Lunch break (Patreon)

 While Stone Mane continued on his journey another pony was taking care of business and getting a bite to eat in my Equestria dreamscape.  

 
  The mare behind the counter called the next order. "Okay! I've got a Trotter's Special with extra grilled onions ready for number 38! Number 38 your order is ready!" 

  Heartbreaker muscled her way through to the counter. "Pardon me! Out of my way! Move it governor!" Finally she reached the counter and retrieved her sandwich and bottle of sarsaparilla. 

   
  Strider & Canter Deli was always packed during lunch, but ponies didn't mind the lines because the food was always worth the wait.  

 
  With her lunch bag in her teeth the mare trotted out into the noontime street. Manehattan had a constant rumble as ponies hooves, wagons wheels, and tram cars filled the air with sound. Above the rumble was the sound of hundreds of ponies talking, laughing, yelling, and cursing.  

 
  Heartbreaker loved it. Still she was looking for place where she could sit down and enjoy her lunch. She could go back to the House of Roses but she had an errand to take care of anyways, and besides she knew just the place. 

  Just a block or so away was a small, shady, quiet park that was perfect for eating one's lunch. Since she'd started working at the club this had become a regular place to enjoy her lunch. Finding herself a park bench she laid down on it and began eating her lunch. The park was frequented by a regular cast of ponies who ate their lunch in the park.  

 
  Along with the ponies who regularly took of their lunch in the park; there was cast of peddlers and vendors who sold various trinkets, snacks and newspapers to them. One in particular was an old unicorn stallion who sold flowers from a little cart he pushed around the park. Whenever Heartbreaker visited the park the old stallion always dropped by. 

  
  "Eh good day! Good ta see you again!" The old stallion levitated his glasses off his muzzle and gently wiped them with a handkerchief before returning them to their regularly resting place. "I see you've got no corsage today for your vest dear. Could I interest you in something?" 

  Heartbreaker grinned at the old stallion. "Do you have a pink rose governor?" 

  "Why yes I do! It's thornless too! " Said the stallion as he carefully levitated a brilliant carmine pink flower for her to see. "Would this do?" 

  "Yeah I'll take that one." The earth pony rummaged around in her change purse and passed the stallion some coins. In return the old unicorn carefully wrapped the stem in a piece of paper and floated it over to her.

 
  "Well dear it is always nice doing business with you. Until next time, good day." Then he moved on to his next customer. 

  
  Heartbreaker waited until he'd left before she unrolled the paper around the stem. She affixed the corsage to her vest then she examined the paper that had come with it. Written on the inside of the paper was a series of numbers and letters. The mare casually looked around the park, then spent the next few seconds committing the information to memory. With that accomplished she crumpled it up and stuff it bag that her sandwich had came in. After she finished her lunch she tossed into a nearby trash bin. Then she headed off to finish her errand. 

  
  Long Shot was sitting in his regular booth in the back of the Giggling Griffin Pub. Strewn across the table in the booth was the day's newspapers, his ledgers, and various notebooks that were covered with his cryptic writing. A plate of onion rings and a half drunk pint of porter kept him company.  

 
  Heartbreaker flopped down on the bench across from the earth stallion and grinned at him. "Hey there Long Shot! I've got me some business to do with ya!"

   
  She pulled out a small tobacco pouch and tossed it on the table. "I want to put a bet down on the races tonight at the Downs! 12 bits on Fiery Mane!" 

  Long Shot shook his head. "I'll take yer money dear if ya want ta just throw it away, but the odds are not good for her. Ya shure ya want ta place the bet? She's 20-to-1 tonight. By the way nice corsage." 

  Heartbreaker pulled a cigar from a case she carried in a vest pocket. She bit the end off and spat it into a nearby spittoon. Then she fished out pasteboard box of matches from the same pocket. Wedging a match in notch between two of the steel plates on her front boots she struck on the nearby brick wall. The match burst into flame and for the next couple of seconds the mare was focused on lighting her cigar. Then she grinned at the middle-aged stallion.  

 
  "That's nice of ya governor, but dontcha worry about it! Fiery been due for a win, and she's recovered well from that spill she took a few weeks. If ya want ya can count the bits in the bag."

 
  The stallion shook his head. "Nah! Yer good on yer bets dear." He noted Heartbreaker's bet in his ledger. Then gave her a stub with a number on it.

   
  "Ya know the drill dear. Here's yer stub don't lose it." 

  The mare nodded her head then tuck the stub into a inside pocket of her vest. "Well, need to get back to work. Talk with ya later!" 

  She then rose and trotted off. Long Shot watched her leave, then he glanced around the pub. Opening the tobacco pouch he removed the bits. Good to her word there was 12. He placed them in a warded, locking satchel on his panniers. In the bottom of the pouch was a folded piece paper. Long Shot placed the paper in his personal wallet. Heartbreaker's had delivered her information to him, and the pink rose corsage meant she'd received her latest instructions. Now he just needed to get this information to the right parties tonight.  

 
  He smiled and took a long sip of his porter as his next customer settled into the booth to place a bet. 

  
 To be continued.