Tifa stood and stretched up towards the ceiling, making sure that all around her could notice her own breasts straining against the fabric of her blue blouse. Then she looked down at Kitana and said, “How about I get our rooms for the night, then we can have a bite to eat before we retire for the evening? I would like to make some distance tomorrow if possible.”
Kitana nodded her assent and then Tifa went over to the counter where the barkeep looked at her as she put down a couple of gold coins. She looked at him and said, “I need two rooms for the night, one preferably near the end of the hall on the second floor. How much for the two rooms?”
The barkeep didn’t bat an eye as he swept the coins under the counter, produced two room keys and replied hoarsely, “The numbers are on the keys as well as the doors. Check out time is no later than noon. The money you gave me also gets you your dinner.”
Tifa looked at the barkeep intently and replied softly, “Who said I wanted an evening meal?”
The barkeep looked her deadpan and replied, “I read lips, and happened to catch what you were saying to your friend at your table. Don’t get pissed at me for it – I learned a long time ago to read lips, and it pays to know it here, especially when it gets noisy.”
Tifa leaned closer and said, “Just make sure that is all you read tonight – I do like my privacy.”
The barkeep looked as if he was about to add something else, but then decided that discretion was better to stay alive, especially around this woman. There was something about her that made people either wary or comfortable, and she made the barkeep wary.
Tifa checked the keys and asked the barkeep, “Which one is the end of the hall room?”
He pointed to the one she asked about; Tifa made sure she kept that one in her left hand. She went back to the table and just as she sat down the same attractive brunette serving girl came around to see if they needed anything else. They asked for the dinner fare, which was listed as lamb and spuds with vegetables. The two women accepted and within a few minutes both were diving into the piping hot fare.
Once their dinner was finished, they then sat and chatted lightly about the local populace seen in the Inn, and then Tifa gave Kitana her room key. She said, “This was all they had for now, and as you can see we have separate rooms. We aren’t together as we should be so I can keep an eye and ear on you if you were next door, but beggars can’t be choosers.”
Kitana again didn’t say much and her face was fairly expressionless, so Tifa couldn’t say whether she was upset or not. But it didn’t matter – she had her evening planned out roughly, and she was looking forward to later.
Tifa walked up to the barkeep again and asked if they could both have basins or small tubs of hot water brought to their rooms so they could clean off the dirt and grime. The barkeep nodded his affirmative and motioned for one of the serving girls. Tifa turned and went with Kitana up the stairs to their rooms. The talked quietly about when to meet in the morning and went to their respective rooms.
A short while later Tifa heard a knock at her door; she went over to it and asked whom it was.
|