Same Old Song

Denver was filled with all the excitement and action that a large city should be. People flooded the streets, and there were more carriages in one block of the downtown, than the three riders ever had seen in a week's time in Rock Creek.

"Maybe this really won't be so bad after all," Lou said, her eyes full of dreamy plans and wishes for the next few days that they would spend there. She took in every speck of the sites that she possibly could. With buildings larger and taller than any she had ever seen in her life, Lou knew that every free moment they had on this trip would certainly be occupied with some activity.

Kid and Jimmy were far too distracted to respond to her comment. Their gaze was fixed on the saddle and tack shops that seemed abundant, and even better still offered low prices with guarantees of satisfied customers.

Jimmy nudged Kid as a beautiful woman with a lace skirt and feathery hat passed by, smiling widely. They, of course, followed her with turned heads and mouths agape. It wasn't as if they saw ladies of such elegance every day of the week.

"What are you boys gawking at?" Lou asked, her voice spoken in a much more severe tone of warning than she had intended. She hated the feeling of being "outgraced" by every woman on the street...especially when she couldn't even begin to compare her simple pink dress with their frills.

Whipping their heads around with faces of sincere regret, Jimmy and Kid tried to change the subject...blushing slightly. "I think the hotel is right over there," Jimmy said, motioning to one of the smaller structures, which seemed to be harboring its own bustle of activity.

As they approached the front of the building, they dismounted and watched a cluster of people pointing and talking at something posted in a conspicuous place. And, like moths being drawn to light, Jimmy, Lou, and Kid walked over to see what the excitement was all about.

"Why, that's just about the purtiest thing I ever seen!" One of the men exclaimed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out what loose change he had. "I'm gunna go get me a ticket right now!" Several other men followed his example, and the crowd moved inside the lobby leaving three very stunned young people.

Lou stared at the poster with her arms crossed, while Jimmy and Kid tried to distinguish what exactly it was that they were gazing upon. "I don't think she's so pretty," Lou began. "Her nose is a little off centered, I'd say."

"A lady like that's got to have a lot of talent," Jimmy said, a smirk curving his lips.

Kid couldn't help but agree, "Yeah, it says here she came all the way from the," leaning further foward to better make out the tiny print, he continued, "East?" He looked up at his friends, with his eyebrows wrinkled, "East of what...or where?"

"Well, wherever she's from, she's got to be a good singer. I ain't never seen a woman have her picture up like this before," Jimmy offered, still quite interested in knowing a little bit more about this "lady" who was being so strikingly publicized.

"Maybe Teaspoon's right," Jimmy grinned slightly, "Maybe publicity ain't such a bad thing after all!"

Louise turned around to gather her belongings. She was anxious to settle into a room, freshen up, and begin her "grand" tour of the city. Watching the boys so enamoured with the picture of a woman they had never even met was a little more than she wanted to deal with at the moment. In a teasing manner, Lou patted Jimmy on the back, "Well, what are you waiting for, Jimmy Hickok, why don't you just go on in there and buy yourself a ticket. I'm sure Kid wouldn't mind going along and drooling beside you."

She paused before entering the hotel, "I, on the other hand, am planning on getting a room...so unless you boys plan on hogging everything, would you mind giving me some of the money Teaspoon gave you for our traveling?" Lou extended her hand and rubbed her fingers together...an evident gesture that she wanted something of value placed in her palm.

"Oh, Lou, it's not like we're really that interested in her. I mean she's probably ten years older than she looks. Let's just all go in and get settled," Jimmy said, pulling some cash out of his pocket and handing it to her.

Lou was rather glad when Kid and Jimmy finally left her standing in the middle of her large, airy room by herself. It was a fine hotel they'd picked, and she wondered briefly if Russell, Majors, and Wadell had struck gold and decided to shower it upon their employees.

"Not likely," she said aloud.

She explored the room slowly, enjoying the fine paintings on the wall, and gently touching the lacy curtains. She threw open the window and breathed deeply the smell of mountain air, letting in a rush of sunshine and the gentle hum of the activity on the street below.

She was grateful for the wash basin in the corner of the room, and spent long minutes scrubbing her dusty face and arms. Sighing, she brushed her hair back with damp fingers and caught herself doing so in the looking glass.

Her mind instantly returned to the poster Jimmy and Kid had drooled over not long ago.

"'A lady like that's got to have a lot of talent'" She suddenly growled, imitating Jimmy's wry tone with incredible accuracy. Despite her better judgement, she drifted over to the looking glass, where she might continue her bitter tirade.

"Dumb girls," she told her reflection, "can't do anything but look good."

It wasn't as comforting a thought as it was meant to be. Not when the looks of awe on Jimmy and Kid's faces were fresh in her memory. She knew very well they respected her more than any woman they knew, but sometimes she would have given anything to see their eyes pop out of their heads like that in her direction.

Feeling stupid, but unable to resist, Lou jerked her spine straight and lifted her shoulders, thrusting her small chest outward, and cocking her head at a coquettish angle. One arm came up to sweep her hair off her neck, while the other perched playfully on her hip. She batted her eyelashes in the mirror and pursed her lips.

"On the other hand, your nose is not crooked at all."

Lou's first instinct was to fling herself toward the voice that suddenly filled the room, husky with amusement, and deny that she had been doing anything in front of the mirror. However, she simply froze in sheer horror, the only movement that of a startling blush that crept up her neck and into her ears and cheeks, and didn't stop until it reached the roots of her hair. Lou had a good idea of the progress of the blush, because she stood, transfixed, watching it.

A movement behind her, caught in the looking glass, drew her eyes to it. She wished for the floor to open up and take her to the depths of the earth. Anywhere was preferable to standing here, caught red handed, with Jimmy and Kid standing just inside the doorway, turning purple with the effort of not collapsing into hysterical laughter.

"I was, uh, that is…" still holding her pose, in more of a display of defiance than anything else, Lou cleared her throat and dared to ask, "Exactly how long have you two been there?"

"Long enough to never let you forget this," Jimmy informed her, and cocked his hip to the side, sweeping up his hair and pursing his lips in his best imitation of Lou.

Her eyes sought Kid's for back up, but he merely struck his own pose, batting his eyelashes rapidly.

"I hate you both," she informed them, and meant it at this particular moment in time. She dropped her stance, and turned with as much dignity as was humanly possible, flinching slightly under their direct stares, and wishing she could look at them through the medium of the looking glass again, "Have you never heard of knocking?"

"The door was partly open. We figured you wouldn't mind if we came in," Kid said, shrugging.

"Oh," was the most intelligent thing that Lou could think of to say. Her heart rate was slowing, but her cheeks still burned hot with embarrassment, and Jimmy's fixed grin wasn't helping matters at all.

Lou desperately longed to search for any other subject that might help her forget the pain of her utter humiliation. She nervously glanced around the room, refusing to meet their eyes in fear that her face might flush all over again. "Did you want to go get something to eat," she said, using one of the major "catchall" phrases for any awkward situation.

Of course, the boys had no objection to the perfect suggestion that she could offer. Eating was a top choice source of entertainment...rising above all others. "Sure, that would be great," came the duet reply.

Looking down at her dust-ridden clothes and scraggily appearance, Lou knew that she might not be able to look as stunning as those "show" women...but she could at least get out of her own dirty boyish clothes. Turning to look at the one dress that she had brought, Lou knew that she would almost feel even more depressed making such a "simple" fashion statement up against those other ladies, than she would were she to remain in disguise.

Trying not to appear saddened by her own reasoning, Lou simply brushed off the clothing that she was wearing and picked up her hat. "Ready?"

Jimmy and Kid, who had finally composed themselves from their "dramatic" performance a few moments before, were shocked at her change in attitude.

"Whoa, wait, aren't you going to change first?" Jimmy asked, afraid that perhaps their mocking had gone too far and that they had truly insulted her. He pointed to the dress that was protruding from the folds of her belongings on the bed.

"We'll wait outside," Kid threw in, lightly slapping Jimmy's shoulder so that she could close the door.

Lou shook her head and tried to push past them. "No, it isn't important, I'll just go like this."

Jimmy and Kid exchanged glances. It wouldn't have taken a wise scholar to figure out what Lou's frustrations were based on. The ladies of Denver were that of prim and proper makings...not to mention elegant and sophisticated. The type of dress that she owned was suitable enough for Rock Creek, or any of those smaller towns, but certainly not for a lady around these parts...and positively not for a young woman in Denver.

The agreement in their eyes was sealed with an almost imperceptible nod of their heads. Kid smiled slightly, then sobered himself with effort when he met Lou's sad eyes. He was bursting to assure her that things were about to get better, but preferred to see the knowledge of what they were doing dawn slowly in her eyes.

"Let's eat!" Jimmy announced with the excitement only a hungry man can muster at the prospect of food, and led the way.

Lou watched his retreating back with a sigh. So clueless, she thought, enjoying a moment of self-pity. Don't they realize the problem?

It became apparent that indeed they might realize the problem when a few minutes later, Kid grabbed her elbow and steered her into one of the countless dress stores.

"This isn't a restaurant," She pointed out insightfully when the small bell on the door sent an older woman scurrying to meet them.

"No, it isn't," Jimmy said agreeably, "But hurry would you, or I'm going to have to start gnawing on this fine satin number, all the way from Paris!"

At that time the saleswoman arrived, smelling a sale, and said brightly, "How can I help you gentlemen?"

Lou blushed fiery red. Kid reached to remove her hat, and the woman's eyes fell on her, "Ah, oh, of course…I beg your pardon, I thought…"

"You were supposed to," Lou sighed, dismissing the apology, then looking over her shoulder at Kid as if to ask must we be here?

"This young lady will be requiring a dress for an important evening out. Please, something in the latest style, from oh, Paris…" Kid waved his hand extravagantly, as if he requested gowns from the fashion capital of the Western world every day.

Lou's eyebrows nearly touched her hairline as she looked at Kid, "Did you rob a bank and not tell me about it? I can't afford dresses like these!"

"Maybe not," Jimmy shrugged, "But we can."

"Oh no, you boys can't do this!" Lou said, and then looked at the saleswoman, "We're sorry, but we have to be going. Thank you anyway." She turned to flee the dress store, but two solid male chests blocked her path, and hands placed on her shoulders turned her around and gave her a slight shove into the middle of the dress racks.

From that point on, it was simply out of her hands. Between Kid, Jimmy, and the pushy saleswoman, Lou had no chance and simply sighed in resignation, secretly glowing at the yards and yards of beautiful fabric pushed over the changing room door at her.

Lavender, peach, red, blue, silver, gold, white, pink…the list went on and on, as did the fabrics, the styles, the gloves. She modestly modeled each of the gowns, and cast her gaze demurely to the floor as Kid, Jimmy, and the saleswoman argued about which it would be.

And finally, a collective sigh escaped all three sets of lips as Lou stepped out in a dark teal gown of watered silk, complete with hoops just the right size and a neckline daringly, albeit fashionably, low. The neck curved up high behind her neck, accenting the graceful column of her slender throat. Black piping on the bodice and flared sleeves of the gown was intricate, and the black French lace that peeked out from the bell ends of the sleeves was fine quality. The color on Lou's dark skin was startling, and the brown in her eyes stood out sharply in her face. The saleswoman had already pinned Lou's hair back neatly to show off the neckline of an earlier prospective candidate in brown satin, and Lou looked like royalty.

"That's the one," Jimmy nodded urgently, "we'll take it."

"But…" Lou began, feeling slightly guilty of letting them pay for such a dress, but at the same time, far too in love with the gown to put up much of a fight.

"Oh, don't worry, you're gonna have an end of the deal to hold up, milady," Kid said with an exaggerated bow.

Lou narrowed her eyes. She should have known they were up to something. Just like them to do something like this, to find her the prettiest gown in Denver before they pushed their ultimatum forth.

"What?" It was more of a hiss than she'd intended, but effective, nevertheless.

"You're going to accompany us to dinner," Jimmy informed her as she turned her back on them to gather her things in the dressing room.

"Fair enough, but I expected that," Lou pointed out.

"And afterwards a stroll through the city?" Kid asked politely.

"Sounds nice," Lou responded, still suspicious, "And after that?"

"A show of sorts…a play perhaps," Jimmy began, then grinned widely, "No! A singing show!"

"No way!" Lou snapped, "Not for a million dresses! I'd rather look like a chimney sweep than go watch you two make fools of yourself over a bunch of stupid, easy, women!"

"Well," Jimmy reached out and touched the dark blue-green fabric and sighed, "I guess we could just give this dress to one of the singers. Probably get her attention with a dress like this. Better than flowers anyway."

Lou didn't take the bait, "Go right ahead, Jimmy Hickok!"

"But there is one more end of the deal," Kid said suddenly, and grinned in what could be none other than his wickedest manner.

Lou sighed and turned to him.

"You go with us, and we don't tell Cody about the little episode in front of the mirror. You don't go with us, and, well…" he clapped his hand over his mouth only to let it fly off a moment later.

Lou groaned, and massaged her forehead with the tips of her fingers. God forbid Cody ever get wind of her posing in front of the mirror. After all her lectures to him on how vain and arrogant he was, it would mean a painful existence in the bunkhouse for as long as she and Cody both should live.

"Fine!" Lou threw up her hands, in a flash of turquoise silk, "But if I go tonight, and if you break this deal and tell Cody, I'll kill you both with my bare hands."

Kid and Jimmy grinned at each other and nodded their acceptance of the deal as they went to settle up on the dress.

"It's show time!" Jimmy said cheerfully as they walked out of the store to the tinkle of little bell.

To be continued...Chapter Two