by J. S. Peck
Twenty minutes later, I reluctantly rose and headed into the bathroom to shower and get dressed. I wasn’t sure what the dress code was for someone in my position there so I slipped into a simple classic navy linen sleeveless dress. This would have to do.
At 9:30 a. m. I said goodbye to Sweet Pea and called to Mike that it was time for him to drive me to work. It wouldn’t seem unusual for Mike as my pretend boyfriend to be at my side. It also helped that many men his age often preferred dating a younger woman. So we wouldn’t look out of place.
On the way there Mike said, “Keep your eyes and ears open and for God’s sake, please be careful! Don’t act interested in what everyone else is doing, either. Just be nonchalant.”
“I’ve got it covered, Mike. I know what to do.”
“And also,” he continued. “You might want to…”
“Mike, if you don’t quit now, I’m going to ask you to stop the car and let me out. You are making me so nervous…”
“Sorry. You’re right. Sorry.”
Mollified by knowing he was concerned about me, I sat back in my seat and began to meditate to calm myself. The fact was I was extremely nervous about jumping into this new position without the guidance of Sophia. I had no idea what to expect.
When we pulled into The Purple Passion Lounge, I took in everything about the building. It was larger than I expected and its appearance suggested that the wider section in the rear of the building didn’t fit with the front. It looked like an add-on. I was curious about that and made plans to check that out when I could. The building itself was covered in black glossy tiles, both front and sides, with a rounded front entrance protected by a very large, extended, fancy car port held up by white columns similar to those I equate with southern mansions.
Along the curb, there was a black marquee sign whose bright purple lettering alerted all of Las Vegas this was the place to come if you wanted to see girls. Of course, there was Sally in her renowned stance of tits and butt at the bottom right of the sign. The building reminded me of an older, somewhat gaudy restaurant that had past its prime. Yet, in its own way, it still seemed eloquent and somewhat charming. I scoffed at myself. We’ll have to see just how charming it really is.
We parked the car and Mike walked me to the front door. It was locked. I rang the bell and I could hear footsteps hurrying toward us. As the door cracked open, a pretty girl’s head peeked out with a questioning look. She looked at me curiously. I said, “Hi, my name is Rosalie. The new girl? I’m supposed to take over the front desk?”
“Ahh, yes. Rosalie, right? Come on in.”
As she opened the door wider, she noticed Mike standing there. She asked, “Who’s this?” as she looked him up and down, taking all of him in.
“Oh, this is my boyfriend, Mike.”
“Well, you’re going to have to come back, Mike, it’s not time to open. We’re closed from 4:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon so the cleaning people can get everything in order and we can get some sleep.” She seemed to be teasing him.
The girl turned toward me, “By the way, I’m Cindy, though some call me ‘Sweet Thing’. I’ll be the one showing you around today. Come on in.”
Mike stood his ground until I lightly kissed him. I could feel Cindy watching us. As the door closed behind us, she shoved me in a friendly manner and teasingly said, “Honey, you’ll never keep that man that way. They always want more than a stodgy kiss.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
“You know it, girl.”
I just rolled my eyes and followed along.
CHAPTER 22
After Cindy and I entered the Purple Passion Lounge through the heavy double doors, we were in a bright, short hallway that lead to another set of double doors. We opened them and stepped into the large greeting area that was welcoming, glowing with incandescent lighting. Everywhere we walked, there were mirrored walls and marble floors with its gray tones giving the appearance of eloquence and richness, even if a bit garish. I had to smile for it seemed more like the reception area of a high end corporation. Oh my!
I spotted the large curved desk where I assumed I’d be working. It was close to the entrance of what I thought must be the bar area. Across from the desk was a large one-way window which enabled us to see outside and keep those outside from seeing in. I watched Mike drive away.
As we walked past the area where I’d be working, I spotted two plush chairs behind the desk, which also held a computer and other things I’d need. The front of the desk was raised about 18 inches and served more like a small counter top allowing for greater privacy below. It would block the patrons’ view of all on the desk as they walked by.
I was expecting the bar area to be beyond where the desk stood. Instead, as we rounded the corner, we entered another beautiful long, hallway. Along the way, there were several wide open rooms with heavy drapes serving as doors that could partially close off the area when not tied back to the posts. Depending on the size of the room, inside was one or two leather couches and matching chairs in addition to various sized café tables and chairs. Although tastefully done, I didn’t even want to think of what went on there.
What I thought would be a simple bar area was so much more. My eyes were drawn to the curved bar with plush, heavy stools on the far side of the room taking up the entire wall. The shelving behind the bar was fully stacked with all varieties of liquor bottles. I couldn’t imagine anyone asking for a particular liquor and they wouldn’t have it on hand.
The ceiling was an enormous dropped ceiling with all kinds of reflectors and lighting that focused on a single pole on a raised platform where I imagined the girls would take turns dancing for their guests.
The main bar area with its small mahogany café tables and plush cushioned chairs were expensive looking. But all was cheapened by its black walls and bright purple touches that reminded me of the clownish look I had seen on their website. The lights were kept dim so as to allow some privacy … but not enough to completely take away the possibility and fun of becoming a voyeur to what was happening at the next table. I knew about lap dances but had never seen or been a part of them. I tried not to go there in my mind’s eye.
Cindy had been continuously talking to me and I’d been only half listening so I asked her now, “What was that you said, Cindy?”
“I’m showing you all this because in order to get to the back area where we can eat and take a break, we have to go through this room. Other than that, you are not supposed to be in here, okay?”
“Sure. No problem.”
“Great. Now follow me and I’ll show you our employee lounge area and bathrooms.”
I followed along with excitement building in my stomach. It would be exciting to be a part of discovering and taking down whoever killed Melissa and Sally. Intuitively, I knew both deaths were connected to the people here, but I didn’t know how yet. I needed not to act naïve and play out my role here with more aplomb. “Cindy? What is the dress code for me here?”
She looked me up and down. A look of amusement crossed her face. “Well, for starters, you look like you’re going to court or something. Very vanilla like. Whether you wear a dress or pants doesn’t matter, but I think you’ll want the top part to show a little cleavage, you know?”
At the look on my face, she added, “You don’t have to dress like the girls or be too provocative, but a little bit helps.”
I bet. “Just go with the flow,” I muttered to myself. After all, if you want to do this job right, follow what they say. I sighed. Who’d have thought I’d be working in a gentlemen’s club in Las Vegas?
Beyond the bar area, we went down another hallway. There were offices along one side on our way to the employee lounge. The lounge, itself, was surprisingly lavish with all steel appliances. Even a cappuccino maker. There were full-sized lockers along the backside of the wall where we could put ou
r coats, purses and whatever else we could fit in. Each locker had a coded lock on it.
“This locker here will be yours. We have a new lock for you to use. You can put in whatever code you want. I’ll show you how it works, okay?”
I nodded and smiled at her. My mind was elsewhere because of all the visions of past happenings coming to me. I would have to block them so that I could concentrate on what Cindy was telling me. Right now, I doubted I could even find my way back to the front of the building without her help!
After setting up the new lock, I was able to stow my purse inside. Cindy began to open and close the cabinets and refrigerator pointing out different things in the kitchen. “We always have coffee available. Just help yourself. Cream is right here in the refrigerator and feel free to bring in whatever you want for yourself. We have soup in the cabinets and some other things. Whatever’s in this cabinet here, help yourself. This other cabinet is where you can bring in whatever you want. Just mark it with your name or it will be gone! Capisce?”
I laughed and said, “Got it!”
Cindy looked at me and smiled. “I think I’m going to like you!”
“I’m going to like you, too!” There was something about Cindy that was soft and loving, not at all what I was expecting. I wondered if down the road we would find ourselves on the same side.
CHAPTER 23
Cindy walked me further into the back end of the main building, the square section which I’d first noticed when Mike and I had driven into the Purple Passion Lounge earlier. The closer we got to it, the more I could smell chlorine. “Is this what I think it is?” I asked Cindy.
“Yep, you guessed it. I’m telling you, we have everything here!”
“The question is, do you do everything here?” This had rolled off my tongue before I realized what I had said. I paused where I was standing, not knowing how she would respond.
Cindy just stared at me for a moment, then burst out laughing. “The hell with calling you Rosalie. I’m going to call you Rosebud for short!”
I wasn’t happy with my new name, but I would go along with it if I had to. We both looked at each other and laughed. Then Cindy opened the door. We entered the heated pool area with cabanas skirting around it. It was stunning! It appeared more like what the old roman baths must have looked like, especially since that motif was carried throughout the room.
“Obviously, this room is for the higher paying customers only. We never get to use it for recreation and frankly, we don’t want to. They even have a separate entrance.”
“It sure is a gorgeous room.”
“The only thing I haven’t shown you are the private sleeping quarters for the bosses and some of the offices. I’m not allowed to. Other than that, what do you think?”
“Well, it’s certainly more elegant than I’d thought it would be. It’s really very nice and upscale. A nice surprise.”
“Oh, my God! I forgot to show you my favorite room – the main kitchen! It’s located right to the left of the bar area, and we have a fabulous cook! And guess what? You can order off the menu for your break.”
“I’d love to see it. Lead the way!”
The kitchen was every chef’s dream. It was all stainless steel with everything in it a chef could possibly want. It had a large walk-in refrigerator and what looked like another large walk-in freezer half hidden behind the refrigerator. There was a long stainless prep table in the center of the room. Against the furthest wall was a top-of-the-line commercial oven with a six burner stove top. There were also two separate ovens set away from the first stove. The arrangement was perfect with the spacing a triangle from sink, refrigerator and freezer to stove. My heart skipped a beat just seeing the perfection of it all.
I had barely taken notice of the man who had his back to us when we first stepped into the kitchen. Now, he turned around and greeted us with enthusiasm. “Sweet Thing, my love! What delicious flower have you brought me?”
Cindy approached him and they blew air kisses around each cheek. “Romano, this is Rosebud.”
I blushed and corrected her, “Rosalie.”
He stepped away from me while still holding onto my arm. “No, my sweet. You are a Rosebud. Rosebud it is.”
I smiled. He pulled me toward him and gave me two air kisses and whispered into my ear, “My real name is John, but it wasn’t fancy enough. So I renamed myself Romano after the cheese.” Then he laughed at himself with delight.
I fell in love with him at that moment. His eyes twinkled and he looked me up and down. “Oh, darling, you must do something with those clothes. They do nothing for you!”
I could feel myself blush and he immediately came to my aid. “Don’t worry, Rosebud. Just go to Louie’s and tell him I sent you. He’ll know what to do. Do you know where it is?”
I shook my head.
“No? Right on Sahara Avenue just beyond Jones.”
I still looked confused.
“No worries. I’ll give him a call and tell him to expect you. When do you want to go? Tomorrow maybe? Around 10 o’clock?”
Why not? I thought. “Sure. That’d be great. Thanks, Romano.”
“Anything for you, darling.”
“It was nice meeting you, Romano. I….
“Sit, sit!” he ordered. “You can’t leave now! I’m going to do my famous scrambled eggs for my two special beauties. Can’t miss this, right Cindy?”
Cindy was nodding her head in agreement. “Romano’s right. You’ll want to stay put.”
Romano had pulled out two metal stools from beneath the prep table. We dutifully sat and watched him work. On a shelf above the prep table there was a section filled with different seasonings, fresh cut herbs, and other delights in small glass bowls that I didn’t recognize. He pulled out what he wanted and threw everything into a bowl to mix it. Then, in a grand flourish, he tossed it all into the sizzling skillet. He flipped the eggs only twice creating a more well-done exterior and a slightly cheesier, gooey center.
I was practically drooling by the time my plate was put before me. In typical fashion, I swooned and made pleasing sounds with each bite. Romano was watching me with pleasure. “Ah, Rosebud, a girl after my heart! Perfecto, huh?”
My mouth was stuffed. I could only nod. My God! These were the best eggs I’d ever had. I looked at Cindy who was enjoying them as much as I was. She winked at me and said, “Delish!”
We said goodbye to Romano with air kisses and promises to return. Cindy pulled me along. “I hope we’re not late. Bertha is filling in and she’ll be the one who’ll explain the front desk to you. She can be a bitch. We call her Mama, by the way. Let’s hurry!”
We ran through the bar and down the wide hallway we had come through before. We arrived out of breath into the reception area face-to-face with a large, unattractive woman who was not happy we were late.
Cindy said, “Sorry, Mama, to keep you waiting.” Then using my formal name, she added. “This here is Rosalie. She’ going to be taking over the front desk for the first shift 4 to 10 p.m.”
Mama just eyed me, saying nothing. She moved away from us and headed to the desk area leaving us to follow. Cindy tapped me on the shoulder and whispered, “See you later, Rosebud. Mine’s the second shift so I’ll be back in time for it. See you later. Good luck,” she added with a roll of her eyes.
I looked at Mama who had turned to make sure I had followed her. I hurried to her side. She seemed to know the routine well and it wasn’t hard to catch on. It actually was very simple because it was like any typical restaurant that listed their reservations on a computer. Beyond the reservations, there was simply an entrance fee for the guest to pay, allowing them into the bar area where the girls could upsell them on activities. The girls would be the ones to bring their guests’ bills to the register where I would either collect the money or occasionally charge their cards. Most of the clien
ts used cash.
Interestingly, I wouldn’t have to worry about punching in a category for payment of different activities because the bookkeeper would do that later with the slips that were handed in by the girls. The bookkeeper would then enter each slip into her computerized bookkeeping program. The different codes on the slips that the girls wrote down would tally their portion of the monies due them according to the activity. Not a great way to do business, I thought. But again, I was only here as the receptionist. The program was passcode protected and wasn’t even on my computer. Is that how Melissa had come up to the $23,345? She must have been very busy!
Mama caught my attention when she said, “Now, about PUP…”
“Yes?”
“When the girls ask for a driver for their guest, they will tell you where they are to be dropped off – their hotel or wherever. You just push this button on the telephone and record the message into the handset of the phone and it will send a text out. Then, you’re done. One of the drivers will be here to pick up the passenger. There will be a security guard here at all times so you won’t be alone. Also, we have a security system that will be watching you and everyone else.” She pointed to the ceiling and I could see the same type of cameras used in the casinos.
“Did Cindy show you all around?”
“Yes, she did.”
“Well, then, that’s it for the day. Come back tomorrow and I’ll start you out on your shift until you feel comfortable. Go get your purse or whatever else you brought with you,” she commanded in a brisk manner. “Do you need a ride?”
“No, I’ll call my boyfriend. He’ll pick me up.”
For some odd reason, at hearing I have a boyfriend, she seemed relieved. What is that all about?
I got a bit lost on my way to the break room. By the time I went into the bar area, I saw the same man with the funny hair style I had seen with Sally that day we had met at the Bellagio. He was talking with Mama. When she saw me, she called me over. “Rosalie, this is Johnny. He’s one of the people who’ll be helping out in the front.”