mouth to stop her noisy laugh. "O well, if'n you won't ravish me, I'll just have to ravish you!"
"Serious though, it'll all be good clean fun." she thought she'd better add, quickly.
Cade just smiled but thought to himself 'that gal sure has ravishing on her mind.' If she really wants that, she should join the prostitutes for a career.
But despite all the ravishing and picnic talk, it was December in Montana, no one was going on a picnic soon. It would be months.So nothing to worry about now.
Justus asked who brings the food. Cade was happy when Sally said it would be the gals, of course.
"Right, of course," Cade nodded like he knew that all along.
There would have to a place too, though one thing Montana had plenty of was natural places to spread a blanket out and eat. That is when one didn't have to shovel snow away and freeze to death.
"Well, somewhere pretty and secluded, lots of places out o' town. Don't want folks spyin' on us doin' all that ravishin'" then a frown creased her brow.
Cade had to smile, there was that 'ravishing' again.
"Course, we'll have to wait a few months, but come next April, the weather ought to be just fine and dandy." Miss Cutts certainly believed in planning ahead.
"Ah, maybe, but yeah," Cade nodded, visibly relieved she had been thinking they would be going in the immediate future.