"I might quit my job at the brothel, though I'd hate to take you away from there. The girls need you around to keep them from getting grabbed." She had actually gotten to know some of the courtesans since that night and made some friends, as scandalous as that would be. Virginia began to clean up the mess that the table was, tossing scraps of dough into a bowl and then wiping away the streaks of flour. "But I would so love it if you helped me... And I'd do what I could to pay you back. Anything..." To a point.

There was a quiet moment as he finished his slice of pie and watched her clean. "Well, you can wait a week or so to learn how much you make from the pies and if you'd make more money from variety, that sort of thing. If you do both and just slide slowly into the pie business, it will help you if something goes wrong. I'm not saying there would, but it's always good to have back up, you know? Though I am certain it would be a complete success, maybe it costs more to make than we expected and you need to make more pies, or smaller ones. Just thinking ahead." he smiled as he did want her to do well. "I will remain there to keep them all safe, I don't like being grabbed so I can relate. I'll just nap around the business of helping you and that one for at least a few days. Then I will figure something out." He wasn't sure what, but something would have to work.

She turned toward him with the towel poised in her hand, then leaned her hip against the table. "Thank you, Pony. That means a lot, you know?" Her mouth curled up into a smile and she gazed at him for a long moment. "You've been a good friend and I am glad to have gotten to know you." She pushed away from the table and padded across the room to check on the pie in the oven. She pulled it out when it was clear that it was done and placed it on the sill, then stuck another pie in. She dusted her hands.

"There. That should do it for pie." She thought about what he said about making them smaller and thought perhaps she could use the dough to make the pie into turnovers.

Pony nodded as he watched her and folded his arms. "Of course, I've been enjoying your company. And you still gave me a chance after giving me a drink bath." He laughed a bit then breathed deeply. "Ah, a pie fresh out of the oven. Smells amazing. Is it like the one I just tried?"

"This one is with uncooked filling and sliced apples instead of diced." She smiled. She was glad he came around to help her out, he seemed glad enough to like trying her cooking. Of course, she'd had enough of the apples and such that if she ate anymore, she would get sick.

Pony oh'd and eyed it curiously but wouldn't dare touch any of her food without expressed permission if not downright insistence. "Perhaps I should buy one then. How much would you charge me for it?" He smiled at her as he started to dig his fingers into his pockets. "We need to make sure you are charging fair prices to all your customers after all. I would be honored to be your first." He smiled bright at her and waited to see what the price was.

She wasn't sure what to charge him, so she said, "Consider it a gift." And before he might protest, she lifted a hand up, "I just want your feedback, that is it. Believe me, you're doing me a favor." Besides, she thought, you're real cute when you smile like that. "Would you like a cup of tea?" she asked as she moved to fill the kettle for making said tea. "And if you insist on paying me, how about you take the other two pies and sell them. You could keep the money for telling me how much they sold for. I have never sold pies before."

Pony smiled and shook his head as he chuckled slightly and moved to sit at the table. "Of course, I'd love tea. But I won't take it as a gift. What sort of friend would I be to take advantage of your kindness. You should make money on the pies, so I'll pay. I'll take the pie, and once I find out what they go for, I'll pay you the same. Deal?" He held out his hand to her to shake. He was already wondering how to market it and what prices to attempt. Always go higher and when someone refuses, pretend to cut them a deal and give them something reasonable. It seemed the best way to go. Never know when someone rich might come along and pay more than average, it wasn't wrong to take their money after all.

"Fine," she said, "But you know you don't have to. You know you can eat my pie for free." So innocently said and meant by her. No double entendre. She moved toward him and then stopped about three feet away, close enough to reach out to but far enough it was still polite. She planted her hands on her hips and looked up, tapping her foot. "I forgot to do something, I just have to remember what so I can do it. Oh! I need to go to market after the last pie is out of the oven. I was so excited over pastry that I forgot to get something for dinner... I can do that later I suppose."

Pony waved her off and smiled. "If your pie is worth paying for, I should pay for it. It's only fair, and you want to sell it. If we share a pie as friends, it would be different." He glanced over when she approached then stopped. "Ah, I hate when that happens."

He smiled and stepped over to her and shook his head. "Don't be silly. Why don't we go together? You can ride in my cart and we go shopping? It'll be fun." It was the least he could do and a nice excuse to spend more time with her.