OOM - 1893 - San Francisco

[filemyclaim]

For once, this isn't a trail somewhere in Laredo, or a hay loft in East Juarez. It's the dining room of the Horseshoe Club, and Dixie's just ordered a bottle of wine and a filet mignon. She keeps an eye on the grandfather clock just barely visible in the cloakroom as the minutes tick by. Brisco said he wanted to talk before he left town on another bounty, and since talking with him is a brand-new concept she's shown up in her finest dress, the lilac one with the high neck, complete with starched lace gloves.


Whether this is a date or not she can't tell. After all, planning doesn't quite suit the two of them.

Comments

[harvard_bounty]

Date or not, he's at least managed to dress nicely.

"Hello, Dix."

[filemyclaim]

He does look handsome tonight, and her lips tick up into a smile. "I think this is the first time you've ever shown up when I expected you to."

[harvard_bounty]

"Maybe I'm trying to break some bad habits."

He takes a seat opposite her.

"You look amazing."

[filemyclaim]

"It's the only one you've got." Besides his stubbornness, but she can work on that. When he mentions her outfit, she smiles and preens. "Oh, this old thing? It's sort of last year, but I like the way it looks thrown over your saddle." She smirks as the waiter brings them the wine. "What'll you have, Brisco? It's on me tonight."

[harvard_bounty]

He raises an eyebrow at her. It's going to be one of those kind of nights.

"Well you know you can make anything look stunning."

The implication in that statement just sort of hangs in the air. He turns to the waiter, a familiar face. A loyal staff is one of the signs of a good establishment.

"I'll have my usual, Henri."

[filemyclaim]

It's always one of those nights when Dixie's in town. And leave her to pick up the innuendo and roll with it.

"I suppose I could. A suite of diamonds...a fox coat...whisker burn..." She takes another draught of wine. "Where are you headed off to this time?"

[harvard_bounty]

"We've got a lead on one of Bly's gang out in Nevada. I'm due to leave tomorrow morning."

[filemyclaim]

Dixie goes quiet for a moment; she knows how much tracking down the entire gang means to him. "That'll be five now, won't it?" And she won't, can't, tell him not to chase after the bastards.

[harvard_bounty]

He nods.

"How long are you in town for?"

[filemyclaim]

She gives him a lazy smile. "As long as Cliff'll keep me in champagne and caviar; might be another week, might be another day. I've been trying to book a backup gig in New York."

[harvard_bounty]

he tries not to look too disappointed by this. Any time they can spend together is a gift under these circumstances.

"So we've got tonight then."

[filemyclaim]

"We always have that," she points out. Her dissatisfaction with that little fact won't come out quite yet. "Where did you hitch Comet? I'm staying upstairs."

[harvard_bounty]

"Oh, the usual place."

He reaches out to take her hand. It looks like they're making a night of it then.

[filemyclaim]

She loves it when they make a night of it. Her hand takes his, and she strokes the back of his knuckles soothingly. "Somewhere were he can get his muzzle into the grain stoe and tease the fillies at the McCreary stable?" she sasses him gently.

[harvard_bounty]

He chuckles. "That's still not as bad as the time he picked the latch on his stall and wandered off to visit the mares' pasture."

They do not speak of that day.

[filemyclaim]

She snickers. "I'm surprised there aren't a whole herd of little Comets running around stripping the trees of little green apples by now."

[harvard_bounty]

He grins at the thought. "If there are, no one's told us about it."

[filemyclaim]

His reaction makes her raise an eyebrow. He's such a family man, and that's one piece of their relationship she's never given real thought to. "Knowing their sire, the little things probably ran off to chase rainbows the second they stopped nursing."

[harvard_bounty]

Who wouldn't love the thought of a herd of feisty chestnut-colored foals?

"He does love to run."

[filemyclaim]

Apple tree farmers and ne're do wells, of course!

"You keep pace very well," she points out, smirking, calm of tone. The waiter sweeps by with their meals, and she starts slicing up her steak. "Have you seen any more of Bowler?"

[harvard_bounty]

"Not since that thing in Nevada."

He nods his thanks to the waiter and tucks into his own meal.

[filemyclaim]

"You boys ought to kiss and make up," she smiles. "No one in the world could stop you if you were friendly."

[harvard_bounty]

"You might have a point there. But I gotta draw the line at kissing."

Adorable smirk is adorable.

[filemyclaim]

It's VERY adorable.

"As long as you don't draw the line at kissing me," she replies with a wicked grin.

[harvard_bounty]

He rolls his eyes slightly, but he's grinning.

"Nope. I might draw one to keep kissing you..."

[filemyclaim]

Her smoky laughter rolls out over the atmosphere like a gentle fog. "I think you've kissed Comet more than you've kissed me." There's a hint for you, Cowboy.

[harvard_bounty]

"Obviously you've never smelled his breath after he eats oats for breakfast."

He reaches out and takes her hand.

"What do you say we take this somewhere a little more private?"

[filemyclaim]

She laughs. "He won't let me get that close." She grins. "Unlike his master." Her look turns immediately bittersweet, and her fingers fold over his in a gentle, protective gesture. "If you've got the time."

[harvard_bounty]

"I've always got time for you, Dix."

And if he doesn't... he'll make the time, dammit.

[filemyclaim]

She smiles. He's got time for her, they have little snatches of time - but in the end, is it really enough?

They'll MAKE it be enough.

"Let's stop a few clocks," she suggests, getting up, abandoning dinner where they've left it.