Dance the Night Away
This is a different side of Gail. I hope you like it. Review if you'd like.
CAli
Ch. 1 - Hypnotize
Gail grunted as she lowered yet another crate of beer down. Her arms were getting a workout but she refused to complain. Being the strong, silent type was what got her in the door, after all. She closed her eyes and took a breath but was immediately alert when she heard rhythmic clapping and counting. And just like that, her eyes zeroed in and focused on the brunette bombshell. If Gail thought Holly Stewart looked exquisite in the surveillance photos, then she was mouthwatering in person.
The way her body moved with just a simple gait drew anyone's eyes within the vicinity and when she wanted to move with purpose, when she danced, she was that beautiful art piece no one could take their eyes off of, especially her hips. She was that snake charmer that had anyone in a trance. If she was grifter, then she could pickpocket anyone's wallet and they wouldn't notice until days later. And they still wouldn't care because to see her move was worth being robbed.
And if it wasn't the way she moved, it was her eyes or her laugh. Both were big and boisterous, but equally unique in their own way. The brown eyes could either be smoldering or enchanting but so full of mysterious life. They could be playful or teasing, but after staring, Gail always felt she only got a slice what could be when it came to Holly. And Gail had a feeling everyone had that feeling whenever they made eye contact with her. Either way, they drew any person in and her hips kept them there, enticing and hypnotizing.
Then there was her laugh. Gail always thought someone's laugh was annoying. It was either high-pitched, which grated the fuck out of her or actually obnoxious where it sounded like that person had hiccups. She told one person that before. Of course, she was rewarded by being called an ice bitch. But that was neither here or there, because even though Gail was never a fan of someone's laugh, it all changed when she heard Holly's laugh. The sound in of itself was so rich of life and happiness and Gail found herself wanting to hear her laugh because it brought a sense of calm to her. She doesn't know why she felt so centered and at peace the first time she heard Holly laugh a couple days ago, but she felt instantly at ease.
It was her first day, and she was stressed as all hell. She thought making her presence known was nerve-racking (although she enjoyed smacking that man around), but lacking in her conditioning pretty much kicked her ass. She cursed all the donuts she's ever eaten as she hauled crate after crate from the truck then hustling to the other side of the building for the cleaning supplies to wash all the glasses. Then there was the menial task of checking the exits and security feeds in the surveillance room and actually doing the manual labor in fixing a busted camera stationed out in the back alleyway. That was the only time she thanked God because she actually took an engineering class in college and all of that was handy when she had to break open the camera and mess with the wires. It was a tiring day and who knew "bodyguard" actually meant Miss-Fix-It. She understood she had to mark her place and gain trust and work to the top, but holy shit, manual labor was exhausting. Her shift was nowhere near done and she wasn't even close to her lunch break. She wanted to shoot someone. Badly.
Then she heard a joyous laugh and she immediately had to stop what she was doing. She looked over her shoulder and she immediately had to center her gravity on that ladder or else she would've fallen backwards because her body actually leaned towards the sound. Gail only blinked once before her eyes focused on the woman from the photos. Gail subconsciously said her name under her breath. Holly was walking with someone towards the back the entrance, and her head was tilted back as she let out full laughs. And just like that, Gail's shitty mood turned hopeful. Holly's laugh was full love and life that Gail actually felt aspired to be that carefree and happy. And just like that, Gail felt calm and centered. She actually felt like maybe the rest of her day wasn't going to be shitty because Holly had now arrived to make everything better with just her presence. And her day did get better. Tremendously, when Holly walked by her, made eye contact, smiled, then added a little wink before she disappeared inside.
Gail remembered she had to stay still for awhile that day. Then she remembered she had to breathe. She was totally smitten and hypnotized by her.
"One and two, three and four, then spin. Then you do your sexy walk towards me. Entice me. Yeah, just like that. Play coy. Act like you want me but you know I want you more. The more exotic, the more they'll be drawn in. This a story and they want to know what happens."
Gail slightly shook her head, forcing herself back to the present. She's barely been here a week and that first day seemed like hours ago. Time surely does fly by whenever she stared at Holly, which was every fucking day. Although things seemed slow and she was only an employee at the club doing menial shit, she actually didn't mind the process. It gave her time to study. And although she spent an unhealthy amount of time studying the main attraction of this strip club, she still saw glimpses that looked hopeful for the op. Lesvesque was definitely paying attention to her now when she got overly aggressive towards a handsy customer last night. She didn't break his arm like she promised, but she did break his finger because he was an asshole. Some men just didn't understand the meaning of no after a couple of drinks.
She saw Lesvesque smirk when she broke the man's finger and marched him out, but not before taking his picture. She simply told the man if he tried to go to the cops for the assault, he wouldn't step foot in another strip club again. She'd label him an opportunistic creep that is one drink away from sexually assaulting a woman. He'd be a problem for business and a sexual predator. He wouldn't get within ten feet of a place and there went his spank bank. The man slumped in his defeat and only half-hearted swore his revenge. Gail told him she would be waiting. And when she turned around, there was her boss in the shadows, intently staring at her. He didn't say anything - merely grunted, really - then turned around to go back to his office. Gail had a feeling the consideration just began.
"Should I kiss you?" Another girl's voice broke her thoughts from last night.
"If the moment calls for it," Holly smirked. "I won't bite. Much. But kiss or no kiss, you dip, then we go into five and six, seven and eight."
Gail watched as Holly and the other girl go into another set of counts. She sighed and used the back of her hand to wipe the sweat off her forehead before she leaned both her forearms on the crate. Holly was making up the choreography to one of the routines set for her tonight. She was sharing the stage with this other stripper for this one particular song and it was all about enticing the audience. Hell, they weren't even naked; just plain clothes and sneakers, and Gail felt a little hot and bothered, especially towards Holly who was always so tantalizing as she directed the other girl through the routine. She licked her lips when Holly asked for another run-through with the girl again.
"Hypnotizing, isn't she?"
Gail looked over her shoulder and saw her boss standing there, silent in his stealth like a ninja. All of a sudden, she felt like a creep staring at Holly with him. His arms were crossed and he had that closed off manner to him. His eyes was filled with intent. She gave him a passive glance to show nonchalance but in her brief study she saw a lot. Although Lesvesque gave the body language as tight and guarded, his facial muscles loosened in just slightest. Just like everyone else, Holly had something about her that softened him. Gail wondered why, but she continued to look disinterested.
"I had no idea dancing at a strip club could be so serious," she commented with a shrug.
"When you're passionate about something, you go all-in," Lesvesque said. "As should all dreamers."
Gail's ears perked at the softness in his voice, which always had that hard grave tone to it. She made sure to keep doing her menial task in stocking the bottled beers in the mini fridges behind the bar. She shouldn't give any hesitation to show she was paying close attention to his voice and mannerisms. She kept her back to him as she bent down and shrugged her right shoulder. After the fridge was stocked, she shifted then popped back up to grab more beers and fill the fridge behind her. Lesvesque stayed in his same position, his eyes following Holly before shifting to her.
Gail resisted the urge to swallow. His gaze was absolutely steeling but she was used to ice stares; her mother was the queen of them. But with his stare, for some reason, whenever Holly was around, she felt uneasy. Anytime it was just the two of them, she was fine. She actually welcomed the darkness in them. It made it easier to get into her character because they did share some kind of menace. She had no problem tapping into the contained rage that simmered below the surface. Lesvesque also loved it if his approved smirk of her breaking that man's finger last night was any indication.
"There's a reason why we're the most popular club in the area, Gail," he said, nodding his head towards Holly. "We have a beloved product, and we keep her happy."
After a brief stare down, Gail nodded her head like she understood his warning. On some level she did, but on the other, she didn't. Was she the key to all these drug dealings and the building of the gun trade? Was she supposed to protect her but not be distracted? Yeah, fucking task of the year.
"Understood, Mr. Lesvesque," she said, nodding her head once.
"She was grateful for you last night. Taking care of that man who was accosting her. Wish you would've broke his entire fucking hand so he doesn't grip anything again."
His emphasis on grip made her entire back stiffen but she refused to show any type of reaction besides quirking her eyebrow up. She wasn't supposed to feel intimidated or scared around the man. Although she wouldn't use those adjectives per se, but there was something about the way he acted when he was so outright protective of his star dancer. Maybe it was monetary influences or maybe he actually cared about Holly in some type of way. Holly obviously liked and adored him. He didn't outright show his affections toward her, but he did act different around her. It was subtle and only noticeable to anyone who was truly paying attention, like her. She wasn't exactly sure what the relationship was, but she had a feeling the more she hung around, she was going to pinpoint whether or not Holly was an X-Factor in this case. So, she forced her cool and acted like his words didn't have a chilling effect on her.
"I was just doing my job," she shrugged.
"Let's hope you can do more of your job," he said, pinning her with an intense gaze.
"You can count on me to do anything for you, Mr. Lesvesque."
"I have a feeling you will. Meet me in my office after shift."
"You got it, sir."
Gail turned to continue her task when he called for her attention again.
"And Gail?" She looked over her shoulder, silently telling herself to look bored. "Don't stare so much at Holly. We don't want her distracted a lot. She still needs to focus on her passion."
*** CAli ***
Gail took a deep breath and held it until her lungs ached for oxygen. She licked her lips and shifted her thighs. It was a good thing she was settled in the dark corner by the entrance. It was once again packed and she had to admit the other strippers were good in their routines. They were engaging the crowd but when 1:45 a.m rolled around, more men piled into the establishment, and Gail found herself being relieved from the entrance. Another bouncer leaned down and screamed in her ear the boss wanted her more towards the stage. She nodded and moved to her new post, where she simply had to sit at a table decently close and keep an eye out on any men who were too handsy. The bass thumped as she walked the path and when she sat down, the current stripper's crotch was in her direct line of view. It was a good thing she wasn't uncomfortable staring but her eyes had to keep darting.
And she did her job. She kept her eyes on the men that had the front row seats and scanned the entire floor before her eyes would dart to the strippers and she would watch for a few seconds before she would repeat the pattern. She briefly wondered why she was moved since all week she was stationed in the entrance checking IDs and scanning the back area on the floor. But it was never serious thoughts because she didn't really care she was moved. At least when Holly would take the stage, she would have closer entertainment compared to afar. She wondered if there would be difference seeing her upclose.
Then 2:00 hit and the lights dimmed to almost a blackout. The crowd cheered and wolf whistles echoed throughout the place as the music faded. Gail couldn't help but lick her lips in anticipation. The main attraction was coming out and she found her eyes glued to the stage instead of the other patrons.
"Gentlemen," the DJ's voice boomed through the speakers. "She's here. Please welcome to the stage, the always hypnotizing Alina George."
Gail recognized the steady ambient beat then the bass drop. The Weeknd's crooning voice soon blasted throughout the room and a woman was on the bed already set up on stage. She was touching herself in the most sensual way then fog sprayed on the stage and Holly walked out in a sinful lingerie set and the most sexiest heels Gail had ever seen. Her eyes watched Holly as she deterred towards a pole and swung, her body crouched low and thighs spread, giving an eyeful to her vagina. She used her back muscles and hands to pull herself up upright in such a smooth transition. She did a body dip and a small four-count routine before the woman on the bed started to crawl to the foot of the bed, also doing body dips along the way. Holly slowly walked towards her and once the chorus hit, she was stroking her cheek then cupping git. The woman closed her eyes like her life was complete now that Holly was touching her.
Holly's hand went from cupping her jaw to an open palm where a finger trailed down her sternum. Her palm massaged her breast and the woman was thrusting her chest to feel more of the touch. She did it twice before Holly trailed her finger back up and stopped at her chin. Then her finger curled in a come hither motion and the woman rolled and got off the bed. She followed Holly like a disciple to the center of the stage and both went into a sexy routine that ended with both of them on the floor, using their knees for dips.
As the second verse continued and into the chorus, the woman was facing Holly, her hands all over her face and chest, slowly and deliberately trailing before stripping her top off. She leaned into her neck, breathing deep of Holly's scent before Holly grabbed the back of her head and gripped her hair, gaining control and slowly lowering her down fully to lay on the stage. Her entire body blanketed the woman's and she started stripped her down also, making sure to cup her vagina as the lyric said to make that pussy rain. Then she licked her neck, from the base to the top where the junction met her jaw, nice and slow before she forced herself off of her and backed away, using her knees and dipping her lower back as she glided across the stage. The dips and sexual stimulation really got the crowed fired up as the cheers were almost as deafening as the loud music. But Holly seemed like she couldn't hear them as she touched herself in time with the lyrics.
Gail watched the entire performance as Holly played cat to the woman's mouse. The woman crawled back to her as Holly backed herself to a pole and lifted herself up by reaching up and pulling her entire body in a flip and her thighs tightened around the metal and twirled down and flipped until she was standing upright. Gail swallowed at the acrobatic moved and pretty much wondered like everyone else just how flexible she was. The woman was still on the ground crawling and once she got to Holly, she looked up at her like she was goddess. She silently asked permission and she seemed like she got it as Holly petted her hair. She kissed Holly's stomach before her hands gripped the sides of the bottom half of the lingerie and slid it down her legs. Once she was free of the garment, Holly turned and Gail got closeup of her shaved sex.
Holy fuck, she thought.
Gail breathed deep to remind herself she shouldn't be drooling. Her eyes flicked up and Holly kept eye contact before she moved to the next guy and dipped down as the woman came up behind her and sucked on her neck. Holly briefly closed her eyes then turned her head and offered a sensual peck on her lips. The man whistled and asked for a kiss himself. Holly only smirked then got up to her full height and took the woman's hand and twirled her up so she would be standing also. They both went into the routine Gail witnessed them practicing earlier then Holly twirled her back to the bed. She straddled the woman's hips and did long, deliberate body dips as she grinded against her, whipping her hair and touching her own breasts and stomach. The woman herself altered between touching herself and gripping Holly's hips.
When the song ended, the entire stage was littered with money. Holly smiled big and mouthed thank you to the crowd who cheered and cheered and cheered. She laughed with the girl and hugged her before taking her hand and bowing center stage with her. The DJ announced her name again and the woman's and more girls came out for the next set. Holly kissed their cheeks and disappeared behind the stage to where the ladies dressing room was. Gail watched her entire movements until she disappeared. She ignored the wetness between her own legs and resumed her job, scanning her area and only briefly looking at the strippers before alternating back to the men who were getting drunker by the minute.
*** CAli ***
"Gail," Lesvesque said. "Did you enjoy your view?"
The way he said it, Gail paused for just a moment. His even tone, consistent with a deep vibration, seemed to waver in just the slightest like he was deliberate in an emphasis that was otherwise subtle. It was the little things she picked up on during her week-long tenure here at Jonquel's Ladies, like how his voice changed in the most subtle way. The slight high pitch in his tone perked her ears, and she raised her eyebrow in response.
"Was that a reward?" She asked.
"Holly was very grateful for you last night," he repeated.
Gail didn't feel the need to tell him she was just doing her job. Lesvesque did not seem like the man who liked to hear repeated sayings. No, he was a man who liked action. So, she nodded and before she could thank him for his generosity, she felt a woosh of air against her neck. She turned her head in just the slightest and saw the blur that was Holly Stewart.
"Hi cuteness," she said, brightly and walked right past Gail. "Teddy!"
"Holly," Lesvesque responded, calmly.
"We made major moolah."
Gail couldn't help the amused smile at Holly's sing-song falsetto when she said moolah. The woman was just a bubble of joy compared the silent brooding man. He gave off the impression to not make eye contact with him, let alone lounge across his desk like a carefree butterfly. But Holly did and he didn't seem to mind. In fact, Gail thought she maybe saw a twinkle of laughter in his dark eyes.
"Because of you, my star," Lesvesque responded, evenly. "Did you have fun tonight?"
"Always. God, the energy was so electrifying tonight. I felt like I was so high. It seemed like almost better than sex."
"It was probably just as good as sex for you, Holly. You love dancing just as much. And our customers sure as hell loved it."
She dramatically sighed. "I think I love sex just a tiny bit more."
She demonstrated how close sex won out from dancing with an inch between her thumb and index finger. Lesvesque kept his stoic stare, but Gail noticed the tiniest twitch in the right corner of his mouth. And Holly probably noticed more since she was closer and she burst out laughing and leaned forward to give a kiss on the cheek. Lesvesque rolled his eyes but Gail had a feeling that was as playful as he was going to get with her. He cleared his throat as Holly pulled herself up to a sitting position and swung her legs over the edge. She gave a big sigh and pulled out a stick of gum from her lowriding jeans. Gail told herself not to stare at the woman's hipbones as her legs kept moving. She loudly started smacking her gum as she rolled up the wrapper in a tiny ball and flicked it towards the garbage can ten feet away from her. It arched inside and Holly smirked. Gail got the impression she did this every night.
"Do you have any tests this week?" Lesvesque asked.
"Three to be exact," she responded like this was a question asked every night. "Don't worry, Teddy. I have it all covered."
"I just want you prepared. The first couple of months can be stressful."
"I know, Teddy."
"I don't want you stressed. Stress has you distracted. Distraction makes you lose focus. Lack of focus loses money."
"Loss of money leads to more stress and the cycle repeats. You've been telling me this since I was eighteen, Teddy. I think I got it covered by now and pretty much mastered. I will kick med school's ass."
He paused. "I just want my main star happy, Holly. Your happiness is the key to this business."
"You're sweet, Teddy. But I should bounce. Gotta study and be prepared for this test so I could be stress-free."
"See you tomorrow."
Holly smacked her lips twice in an air kiss and hopped off the desk. She sauntered away and Gail looked up to find her brightly smiling at her as she approached. She thought Holly would just breeze by like she did when she came in so she only nodded her head as a good-bye. But she stopped just as her shoulder aligned with hers and she stared as Holly's friendly smile turned into a seductive smirk. Gail told herself to look impassive but did raise her eyebrow. She opened her mouth to say something, but Holly cut her off with a flirty twinkle in her eye.
"Did you enjoy the show?" She asked.
Gail nodded as she relaxed her shoulders and smiled just a little. "You're very talented."
"Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really wanted you to enjoy it up close and personal."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. You're not the only one who likes to stare at something beautiful."
Gail chuckled, but refused to blush at her being caught. "Well, isn't it your job to be stared at? You are fucking beautiful."
"Not as drop-dead as you."
"But still beautiful. You shouldn't downplay that. You are the reason people come here."
Gail watched as her flirtatious smirk turned into a genuine smile. She felt a sense of pride that she got Holly to be smitten with her comments. Holly didn't seem like the total cliche where she struggled with self-esteem issues because she was verbally and emotionally abused as child and that's why she joined a vain profession like stripping where everyone only objectified her body and wanted to fuck her. In fact, Holly seemed extremely confident in both her beauty and brains. She actually loved her job and was always laughing. It was intriguing to say the least, but Holly reacting to her complements with almost a shy smile made Gail wondered.
Did anyone ever tell her they loved her more than just the superficial way? Was anyone actually ever in love with her and expressed that? Showered her like she was the queen of their world? Gail found herself envisioning doing that just to see her smile like the way she was now. She didn't consider herself easy to fall in love with or easy to fall in love, but when she was committed in a relationship, her loyalty and love fiercely showed. Unfortunately, her taste in women showed psychotics who took advantage of that. But with Holly, she never got the sense she would stab her and abandon her, unlike a certain ex. Literally. She didn't think Holly knew how to handle a knife like a weapon. Maybe a scalpel during surgery or something but not a knife intent on attacking someone. Holly looked like someone who opposed violence, which was ironic considering who her boss was.
"But are you enjoying the perks of my job?" Holly asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.
Gail smirked and nodded, her silent admittance that she definitely enjoyed staring at Holly's pussy when she walked naked in her line of sight. "I did."
"Then my goal was accomplished."
Gail felt her eyebrows bunch up and her eyes squint in surprise. Holly requested she sit there, watching the bar and floor patrons? She licked her lips once then immediately chuckled when Holly's eyes zeroed in and focused on the tip of her pink tongue coming out in a tease. Holly showed no shame in staring at her lips and even chuckled herself.
"That was your doing?"
She shrugged while she offered a response. "Teddy listens to me."
Interesting, Gail thought. "Well, you are his star."
"And I hope I'm yours. In your dreams."
"Well, I'd be stupid not to think about you tonight when I go to bed. Not after that performance."
"Good. Now I just hope I consume your thoughts. It's only fair."
"You think about me all the time?" Gail smirked.
"When the new bodyguard is drop-dead gorgeous, how could I not? I hope I get to know everything about you, Gail. Everything."
Gail found herself smiling. She licked her lips once again just so she could see Holly's natural response again. Without fail, her dark eyes darted down and she bit her lip in response. Gail wondered who would be more dominant when kissing.
"I can see how Mr. Levesque can't deny you everything," she said. "I'd be really fucking stupid not to let that happen. I look forward getting to know you, Holly. All of you."
Holly laughed and look away as if to compose herself. She popped her gum twice and ran her fingers through her long hair. Gail wished it was her hand. She then looked her straight in the eye with a dazzling smile on her lips and the same hand reached out and squeezed her forearm, which was crossed under her chest. She felt a little disappointed that Holly didn't try to trail a finger down her arm because the closeness would've made her nipples stand out.
"Maybe you can walk me out tomorrow like a good bodyguard," Holly said, walking away and winked her good-bye.
"Why can't I now?"
"Teddy's getting a little jealous of your attention on me," she said, nodding past Gail's shoulder.
Gail raised her eyebrow and the realization sank in. She was so attuned to Holly, she didn't realize she was flirting with the dancer right in front of her boss. She would've gulped if she was scared, but instead, she used all the fluttering nerves in the pit of her stomach from talking with Holly as manifested adrenaline and calm energy. She was focused, and took one calming breath before she turned around.
She knew her face was passive, almost nonchalant, because Lesvesque merely raised his eyebrows. He was curious as to why she wasn't embarrassed. She stared back and didn't say anything, not even offering a meek shrug to say she was sorry. The simple fact was that she wasn't sorry she talked to Holly but she also read Lesvesque as someone who didn't like people apologizing. He wasn't too big on words but actions. Finally, she moved her head forward, as if to say "What?"
"She's special, isn't she?" Lesvesque asked, but she knew it was rhetorical.
"Yeah," Gail answered, simply.
"I hope you both agree distractions are unnecessary and messy."
Gail raised an eyebrow. "Are you warning me to stay away from her, Mr. Lesvesque?"
"That would be stupid, Gail. Holly is a very determined woman. What she wants, she gets. Simply put."
"Duly noted."
"Distractions makes you lose focus, however. Focus is the main integral of this business. So, I hope when you two become cozy, you both agree that your attraction to each other will not be the focus around here. Your focus will be your job. Googly eyes are okay as long your eyes drift to others every once in awhile. Hers, too."
"Doing my job will never be a problem, Mr. Lesvesque. I know I haven't been here long, but I have been proving it and I will continue to prove it. I know my role here."
"Good to know. I think it's time for you to prove your role."
"What do you need, sir?"
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he stared her down again. He did that a lot, always watching. He was studying her mannerisms like she was him. She realized this the second time she noticed earlier that day. He was very intuitive as his eyes scanned like he was watching whenever a tick happened in her face or when her eyes twitched. He asked questions and deliberately watched her facial expressions to see which indicated which. She caught on to this tactics but she played cool. They were in a chess game and Gail had a feeling the game was in the long haul stage. She suppressed the sigh as she felt the stress from this exhausting mental game begin to turn into tension knots along her shoulders. She kept her face passive as she waited for his response but made sure to subconsciously (read: consciously) tilt her head in the slightest to show her curiosity and eagerness to prove herself. She wanted to know what she had to do and the move seemed to work.
Lesvesque briefly sighed before he swiveled his chair to grab a folder that was on the far end of his desk. He picked it up with two fingers and maneuvered his body in a slanted slouch as he tossed the material down to the front edge of his desk. Gail stepped forward and used her finger also to open the folder. She had to show she was careful in leaving fingerprints behind, and in her peripheral, she noticed Lesvesque's eyes staring at her finger as it made the movement to flip the folder open. She knew he silently made a note of her tactic. Her face was blank as she used the same finger to slide the surveillance photos in a neat sequence order from left to right but never pressing down on the material where her marker could show up a definite pattern in her fingerprint. Instead, each photo slid across the desk by the edges of the material by the side of her finger. Lesvesque eyes never looked up until hers did.
She took her time in studying the pictures. The targeted man looked like he thought he was bigger than he was. A faux Rolex donned his left wrist and he looked too swarmy in her opinion as he exited his Lexus. He looked like a bad version of a Miami Vice character with his hair slicked back with too much gel and colored aviators. Too many buttons were unbuttoned from the top of his dress shirt and his blazer looked cheap. Gail got the sense this man hoped nobody thought his dress shoes weren't faux alligator skin when they were. But the cocaine he carried? That was the only real and pure thing he possessed.
Gail looked up and noted Lesvesque's body language. Lesvesque went from straight posture, business sense only to bored and annoyed. One look and she got the sense her boss was done with this clown. She never even met him and she was done with him. Lesvesque's eyes looked up at her and there was that cold feeling again that swept her entire body. She welcomed it.
"Your audition is tonight," Lesvesque said, leaning forward and pointing at the folder. "The address is in that folder."
Gail nodded and made note of the sticky note on the other side of the folder with an address scrawled on it. She read it a couple times then used the side of her hands to wipe the photos into a messy pile back inside the folder. She used her finger again to close it and left it on the desk. She sniffed and walked out without another word.
*** CAli ***
Gail was fifteen minutes early. Her mother drove the saying if you're on time, you're late, so it was habit but Lesvesque was already waiting and one look at his watch told her she was right. They made brief eye contact before he cleared his throat and nodded his head. She was to follow him into a dark alley. She raised her eyebrow as she followed him deeper into the narrow road and thought to herself the beginning of a bad joke: A blonde woman follows a man into a dark alley...
How cliche, she thought. If I die, at least my mother would be proud that I fought. The first thing she'll check once my body flies back would be under my fingernails.
The farther she walked, the narrower the space got. She should feel unease but instead, exhilaration started to spread throughout her body. She wanted this test over with, but something deep inside of her was itching to release this rage she had inside. She bottled everything up since the whole domestic fiasco happened back in Vancouver. Her test was to show loyalty and willingness to violence. She saw the sinister look on Lesvesque's face and she suspected he got off on this type of shit. He was urging her on with just one pointed look when she given the surveillance photos of this dealer. She understood the silent order: Take care of him.
She was actually looking forward to it.
Her shrink would analyze her willingness to go to the dark side later. Right now, it was justified. She had to do everything to gain trust for the op. If that meant breaking hands, beating people, shooting people, killing people...
She hoped it wouldn't come down to the last viable option. But this man was a killer. If she had to shoot to kill, well... let's just hope this op would be over before it ever got to that; hopefully it would be over before she got in too deep.
Gail took a breath and it caught Lesvesque's attention. He turned around and raised his eyebrows. She realized that was his way of asking what was wrong. She shrugged and exhaled again to show consistency; that she wasn't thinking about how much it scared her that she might have to kill someone just to prove she was one of the bad guys.
"Just bored, boss," she said, as they came to a stop. "This guy's a clown. Why are we dealing with him?"
She crossed her arms, rolled her eyes, and took a glance to her watch, which was two minutes till the drop meet. Now, she had to look to calm and aloof. The exhilaration was starting to turn to anxiousness.
"Because he has almost a million Canadian dollars worth of cocaine," Lesvesque answered, simply. He checked his watch also, then sighed before taking a wide stance. "What makes you think he's a clown?"
"Besides the way he looks? His body language. He's arrogant, obnoxious, thinks he's smarter than what he actually is. He's so wide in those pictures. He has no idea what he's doing. Plus, his hair is bad, his watch is fake and so is his shoes. And let's not forget those ridiculous colored aviators. This isn't Miami or Cancun. It's fucking Toronto and the leaves are orange and brown."
A small chuckle escaped between Lesvesque's lips although it sounded mostly like a scoff. "I am starting to lose my patience with him."
"Did he screw us over?"
"Do you think this meeting would happen if he did?"
A long pause. "Yes," she said, staring at his profile.
He turned his head towards her and slightly narrowed his eyes.
"You wouldn't summon me here as my audition if you weren't ready to get rid of him," she answered his silent question. "Keep it cool. Keep your enemy close, make them lower their guard. The fact that I look harmless makes this very dangerous. You're banking on the fact he'll hit on me, which is ultimately the biggest vulnerability. And he's not making his case since he's now two minutes late."
Lesvesque didn't bother answering her, which was fine to her. She was starting to get the hand of his staring and his effective way of silent communication. It was a brilliant strategy, especially if he suspected whoever was in his presence was wired. You can't convict or raid on a confession if no words were spoken. But everything in his stare said she was right. She scoffed to herself and turned her attention when tires scratched against the gravel and headlights blinded her vision. She looked down at her watch and made note the man was seven minutes late.
You just signed your death warrant, she thought. She subconsciously cracked her knuckles.
The man was full of annoying swagger as he got out of the car and swung a briefcase back and forth in one hand. Gail showed no problem showing her disdain by heavily rolling her eyes. She cocked her head to the other side of her neck and looked at Lesvesque silently asking if he was serious. Her wide eyes said it all.
"He's done," Lesvesque said, lowly then took a step forward to meet the man and shook his hand.
"Jonny!" The man yelled then laughed. "How you doin', man?"
"Jonquel," Lesvesque said, shortly. His tone of voice said he wasn't in the mood. "We're not buddies."
"Aw, come on, man, lighten up," he said, clapping Lesvesque's shoulder.
Lesvesque's eyes cut to the hand and even though Gail couldn't see them, she knew his brown eyes turned black. It was time for her to cut in and get this guy off him. She stepped forward and default her facial expression to that ice cold stare.
"I wouldn't touch him," she said, her voice dangerous.
"Guys, relax, especially you, honey. We're here for business. We can have a little fun. Especially you, scrumptious. How about we party, just you and me after? I'll show you a real good time. Turn that frown upside down."
"Business, Mr. Clark," Levesque cut in. "That's right. Did you bring what you owe?"
"Jonny, I told you," Clark said, swinging the briefcase down and opening it. "You can trust me. Last time was just a misunderstanding. A simple mistake. I got you the merchandise plus the interest owed. Daddy Clark is trustworthy."
Gail gagged at Clark's self-entitled nickname and Lesvesque just stared at him before inspecting the kilos of cocaine. He flipped opened in one ease a large pocketknife and cut a packet open. He dipped his pinkie in and looked at the white powder up close. After several angles satisfied him, Lesvesque held up the powder near his nose and took a pause. He stared right into Clark's eyes as he plugged one nostril and took a deep huff, vacuuming the powder away. He didn't flinch as he took in the drugs but instead cleared his throat. His intimidating stare kept up as his hands put back the packet then closed the briefcase. He nodded once then turned away.
"Good, huh, Jonny?" Clark asked with a stupid grin on his face. "Is Blondie here gonna give me my payment? I'm all for that."
The bastard even licked his lips. Lesvesque kept moving away but briefly made eye contact with her and nodded his head. He did not say one word even as Clark called after him one more time.
"Here's your payment, Clark," Gail said, cooly advancing toward him. "Mr. Lesvesque thanks you for the business, but we'll no longer need you."
"What are you talking about?"
Once she was a foot away from him, she swung her right arm hard and fast. He didn't expect the blow so he stumbled once but the second one knocked him down. She gripped both sides of his shirt from the collar and growled as she shoved him back, and his head collided against the grill of his car. She towered over him as she threw punch after punch against his jaw and cheek. Her growls were getting louder as each punch landed. She even rammed her knee against his lips a couple times. She used both her fists to fuck up his face and wouldn't stop even as the blood made it slippery to land a punch.
"Stop," Lesvesque's voice boomed through the cold air.
And just like that, she stopped on cue. She was breathing heavy when she looked up and noticed a man walking towards her with a clean suit on and a gun in his hand. He wasn't paying attention to her as he was screwing on a silencer to the gun. When he looked up, he smiled, as if congratulating her.
"Come, Gail," Lesvesque said. "Manny will take care of Clark. I want you cleaned up and you can take the next two days off."
After a long pause, Gail nodded and started to walk away. She kept walking as Clark moaned, words mumbled as the blood was too much in his mouth. She took a breath and never looked back as she heard the muffled gunshot.
End Ch. 1.
Hope you enjoyed. Please review if you'd like.
CAli