One Whore's Town Ch. 02

"Yes'm," Ghent said, and set himself to the task.

The older man emerged from the hallway first — red-faced and looking winded.

"Have a good time, honey?" Betty asked.

"Uhm... Had a real good time with you too."

"Thank you, honey," Betty said while trying to not roll her eyes. She picked up the letter she'd written. "Here's the message we want you to take."

She could tell from the look in his eyes that the words written on the outside had absolutely no meaning to him.

Betty explained, "The Heaven is right at the edge of town. Just follow your nose when you get there. When you smell good food, you're in the right place. Give it to anybody working there and they'll take care of passing it along to Alice."

"Shouldn't be too difficult." The man cleared his throat and said, "My friends — the ones from yesterday — they said they might wander down this way again soon."

"We'll make sure there's somebody out by the road to greet them, if they decide to drop by while we're here."

"You ladies wouldn't be telling anyone about the folks that stop in here, would you?"

"We don't know anybody to tell, honey. But we keep quiet about who comes to visit, and we wouldn't be here if we thought anybody else was going to start talking either."

He apparently understood the message that his secret was safe with Janus as well. He nodded and then glanced down the hallway he'd emerged from a couple of minutes before.

"I don't think he'll be long," Betty said and gave a wink. "You can sit and wait if you like."

"Tell him I went on ahead to see to the horses?"

"Sure thing, honey."

As she'd predicted, it wasn't long before the son emerged. He had the smug look of a man who believed he was better in bed than he actually was — something a good whore knew how to foster.

"Have a good time, honey?" she asked.

"Surely did. Reckon she did too."

Betty let a little sultry laughter color her voice when she responded, "I'd imagine so."

"Where's my pa?"

Betty nodded toward the door. "He said he'd meet you out with the horses. You take good care of him on the road, honey."

"I'll bring the old man home safe. You ladies going to be around when we get back?"

"I'd say there's a good chance of that. I don't know for how long, but I think we'll still be here, if you don't dally too much, and don't spend too much."

"I get it. Two copper crowns?"

"That's right, honey."

"Guess we best get going."

Betty waggled her fingers in a coquettish wave. "Bye now, honey."

He nodded and then headed out the door to join his father.

With the price paid and the message on its way, Betty decided another cup of coffee was in order.

****

Betty was a little surprised to see Ghent walk back into the house at about high sun. The big man was stropping a razor as he walked.

When she raised an eyebrow, he said, "One of them fellows from yesterday happened by and I let him know where we're at."

She nodded. There was no need for Ghent to remain on vigil by the road once those two men knew where to find them. "Anybody else running down the road?"

"A few. Might be worth having one of the girls sit out there."

"Maybe later." Betty turned to Jan and said, "Feel like cooking?"

The blonde said, "Sure. I'm hungry too."

Ghent walked over and handed Jan the razor he'd been sharpening. "Here you go."

"Thanks. I'm getting a little prickly," Jan said as she accepted the razor.

"Could you do mine?" Lana asked. "It's starting to bite."

"Uh-huh. Helps to pass the time."

Betty said, "Once you fetch it, why don't you go have a talk with Pallah? He's been moping in the barn all day."

"I'll see what I can do," Lana said as she headed for her room to retrieve her razor.

"Checked on Janus?" Betty asked.

"Still looks like the walking dead, but he's walking," Ghent answered.

"Think he'd mind if I go over and talk to him a bit?"

"Long as you don't talk too loud."

Betty chuckled. "I'll coax him into coming over and having something to eat. He'll feel better once he has something in his stomach."

"Provided it stays there."

"He's still that bad off?"

"Was the last time I looked in on him," Ghent answered as he accepted Lana's razor.

"Once you're done with Lana's..." Betty suggested as she headed toward the door.

"Yes'm. I'll put an edge on yours too."

Betty squinted as the bright sunlight fell full upon her outside the door. A path made of broken bricks let her keep her head down as she followed them to their host's workshop over by the barn.

She raised her hand to knock on the door when she reached it, but ended up thinking better of it. Instead, she opened the door and peeked in. Janus looked absolutely miserable.

"Mind if I come in?" she asked.

He covered his eyes and waved for her to enter.

Betty quickly closed the door and saw him make a face as he took a sip from a steaming cup. The shop was filled with worktables and tools — many of which were a complete mystery to her. She saw that he had a bed over by the fireplace. The shop was meticulously organized. The bed was in complete disarray.

Betty said, "Still a little under the weather, I see."

"Putting it mildly. First cup of coffee helped, so I made some, but it tastes like dirt."

Betty hiked a thumb over her shoulder and suggested, "I could go have Jan make another pot for you."

"Don't put her out. And tell her thank you."

"It's no trouble. She's making something for lunch, so you could always thank her yourself."

"I don't know if I could keep anything down. How much did I drink last night?"

Betty walked over to the opposite side of the table where Janus was sitting and answered, "Most of a jug."

"Gods. I feel it."

"You should really try to eat at least a little something to soak some of it up."

"I'll think about it. Her cooking might be enough to entice me."

"She's good," Betty agreed. "We got our message out."

"Ghent told me. Said Potter wasn't real happy that you were here."

Betty shrugged. "Well, he got over it."

Janus chuckled. That was rapidly followed by a wince and a groan, though.

"I don't know if you remember much of what you said last night..."

"It's a little foggy," he admitted.

"That's why I wanted to ask while you're sober. Do you mind us working out of your place?"

"I remember enough of that to know that I meant what I said. You're just making a living, same as anyone else. You aren't hurting anybody. Just giving fellows something they need without having to do all the courting and preening. Any man who has a woman and comes to you... Well, there were already problems there, weren't there?"

"Mmm hmm," Betty agreed with a smile. "I appreciate it. We'll be here for at least a few days, and we'll go through your pantry awfully quick. We'll have to pick up some things from somewhere to restock it. I've got some coin, but making some while we're here would help me sleep better."

"Go right ahead. Lot more folks on the road here lately. I expect you'll find a few fellows looking for some company."

Betty lifted her eyebrows and smiled. "And be a thorn in the ass for Miss Josephine?"

"Can't say the thought of that doesn't make me happy."

Betty nodded toward the door. "What do you say I have Jan make some coffee that doesn't taste like swamp water and then fetch you when it's time to eat?"

"If it's not too much trouble."

"Honey, you saved our little asses here. I'd say it's the least we can do. Be right back."

Betty once again squinted when she emerged into the bright light of day, but kept her head up and looked toward the road. The sound of hoofbeats on packed earth that had attracted her attention grew louder, and finally she saw three men on horseback ride past. They had the look of sellswords.

A missed opportunity, but a positive sign.

Now that she'd confirmed Janus' feelings on the subject, it was time for the girls to go to work. She might be able to salvage the trip, at least.

****

"He sure took his sweet time, didn't he?" Betty said as Jan emerged from the hallway into the front room.

"Uh-huh. But he gave me a couple of extra bits before he left," the honey blonde responded. "I'm going to wash up and make some supper."

Considering they were just standing beside the road waving to any man who passed by, the five who had stopped since lunch boded well for however long they were staying. The man who had slipped Jan the extra couple of bits was the second as well. When Betty looked out the window and saw Lana approaching with another man on her arm, she silently tallied up six in her head. It was a damn good day under the circumstances.

Ghent was right behind Lana and hiked his thumb over his shoulder as he stood in the door. "That fellow that said he could bag some birds for a hump made good. Coming up now."

Betty leaned to the side and looked past her man to see an older man approaching with several pheasants dangling by their feet from one hand. Her eyes widened and she laughed. "I'd say so." She then called toward the kitchen, "Jan, just wash up. Supper's going to have to wait."

"Yes, Miss Betty," Jan called back.

"Come on in," Ghent said when the man reached the door.

Betty clapped her hands and said, "Well, look at this. You haven't even been gone that long."

"Seven good enough?" the man asked, raising the birds for an appraisal.

"It certainly is. Jan's just washing up. She'll take real good care of you."

Ghent took the birds toward the kitchen to pluck them outside, and passed Jan coming from the other direction. A minute later, Betty was alone in the front room once more. The sound of indistinct voices and giggling coming from the two rooms down the hall was music to her ears.

Coin was easy to spend, but barter was just as handy when a man had something they needed. The pheasants meant that they would all eat well that night, without depleting any of the stores. The very first man Lana had charmed paid for his hump with leather that Ghent would be able to use to do a proper repair for their wagon harness.

None of them could go into the nearest town without causing a ruckus, so getting what they needed straight up was actually better than coin, as things stood.

Betty passed the time by taking in a nice pair of pants and a shirt Janus had offered when she mentioned finding some good clothes for Pallah at lunch. They had already cut his hair and gifted him one of the spare razors Betty had brought along. He cleaned up quite well. While he still gazed longingly at Lana whenever she was around, he seemed to have accepted the reality that she was a whore, and their hump wasn't anywhere near as special for her as it had been for him.

The man Lana had brought in must have gone off almost as soon as he stuck it in, if how quickly he left was any indication. He looked happy, so that was all that mattered. Jan milked her man dry a couple of minutes later.

"Anything else you might need?" he asked when he returned to the front room.

"Plenty, to be honest," Betty answered. "We can only use so much fresh meat, though."

"Like what?"

Betty considered it for a moment and then began listing off what popped into her head. "Vegetables. Spices. Cloth. Talc. Soap. Candles. Lamp oil. Things like that. If someone can get us things we need, I'm sure we can work out a trade."

"Might be I'll come back with some barter, and I know a couple of other men who don't have much in their purse, but could get you some things like that."

"Send them on by, honey."

He gave a nod and made his way out the door.

Lana was next to emerge from the hall. "Want me to head back out to the road after I wash up?"

Betty shook her head. "No. Eight crowns and supper is a good day, all things considered. Better than I expected."

"Things are turning around, huh?"

"We'll see. We'll see," Betty answered. Though she was trying to curb expectations, she couldn't help feeling the same way herself.

****

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