What fate has to offer

[Lovely]

August 5, Year 1


"Big glass... gonna share?" Her voice softly melodic, came from out of nowhere, or so it seemed as she 'appeared' beside him at the bar.

"li'l smoky, there, pumpkin... but whatever tickles your fancy." grins and offers.

"Wouldn't know.. never tried it.. is it any good?" Grins back

"meant usually for show... which do you want to try first?" offers a small cigar in one hand, a fresh glass of brandy with the other and seemingly himself as a third as he held his hands out.

giggles softly and darts in quckly as if to take the glass, but turns and licks the small area of his neck that showed above his collar. Her fingers grasped the cigar and the other hand deftly lifted the glass from him. She leaned back and took a sip of the liquid and a puff from the cigar. "Hmm not bad.." She commented.

His head tilted from the quick peck, the warmth chasing the brandy's chill down his back. He shook it off and smiled. "You're a card.. where'd you learn to do something like that?"

Puffs the cigar again and regards him with one closed eye. Exhaling a cloud of smoke towards him she shrugs her shoulders and grins. "That's for me to know."

The smoke swam in the air between them, the clear ice of her bright eyes, the one that regarded him for the moment, shining through the cloud. He leaned through the cloud, taking the cigar back, "... and me to find out, hm? Nice... buy you a real drink, miss....??"

"Or.. you not to find out." Her smile shone, as brightly as her eyes did with mischief. "This.." She motioned to the glass. "Is not a real drink?" An eyebrow raised in question, both her eyes open and watching him. "Yes.. I do believe I would like a 'real drink." She nodded her head and shifted a hand to play with a loose lock of hair. "Oh.. I'm sorry.." She let go the starnds of hair and held her hand out to him. "Colena."

He took her hand, parting his fingers with the cigar and rubbing her knuckle gently as he grasped, kissing her knuckle and sliding the cigar to his lips in a fluid motion. "Charmed... but you may call me Nate."

She laughed softly, quite charmed by him herself but still feeling playful enough to wink and walk away once he let go of her hand.

steps up behind her again, reaches around her shoulder with a glass, leaning closely to her ear, "You forgot your brandy."

Tips her head to the side, just so and smiles. "I didn't forget, was waiting for you to bring it over." Her hand raises to take the offered glass. "Thank you."

His arm stayed around her as she lifted the glass from his hand, his other coming to rest on her arm after tipping the last bit of the cigar to his lip. "Do you dance, my dear?" He turned to blow smoke away from her to the room.

"Only when asked." She chuckled soflty, making no indication that his arm bothered her in any way as he kept it draped around her.

[Lovely]

His hand on her arm slid to her slender fingers to turn her gently if she didn't pull away. The piano had been playing card-players' songs and simple ballads for the miners. He caught the player's eye and nodded for a classic waltz, drawing the attention of a few patrons as the music stopped and changed.

Her eyes were brightly lit with delight as he turned her gently into his arms. Her hands shifted to position, poised to dance with him. "You have connections with the pianist?" Her lips curled slightly. "I like that."

"We're partners, really. He plays and gets shot at while I get drunk and I do the same for him. M'lady...?" He motioned to the large area by the window where they could spin unhindered by rifles, picks and spurs.

She smiled. "You play?" She seemed even more delighted at this and her eyes danced over him. "Perhaps I'll have to come back some time to see." She nodded as he moved her toward the open floor, where they could dance more easily.

He shrugged gently, depositing the stub of the cigar in a spitoon by the door, letting it hiss out its final smoke. "It's work," he smiled. "But if I'm playing, then I can't dance with you... don't think I right fancy him trying in my place." He nodded to the player and grinned to her.

"I told you.. I only dance when asked..." Her eyes glanced to the piano player and she smiled softly at the man who held her. "Who should I ask for.. if I come looking for a dance partner, then?"

"Nathaniel Palmer, ma'am... the one and only," he nodded.

"Tis good there's only one.. two of you would be mighty confusing... though probably highly entertaining... and if you were playing.. I could always dance with your twin."

"Hmm... it would be confusing. But entertaining?" He grinned shyly, "I'm much obliged you think that. Thank you." He spun her gently, light on his feet as if they floated over the wooden boards, hardly making a sound.

"I do think that... " She nodded, gliding easily with him over the floor., her skirt flaring slightly as he twirled her. The loudest noise came not from her feet on the floor boards but from the quiet swish of her skirts. "You shared your brandy and cigar with me... that alone says you can't be too stuffy or rigid."

He hadn't had much choice, he thought, grinning wider, his brow raising gently in amusement. "Only when I need t'be ma'am... when it counts, I suppose you'd say. No reason to be stuffy unless you're a banker's man and no reason to be rigid... unless," he chuckled and spun her about broadly, lifting her at the waist.

She giggled as he lifted her, not at all deterred by his actions, perhaps even encouraged by them. "If that's the only times your stuffy and rigid.. then we will get along wonderfully." She chuckled. "That is assuming I ever see you, again."

He paused and stepped back, a bit of a hurt look in his eye, though the grin remained. "Assuming I want to let go," he said softly as the music ended.

She chuckled and leaned to kiss his cheek, speaking softly. "That's assuming I want you to let go."

His grin twisted up at her words.

A grizzled and bent man at the table nearest them called out to Nate, "I want one like her... how much she cost you, boy?"

"Not for sale, but I hear your sister's in town. I'm sure she'd be happy to serve," he said plainly, a darkness etching his squared features suddenly. "Not that you can afford her either... she's a good girl, if we understand one another."