"Oh, real smooth, Mr. Blunt." Gabriel chuckled as he pulled a handkerchief out of his pinstripe jacket.

Steelbeak glared at her. "Har-de-har."

As they approached the entrance to the theater proper, Steelbeak did a violent mock sneeze into his handkerchief while Gabriel passed their tickets to Gizmoduck.

"Thank you, but I'm here simply for security. The usher can take your tickets, ma'am."

"Ma'am?" Gabriel glared viciously at him. "Can it, rust bucket." She looped her arm around Steelbeak's and the two quickly made their way down the aisle. The carpeted walkway descended past the mezzanine and into the expensive orchestra seats.

Two rows from the front, Steelbeak paused to check the tickets, then motioned with a debonaire gesture. "Ladies foist."

"Since when have you considerd me a lady?" Gabriel asked with a sickeningly coy giggle.

"Since you wore a dress." He replied. "Besides, you obviously didn't take kindly to being called ma'am, so what else is left?"

"Well, do I look old enough to be a ma'am? For crap's sake, I'm only twenty-one!" Gabriel squeaked, making her way down to her assigned seat.

Steelbeak discreetly cast another appraising glance at Gabriel as she sat down. She was wearing a dress that he found surprisingly out of her personal style. It was a deep midnight blue, low cut, with spaghetti straps and a long skirt that nearly brushed the floor. The fabric hugged tightly to her body to halfway down her thighs, where the skirt flowed out into gentle ruffles.

"Where'd ya get dat dress?"

"Got it for the grand opening of the 'new' Goldeneye a little while back," Gabriel replied, opening her program.

"Ahhh, de renovation gala." He nodded, remembering the large soiree that F.O.W.L. had put on to cover up the beginning of their operations upstairs. "I don't remember ya wearin' dat, though."

"If you remember, I was still finishing up my internship with Ammonia Pine at the time. Knowing your history with her, you were probably avoiding her -- and me."

Steelbeak smiled as he settled into his seat. "Den it looks like I really missed out dat night."

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