Not the Job I Wanted, Just the One I've Got

I'm to start right away, so the bartender/inkeeper, a middle-aged, bespectacled man named Cole, shows me to a changing room. The outfit, while more revealing than my current dress (even owing for my makeshift alterations), is nevertheless fairly modest compared to some of the stuff I've had to wear over the past year.

Once I get started, I settle into my role almost immediately. This place is a bit out of the way, so it's not very crowded. I feel more at ease than I have in a good while. Only my fears about my children and friends keep me from actually enjoying myself. Cole, like Zal so long ago, let it be known that unwelcome advances by customers wouldn't be tolerated. It's easier to serve drinks and act in an alluring way when I don't have to fear getting dragged off to someone's bedchamber.

1. After a week working there, Karshin returns. He's surprised, and mentions (loudly) "You've come a long way since Madam Scarlet's!" I groan as every man in the room, including my employer, looks at me in surprise. I had hoped to keep my past secret.
2. About a month into my employment, late on a quiet night, Cole and I are cleaning the front room together when the inevitable happens and he kisses me. I kiss him back, since I like him and wouldn't mind the relationship.
3. Two months pass, and the news from the south has improved to the point where I feel it's safe to travel. I'm guardedly optimistic Don, Sara and the babies made it through this ok.
4. Several months pass, and news of the outbreak continues to grow bleaker. Traffic towards the province slows to a crawl, then stops completely when the king announces a quarrantine. I despair of seeing those I care about again. What am I to do?

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