The sun rose early the next morning, but Laviera was already up and about.  Keeping along through the house, she snuck down into her office while Tashi had made himself at home in the more male guestroom. Clicking through the latest emails and messages from people, she finally went back to one from last week, clicking reply to see if they still needed another body. 

Not more than twenty minutes later, she had a reply and was shuffling through the house to pack and munch on a bagel as she did so.  Tashi was up once she reemerged from her office, she could hear the shower going while she was running around grabbing up a few outfits, brushes, and other essentials, throwing everything into a travel bag and nearly running him down as she rushed to drop everything near the front door.  For a few moments, he didn’t move and seeing her still running about, he headed for the kitchen to sit and make himself a sandwich and coffee, just eating quietly while she was in a hurry it seemed. 

Only once did she pause amid her scavenger-ing to stare at him, and when he just smiled back and continued eating, she went on to pack up a few things for him, finally grabbing some jewelry to slid on her wrists and about her neck before stepping back into the kitchen where he was wiping clean the dishes and slowly putting them away. 

“We are off to Miami.  Just a quick trip to the mainland and then back by nightfall.  I want to make a bit of money before I’m really out of work for two weeks while I heal.”  He just nodded at her, stretching arms over his head and moving back to the room he’d been in run another comb through his neck-length hair and then grabbed up her two bags and moved out into the still-cool morning air. 

While it wasn’t all the unusual for him to be this silent, she couldn’t help but think he seemed a little bit tired this morning, and as they crossed the land towards the main dock and boat to the mainland, she did worry a bit.

“You all right?”  It was simply put to him, but even then, there was a lag in his reply, as if he hadn’t even heard her at first, but finally his head turned and he gave a smile.

“Yeah, just ended up going out last night and didn’t know I’d be playing escort today.”

A nod of her head with a soft smile, she didn’t take his comments to be negative against her.  If she hadn’t told him she was going, he would have been more agitated. 

“It’s nothing big.  Just a wedding catalog that Richie had mailed about last week, said if I was interested, he’d like to have me there, and it is a pretty good paying job.”  She was talking for the sake of talking at this point, moving onto the boat with a show of her pass as well as his.  “And I know I’ll be losing a few jobs with the new ink, though not as many as if I’d had them done in other places.”

“When are you getting them done?”

“The first will be whenever Jaqi has the time.  So hopefully this week yet.  The next I still need to submit the item to the department to have it changed and enhanced further with what I want, so that could be a few weeks yet.”
Another nod of his head as he took it in, not worried much, just more interested in that she’d be out of work, which meant she’d be staying put for the most part. 

The ride to the mainland was fairly quiet.  This early there were not many others aboard the ship, and Laviera and Tashi were more than content to just relax on one of the benches, Viera resting more against him and taking a short nap before she was roused that they were nearly to the mainland.  Doing a few stretches upon the deck while the remaining time was killed, they departed and walked off, heading for a garage storage unit not far from the dock.  Opening up the door with her key, she waved away the cloud of dust that came rolling out, the rusted-up blue Camry waiting there for her. 

“I want a new car,” was all she said as the bags were tossed into the backseat and Laviera placed herself behind the wheel with Tashi joining next to her. 

“Something with more head room would be nice,” Tashi added in as he thumped his head on the ceiling. 

“A t-top would be nice,” pulling out of the garage and hitting the road for the hour and a half drive over to Miami.
The drive was quiet, both of them waking up and getting really ready for the day, Tashi already hating on the Florida sun as he hid under a pair of shades.  They stopped just outside of Miami at a rest stop to change clothes, Laviera just putting on something clean and more feminine, brushing out her hair and checking her eyebrows.  Tashi played the part of her escort and guardian as always - well-dressed in a mostly buttoned deep gray dress shirt and black pants and shoes.  All of the photographers who did shoot Laviera were used to him just being there with her, similar to an agent, but she really did all of her own paperwork anyways. 

When she walked in with a single bag, and Tashi at her side, she saw two of the other girls give her the normal dirty looks and the others just blink at the one they had never met.  It was Richie who was the first out to greet her, thrilled it seemed that she could make it. 

“Oh my dear, Miss Layonte, how wonderful it is that you could make it!  I was so delighted to receive your note this morning!  I have the perfect dresses selected for you, and I realize you wish to be out a little earlier, so we’ll get started as soon as you’re ready,” he rambled on as he walked with her in, ignoring Tashi, which was just fine with him anyways and showing her to the dressing area where the other girls were getting ready.  When the younger girls caught a glimpse of Tashi, they giggled and blushed, and one even blew him a kiss, and then he turned and just moved on to where the shoot would be to find a good place to stand and be a rock for a while.

It was just after he and Richie left that the girls turned on Laviera, questions pouring out about Tashi and who he was and if she was his girlfriend or wife or if he was single and just who she was dating because they all wanted to know the latest gossip.  It was only when she started to undress to change into the first dress that the girls quieted at the site of the dragon tattoo on her back, realizing then why she had the dresses she did and why a few of the girls had kept their distance.  It was fairly unusual for one who was desired so much would have a tattoo.  All dressed, the girls made their way out to the studio, giggling and tittering as they did, hair stylists following as they put things in place. 

Four hours later, Viera was pulling back on her own clothes and returning the last dress to a hanger when Richie trailed over.

“So what’s up that you showed today?  Your email hinted it was the money, though I know you hardly need that.”  Tashi was grabbing up her bag now as Laviera was brushing through her hair.

“I’m getting two more tattoos added, and I know I’ll lose some work because of them.  Wanted to get in some good funds before it happens.” 

A nod of his head, if anything, working with Laviera was far more straightforward than most of the other girls.  “I will still want your services often as I can get them.  Even if it means we have to do some makeup cover up or Photoshop to hide them, given you don’t mind that of course.” 

She nodded.  “I’ll shoot you a message once I am ready to return.”  And with that, she nodded to Tashi and made her way out of the studio and into the streets.  Sliding into the car, they drove off back to the city with the port.  When the car was parked, Tashi rested his arms upon the top of the car. 

“I’m heading back to ‘Issa to be with her for a while.  Call if you need anything,” looking over the top of the car as he told her this.  Laviera was a little surprised, but she gave a nod. 

“Tell her Hi for me, and thanks.  Thanks for everything.” Grabbing up her bags and locking the garage before Tashi pulled her close and gave her a heavy hug, holding her there without a word.  Relaxing against him, she smiled at being held so close to someone again, and with a press of his lips to her forehead, he turned and parted from her.  She in turn moved to catch the ship back to the island and to her own home.