Tuscany Trip

OOC: Dinner. I presume no one wears evening wear for lunch, not at least in Italy.


Khaat found Brian changed into an elegant charcoal gray suit. She liked it a lot. He looked very sophisticated. "You," she kissed him softly, "are very, very handsome."

"You," he replied, "have been too long without a boyfriend in that case, if that's what you think."

She laughed. "Oh, come on. I bet you one diamond in the setting of your choice that you will have more than one woman trying to get your attention this evening."

"I'll take that bet since it hasn't ever happened before," he laughed.

"What??" she looked at him wide eyed. "You've got to be kidding me. It happens every place we go. They oggle you constantly."

"Oggle?"

"Stare and drool," Khaat scowled.
'
"Don't be jealous," he laughed. "I obviously am not 'oggling' back."

"Keep it that way. Unless its someone I match you up with," she said. He sighed heavily.

"Stop matchmaking me. I"ll choose my own companion, thank you. And right now, I am quite happy with you."

"And here I thought you had good taste," she sighed.

"Get your evening bag. We're going to be late," he said.

jess took Jacks arm and waited grining as she saw both Brian and Khaat quite comfotable on each others arm and she held jacks tighter , grabbing her bag and wrap she moved to standin front of both of them. "will I do , or do I still look mumsy?" she asked Khaat "because compared to you I look frumpy" she said grinning moving to stand next to Khaat she leaned over "permishion to drool" she said in a chuckle.

"hey what about me dear ?" Jack asked she turned to face him "ow I can drool over you any day, my hunk of a husband " she said and walked over to him and kissed him gently , jack knew she would always be his and didn't mind her one bit.

"See?" Khaat poked Brian playfully, "I win already. That's one."

"You coached her somehow!" he tried hopelessly to defend himself.

"Lame, Quinn," she shook her head. "You are so lame. You owe me a diamond. You're licked before we even leave the hotel. Thank you, Jess. You just helped me win my bet. I bet him a diamond some woman would be drooling over him before the evening was up, and he didn't think it ever happened to him. And no, you're aren't too mumsy. You look great."

"Okay, okay. One diamond. BUt I get to choose the setting, remember?" Brian said.

"I remember," she laughed. "But you'd best pay up."

"You didn't say when I had to pay up, so just hold your horses," he gave her a mischievious smile.

"You are soo evil," she laughed. "Okay, at least take us for dinner, then. I'm starving."

"This way, then, All," he smiled.

He led them to a water taxi and took them to one of the finest restaurants in the city. He had arranged for them to have two tables for two out on a balcony under the stars. It was beautiful. He had arranged two perfect bottles of white wine--one for each table. It was a wine that was a once in a lifetime treat. He felt they deserved it. Tomorrow they would return to the villa. But he intended to treat them like royalty for one more magnificent night.

jess looked at Brian and Khaat and laughed "no coaching required , trust me brian" she said as she moved back to jack sho stood with his arms across his chest but a smile on his face as she leaned up and kissed him her hand brushing his cheek "I'll drool over you tonight dear" she said and took his arm as she walked best she could down to the water taxi.

Siting in it she could not resist her playful side now coming out a she began to sing much to jacks embarasment , just one cornetto, then burst out in laughter.

"I think you have ahd too much to drink " he said and she looked confused at him.
"I haven't had a one yet" she said to him "I have been agood girl and besides when will I ever get to say that i sang that sone in a gondolla, in venice in a dinner dress with a hansom man beside me2 she said grinning.

"Flatterer " he said and she cuddled up to him "yeap everytime" she said . Soon they pulled into the restarunt Jessica felt a little under dressed ans she stood at the steps of the restarunt, they followed as they moved up the steps and into the restaraunt amazed by the poshness that surounded them as they moved to the table, tweo glasses were pored and jessica tried one it was good but she didn't want to drink any more yet.

Brian had arranged for dinner for them. Another chef's tasting. Lots and lots of samples of the restaurant's top signature dishes, in every catagory. Khaat was amazed at how incredible the food was. It was giving her ideas for Sparks. She wanted to push the envelope up on Sparks in order to get them perhaps to another level, perhaps a bit better quality of food.

"Where are your thoughts?" Brian asked her softly.

"I was actually thinking how I had to upgrade Sparks," she confessed.

"No. Leave it. People like it because it is good, tasty comfort food in a casual atmosphere that makes them feel at home. The world we live in is full of enough pressure that for them to have some place where they can take their families to."

"Maybe you're right," Khaat said. She excused herself for one moment to take a little break in the powder room.

"You have 2 minutes. And if you aren't back, ladies room or not, I'm coming in," he said firmly.

"Yes, Sir," she smiled.

She had not told him that her seer's senses were working over time, and she had felt something familiar in the room, even though she had never been here before. She slipped off to the ladies room, and the moment she entered, she was instantly blasted with a massive energy bolt from a wand she had not even had a chance to see. She fired wandless magic blindly and she heard Tasha's voice cursing. Khaat had clearly hit her even though she had not had time to aim at a single thing. It had been pure luck. Magical wand firing began coming Khaat's way at muggle machine gun speed. She found herself hit several times before she apparated out of the bathroom altogether.

She apparated back into the alley, knowing she was close to her 2 minutes when Brian would go bursting into the bathroom to find it demolished. That was not going to be good.

Jess saw Khaat stand and head to teh laidies feeling she too could use the time to powder her nose she smiled and strood up grabing her bag she walked over she paused glancing at Brain a frown on her face but she pushed open teh door the room was a mess not like the rest of the restaraunt she turned back to Brian and focused on him "get over here !" she sent to him hoping she copuld still do that with out alerting the whole place.

she moved inside and touched the ground seeing abattel and that Khat ahd apreated out un hert the blood was another womans , she sences cold harted killer and she shivered but drew her self up brushing down her dress as she waited for Brian to join her.

Brian got up and walked quickly but calmly to the powder room. He went inside and saw that an intense battle had raged for just a moment or two and it seemed that Khaat had gotten the upper hand early. The only blood came from the opposite position that Khaat would have been standing in, so as far as he knew, she was most likely unhurt. He picked up her clutch bag from the floor and looked inside. She hadn't had a chance to draw her wand. She had only used wandless magic. And now he had to find her.

"Do what you can to undo the damage to the room and then, please, go back to the table. Jack will know if I send for him. I'll use the medallion if I have to reach you two," Brian said.

He walked outside and went to the alley behind the restaurant. He found Khaat there, hunkered down on the opposite side of a dumpster. She was trying to get herself together and she had burn marks in her white cocktail dress. He sighed with relief.

"What are you doing out here?" he frowned.

"My dress is a mess," she sighed. " Can't go into the powder room and come out with my dress full of burn holes."

He sighed, drew his wand and repaired the dress easily. "Better?" he asked.

"Yes. Thank you."

"Were you hurt?"

"No. Got a mirror?" she asked. He waved his hand to fix her hair as it had been and to clean a smudge off her face.

"There. Now you're good as new. Let's go back inside before Jack and Jess have a fit." He walked her casually around to the front door and walked her inside and back to the table without anyone seeming to notice. Not any of the muggles anyway.

jess cast a raparo spell and everything went back to tidy she even took the time to check herself and then headed back to jack who sat puzzled as she whispered wehat had happed she grasped his fist as she saw it clentch, motioning as Brian nad Khaat walked back in her eys watching Khaat and around the room she knew the assasin would not make a move in a public place so far it had been only secluded places , picking up her glass she moved over to Brain and Khaats table.

"ok now this table is for four" she said she looked at Khaat "no arguments " but jack had a better idea he ahd two waiters pick up their table and move it so it joined theres then he sat back down now sat beside Brian his glass in his hand "I told the waiters you needed moral suport that and we were old freinds since we did come in together" he said chukaling at jessica. "don't get so up tight, honey she wouldn't dare do anything in here and infront of mu...these people" he said almost slipping.

"Agreed," Brian said.

"That's fine by me," Khaat said. "I think things went better than normal between her and I. She got the worst end of it. " Khaat's voice got quieter, "Look--I don't know why Tasha is after me, but I do know that she issn't going to stop until one of us is dead. And I do not want it to me me. It looks like Daddy has not be abble to be successful in nullifying her contract. So, as I see it, its about time I went on the offensive and went after her. If I can't kill her, then I need to make it impossible for her to ever bother me again--no matter what it takes--so that Abbey is safe."

"Then, if you're determined to do that," Brian took a deep breath, apprehensively, "We'll do it together. You're not going on the attack alone. You need help. And I refuse to take a chance on losing you."

She reached over and took his hand in hers and looked into his eyes, "And you have no idea how much I could not ever stand to lose you. Not ever."

"I do know," he said. "But we're doing this together. No matter what, I'm in."

"But..."

"No. I'm in. All the way. You got that?" She looked at him. Really looked at him. She didn't want to lose him. For the first time in a very, very long time, she had someone in her life worth dying for. And, she saw, that for the first time, he had someone worth dying for because it was truly worth it and not just because it was a job.

"Alright," she said softly. There was no way they could be separated right now.

jessica looked at the two and groaned at the pair of them "hey wheat are we chopped liver , your not doing anything unless were in too " she said with a smile "your my best freind adn I an so not letting that ..." she paused "witch do what she's done to you and get away with it " eh moved and placed her hand on theres , nudging Jack to do the same "hey the four mustkateers " she said chuckeling as she lent against jack .

She turned and faced Brian " I will not take no for an awnser, I am in and you will not change my mind , be me bug or hat i will be there" she said showing her determination on her face.

Jack shook his head "shes determined once she is you can not change her mind, I just follow to pick up whats left" he said ligtly kissing her cheek.