Tansy Taylor (17 page)

I grimaced. “It does. It also sounds like this could be getting dangerous.” I wasn’t backing out, exactly, but I did want to make sure that I was still alive so that I could enjoy the rest of my twenties. “Maybe we should talk to Sam first-“

“Tansy! They’re headed down there now! We need to go-otherwise we may not find out what they’re doing! We don’t even know where they’re going on Saturday-just down near the port somewhere. That place is huge. If we don’t follow this lead we may be screwed!” The desperation came through loud and clear in her voice, also in her hands that were gripping my arm like it was a lifeline.

“Okay! Okay! We’ll go. Just promise me that you’ll follow my lead and stay calm, no matter what. I know that you’re ready to kick some ass, but we still need to be cautious.” I gave her a little chuckle and what I hoped was a motherly look.

Callie relaxed her death-grip on my arm and gave a little chuckle. “Sorry. I know. I woke up this morning and just felt like today was the day that we would finally get some sort of break on this case. I just need to do this, for Buster.” She removed her hands from my arm and dropped them in her lap. Her eyes were moist and it tugged at my heart.

“I know you do. I want to do this too-I feel like I really need to help you.” That, I thought, and I know that darn ghost will haunt me forever if we don’t find an answer. Callie shifted the car into drive and we headed off to the strip club.

We pulled up outside the single story brick building. The first thing I noticed was that the windows were not actually glass. They appeared to be painted on some sort of wooden shutters. I supposed that they kept peepers away but allowed the fire-code to be met. I looked around and saw that the parking lot seemed to be full of all types of cars and trucks. There was a neon sign flashing the hot pink outline of a topless girl. An advertisement sat below the neon girl and boasted all you can eat ribs at lunch. It was the siren call to desperate men everywhere. I shuddered.

“You ever been to a titty bar?” I asked her.

“Um, no. You?” It appeared some of her fearlessness had evaporated on the drive over. She chewed on her lower lip and gave the building a weary look.

“Hmmm. I suppose that we can’t just go in, can we? You think that we’ll be the only women in there fully clothed?” I was in a quandary as to what we should do having never been in this situation before.

“Look! There’s Big’s Cadillac!” Callie hissed. Big was still sitting in the car. An irritated Ronnie was sitting shotgun. Big flipped his phone open, said something, and then nodded at Ronnie. They both got out of the car and headed into Mr. Peeps.

“We’ve got to get in there Tanz!” Callie was starting to look frantic again. I had to think fast. I looked around and saw a help wanted sign posted to the front door. Maybe this was the opportunity we needed.

“Look - there’s a help wanted sign. We can go in and I can pretend that I’m there to apply. I’m sure it’s just a bartending or waitress job. I do need a job, so I can at least be truthful about that. You can just pretend that you’re there for moral support. Sound good?” Callie nodded and reached for her purse.

I got out of the car and looked down at myself. I was dressed in a t shirt and jeans, not exactly job interview clothes. Hopefully they wouldn’t notice.

The bar was dark and there was an interesting odor of sweat, ribs and cheap perfume.

“Wow, so this is what it’s like. I can barely see it’s so dark in here.” Callie was agog at the scene before her. Men were pounding sodas and gnawing on ribs. In between bites there were wolf whistled and shouts at the dancers on stage, who were dressed in exotic animal prints that changed colors with the lights that shone up at them. It was very surreal.

“Hey, you girls coming in or what?” A gruff voice came out of the dark. I turned and was face to face with a broad chest. The shirt read bouncer and I looked up and gave him my best smile. He stood about six foot five inches and was darker than the room we were standing in.

“Um, hi. I was wondering about the help wanted sign?” I gestured at Callie. “This is my friend. She’s here for moral support.”

The big guy flashed me a glow in the dark smile. “I’ll go get the boss. He can tell you about the gig.” He turned and headed away into the darkness. I could only make out the outline of his giant form as he walked away. I would guess Mr. Peeps rarely had to employ his services; just his mere presence was intimidating.

“Woo-wee! Now that was quite a man,” said Callie. I would have taken her tone for one of lusty admiration if I hadn’t met Buster. They were polar opposites. I stared at her incredulously.

“What? He was a hunk of man. I can look, right? She crossed her arms and smiled.

“Sure you can honey, I just didn’t think he’d be your type.” Maybe the shock of being in this place had turned her into some sort of anti-Callie. I shook my head.

She shrugged. “Buster was the one who wasn’t my type. I’ve always been attracted to men who are big hunks of muscle. I don’t know what it was with Buster. Just, different, you know. Definitely more than physical attraction; I was attracted to his soul.” She had transformed back into the normal Callie and had a familiar far off look in her eyes. We’d better get focused.

“Eh-hem.” I gave her shoulder a punch just as her hunk of man reappeared with a short stocky guy in a suit.

The hunk of bouncer had returned with a short pudgy bald man. He had a large nose and a gold ring on just about every finger. The scent of men’s cologne assaulted my senses and I tried not to gag. “This here’s Mr. Smirnov, like the vodka, you know?”

Mr. Smirnov put his ring covered hands on his hips, flipping his expensive suit coat out so that it looked something like a cape. He checked me out like a slab of beef hanging in the window; his eyes lingering on my curvy parts. “So, you want job. You ever dance before?” He asked.

“Uh, dance? Well, you know, here and there, mostly at clubs. I was interested in waiting tables or bartending, something not in the spotlight.” I crossed my arms over my chest where his eyes had settled.

“Oh, well, my girls are, what you call it, ‘jack of all trades’? You dance one set then wait tables. I think you’ll do as long as you got some moves. Go back stage and find Natalya, she get you going and we give you a try.” He turned to the hunk and leaned in for a private conversation.

I shot Callie a look but she was busy looking around the bar for Ronnie and Big. I could see I didn’t have much of a choice if I wanted to give her a chance to find them and see what they were up to.

“You going or what?” Smirnov asked, checking his watch. “I gotta get back to business meeting.” He looked toward the back corner. As the sea of meat-eating men parted, I followed his line of sight; right to Ronnie and Big. I turned quickly to avoid exposure.

“Um, ya, Natalya right?” I moved off towards the back door he’d indicated, dragging Callie behind.

I pulled her into a darkened doorway. “Alright, Big and Ronnie are over there in the back corner, not sure if you saw them.” She nodded. “You go over and see if you can’t sneak up and listen in.” I pulled a floppy hat and a pair of Paris Hilton sized sunglasses out of my bag. “Here, wear these, it’ll help disguise you. Just don’t let Ronnie or Big see your face. I’ll go back and find Natalya and buy you some time.”

Callie looked horrified. “You’re not going to, you know, strip are you?” The way she said it made it feel even dirtier than it had.

“No!” I hissed; but then shrugged, unsure. “I’m not planning on it anyway. I’ll go back, get dressed and then chicken out. I figure it’ll give you enough time to see if you can’t find out where they are meeting on Saturday or what exactly is going on.”

She nodded, set her jaw in determination and put on the hat and sunglasses.

“Good,” I said. “Now, if for some reason they get suspicious or something, just head out to the car and wait for me. I’ll meet you back out there.”

We hugged and then went our separate directions. I got to the door and paused, taking a deep breath, this should be interesting.

I opened the door and entered a different universe. Women adorned with push up bras and fake eyelashes sat perched on the corners of bar stools adding layers of makeup and hairspray. Bits and pieces of different stage costumes hung everywhere. Cigarette smoke and perfume mixed with the hairspray making it hard to breathe.

“You here to try out?” The inquisitor stood in front of me wearing a bright green Wild West outfit, complete with a six shooter and a tasseled bra. She had thick black hair and exotic green eyes.

“Well?” she said again in her thick Russian accent, a cigarette hanging out of her mouth.

“Yup, I guess I am. I’ve never done this before, so-“I shrugged.

“We need to get you into costume and out onto ze stage.” She checked herself in the mirror and then added a sequined jacket to her ensemble.

Natalya tossed me some thin material and sequins and I did my best to get dressed. I turned to the mirror-I looked like I’d just popped out of a genie’s lantern-all that was missing was the puff of blue smoke. The top was sheer magenta and had Velcro that pulled apart to reveal a tiny tooth-floss sized sequined bra with tassels. The pants were also sheer with a pair of matching sequined thong underwear underneath. At least I’d recently splurged on a wax.

“Ah, looks good. By ze way, I’m Natalya. I am in charge of ze girls. I make ze schedule and decide who goes out when.” She had lit up another cigarette and blue smoke was indeed circling around. Natalya was exotic and exuded confidence that screamed with erotic sensuality. She was more than beautiful, she was a sex goddess. She reached purposefully into a box that sat amidst a sea of makeup and hair products and pulled out a pair of long blue eyelashes.

“Hold zeez” she said; the cigarette hanging out the side of her mouth. She rooted around on her dressing table and came up with a tiny bottle.

“Now, cloze eyez.” She imitated the famous Marilyn Monroe pose, pouty lips parted and all, and I knew the gigantic alien lashes for me.

“Oh, okay.” I held back my hair and tried to do my best to stretch my eyelids closed and mimic her pose. I felt the coolness of the glue as she dripped it sparingly on my eyelids. With a gentle touch she pressed the lashes on, extending my own decent lashes into long blue ones.

I looked into the mirror. I looked like a completely different woman. Natalya pressed some lipstick and blush into my hand.

“Here, I help you.” She stabbed her cigarette out in an overflowing ashtray.

I started to apply the blush the way I would if I were going out to a bar. Not bad, I thought checking myself out in the mirror.

“No, no, no. Like zeese.” Natalya took the blush and swiped it over my cheeks. Then she took hold of my chin and squeezed, my lips puckered out. She slathered on the lipstick. I looked back in the mirror.

“I look like some sort of freaky doll!” I screeched.

Natalya laughed and then grabbed a can of hairspray. By the time she was done with me I didn’t even recognize myself, so I knew that there was no way any of those guys from Big’s would.

“Okay honey, you up.” Natalya grabbed my hand and drug me toward the stage. I realized that it was now or never to try and make an escape.

“Um, ya, I don’t think -“I tried backpedaling, but it was impossible in the high heels. Besides that, Natalya must work out daily; I was no match for her.

“Go on, everybody eez nervous zee first time.” She shoved me out onto the stage through heavy black velvet curtains. Instantly I was blinded by the stage lights. Arabic music pulsated through the air and inside of me. Wolf whistles and cat calls assaulted my senses.

I turned to try and escape back through the curtain but Natalya was there, as was a very large man, arms crossed, biceps bulging. I recognized him as one of the hulk’s bouncer buddies. He pointed at me, and at the stage. Looked like I had better start dancing.

Shouts of ‘take it off’ floated up to me. I really wasn’t planning on taking it off, but figured I could shed the sheer jacket and appease them a bit. I slid it off slowly, trying to do my best to look sexy. I tried to remember what the belly dancers at Marrakesh had done and shimmied my shoulders and hips. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath… I decided to just pretend I was at home in my bedroom, in front of my floor length mirror. Lord knows I have done my own little striptease booty dances to various smutty songs when I was cleaning the house.

I opened my eyes and watched dollar bills float down onto the stage in front of me; I took it as a good sign. The music changed to a faster beat. I shimmied and shook my stuff all over the stage; as my eyes adjusted to the lighting I found the pole. I sized it up to the chant of manly voices mixing in with the music. I grabbed the pole and wrapped my leg around it. I flung my head back and moved with the music, letting myself go. The music pulsed through me and I crawled over to the edge of the stage stuffing dollar bills into the band of my harem pants as I went. Demi Moore had nothing on me!

I was considering my next move and whether to ditch my top or the harem pants when I looked out through the fog and locked eyes with Callie. She was white as a ghost and she had a bit of a bobble head. Something was wrong. She tried to get up, wobbled and sank back down. She grabbed on to the table, looking to make a second attempt and in the process knocked her drink into the booth next to her.