"And fret I would if you had gone," She teased, she was slowly coming to realize that she enjoyed teasing him in a playful manner, certainly not like how she teased Sam over his school-girl crushes when they were just tiny children. No, for Shay, this was almost a flirtatious manner for her, as flirting did not come easily, namely so as she had so dutifully avoided it until now. When he had counted the money, her eyes widened in surprise, was that all?! Tommy anticipated their needs beforehand, and it had come to pay off. Despite his frigid exterior, Vera knew from personal experience that Tommy was a family man, anyone involved in the gang, or held family blood in their veins, were well looked after. In fact, she remembered how Elouise, heavy with her first child, and only one so far, rejoiced at the fact that Tommy had gone to great lengths making certain that his brother's child had everything it could possibly need when it would take its first breath. Perhaps this was an oversight to making sure that Shay had the best of everything on this job, after all, they were cousins. Here, a smile graced her lips as she waited for him to put his shoes on.

"I don't feel we'll use [i]all[/i] of it now, so it wouldn't hurt to finish enjoying our evening by ending it with a good meal, hm?"

    As she locked the door behind her, Vera took Shay's arm, as her shoes were slick with melted snow, and they made their way out into the chilly night air. Everything the snow touched, it muted the sound, save for the crunching of frozen particles beneath their shoes. Like ethereal wisps, their breaths rose into the air, thin and white, and gave her the impression of miniature ghosts.

"While I enjoy the rain, as there is a peaceful air to it, one that makes me want to sit by the fire and read a good book, I much prefer the snow to the rain. At least it doesn't soak into your clothes." Just then, she slipped on a patch of ice, and were it not for Shay, she would have fallen, and perhaps suffered a fractured arm. She breathed a sigh of relief, and glanced at him with gratitude in her eyes. Not before long, they rounded the corner and came to the restaurant she happened to spot on the car ride over.

[hr]

      [i]The Spirit of Tuscany[/i], the name of the ristorante certainly conveyed the sense of dining in an authentic restaurant in Tuscany, Italy. Heavy in the air, she could smell from the kitchen in the back, the thick aroma of pungent spices wafting out over the patrons head's like a heavenly cloud of gourmet food. The snowflakes that clung to her pinned hair, had also clung dearly to both of their coats, now glittered like diamonds under the sleepy yellow lamplight. The apples of her cheeks were rosy pink from the chill in the air, giving her the appearance of a Renaissance maiden, or some Ancient Greek sprite or forest nymph. Impressed with the comely atmosphere, her judgement of the place expounded when she met the waiter, Frank, who dressed in a professional manner with his button-down shirt, tie, and shiny black shoes that gleamed like boiling tar. After he sat them at a table near the window as Shay had asked, he took their drink order, and soon departed. Underneath the illuminated glow of the conical red-white-green lamp, Vera leaned forward on her elbows, and waited for the server, Frank, to return with their drinks. While Shay chose a glass of whiskey, Vera opted for a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. She munched enjoyed wine, and while whiskey from the gang was abundant, it often gave her more confidence than she needed. 

     For the first few minutes inside the restaurant, Vera simply felt satisfied, as her gaze shifted from the curious paintings on the wall, reminiscent of Tuscan vineyards and villas, she turned her attention to Shay when he asked her a peculiar question, she almost didn't hear him right away. [i]So how are you doing?[/i]. His question left her feeling vulnerable, there were many answers swirling around inside her mind, any that she could choose to say, and would be a proper fit. But, she liked Shay, and she didn't want to appear dishonest, nor unlike someone wishing to avoid difficult questions; so, she answered honestly.

"It is not [i]you[/i] "tailing me" that has me upset. It is my brother. You saw with your own two eyes what he did. Sam wasn't always like that, not until he came back. I feel... that he has no respect for my personal privacy, or any regards to my choices and decisions in life any more. As for those men, I do feel restless, and uneasy. I'm glad that the boys were able to accommodate me for my well-being, but I feel angry. Angry that some vigilante has the notion to stalk me, to monitor my every move in hopes of killing me. What did I do-" She paused in her speech as Frank returned with the whiskey and wine; she muttered a polite "thank you" and waited for him to leave before carrying on.

"What did I do, to deserve this fate?" She sighed, irritation high in her voice, though she kept the volume down in case any prying ears overheard. Turning her gaze to the window next to them, the chill that wafted in from the frigid air, resonated with her disposition towards the Adders.

"I suppose I have been on edge lately, I have had fitful dreams since going to Holloway... Perhaps it is the pipe, or the lack of. It's been almost a week..." She muttered more to herself than to Shay, her eyes downcast with a painful longing. Then, as if her mood changed on a whim, she smiled at him, her eyes wrinkling at the corners.

"Allow me to say this, my life has changed since you came into it, and I [i]am[/i] grateful for that!" Then she gestured with a sweep of her hand, "Now this, this is a wonderful place to be, and I am glad you are here with me. You are a delightful companion, and there is something about you, something you have, an air, if you will, that I take a shining to. So despite what has happened before, I am beyond happy that I am here with you. And besides," here she winked playfully at him, as was her way, "no good woman would send any man, if it can be helped, on his way in such troublesome weather. I enjoy the snow, for the cold it brings is refreshing."

"Regardless, I find it rather exciting to be an official member now, though it is emotionally taxing on me to stroll about playing pretend. My headaches when I wake, and it aches when I close my eyes for sleep. It is a strange combination to be certain. And I certainly didn't expect to have a guard. But... What of yourself, Shay? How are you? Are you on edge? Or nervous, perhaps?"