#ccsemberclub

"Oh yeah... " he ponders "I guess I'm a sap. Right now I'd risk it."

"Well. We shall see, hm?"

He slides the whiskey closer.

He takes it "Thanks" And takes a drink "Yeah, we'll.. we'd see if it was real"

"What was real?"

"Monkey's paw..." He reminds slurring "genie lamps"

"Ah, yes." Stodgepole motions a waiter over. "Ask Hugh to come see me?"

The waiter nods

And soon, Hugh is there

Stodgepole care-takes the increasingly drunk man until Hugh arrives, when he says "Hugh, our friend here will need a place near-by to rest, and a ride home in the morning. I'd like to speak with him before he leaves, when he is sober. Can you take care of that?"

"Like he was my own second cousin twice removed" Hugh nods ,tail wagging, then he sniffs "Maybe more like my uncle. "

"Keep him close, please."

A firm nod, and he sits down to take over where Boss went

Stodgepole stops by the bar to comp the man's bill, and check on other items that might need his attention.

"Thanks for helping him, boss " Harry says. "Oh, Teensy says there's a problem in supply in the kitchen?"

"Oh dear." He bustles off to see what's going on.

Teensy is scowling , then sees Emerrson as he enters the kitchens "I was supposed to be supplied with kosher salts and sea salts... but the ship ment came in.. what do I get? Regular salt"

"That will never do!" he grumbles, upset "Who checked in the shipment?"

"Rollingarter" SHe says showing him the reciept "but I think the problem wasn't rollingarter so much as, well, the containers are mislabled. If I didn't give a quick test I might not have noticed"

He takes the invoice and reviews it. "Hmmph. Well we're switching suppliers...."

He reviews the suppliers... they've been reliable. BUT, well, the gossip chain said they did have new owners take over recently. a Parent company as it were

"Good" Teensy says "No one changes my recipe but me"

"Mm. I shall call in the morning and have words. Can you make do for tonight?"

"It'll be tight, but yes" She nods

"Salt! Of all things to screw up!"

"I know" The troll growls "I consider the supplier to have betrayed us, and you know how my people feel about betrayal"

"Mm. Yes, I do, but he does not. Let me handle it."

She grumbles but nods and gets back to cooking

Stodgepole huffs and takes the invoice with him.

He saddles up at the bar again and examines the invoice in minute detail.

And Rollingarter will need to have a few facts about invoice and shipment check-in explained to him.

Just so

He checks the corner table; our unhappy friend still there? Asleep on the tablecloth?

Hugh is helping him up from his sleep to take him home in fact

He glances at his watch to see how long until Callidora is on, and bustles over to Hugh "I'll want to contact him again. Be sure you get his information, Hugh."

Oh, Callidora is on now. He almost didn't notice, but she's doing a broadway hit now. At least he hasn't missed Hey Big Spender

.He keeps his movements and remarks low-key, then. No need to distract her.

As she sings, Hugh nods and takes Dick out discretely

In spite of everything, he indulges himself with a moment to watch Callidora work. Oh my....

All that Jazz has the crowd cheering

He applauds along; she knows he loves that song too; rebellious youth and murder... oh yes.

She shoots a wink, and Emerson knows the wink if for him

He smiles slyly, just for her.

And when that one ends , she says "This one is for that one guy we all dream of finding, that guy who looks into a woman's soul, sees her wants, her needs, and.. wisely reaches for his wallet. "

Laughter breaks out from both women and men, the guys a bit more cautious in it, but still

A small bow from William to her.

And the band builds like worshipers praising the arrival of a goddess, then CC joins her voice to them "The minute you walked in the joint
I could see you were a man of distinction
A real big spender
Good looking, so refined
Say wouldn't you like to know what's going on in my mind?" her voice is positively sinister, a purr promising delights and deviltry of the most appealing sort

"So let me get right to the point
I don't pop my cork for every guy I see
Hey, big spender!
spend a little time with me" She struts across the stage

"Do you wanna have fun?
How's about a few laughs?
I can show you a good time." She plucks the hat off one man near the stage and twirls it with a free hand.
"Do you wanna have fun, fun, fun...?
How's about a few laughs, laughs, laughs...?
I can show you a good time, good time.
Fun, Laughs, Goodtime!
What do you say to (how's about ) laughs?
I can give you some (are you ready for some) fun?
How would you like a (I can show you a) good time" She leans forward and puts the man's hat back on

"Hey big spender!
Hey big spender!" She strides to another audience member, fickle and flirtatious

"The minute you walked in the joint
I could see you were a man of distinction
A real big spender
Good looking, so refined
Say wouldn't you like to know what's going on in my mind? " The new guy is torn both in awe of CC but he sweats as he is near his wife, but she seems more intrigued with seeing what works on her husband. Maybe she knows that while he'll get his appetite here, he'll eat at home.

"So let me get right to the point
I don't pop my cork for every guy I see
Hey, big spender!
Hey, big spender!
Hey, big spender!
Spend a little time with me" She slows the temp, and departs the stage for her first break, the slinky dress showing her contours
Even as they go in slow retreat.
"Fun, laughs, good time" Hip swing
"Fun, laughs, good time" Hip swing
"Fun. laughs, goooood tiiiime" Gone backstage leaving a few dozen broken hearts

Oh, William leads the applause!

The gift of pan was possibly in play...a lot of young couples seems to be more open in their affection. That nervous young couple that seemed rigid before now titter on the edge of open displays of affection. Ah, less banal. His own boggan senses tell him that they want to explore each other with less concern, and it makes him wonder who sent them here, for CC is quite capable of helping them with that problem

He gets a bottle of reasonable champagne, glasses, ice bucket, and stand, carrying it all expertly to their table. "Compliments of the management." he sets it up.