The rigger and the ropemaster.

After the demo, after everyone has rearranged their clothes and cleaned up enough to be presentable, when Michael has pulled JoJo down and most people have slipped out to other things, Tommy is cuddled under his arms when the lights come up and the full room is revealed. Kate is grinning and brushing Tommy's short hair, rearranging her hairband. Michael is standing near the platform chatting with JoJo, who is scrubbing herself off with a towel as Michael drapes a blanket over her and hands her a snack to help her recover her blood sugars. Nick sees Graham enter the room and move to the platform, picking up the Ambubag and nodding to Michael. The dour-faced rigger walks towards Nick with definite purpose.

"Hello, Graham," Nick says when the man arrives in front of them. "Great show. Did you enjoy it?"

"Wife's been dead sixteen years," Graham grunts. "What you people do in yer fuckin' time is yer business, but I don't watch it."

"No offense meant," Nick apologizes. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Why? You ain't the drunk driver."

"Graham," Kate says in a low friendly voice. "He's a good man."

"He's a killer, I know the type."

Nick stills, controlling his anger. The monster is doing jumping jacks in his chest. "I'm a worse killer than you think. I'm a terrible person. But I'm trying to do better."

Graham's eyes flicker, a look of recognition and respect between the two combat vets. "You buyin' the place?"

"I might," Nick answers, voice tight. "What does it matter to you if you don't play the games?"

Before Graham can answer, Michael walks up behind Graham, his face neutral. Picking up on the tension between the two men, he smiles hesitantly. "Everything okay here?"

"Graham and Nick were seeing whose cock was bigger," jokes Kate, and Tommy and Graham laugh. Nick doesn't; he sees something unexpected, the dilation of Michael's pupils and the sudden flush on the skin when Kate mentions their cocks. The folder said Michael's straight, Nick remembers. This is a sex club, why would he hide that he likes men? Lazlo, I can understand. Why Michael?

"Sorry there's any tension," Michael says, genuinely kind. "Graham and I heard from a little bird you might be trying to buy the Cambridge from the Association."

"It's the open secret of the day," Tommy laughs, Kate kissing her shoulder and putting the brush away.

Michael smiles briefly at Tommy, barely hiding his interest. "We had some questions for you."

"Mine'r demands," Graham corrects. "You want my vote, you gotta do three things."

"I'm listening," Nick says, voice even and tight. The monster wants to fight, and he's having trouble controlling it.

Graham holds up his hand and ticks off his demands on his fingertips. "First, Rick is fuckin' gone. Don't care how, but he's gone. Second, you put me, Elizabeth, and Tara on permanent salary with guaranteed contracts and full benefits. Healthcare, dental, retirement, the whole package."

"You're going to get paid out and he's paying your share of our debts, too," Kate points out.

"Don't care," Graham says. "You know I bleed for this place every fuckin' week." He frowns. "Third, you put Kate in full charge, she fires Cecil and the rest of his junkie scabs, and let her do what she wants with the place. Those are all 'r nothin', by the way."

"And you, Michael?" Aden waits patiently.

"I don't want to sell." Michael looks apologetic. "This place is my refuge, and I don't want to give that up. I realize that, if Kate stays, I could still be a member, but, well, to be honest, this is the only thing in my life I've committed to. So..."

"Are you suggesting a partnership?" Nick shakes his head. "You have seven-and-a-half million to lose?"

"If Kate does everything she put forward in the prospectus, we won't lose," Michael answers, grinning. "Do YOU have that kind of money to put up?"

Nick is getting tired of answering the same question over and over, and maybe it shows a little in his answer. "Not your concern. I can hold up my end." Tommy touches his wrist, helping him center himself. "You want to be equal partners, who makes decisions?"

"I'd suggest we leave the whole thing to Kate," Michael says. "It's her plan. I trust her."