‘Fuck,’ said Sammy behind me. ‘Jeee-sus. Hey, Tar-ah?’
I relaxed my muscles enough so that they’d let me turn around without unleashing a roundhouse. ‘Yeah?’
‘Here’s your chance. Go mind the booth until Shaz gets back.’
‘And do what?’
‘Keep quiet unless one of them tries to touch a girl. Then you find a way to stop him that doesn’t piss him off. The guy with the white shirt is a regular who pays good. The young one in the other room is a newbie—first lap dance. Sounds like he’s getting a bit overexcited. You do alright with them, you get the job.’
‘What are their names?’
‘Joel is the older one. Young one is Kosta. That’s all you need to know.’
I forced my legs to carry me over to the booth the girl had vacated. About then my courage briefly deserted me and I stopped.
‘What you doing?’ bleated Sammy.
‘Getting my thoughts in order,’ I said. Gritting my teeth, I stepped inside and shut the door.
It was just a cubicle with a rotating stool placed between two-way mirrors. The mirrors looked into different rooms and each side had a microphone and switch. Both the rooms were furnished with lounge chairs configured around a central small, circular platform with a single pole connecting to the roof. Even through the two-way, the walls looked slightly grubby and the lounge chairs were patterned with cigarette burns.
The older of the two guys—Joel Aprile—was leaning back in his lounge chair with a glass in one hand and a cigarette in the other, while Strawberry Jade did her thing. He looked content and half asleep, like he was really just there for a drink and a nap.
In the other room, a freckled blonde girl slow-danced. Her client—Kosta—was sitting forward on his seat, hands tapping the edge of the platform. Their auras were indistinct through the glass and the dim lighting, but there was no mistaking Kosta’s jiggling knee and the way he kept licking his lips and brushing the sweat from his upper lip. The boy was excited. The redhead, on the other hand, seemed more interested in the brass pole than the young man ogling her.
I swallowed back a rush of nausea and tried to get a grip.
As the blonde got really low, she reached behind her waist and pulled off her press-studded skirt. With a clichéd flourish she swirled it once and dropped it over Kosta’s head. He scrambled to untangle himself and then scrunched it into a ball and began sniffing it.
I had a sudden desire to run to the toilet myself. The blonde didn’t seem to notice and continued about her business, grinding her panties against the metal. As she swung around and gave him her back view, Kosta could no longer contain himself. He launched forward and smacked her semi-naked butt cheeks, sending her sprawling off the podium onto the chairs opposite.
I flicked the microphone on and summoned my deepest voice. ‘Now, now, Kosta, you know the rules. No touching or the pretty girl has to leave.’
But Kosta had his pants unzipped and halfway down his legs. Sammy chose that moment to enter the booth. ‘Jeesus, stop the little bastard,’ he hissed.
‘Kosta!’ I barked. ‘I’d hate to have to come in there and tell you off.’
That seemed to excite him more and his hands found their way into his pants.
‘Sammy!’ screeched the blonde.
‘Shit!’ Sammy went to run into the room but I grabbed his shirt, holding him back, and spoke into the microphone again.
‘Kosta, unless you zip your pants up and sit down, it’ll cost you a thousand dollars extra. We’ll charge it straight to your credit card.’
The hands that had been working furiously stilled. Nothing like plain money talk to dampen a young boy’s ardour.
‘Good fellow. Now zip it up, sit down and we’ll bring you a complimentary drink while our girl takes a short break.’
The blonde left the room and Kosta relaxed. So did Sammy, who nodded at me approvingly. ‘How did you know that would work?’
‘You said it was his first time. He’s probably been saving for it.’
‘Well, you got yourself the job. Get the girls to find you a dress. Staffroom’s next to the cig machine. Time I cut this wanker off.’
I left the booth and made a direct line for the door with no markings at one end of the bar.
The blonde was in there knocking back a shot of something evil and black. When she’d swallowed it she took another shot glass from her handbag, ripped the plastic lid off and downed it too. Her aura was giving off little explosions of light, like she might just combust. I’d never seen fear do that before and I tried not to stare.
‘That you in there?’ she said.
I nodded. ‘Shaz got sick. She’s in the loo.’
‘Bitch is strung out.’
‘Oh?’
‘Didn’t get her junk today. Anyway, thanks.’
I shrugged it off. ‘Sure. You get that often?’
‘Not if Meat-lover’s here.’ She saw my raised eyebrow and explained. ‘He’s our bouncer but he’s off at some security love-in bullshit this week.’
‘I heard about that.’
‘Sammy tried to talk him out of it but he wanted to go real bad. All kinds of new tech and some ex-SAS guys talking.’ She shuddered. ‘I can’t stand it when they touch me.’
You and Slim Sledge, I thought. ‘Sammy said I should put a hostess dress on. Said to ask you.’
She took a joint out of her bag and lit it. After a few deep drags she offered it to me.
I shook my head. ‘Not on my first night.’
She shrugged, went over to the sideboard that held a small TV screen and a pile of women’s mags and pulled open the top drawer. After a riffle through, she selected a dress. ‘Change in here if you like. We don’t worry much about that kind of thing.’
Considering she was standing in front of me in only high heels and a G-string, I got the drift. Still, I was Joanna Sharp’s daughter and I turned away to do the change.
‘You know the guy in the other room?’ I asked, trying to deflect attention from my embarrassment.
‘Listen, you helped me out in there but I’m not your friend.’ She tottered over to the sink and ran water on the end of the joint to put it out. Then she dropped it back in her bag and left the room.
I smoothed the dress down over my underwear. From the way it pulled tight in all the wrong places, I was glad I didn’t have a mirror to look in. A deep breath, a quick promise to myself I was out of there as soon as I’d spoken to Joel Aprile, and I headed back out to the bar.
Aprile had left the private room and was sitting in the lounge area nursing a drink. He looked preoccupied and I noticed his orange aura showed some dull, metallic spots. People with orange in their aura tended to be powerful personalities but the flat spots indicated a change might be happening.
Sammy and Strawberry Jade were talking, so I grabbed a tray with complimentary peanuts on it from the bar and strolled over to Aprile.
‘Can I get you something?’
He took a moment to look up and focus. It gave me time to get a first impression. Joel Aprile was a handsome man in his early forties, lean with shoulder-length hair and high cheekbones. He was dressed in jeans and a punk-style T-shirt and had four piercings in his right ear.
He looked like he’d just stepped out of a recording studio and was ready to knock off a bottle of bourbon. Rumpled but attractive was how I assessed him, and (according to his aura) about to undergo some kind of life change.
‘You’re new,’ he said.
‘Like about half-an-hour-ago new.’
‘Was there trouble in one of the rooms? I heard some shouting.’
‘Not trouble,’ I said carefully. ‘Just a bit of excitement.’
He grinned and his attractive face got quite sexy. I bet he got his way a lot.
‘You dancing?’ he asked.
‘No. Just getting your drinks and taking your money.’
‘Pity. I’d like to see those long legs wrapped around a pole.’
I ignored the blunt line and decided to move quickly. ‘You don’t seem like the type of guy to come to a boys’ club, but Sammy says you’re a regular.’
He took a sip and rolled the alcohol around in his mouth. After he swallowed it, he patted the seat next to him. ‘Things are quiet.’
I pretended to glance over at Sammy then I sat next to him.
‘What brings you to work in Vixens?’ he asked.
I waggled a finger and settled the little bowl of peanuts on the table next to him. ‘I asked first.’
He chuckled. ‘Can I tell you a secret?’
I pretended to zip my lip with my fingers.
‘I have a lot of family here. When I visit Brisbane they drive me nuts. This is the only place I can go where they won’t come looking for me.’
I stared at him for a moment then laughed. Genuinely. ‘You’re just here to hide out?’
‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘In a good way. If I get to look at a beautiful naked woman while I’m doing it, then it’s a bonus.’
‘Some men would just plug in their earphones at home and turn the music up.’
‘I get enough of that at work.’
‘Oh,’ I said vaguely. ‘You sell music?’
‘Something like that.’
‘I’d die without music,’ I said a little melodramatically.
‘You ever get to Sydney?’ he asked.
‘Not much. I’m saving to finish my voice tuition course. Want to go on Sing Factor.’
‘So you like to sing?’
‘Does a man like a woman in a G-string?’
‘Say, I’m going to a party later on tonight. You want to come?’
I frowned. ‘What sort of party?’
‘Just some friends in the music industry. You might meet a producer or two.’
I gave another pretend worried glance at Sammy. ‘We’re not meant to see clients outside . . .’
‘I’ll square it with Sammy. How about I pick you up here about eleven?’
‘No, don’t tell Sammy—I’ll just meet you there later,’ I said quickly.
He shrugged. ‘Okay. Come to the Bizarre Bar in the Valley. The party is in a private room upstairs.’ He wrote the address on a coaster. ‘Tell the guy on the door you’re with Joel Aprile.’
I gave him a delighted, slightly awed smile. ‘Thanks. I’d better get back to work.’
‘Yes, you’d better . . . so I can watch you.’
He stayed for another hour or so while I wiped down tables and listened to Sammy’s list of instructions about how the evening would unfold.
When Joel left he gave me a covert, one-finger wave.
I waited ten minutes in case he came back, and when I was sure he’d gone, I bundled my real clothes into my bag, ducked out the door leading to the cashier’s booth, and set off the fire alarm.
Sammy, Strawberry Jade, Shaz, the blonde and two punters grumbled up the stairs and out onto the street to wait for the fire brigade to turn up and check it out. While they were milling around, complaining to each other, I tagged on to a passing group and stayed with them as far as the next street corner. Then I peeled off and headed straight for Ed’s hotel.
When I was still a block away I got a phone call. Smitty.
‘T, where are you? What have you found out? I need to know or I’ll die.’
Her trembling voice worried me. She wasn’t the sort to get hysterical. ‘Calm down, Smitts. What’s happened?’
‘I followed him to work today. He stopped at a house in Claremont. He was in there for forty-five minutes.’
‘Do you know the house?’
‘It’s hers.’
‘Belle’s house? You saw her?’
‘There was a red Alfa Romeo in the driveway.’
Belle had a thing for red Alfas. Her daddy had bought her one as her first car.
‘Could be a coincidence. I mean . . . maybe it’s just a patient.’
‘It’s her. I know it! The kids and I are leaving him. How could he?’
‘Smitts!’ I yelled. ‘Stop it! Let me investigate a bit further.’
Heads were turning on the street to look at me.
‘Then where are you?’
‘Brisbane,’ I said.
‘Tara, I need you.’
‘Look, hon, I’ll get Hoshi to look into it for me. He’s better than I am at this sort of thing. Just be patient and give Henny the benefit of the doubt. Please.’
She began to howl. I was standing outside Ed’s hotel when she finally cried herself into a snuffle.
‘You’re right,’ she said finally. ‘I’m being ridiculous. Of course he loves me.’
‘I know he does! How are things between you? Are you fighting?’
‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘About everything. He says I’m acting weirdly.’
‘Are you?’
‘Yes.’ She said it so faintly I wasn’t sure I’d heard it.
My stomach churned a little. I hated hearing her so upset. She was my best friend. They were my best friends. ‘I’ll ring you in the morning.’
‘Okay.’ Still faint. ‘Come home soon.’
Ugh. Between Smitty’s crisis and the clammy residue of Vixens I wanted to go and take a long shower and spend some time with Ed. Luckily both were on tonight’s menu.
I rang Hoshi but he didn’t answer, so I stood on the pavement outside the hotel and sent him a long text explaining that I needed him to check up on Henny. After pressing send I strode up to the desk and asked for Eduardo Pote, ignoring the fact the hotel staff were staring at my Vixens outfit.
‘Mr Pote has been delayed and asked if we could escort you to his room. He said he’ll be with you shortly. The concierge will take you up.’
‘Thanks.’ After a moment of disappointment, I realised it would give me time to unwind and have that shower.
As soon as the concierge let me in the door, though, the only thing I could see was Ed’s bigger-than-king-size bed decked out in crisp white sheets and down-stuffed pillows.
Just for a moment, I thought . . .
•
Tozzi’s lips were on my thigh, warm and soft. His tongue came next, leaving little trails of moisture that made my flesh pimple. I really should take my clothes off to make it easier for him but if I moved he might stop what he was doing and that would be terrible . . .
‘Tara?’ said Nick.
‘Mmmm? You want me to take my clothes off?’
A chuckle. ‘Sure do.’
I sat bolt upright and opened my eyes. Ed was kneeling on the bed beside me, his shirt off and his pants undone. He’d been kissing my thighs and I was overcome by guilt and confusion. ‘Ed!’
‘Expecting someone else?’
‘No. I mean, I didn’t . . . I was dreaming . . . and thought I was awake.’
He crawled forward and stretched so that our mouths were level. ‘What is this?’ he asked, tugging at the clingy, tacky hostess dress.
‘I . . . Long story,’ I said, and pulled him on top of me.
But as things started to get hot and heavy, so my brain began to wake up. Unwanted thoughts filed into my mind: Brisbane, Stuart Cooper, Smitty, Joel Aprile.
I freed my mouth from Ed’s and he fell straight to kissing my neck. His hands slid up under my dress, teasing all my tender bits. My skin got so hot I wanted to tear off the dress.
‘What time is it?’ I panted.
He stopped what he was doing and raised his head from my neck. ‘Uh?’
‘How long was I asleep?’
He shifted slightly so he could see the bedside digital. ‘It’s quarter past eleven. I’m sorry but the shoot dragged on.’
‘Crap!’ I groaned. ‘I have to go.’
‘Go where?’ His mouth, which was all soft and kissable, thinned.
‘I’m sorry, Ed. It’s work.’
‘And you can’t tell me . . .’
I trailed a fingertip gently down the side of his face.
‘Well, apart from the client privilege thing, it’s
better for you if you don’t know anything.’
He gave me a very serious look. ‘Does that mean it’s dangerous?’
‘’Course not,’ I said lightly. ‘Just . . . messy sometimes.’
‘Like the Johnny Viaspa thing a few months ago.’
‘Shhhh! Don’t mention the devil’s name or he’ll appear.’
He frowned. ‘You shouldn’t make light of people like him. Everything I’ve read . . . and heard . . . says he’s bad news.’
I blinked. ‘Have you been researching criminals on my behalf? Ed, you’re so sweet.’
He sat up, the last of his ardour deflating. ‘Stop treating me like a child, Tara. You do it all the time.’
Did I? ‘I don’t mean to. I’m just trying to protect you from some of these seedy types I work with.’
‘Do you think everyone from the country is stupid and needs protecting, or just me?’
‘Just you!’ I joked.
This wasn’t going well and I was late for my date with Joel Aprile. ‘Look, I really have to go but can we catch up tomorrow? Please? I promise I won’t be frivolous.’
He suddenly relaxed his shoulders. With it came a look of exhaustion. I could tell he’d been ‘on’ all day and needed some time out.
‘Ed, you’re a good guy. I can’t help my instinct to protect you,’ I added softly. ‘It’s nothing to do with being from the country or anything else.’
‘I don’t want a mother, Tara. I have one.’
‘Okay.’ I leaned forward and kissed him on each cheek then on the lips. The last kiss grew firmer and deeper and pulling away from it was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do.
CHAPTER 9
Fortunately the Bizarre Bar wasn’t far from Inigo’s house, so I got the taxi to wait outside while I threw on some fresh clothes.
The lady of the house had retired to her room; trance music and the smell of something exotic emanated from under the door. That saved awkward conversation and I tiptoed around without disturbing her.
The taxi driver dropped me outside the bar at quarter to twelve and then rolled down the road to the nearest cab rank. Even though it was a Wednesday night Fortitude Valley was buzzing. In Perth streets on a Wednesday night you could commit mass murder then stop and have a cup of tea before strolling home.
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