Tuscany Trip

Khaat felt like she wanted nothing more than to be in Brian's arms forever. And that was confusing. She had never felt like that before with him. It made her want to put her heart in check. Lock it in a box and not let it out until she had a grip on her senses. She didn't want to go across a line she could not come back across from.

"Let it go, Khaat," Brian soothed softly in her ear, "Wherever your mind is at, don't let yourself go there. Just relax. Just for tonight. Let go. Whatever it is. Nothing is more important than right here, right now."

"That's the problem. I can't think of anybody I want to be with right now more than you. I don't know of anyone I'd rather have holding me than you."

"Then I'm honored," he said confidently. "Because being with you is the only thing I want tonight."

That made her smile. Maybe it was alright after all.

"And you know what? I have more surprises. Shall we break the mood a bit and go get our friends?"

"Okay," she smiled. He led her to Jack and Jess's table.

"Can you two stand some more nightlife?" he asked. "Can I pry you away from here to someplace else?"

jack smiled as Khat and Brain walked over to their table "sure ,the night is still young yet " he said standing and taking Jesses arm in his own "lead on boss" he said smiling to both of them Jess heldf his arm and smiled at Khaat "could this night get any better" she said resting her head on his shoulder as they left the restaraunt folowing Brian's lead to where ever he was taking them.

Jess shivered slightly as they stepped out into the cool night air, but jack wrapped his arm around ehr warming her again and she smiled up at him happy they were there.

Brian hired another water taxi, and he could feel that Khaat was a bit irked as she watched the gondolas go by. He suppressed a smile, and led her onboard the water taxi. He took them to another spot and led them off and to another popular nightspot.

A tall uniformed Italian man met them at the door of a large impressive building. Brian gave him a massive tip. "Welcome back, Signore Brian," he smiled. "Always good to see you again. Have a wonderful evening."

"Thank you, Paulo," Brian smiled. "Its good to see you too. Busy tonight?"

"Ah, not so much, Signore. You should have a good time."

"Thank you." Brian smiled.

"Is this your lady, Signore?"

"It is."

"Welcome, then," he smiled at Khaat. "And welcome to you as well," he greeted Jack and Jessica. He opened the door and let them inside .

To Khaat's surprise, he had taken them to a black tie casino. A nightlife spot of the rich and famous. "I know you might not want to stay here long, but you should at least be able to see this once in your lives. Who knows? You might even see some celebrity here. Go enjoy yourselves. Oh, wait." He went over to one of the attendants at a large marble service desk. They handed him a large roll of chips. He brought them back over, and he split them equally between the four of them. "Here. In case you have the urge for a bit of harmless fun," he smiled.

jessica hung to Jack as they borded the taxi but loved how the mon shone down on teh conal as they moved to another venue. stepping out she was amazed at the building but and opulant she smiled at the man who greeted them and was stunned my what she saw inside "wow " was all she could say she watched as Brian handed them a roll of chips and then handed hers to Jack "you do that I will watch " she said smiling , gambaling wasn't her thing she had never liked it.

"I'll hold on to them" he said sliping them into his pockets asn he moved to stand with Khaat "this is a bit posh isn't it Brain?" he said smiling " a bit swave and public " he looke around the noise sounding deafaning to his ears but he toned it out "you know my warewolf senses can't work in here" he added

"Relax. You don't need the extra senses here," Brian said. "You're as safe here as you would be in my 'apartment' in Paris," Brian said quietly, trying to carefully and very quietly tell him that his own men had infiltrated the place and were everywhere. "I thought you both might like a bit of space where you can be out in public and not be on duty for at least a little while. Besides, our connection for the last part of our evening will meet us here in about an hour. Maybe a little less.

"Gambling is only a part of what you'll find here. Through the big double doors on the left you'll find a rather quiet little bar. A lounge really. Antonio can set you up with anything you want to drink. He knows I"m here by now, I"m sure, and he'll be running a tab for the four of us. So get what you want. He'll show you a safe place where you can apparate from floor to floor instead of the bloody stairs. They're a pain in the butt.

"Oh, and there are some nongambling card games upstairs on the second floor. You can join some gin rummy or poker or just grab a deck and start something of your own if you like. There is a dessert buffet off the Euchre room and the desserts are 5 star and all free, as much as you can eat. They usually run a chocolate fountain with fresh fruit to dip in the fountain. And there is a room up there for backgammon and chess too. Some of the games get pretty intense and can draw a crowd. They can be fun to watch.

"Then, on the 3rd floor, there is a huge ballroom. They run amateur ballroom dancing contests. The prize is quite nice. It's an all expense paid weekend here in Venice for two. You two ought to go upstairs and throw yourselves into it for the heck of it. You both dance pretty well. It might be worth your time. Second prize is several thousand euros. Third is a dinner for two at the place we just ate. I've never done the contest, myself. But if I had ever brought Khaat here before, I might have.

"Khaat, what would you like to do?" he asked her.

"How are you at poker?" she grinned at Brian.

"Oh, boy," he laughed. "This is either going to be really good or really bad. Its going to be good for her and bad for me. Oh well, Its all in good fun, and, in case you were wondering, the chips aren't costing me anything. They owe me--a lot of chips. So feel free to use them."

jessica chuckled at Jack but he sighed "sorry bos just can't do that , there kinda biult in if you know what i mean " but he smiled at them "we'll be back here in a few hours, that ball room dancing contest sounds good " he said taking Jessica by the hand as she lsughed .

"ow god help me " she said as he was lead out thr oom and to a quiet back room , jack apreated to a nother oom and steped out into the ball room sevral men adn woman already sdtood waiting he lead jessica to teh center as the music played a ma slipped on a nuimber and the moved around jessic a holding jack both just lost to the sound of the music not really dancing for the contest but for them selves.

The didn't even notice when they after sevral hours were the last two on teh dance floor till the music ended and every one clapped and a man walked over handing them a gold trophy. Jessica blushed and smiled while jack just stippe her over and kised her like in the finish to a tango and every one roared with an ahh and clapped more.

leading her from the dance floor jessica slipped of her shose as she felt ehr feet begin to complain, aperating down they moved to the lounge where jack ordered two martini and lemonades , walking with her he walked out onto the small balcone they had the trophy sent ahead to the room and her hand held tight in his hand as he smiled at her as she lent against him.
"Ah venice" she said but she yawned "I am so not use to these late nights, wonder where Brain adn Khaat got to?"

Brian and Khaat had taken spots at a poker table, and Khaat and Brian had played countless hands. The bulk of the pot of chips had been fought for with great gusto by devoted and skilled players. Khaat and Brian were as good as the rest at keeping straight faces and not giving themselves away. Khaat had made up her mind to win any chips she got fair and square, without magic. Besides, it wasn't her magic the men at the table were interested in. Early into the evening, Brian had had to excuse himself and go conjure a set of wedding rings for them both. A simple pair of rings for Khaat in gold with the engagement ring being nothing more than a band of little diamonds. The wedding ring was just plain gold, and Brian's matched. It was a hasty job, but he felt it was necessary.

When he returned, he managed to spill his drink between hands, between himself and Khaat. When they both reached down simultaneously to pick up the glass and the spilled ice, Brian clutched her hand and quickly put the rings on her fingers. She did not make one moment's outward notice of it.

When some of the other men at the table noticed the rings now, she said, she had put them in her clutch when she had used the powder room and had remembered them during the last hand and had decided to put them back where they belonged.

The game had gone on for hours, and Khaat and Brian had simply enjoyed muggle colas with ice. She noticed that her own pile of chips was steadily growing to a respectable size. It wasn't the top winning sized share of the pot, but it wasn't the bottom either. It wasn't that far off from Brian's own large stack.

Brian suggested that they cash out of the game so she could try her luck at a few of the other tables. She agreed. She played a couple of turns at the roulette wheel, baccarrat, and blackjack. She had come out about even. She was just slightly ahead on the other games.

She noticed someone watching Brian carefully. Her grip tightened on his hand.

"What?" he frowned. "What is it?"

'We're being watched," she said.

"Oh. Him? Not to worry. He's our connection for the last part of our evening. As soon as Jack and Jess come downstairs we''ll be ready to go. He's one of mine. Don't worry. You're safe."

Jack saw Khaat and Brain taking Jessica by the hand he walked her over , her shose dangling in her hand as she did .

"Sorry not use to heels and they hurt after that last dance session " she said grinning to them both as she held Jack "so what now back to the hotel ?" she asked feeling jack rubb ehr back like he had when they first met.

Jack chuckled "jess have you hevr known Khaat to turn in early?" he said he glanced to a man waiting "some one you know?" he asked with a knowing smile.

Jess took Khats hand "god their beautiful Khaat" she said knowing Brian had placed the rings there for a reason, but in side wishing they were for real.

"Thanks," Khaat smiled. "I"m guessing they'll go back to being a threads from his shirttail or something when we get home. I think he got tired of some of the muggle men making passes at me. He was being a trifle protective. They are pretty, aren't they?" She had missed the feel of rings on that finger, and even if these weren't the real thing, it was nice feeling them there again. It reminded her she was not entirely alone.

"I take it you did well in the dance contest? Congratulations," Brian smiled. "And yes, He is a friend. He's our next connection. Well, him and his brother. Come meet them. "

Brian walked over to the one man, and a second came over from the desk where Brian had gotten the chips came over. He was a year or two older than the man Brian had walked up to. Brian and the two men embraced warmly. Khaat noticed they were both wearing dark slacks and dark windbreaker style jackets even though it was a warm evening.

"Khaat, Jess, Jack, I'd like you to meet my friends, Aldo and Cosmo. Aldo and Cosmo, meet my lady, Khaat. And our friends, Jack and Jessica. "

The two brothers greeted Khaat and Jessica by kissing their hands and greeted Jack with a warm and friendly handshake. "And are we ready, then, Brian?" Aldo asked.

"I think. I think our ladies are going to tire on us," Brian said.

"Oh, not before they see the best part of all!" Aldo said. "Come, then." Aldo and Cosmo led them outside to two of the most beautiful gondolas Khaat had ever seen. They exceeded every picture Khaat had ever imagined. And they were decorated with some sprays of small flowers and lit by beautiful softly glowing lanterns. The brothers slipped off their jackets to reveal the traditional striped shirts of the gondoliers. Khaat laughed. Brian had not forgotten a single detail in his effort to surprise them all.

"My lady," Aldo reached his hand out to Khaat to help her onboard.

Cosmo looked at Jack and Jessica, "I would be honored to show you the sights of my beautiful city," he said. He led the way to his gondola parked near Aldos, and reached his hand out to Jessica. "My lady? May I assist you?"

jessica cukled as she took his hand and stepped into the boat it rocked sightly when JKack steped into it but she sat down quickly wtching khaat in the other boat not happy babout being seperated like the were.

"relax shes fine" he said softly his arm now pulling ehr into him as the boat gently rocked as they moved off on the water Jessica smiled as she lent against him "guess so, but I can't help be alittle caushiose " she dsaid sitting up seing the second boat just in front of them.