Through Time She Came

Ch.17 Babysitter

February 24, 1927

"Oh, Vic, you should see the little number I picked out!" She spoke over the phone.

"I bet it's the bee's knees. Anyway, something's come up, baby. Some business."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I'll be out of town for a few days. I'd take you with me, Baby, but this isn't a lady's kind of trip."

"I understand. Please be careful, Vic dear." She played up the disappointment angle.

"Don't worry, baby. I'll be back before you know it."

"You'd better." So I can weasel more out of you. She'd done her best to allude to her not being related to her great-great-grandfather, but she wondered if maybe she had played the relative angle she might have had better chances of finding out more... It's just best not to complicate things.

Chuckle. "That's my girl. Bye-bye, baby."

"Bye, Vic." She hung up, smiled ear to ear. Freedom!

"Miss Annie?"

"Coming, Richie!" she came back onstage practically skipping.

"You look happy, Miss Annie."

"I am!"

"That's good. Ready then?"

"Yes!"

~•~

That night...

Tommy walked through the doors of L'Angela. Unhappy. Annoyed. Annoyance increased by the noise of guests and workers. By music. By laughter. By Vic leaving him behind to –

He stopped.

Anet.

He walked along the wall. To double doors. He glanced at Anet. Exhaled exasperated. Walked through the double doors.

The game rooms. Filled with just as many people as the main room —If not more. The only thing missing: Anet Peyton Peters. And that was perfectly fine by him.

He grabbed a martini. Headed for a roulette table. And planned to stay 'til the end of the night.

Perhaps he'd make time with a few of the Fallen Angels. The scantily clad girls were giving a performance that would shock Ma Fran into a tizzy.

~•~

Anet had seen Tom come in. Her heart jumped. It was the first time in weeks. But what was he doing here and not with Vic?

He'd headed to the game room. Barely glanced her way.

He was in a mood tonight.

~•~

His luck wasn't so bad so far. It wasn't great either. He grabbed another martini and a blonde. His arm hooked around her waist.

Taking a drink, "Not singing tonight, Vanessa?"

"It's my night off. You going to eat that?"

"Nope." He held up the toothpick skewered olive. "Open ah."

"Aaah." Giggle. "Mmmmm."

"You ate my olive. Don't I get anything in return?"

Giggle. Kiss.

"Hmm. Yeah, that's good. I'll go get more olives." Chuckle. "Wait here." He found a server. "Here, let me take those drinks off your hands." He removed the olives from the glasses. Smiling with a wink, he turned to search for Vanessa. Stopped short.