Collaboration

[Zana]

15th Saun 717

"Corey has been to the Lady five times. Each time, for me," she said, as they made their way to the Inn and Tavern where she worked. "When I go to work, he's always sniffing around." She smiled at him and looked at him with mischief in her eyes. "But Theo, it's a place where we could make a killing." As they walked, Zana slipped her arm around his waist and nestled against him. "It is a place where business men stay, they have meetings and meals and honestly, Corey is missing a trick, truly."

Zana had considered this carefully and she smiled at him. "I have a theory, Theo. A suggestion." Zana was clear about this, had considered it carefully. "We should make a deal, a collaboration with Corey. Learn the business he has, make the contacts he has." With a slight shrug, Zana explained what her idea was. "Once we have everything we need, then I would suggest that we either buy the business from him or set up our own. In the meantime, we meet and consider hm a long term investment."

The thing was, she was clear, they had the upper hand here and they did so for a very specific, clear reason. They had the girls and the girls were trained. If they could make the name of the Lady Libertine synonymous with The Lounge then the men who frequented here would become attached to the girl provided, the entertainment. Zana grinned at him and she did so with a very knowing expression. "Good food, privacy, discretion, singing and whores? It has to be a winning deal. We need to ensure that we're providing what Corey offers to our clients before he offers it to ours."

With a slight, ever such a slight shrug, Zana looked at Theo and her gaze trailed over his very familiar form. "Plus," she said, with a soft tone and a wicked gleam, "The more authentic and above board business you are associated with the better. Your reputation should be very carefully considered. Maybe you should get married, become a politician, give money to charity." Terrifyingly, perhaps, Zana was entirely serious. The Rharnians were fun loving livers of life, but equally they seemed to like those who were conforming to those societal norms. To Zana it was delectable, contrary irony, but there is was. "Just a thought, but you know, you'd make a marvellous mayor."

With a wicked grin, she pulled herself closer to him as they approached the door of The Lounge and she said, with an entirely straight face. "I would certainly vote for you."

Baby if you want to be my lover, you'd better take me home,
Cos it's a long, long way to paradise, and I'm here on my own.

[Theo Nji'Ryn]

"He'd be a fool not to," Theo had responded when told of Corey's frequent visits to the Lady Libertine. He knew already, the man's face was uncommonly familiar by now even though Theo hadn't spent much time with him personally. It wasn't him that Corey had come to see. "He's got good taste and thus far has been the model customer." Repeat business was one of the goals after all. As for what they could do if they drew Corey's own business into their realm of influence, with the Lady newly opened, he hadn't had a great deal of time to think about it, much less focus on hit. It was time now to consider widening the circle of influence.

A long term investment, certainly. But in the short term? "I've never thought much about inns and eateries," he admitted. Of course, business, he knew well by now. Surely it wouldn't be too much of a stretch. "He's not a stupid man," Theo considered with a frown as they went. "So he either lacks the resources to offer what we do, or he lacks the vision. If it's only the former, we'd need to work more quickly before he decides that a temporary hardship would ultimately turn lucrative very quickly."

But politics? Marriage? He paused, looking at her, grinning dryly and shaking his head a little. "Politics, maybe. But mayor? I'm not so sure my preference would be at the top of the political heap. At least not in the short term. Better the one that pulls the strings than the puppet. But marriage?" he snorted. Marriage wasn't something he'd ever seriously considered. In truth he liked women entirely too much for that. On the other hand, it was the rare woman who expected, realistically, that sort of singular devotion.

And if politics, a good reputation and a desirable realm of influence were the goal, a wife from an influential and respected family ought be something worth considering. Still, he grinned and quipped, "Yes, I can see all those fine families, all those respectable lords lining up to offer the local brothel owner their beloved daughter's hands in marriage."