Thick As Blood

Cecelia’s evening was full of character mistakes, and poorly rehearsed musicians. She wanted to beat them all with their own instrument – but alas she ran out of time when the show was about to start. Richard had been kind enough to wait around after he had caught up on some much needed sleep. And the last few minutes she had left before she needed to walk on stage were spent tangled in Richard’s hair while they both tried to work out some of their frustration from earlier. Neither of them were too happy when it was all cut short once again by her leave.

Richard was luckier than Cecelia however. Because for the next little while he could watch her dance on stage, and listen to her sing, talk, and make jokes. He seemed to enjoy nothing more than to watch her glow with personality on stage. Sometimes he’d smile while he stood back in the shadows. He was always watching the crowd looking for faces that might give trouble later. He was always amazed at how different the crowd was with Cecelia’s show and someone like Eddie Canter’s. It seemed her crowd lacked women, mostly men sat at tables ordering drinks or stood near the stage to get a better look.

She had quite the personality, making men nearly melt at her feet.

Richard could tell that these men would probably give anything to be allowed into her room. It felt odd to him that he had been given the privilege to touch her… to kiss her… Perhaps if he looked like he did before the war, it would make sense to him. He had always been told by others how handsome he was and what a great husband he’d make some day. But the moment he returned from the war, he never felt that admiration from before. He had gotten so tired of pity, which was why he’d left Emma. Even though she loved him – she saw the new him, not the old him. And all Richard wanted was to feel that again.

He was worried leaving her alone for the week, the hungry eyes in the crowd was more than enough reason to worry about her. He hoped that Nucky would leave adequate assistance while he was gone.

He was deeply lost in thought when Cecelia found him. She was sparkling, her skin was warm to the touch, she entwined her fingers in his while they slipped through the door away from a few men who had made it past the stairs to the backstage.

Richard instinctively turned right, but Cecelia pulled him left, down the hall where she often nicked a bottle of scotch now and then. But instead of going to the storage, he found himself hiding with her in the small storage closet they had been in before.

With the door cracked Cecelia peaked through while she watched several intoxicated men roam the halls. Some calling her stage name – “Cici!”

Richard wondered how she knew to hide here, but he was distracted by her perfume that was now wafting through his nostrils. With the closet’s amount of space, and Cecelia leaning foreword, her back end was conveniently pressed against his crotch.

He remembered that earlier they had been interrupted, and his arousal had been hard to stifle. But before he even had to act, she was on her knees undoing his trousers with fast fingers.

His heartbeat quickened, knowing very well what she was doing. Odette had serviced him in the same way before he had nervously made love to her so long ago. But somehow this was better. Maybe it was because he wasn’t as nervous with Cecelia, maybe it was because they had already been intimate. But this time he was able to rest his back against the shelf, and enjoy what she was giving him.

She was moaning, even as she uncomfortably knelt between his legs, and she liked that Richard’s hands found their way to her hair, now she could tell he was really enjoying it. He could feel every inch of him begin to start to shake, the spine tingling feeling was working its way through his blood, leaving him to forget all that bothered him, and for a moment feel invincible. He lifted her head to kiss her; he wasn’t able to handle what she was doing to him. She let her fingers scratch his neck and scalp. He liked the way she felt against him. They way she clung to him, was like pure need.

She thrust the door open while still clinging to him and kissing him, she needed her bed. She could only hope that this fever coursing through her veins was something Richard could cure, she felt this instinctive fire in her heart and could only claw and cling to his body while they both stumbled down the hall. She heard whispers coming from several men at the end of the hall, she only responded by wrapping her legs around his waist, letting him carry her through the threshold to her room shutting the door behind them – leaving the entire world behind them.



After the blissful chaos, both were lying atop her sheets, sweating over triumph and ecstasy. Cecelia was tracing the small scars across his chest with her fingertip. More fascinated instead of disgusted, and Richard liked the way it felt.

“I’m… sorry for putting you in a terrible position with Jimmy.” She said. “I’m quite to blame and I don’t want to make things harder for you by having to chose him or me.”

Richard sat up, confused slightly by her words. She was aware of what she had done, and even Richard didn’t want to fully accept the problem.

“I understand he doesn’t like me. But Jimmy’s very important to you. I know that Richard.”

“You. Mm. You’re important as well.” Richard said.

“I know – but I… don’t want you torn. You’re already fragile, so… when you go to New York tomorrow, just know that I want you to go. I want you to be there for Jimmy. I won’t resent you for it.”



Richard was standing outside on a busy New York street. He was waiting for Jimmy. It seemed he was always waiting for Jimmy. He hadn’t even told Richard why the trip was so sudden, why it was so important. And all he could think about was Cecelia, and if she was all right.

Richard began to wonder by Thursday if anything Jimmy did here actually had an importance to his business. He had been trying all week not to suspect Jimmy of undermining him, but even Richard couldn’t hide from his own thoughts. And now he worried for Cecelia even more, when she first came to Atlantic City security had been a problem, he looked at the clock tower off in the distance, and he knew her performance would begin soon. It had been hard for him not to sneak away from Jimmy and call her the other night to check on her, but Jimmy had kept him at a bar, pouring drinks into him one by one until Richard awoke the next morning with a slamming head ache.

Now he was here again, another night, still away from Cecelia. Jimmy was again to get him to accept the glasses of bourbon equipped with a straw, and trying to stay sober enough to perhaps call the Ritz after Jimmy fell asleep. Then came something, something Richard didn’t expect. Jimmy left, the bartender had informed him of a call coming from the lobby, and Jimmy left him to take it. Richard followed him out, and watched him go inside the private booth to take the awaiting call. Richard wondered if they had been waiting around for this call, or if it was just Angela checking in. The serious look on his face was something Richard wasn’t used to seeing, and for a moment Jimmy looked directly at him, before continuing the conversation with the mysterious caller.

Jimmy hung up the phone and exited the booth.

“Do we. Mm. have work to do?”

“Yes Richard, a little job tonight, and we’ll return to Atlantic City tomorrow.”

Richard nodded, rather than speaking. He felt his words would’ve been wasted, because he was honestly just mad. He didn’t want to be here, he didn’t want to waste so much time, when he could be spending it with her.



Richard and Jimmy both left the speakeasy, finding that the cold New York air was rather refreshing. Richard placed his hands in his coat pockets; he could feel the cold steel of his gun. Something Jimmy had instructed him to bring.

“Who. Mm. Are we to kill?” Richard asked.

“A shark. He’s been stealing from Arnold Rothstein.”

“Why. Mm. Are we helping. Him?”

“He’s seen it kind enough to do me a favor, and for that I’m returning the favor tonight.”

“Is. There a. Plan?” Richard asked.

“I’ll talk to him, get him alone, then you don’t waste time and take the shot.”

“Alley way seems dark enough. Mn.”

“Meet you there.” Jimmy said.

The two men split up. Jimmy went inside a small café, while Richard took to the shadows. The walk his diffused some of the tension he felt towards Jimmy. For a while he’d felt like Jimmy had brought him here to force him away from Cecelia. After all Jimmy still did not think highly over her, especially after how bad she made him look the last time they spoke. Surely Jimmy was embarrassed, and was trying to get away from what happened.

Richard took his pistol off safety.

He hoped that the sooner this job was done, the sooner he could return home, to her. He watched light stream into the alleyway while Jimmy stepped out of the exit, along with a short bearded man.

“Arnold Rothstein sends his deepest sympathy.” Jimmy told him. Richard watched as the man only became confused at the comment, but Richard took no extra time to splatter his brains across the parallel wall. Both Jimmy and Richard disappeared into the shadows away from where any citizens would see them.



Late Friday Night:

Richard was accompanying Jimmy to see Nucky Thompson. It was late, it was a short trip, and shouldn’t have taken all day for them to get back to Atlantic City. He could see the groups of men inside and outside the hotel were due to the non other than Cecelia.

Jimmy and Richard were able to catch Nucky as he was leaving. His nostrils flared when he looked at Jimmy. They currently weren’t on the best of terms, but obviously they shared business acquaintances, or quarrels so it just depended on whether they discussed good news or bad news. This time it was bad news, Richard watched from a distance as Nucky said something condescending, and Jimmy left leaving a cloud of cigarette smoke around his face, not really caring how Nucky felt.

Jimmy walked over to Richard who was cleaning against a largely decorated wall of the Ritz hotel. There were several men who were leaving now, many drunk, some just late to see their wives. Cecelia’s show must’ve ended, and Richard wasn’t surprised how many men were still waiting around trying to meet her or offer to keep her company.

He turned to Jimmy who was trying to pull the last bit of tobacco from his short cigarette before he placed the but of it in an ashtray waiting until the embers disappeared.

Then Richard saw her, she was at the end of the hall, somehow they had driven her through the crowds and out the entrance to Babette’s. She was surrounded but a crowd of drunk men, all had a cigar in their hand, most laughing, but all had their eyes on her.

“I thought you’d forgotten about her.” He said pulling on Richard’s arm. He had begun to step forward, ready to rescue her.

Richard shook his head.

“Stay, she gets herself into this mess, let her get herself out. She’d can’t rely on you for everything.”

Richard watched as the men grabbed at her, playfully, but possessively. Parts of her body… he liked to think that only he could touch her there. But they seemed to think that it was prime real estate, something they wanted to try on for size. But he could see the uncomfortable look in her eyes while she laughed off their playful movements. She would step away from one man only to fall into the arms of another, who seemed to end up doing the same thing all over again.

She was trying to be nice, trying not to cause a scene with the men that made her and Nucky money. But it was obvious she wanted to leave, that she didn’t like the way he touched her. It seemed instead of shaking her hand or formally greeting her she’d receive a slap on her ass instead.

Richard saw that Jimmy’s attention was elsewhere again. He remembered how Jimmy had drug him to New York, when he could’ve been here, Richard could’ve prevented this. He started to wonder how she had made it back to her room all those other nights, her eyes looked tired, perhaps she stayed stuck in the crowd until dawn. Richard was already walking into the crowd before he realized he’d left Jimmy’s side. His path seemed to almost open up for him when men turned around to see who was trying to make their way past them. He got some scared looks from younger men, and disgusted looks from older men. But he ignored them, before he would’ve tried to slink away in the shadows. But instead he could proudly hold his head and mask high.

He was only a few feet from Cecelia before one man had enough guts to stop him.

“Whoa freak, she won’t want to see you.”

Richard looked at him; with his only eye he still managed to give an intimidating stare. He first fixed a flap of the man’s jacket before forcefully shoving him aside and making his way past. Cecelia caught his eye, Richard watched as she almost lit up like a candle in dark room. She reached out at him, Richard took her hand as he felt another on his shoulder, he feared that he would have to face Jimmy now, in front of Cecelia, and several drunken idiots. But he was pleasantly surprised to see that it was only the same man before, drunk with courage, thinking he had to save the damsel, from the beast. Richard only turned to face him, and Cecelia was displayed latched to his arm, fingers entwined with hers. She smiled at him and asked: “do we have a problem?”

The man took one look at her, and then back at Richard before he stepped back and disappeared into the crowd. Richard placed his hand at the small of her back before leading her upstairs safely away from the man still vying for her attention. Apparently Richards presence had became known to them, because they decided not to follow her upstairs, they seemed to know that once she was with him, no one else had a chance. Perhaps word had gotten out about her, and how she had jumped some injured war hero in the hallway last week.

“When did you get back?” she asked. She was beaming, she was surprised he’d returned early.

“Only. Mn. An hour ago.” Richard answered.

He led her around another hallways, detouring, and then back up a set of stairs.

“I see you’re safe, everything… go well?” she asked.

“Yes. Jimmy, may be mad I left him downstairs.”

“Oh you did… did you? Perhaps I could make it worth your while to make him wait… even longer?” she asked, she had grown a sly smile.

Richard shook his head, “Better to not. Mm. Anger him anymore than he is.”

Richard was now standing outside her door, taking the key from around her neck, and unlocking the door.

“Oh, alright. I just… was hoping I could see you naked perhaps, or the other way around.”

Richard dropped the key, he had been pulling on it, trying to get it to come back out the lock, and after her comment it had slipped from his fingers. He hurried to his knees to pick it up before handing it back to her.

“I- Mn. Didn’t-“ Richard was stumbling over his words more than usual. She always had a way of giving him this sort of feeling as if he was young again, or as if he was handsome. She was playing with his hand, in his palm was the key, but she was more interested in tracing his palm and wrist with her fingertips. He had missed her, and he wanted to walk into her room pulling off clothing as he went, but Jimmy… he was downstairs, he couldn’t make him wait like that.

“I have to. Mn.” He was trying to move the thoughts of her naked from his head. “-see Jimmy. I can’t. Mn. Not tonight.”

“Okay.” Cecelia sighed. “I guess I understand.” She was pouting her lip, trying to get at him. “I suppose I can sleep naked and let my own fingers wander, like last night when I thought of you.” Cecelia said.

Richard drew in a sharp breath, now any control he had over his thoughts were gone, and they were becoming flooded with thoughts of her, naked, thinking if him.

When he decided to kiss her, she seemed to only pull him closer, he didn’t even think it was possible, but the way she attached herself to him made their bodies melt against one another. She was messing up his combed hair, and the wiring to his mask seemed to get caught in the attack, but now that he had let her drag him inside he set it safely on her vanity while she pulled on his tie.