Chapter 8

Tabby was just amazed at the different roles they all played, they certainly didn't seem like criminals, but presumably she would soon see them all in action properly.

Eliot was due to go to work this afternoon, Tabby was going to drop in to the club to beg a job a short while later. Parker was to be her taxi driver. They didn't leave anything to chance.

Tabby had spent a long while selecting what she would wear, and she had taken it all up to the office so she could get ready after they had eaten lunch. She didn't want to miss any last minute instructions, and she wanted to be sure they thought her outfit suitable.

Tabby retreated to the bathroom to get changed and apply her make-up. She'd got to make her assets obvious, not full blown performance standard, but enough to make Travis Houston look. She put on a close fitting fuchsia pink cross-over top which plunged low and hugged her breasts in a more than obvious fashion. Her skirt was black patent and covered all that was necessary. Then she added her four inch stiletto heels and pinned her hair up so it fell in curls around her face.

She surveyed the result. Frankly she looked like a hooker! Maybe the hair was a little too much. She let down the curls and pinned just a couple of strands back, that looked a little less…blatant.

Then she walked back into the office.

Hardison stared. "Whoowee, if he doesn't want to employ you he must be blind."

"Gee Tabby, you do look different." Parker squealed. "I love the colour."

Eliot….Tabby ventured a glance in his direction. Eliot looked…gobsmacked, worried, slightly angry, most definitely not happy.

He dragged his eyes away from her. Dammit all, she looked so hot it was unbelievable! It made him instantly angry. Generally if he saw a girl dressed that way he might think 'good time girl' or possibly 'sexy little package', and it never bothered him at all. But Tabby dressed that way made him feel defensive, he didn't like the idea of men looking at her, trying to paw her, and dressed that way she was plainly encouraging such thoughts.

To add to that she was causing him a problem! He had instantly pictured those shapely legs wrapped around his waist and her stilettos digging into his butt. Jeez! He liked girls, but this one affected him far worse than most!

"Let's go!" He snarled, grabbing his coat and heading down the stairs.

Tabby was slightly taken aback, she'd expected at least some proper evaluation of her outfit, but obviously it was …..appropriate.

She followed the others downstairs to find Eliot had already left, but he was supposed to be there before her anyhow. She got into her 'taxi' with Parker and they headed for the club. It was on the far side of the city and the drive took the best part of an hour.

Parker dropped her at the entrance to the club. She put in her ear piece, the first time she'd actually tried it properly, she'd put it in to get the feel of it, but it hadn't been turned on, now it was. It was so small, she couldn't really imagine it worked over any great distance, but the team seemed to rely heavily on this communication method.

"Hardison?" She murmured, just to make sure.

"I'm here girl. You be careful."

The club was larger than it had seemed on the video, and it was smart, expensive looking. In truth it was just the sort of place she had preferred to work in, back in the day! She could do this, it was all so familiar. Tabby took a deep breath and slid from the car.

"Good luck!" Parker murmured.

Tabby adjusted her skirt, stuck out her chin and sashayed up the steps, aware of Parker's amused gaze. The girl had a very strange sense of humour, Tabby reflected that Eliot's refrain of 'there's something wrong with you' had some justification!

As made her way to the office Eliot's voice was suddenly in her ear.

"If you want me, just say, I'm here. Just one word and I'll be there. You won't need to shout, just one word."

"I'll be fine, Eliot." She murmured softly. "I'm only going after a job." She couldn't help but be elated at the concern in his voice.

"Yeah, but these are not nice people. Be careful."

"I'm fine." She re-iterated. Nice! When had they ever been? They exploited girls, each and every one of them. So everyone had a choice, but when the choice was this or starvation, which way would any girl go?

It was late afternoon on a Friday, the bar was already doing a fairly brisk trade. There were several girls around, serving customers and chatting, but no dancing was happening yet. She swayed her way to the bar on her four inched heels, they just gave her that extra height which made her feel more confident. Confidence, that was the key, she'd become very adept at portraying confidence in her past life, even when she was quaking in her shoes, that would stand her in good stead now.

She asked to see the manager, she didn't ask for the owner by name, it would be suspicious if she actually knew such a fact. The manager arrived and she asked for a job, she suffered the expected perusal of her figure.

"Hmm. Can you dance? Can you strip?" There was no delicacy about the questions.

"I can, I have worked in Las Vegas, just off The Strip, and I've worked in Atlanta, and a few smaller towns too."

"Not on The Strip?"

"No, but I would have, soon." She shrugged. "I left Vegas with my boyfriend so I never quite got there."

"So what are you doing here?"

She spun him the sob story of the boyfriend leaving and taking her money. She knew it would all be taken with a pinch of salt, she drew the story large, and they would assume she was exaggerating, but that it was in essence, true. This manager was just the sort of man she had expected, to him the girls were all cannon fodder and not bright, let him think that, she wasn't wanting him to look at her in any other light.

She fluttered her lashes, tried to look cute and ditzy and wriggled her body hopefully. The manager reckoned he'd seen it all before. But he could very much see the possibilities here.

"Ok, you can have ten minutes to prove yourself this evening. Go on just after seven, I'll be watching, if I like what I see, you're hired. Got your own gear?"

"Oh, yes!" Tabby agreed breathlessly, she was well aware of what she would need.

"So what do we call you, on stage I mean?"

"Anastasia." It wasn't a name she had used before, so no-one could check on her at all.

"I'm Kyle Absalom. The owner will be here later this evening, if you do all right first time you can dance later for him."

Now she was in with a chance. She was shown to the rear dressing room where the girls hung out. Here she could paint her face and get herself ready. It would be another three hours before she was expected on stage. She wondered if she could make any friends among the girls before that.

"This is Cindy." Kyle introduced her. "Cindy this is Kirsten, show her around, will you." With that he left Tabby to chat.


Eliot had listened to every word of the interview. He'd been a bit worried that she'd oversold the story, but it had turned out fine, Tabby had read the man well and realised what it needed. She seemed already to have an instinct for grifting…. for lying? That wasn't a nice thought.

He'd wanted to talk to her, to reassure her, but he'd held back, having a com in your ear, and someone talking in your head, could be very distracting till you got used to it. Now he took the chance to talk to her.

"Well done, sweetheart. Now see if your new friend Cindy can tell you anything."

Tabby almost started at the sound of his voice, she'd forgotten he was there, hopefully Cindy had noticed nothing, she wasn't studying Tabby with any intensity. She felt slightly irritated at Eliot, what did he think she was going to do? This was the job, she would get on with it.

"Hi there, Kirsten. Where you from? Coffee?" She waved a cup and indicated Tabby to sit next to her.

"Originally Arkansas, recently Vegas." Tabby took the cup and added milk from the carton on the table.

"You left Vegas to come to this dump?"

"It's a long story." Tabby remarked. "What about you?"

"Chicago, worked my way west, and here I am."

"Have you been here long?"

"About four months, it's not too bad. Reasonable punters, make a fair bit of cash, even more on the side if you get my drift. Not that we're supposed to, I expected he told you that." She waved after the manager.

"Well, he's not hired me officially, I've got to dance tonight and then he'll decide. What's the owner like?"

"Rich! Likes the girls to look good, classy not too trashy. Even if Kyle takes you on, Travis Houston will have the final say."

"Oh, is he hard to please?"

"Yeah, well, sometimes." Cindy looked her up and down. "I think he'll go for you, just lay it down a bit, if you've worked Vegas you'll blow their socks off. You could probably make a bomb with a bit of slap and tickle, they always fancy getting up close and personal with a new bod."

Tabby caught Eliot's poorly muffled snarl, she could almost hear him grinding his teeth. Hardison was obviously listening too. "Eliot, chill man. She's not doing anything like that! Stop grinding your teeth, it sets the coms off all weird."

"If you've finished your coffee we'll go for a look-see. I'll introduce you to those who are here. I go home at ten tonight, got a little-un to look after. More girls will be in for the night. If you need to borrow anything for this evening just let me know."

Tabby followed her out of the dressing room, as they did so Eliot came out of the rest room next door. He was dressed in a smart dark suit and tie, with his hair tied back in a ponytail. He looked….dangerous. Tabby could see how he fitted the bill as security!

Cindy fluttered her eyelashes. "Hello handsome. This is Kirsten, Kirsten this is Wes."

"Hi." Tabby had to struggle to keep a straight face. Wes! Damn him, was he trying to make this hard? Truthfully Eliot had trouble not reacting himself.

"Err Hi." He nodded and passed by heading for the rear of the building. Cindy looked after him with an appreciative smile.

"New security guy. He looks pretty tough, I like a tough guy. Real mean and moody. Yum!" Tabby could see the predatory look in her eyes. Damn it all, she'd been expecting to be the one getting hit on, it looked like Eliot might be in demand too. She had to clench her teeth against the comment that nearly came out. 'He's mine!' Oh if only, but she couldn't let on she knew him.

After a tour of the bar, the stage area and most of the back rooms Tabby felt she'd got her bearings. She was grateful Cindy had offered her the tour, it was something the others had impressed upon her that she must do. She needed to know the layout, all the ways out and the escape routes should it be necessary to make a run for it.

It was now nearly six, only an hour before she was due on stage. She spoke to the sound man and organised her music. She had spent last evening going through her old routine, something she had never expected to do again. Hopefully it would suffice for a first time at least.

Then she got out her gear and dressed with care. Knee high stilettos and satin thongs, things she'd thought were in her past. Then she did her makeup, full strength this time, it came back to her with very little effort, the whole scenario made her feel very odd.

By seven she was ready to rock and roll.