(Untitled)

[justasaleswoman]

As coded messages go, Verity will admit, reluctantly, that it's pretty elegant.

No note, no password, nothing someone can read over a shoulder or inadvertantly overhear. Just a key to a room, left for her with the bar.

A key to this room, in point of fact

Comments

[cannotforget]

Ruby doesn't have a spinny black leather armchair or an intimidating wooden desk in the room for the typical 'I've been expecting you' line.

She kind of wishes she did.

Instead, there's just the standard Milliways-room furniture - bed, dresser, a small, dinky wooden chair ... and a window.

And Ruby is standing by the window, arms across her chest. She hears the sound of the key-in-lock before she sees her visitor. Either way, she'd been expecting her.

"Took you long enough."

[justasaleswoman]

Verity tosses the key onto the bed, shutting the door behind her.

"You know, you better hope you enjoy a fraction of the protection you do now when this is all over.

"Assuming, of course, that you're still alive when this is all over.

"Hello, Ruby.

"You called me?"

[cannotforget]

Ruby's eyes shift slightly, following the key as it lands.

"Oh, I'll be alive," she says blandly. She has no doubt about that.

More than that, she'll be powerful.

"Yep. I've got a message for the boss. Good news. Something a little more specific. Hence the ... secret rendez-vous."

She juts her chin to the key.

[justasaleswoman]

"Unfortunately, if you're not alive when this is all over, I'll hardly be able to effectively gloat about it."

Verity sits on the edge of the bed -- because the chair really is dinky -- and demurely crosses her ankles. (Well, as demurely as ankles can be crossed when they're just above a pair of 5" Manolo Blahnik heels.)

"Spill."