by C. J. Pinard
“Jane, this is Miss Kathryn Berlinski. She’s your new girl, and she starts tonight.”
To say Jane was surprised would be an understatement. But she quickly recovered, smiling at Kathryn, eyeing her housekeeping uniform. “So I take it you’re not a dancer?”
Kathryn shook her head. “Nope, I work in housekeeping, but apparently Mr. Stuart here thinks I should be a dancer. So here, I am, teach me!” She put her arms out.
Jane threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, I like her already, Stu!”
Mr. Stuart took another drag off his cigar then turned on his heel to exit the dressing rooms. He briefly turned back around before reaching the door, pointed the cigar at her, and said in a tone that meant business, “Jane, tonight will be perfect. Isn’t that right?”
She inclined her head, the plastered-on smile never leaving her face. “Of course it will, sir. We will not disappoint.”
As he left the dressing room, Jane looked at Kathryn. “Well, what are we going to do with you? First of all, I’m Jane. This is Marilyn and Judy.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Jane, clearly the ringleader, led Kathryn through the maze of dressing tables to a door set into the wall. She was speaking animatedly the entire time. “What are you, about a size 4? We have plenty of stuff. Tonight we are going to do the showgirl dance, but as you get more experience, you will be able to do solo acts. Ever seen a Cabaret show, honey?”
Kathryn shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
Marilyn and Judy giggled.
Jane sighed. “It’s okay. First things first; wardrobe.”
Kathryn sucked in a breath as she was led into the costume area. Lots of brightly-colored costumes hung along the massive walls, and she stared at them in awe.
Jane pulled out a very skimpy showgirl outfit; a beaded number with a ridiculously large peacock feathered headpiece. She placed it on Kathryn’s head and threw her head back, laughing. “Fabulous!” she continued to giggle.
The next four hours were spent learning a dance routine that didn’t consist of much more than a bunch of kicks and smiles. Kathryn surprised herself at not just how easily she learned the routine, but how fun she found it. She looked out onto the ballroom floor and saw her two housekeeping colleagues watching them. They smiled and waved at her. She waved back.
“Okay, be back here at six sharp, ya hear?” Jane said, holding Kathryn by the shoulders. “Mr. Stuart wants all girls in heavy makeup, and he detests truancy. Got it?”
Kathryn smiled nervously. “Got it.”
As she exited the stage, somewhat tired and sore from hours of dancing in high heels, she got to the lobby of the hotel, she smiled. “Goodnight, Gregory.”
“Have a good one, Miss B!” he called out. Then he looked at the front doors and scowled.
As she exited the glass doors, she saw David leaning on his Model-T. A smile lit up his face when he saw her. She had changed back into her housekeeping uniform, since it was the only thing she had.
“Hi, gorgeous,” he said, pulling her into an embrace and kissing the top of her head.
She had forgotten all about the date she had planned for tonight, and cringed internally at what she was about to tell him.
“Where do you want to go tonight?” he asked. “There’s a great Chinese food place on Wilshire.”
“How about we see a show at the hotel?” she asked, stifling a giggle.
“A show? Really? I didn’t think you’d be into those flashy-trashy things,” he replied.
She smiled as she watched him drive. “David, you’re not gonna believe what happened to me today.”
He whipped his head in her direction. “What’s that?”
“I, well, I kind of got drafted into the Cabaret.”
He slammed the brakes on with both feet, causing drivers behind him to honk. “What?!”
She bit back a smile. “Yeah. You gonna come see me dance tonight?”
A dark expression passed over his features. “You have got to be joking. Please tell me you’re joking.”
She frowned. Although she knew he wouldn’t be happy, this was not the reaction she was expecting. “David, the pay is more than double what I’m making in housekeeping, and I only have to work a few hours a night – and only four nights a week at that! My days will be completely free!”
David gingerly pressed on the gas pedal, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. “If you needed money, you should have just told me. You do understand you’d practically be selling your body for money by dancing, don’t you?”
Talk about a cringe-worthy comment. “No, I’m not selling my body for money, David. I want to do this. It will be fun. Can you please be supportive? I have to make a living. And this is an honest living, David. It really is.”
He exhaled, and pulled the car up in front of her apartment building. She waited in the passenger seat as he came around to open the door for her. He offered a hand to help her out, and held her coat as he opened the door to her building and ushered her inside.
After entering her apartment, he took a seat on the sofa. She began to unbutton her maid’s uniform and said, “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
He sighed, removing his hat and raking a hand through his hair. “I will support you, Kat. Please, come sit.” He patted the sofa cushion next to him.
She came over and sat down, smiling as she looked into his gentle eyes.
“I have been thinking about you all day. I cannot stop thinking about you, in fact. I was going to wait until dinner to tell you this, but I love you, Kat. I’ve loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you in that train station. I’m sorry for my outburst earlier; I was just taken aback by the job offer, that’s all. While it’s going to kill me to see all of those men ogling your body, I won’t complain that I, too, will get a glimpse.” He waggled his eyebrows.
Her face flamed at his comment and she bit back a smile. “So you’re okay with my job choice then?”
He smiled, rubbing her hand, and said. “Yes, on one condition.”
“What’s that?” she asked, grinning – almost giddy.
“That you only dance as Mrs. David Jones.” He pulled a ring from the pocket of his suit jacket and slipped it on her finger.
She looked down at the tiny diamond set in a plain gold band and her mouth dropped open. “David, I… I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes.”
She bit the side of her lip then looked back up at him. “Yes, Mr. Jones. Yes!”
∞∞∞
Portland, Oregon – Present Day
“How was your workout?” Malina asked, sitting on the sofa reading What to Expect When You’re Expecting.
“It was good, sweetie,” Thomas replied, planting a kiss on the top of her head.
“Hi, Malina,” Tyler said with a small wave as he made his way back to his bedroom. “I’m gonna hit the shower.”
“Hi, Tyler,” Malina said, smiling.
“Something smells good,” Jonathan said, going into the kitchen where Kat was cooking. “What’s for dinner, honey?”
Kathryn smacked him with the back of a wooden spoon. “Don’t ‘honey’ me. I ain’t your little woman.”
He, in turn, smacked her butt with his large hand, twirling her around. “You’ll be whoever I say you’ll be, woman.”
She laughed and stood on tiptoes to kiss him on the mouth, then pushed his hands away so she could keep cooking. “Go shower, you smell.”
“Shower’s occupied,” he said, jerking a thumb behind him towards the bathroom.
She giggled and went back to the shrimp scampi she was making.
Tyler went into his bedroom and peeled off his clothes. He put on a loose pair of shorts and scurried to the bathroom, starting up the shower. Once it was hot enough, he got undressed and stepped in. As he plunged his head under the water, he tried to think of anything other than Mike the vampire.
“Why am I so attracted to him?” he murmured to himself. He shook h
is head and began soaping up his body, but he couldn’t stop thinking about Mike’s chiseled chest, his biceps, his blue eyes, his full lips…
“Stop it!” he hissed to himself through gritted teeth.
The way Tyler saw it, he had enough problems to deal with right now, and finding a diplomatic way of telling his new Immortal colleagues he was gay was not one of them. He was surprised they hadn’t asked him about a girlfriend yet. Most people did, and he usually gave the medical school/internship/busy doctor excuse. He wasn’t sure he even wanted to tell them – afraid of making them uncomfortable as these things sometimes do – and he knew they were old. Old-school, he thought to himself, smiling. No, now was not the right time. Nor was it the right time to be having lustful thoughts about a vampire of all people – who was probably as straight as an arrow anyway. He whipped his hand in the air, causing the stream from the shower to twirl above him in a perfect arc, then with a flick of his wrist, shot the stream straight at his torso, freezing the water as it went.
He let out a huge gasp, and then laughed. “Cold showers always help.”
Malina, Thomas, Kathryn, and Jonathan all sat around the table and began eating. Tyler came out, freshly showered and took the empty seat.
“Looks delicious,” he said, digging into the pasta and shrimp.
“Thank you,” Kathryn said.
He twirled the angel hair noodles around his fork. “You’re an excellent cook,” Tyler said to Kathryn, who smiled back at him.
Malina took a dainty bite, then wiped her mouth on the napkin from her barely visible lap. “I’d like to speak with you all about something.”
Thomas looked at Malina, slightly alarmed. “Is everything okay, sweetie?”
She laughed nervously. “Yes, dear, of course it is. It’s about the shifters on the island.”
Jonathan immediately scowled. “What about them?”
“I’ve spoken to the other queens and we have decided to do a compassionate release.”
The table let out a collective gasp.
“You can’t be serious!” Kathryn said, almost choking on a lump of shrimp. She grabbed her wineglass and washed it down.
Malina’s eyes filled with tears. “I know. And I’m sorry. But the incarceration is killing them. You should see them. They’re dying slowly. We cannot, in good conscience, let them suffer. It’s cruel.”
“Cruelty to animals, call PETA,” Jonathan muttered.
Tyler choked out an involuntary laugh, as did Thomas.
“Dude, that was not right,” Tyler said, trying to stop his chuckles under Malina’s glare.
“But seriously – they’re freaking shifters. They’re lucky to be alive after that damned stunt they pulled at their hearing, confessing to the Alcatraz escapes,” Jonathan said.
Malina let out a forceful breath. “Look, the darn vampires kidnapped Lily and me, and yet, they only served, what, two weeks in prison? I think they learned their lesson. I also feel Seth and Malachi have learned their lesson, too. Not to mention, Seth seems to be suffering immensely at the loss of Sheena.” Shooting Jonathan a glare, she continued, “So that’s the way it is. I’m sorry to disappoint you all, but I just thought you should hear it from me.”
And with that, she pushed away from the table, stood up with her hand on her back, and waddled into the bedroom.
Thomas shot an apologetic look at Jonathan and immediately got up and followed her.
“Well, looks like we’ll have to do a lot more animal watching from now on,” Jonathan said with a sneer.
“They’re not the only shifters in the city, John, and you know it,” Kathryn said, scooping more scampi onto her plate.
Tyler’s fork paused midway to his mouth. “Where are there more?”
Jonathan waved a hand. “They own that new club downtown, what did Agent Swift say it was called?”
“The Pole Cat,” Kathryn snorted.
Jonathan chuckled. “Oh yeah.”
“We should go check it out,” Tyler said, looking at Jonathan. “You can show me how to spot a shifter.”
Kathryn laughed. “Uh, yeah, he kinda sucks at that – especially when there are strippers involved.”
Chapter 7
∞∞∞
Los Angeles – 1918
Six months had passed since Kathryn started dancing in the Cabaret. By that time, she was their star. Her name appeared on the marquis outside the hotel, with the sign reading things like, “Come see the Pussy Kat” and “Kitty Kat and the Cigar.”
David, while not amused at the innuendos on the signs, couldn’t help but be proud of her. He sat back in his chair at one of the front tables, nursing a scotch, waiting for the show to start. He was sitting with his boss, Andrew, and another colleague, William.
The stage was dimmed with very minimal lighting and small, round tables were set up on the ballroom floor. Cigar and cigarette smoke danced in the lights and the low hum of chatter could be heard throughout. Men dressed in fancy tailored suits with two-toned wingtips on their feet and fedoras on their heads. Women adorned shimmering dresses, as the flapper area was about to explode and the style was just coming into itself.
“I can’t believe it’s taken you two this long to come and see Kat dance,” David said, tipping his head back and swallowing the last of the amber liquid.
Andrew laughed. “Yes, well some of us have what we call a job. In fact, we have two jobs, don’t we, Will?”
“Yes, yes we do. Stockbroker by day, Immortal cop by night,” Will said with a chuckle, stroking his smooth chin with the tips of his fingers.
David’s face grew serious as he signaled the pretty waitress for another drink. “Speaking of – she still doesn’t know. I have no idea how I’m gonna tell her, either.”
Andrew’s face went grim. “You can’t tell her. Ever. You know the rules.”
David shook his head. “You can’t be serious, Andy. I can’t go marryin’ this girl and not tell her. That would be kind of stupid, don’t you think?”
Will bit the green olive off the toothpick of his martini and took a sip of gin. Setting the glass down, he said, “What’s stupid is marrying her.”
David cocked his head to the side. “Why is that stupid? I love her.”
Andrew waved him off. “Love. Eh, it’ll get you nothing but trouble.” He pointed at the stage. “In fact, broads like that are nothing but trouble.”
The three looked up to see Kathryn walk onstage alone, a huge, smoldering cigar in her hand, wearing nothing but men’s tuxedo pants and a thin, gray necktie. Her long, blonde hair was covering her small breasts and she wore a men’s top hat. She twirled a cane in her other hand. All three men’s mouths dropped open.
“Holy shit!” William said. “That’s her?”
David could barely speak. “She doesn’t normally dress… like that… she is normally in some fancy-shmancy costume. I’ve never seen this act…”
A saxophone began to belt out a ballad from the orchestra pit, with a slow drum tap as its accompaniment. Kat twirled the cane a few times, keeping the hat pulled down low on her face and the cigar perched between her teeth. She then did a few dips and turns around a lone wooden stool, which sat in the middle of the stage. She tipped her head back and the crowd gasped as it was revealed that Kathryn was not truly nude on top, but wearing a thin, flesh-colored brassiere that was covered in shiny rhinestones on the breasts. They twinkled and glimmered under the harsh lights.
She danced for a good five minutes, and aside from the crooning of the saxophone, you could hear a pin drop in the room. She finished her dance by popping a finger out of her cherry-red lips and bowing as the crowd erupted into cheers and she smiled. Smiling and waving at the crowd, she slunk offstage.
David and his colleagues were waiting for Kathryn in the grand ballroom, as the tables had all been cleared and the big band was in full swing. Men swung happy women around on the dance floor. The three men stood and watched the happy dancers.
“Hi,” said a
breathy voice in David’s right ear.
He whirled around and saw Kathryn standing there, dressed in a conservative black dress and black high heels. She smelled slightly of cigar smoke and perfume.
But then again, so did most of the women in the room.
Leaning down, he kissed her on her red lips, resting his hand on her cheek as he did so.
She looked into his eyes and said, “How did you like the show?”
He grinned, and grabbing her hand, he said, “Kat, you remember Andrew and Will?”
She dipped her head. “Yes, I do. It’s nice to see you boys again.” Then she turned to David. “Got a cigarette? I left my handbag backstage.”
He pulled a pack of Pall Malls from his pocket and both Andrew and David pulled out lighters to assist her, but Will had the flame dancing before her face faster than she had ever seen.
With a startled expression, she said, “Uh, thanks. That was fast.”
“Cheater,” David mumbled under his breath.
Will chuckled and pocketed the lighter.
“To answer your question, my beautiful fiancée, I loved the show. I’ve never seen you do anything like that before. Was that your idea?”
“Yes, great show, Kat, really,” Andrew said, smiling.
“Thank you.” She smiled at Andrew, blowing smoke out the side of her mouth. She then turned her attention back to David. “No, it was Mr. Stuart’s idea. He loves to control the show!”
“Well, gentlemen, I’m going to take my woman here out for a late dinner. I will see you two at the office tomorrow,” David said.
“Don’t be late,” Andrew replied with mock severity.
David shook his head with a smile and offered his arm to Kathryn. As they exited the ballroom to make their way to the back entrance of the stage, a few people they passed smiled and applauded when they saw Kathryn. With a blush, she simply smiled and nodded her thanks.
After retrieving her purse, they had dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. He drank scotch and she had wine as they ate their steak and potatoes. The hotel’s manager would not let them pay for the dinner when they realized who she was, so David left a hefty tip for the waiter.