Deadly Dancing Page 14

  I surveyed the women. Most of them were pretty, but they had a look to them. Like too much time spent in the dingy bar and not enough time in fresh air. One of them was sitting on a man’s lap at the bar. I couldn’t see the man’s face, but he had nice arms that, oddly, weren’t tattooed.

  “Brett, grab us a table, and I’ll go get drinks,” I said.

  He caught my arm before I left for the bar. “You may as well order food for us too,” he said, pushing money into my hand. “There isn’t much customer service here.”

  “I can pay.”

  “How?”

  I didn’t think about that. My money was in the bank and we didn’t stop at the ATM. I doubted this place took anything except cash.

  I took the money in defeat and wedged in between the man with nice arms and a hairy man with a bandana wrapped around his head. The aging bartender acknowledged me with a nod and a finger that said one minute.

  I waited. The music was old hair-band rock. Axel Rose was bellowing “Welcome to the Jungle,” and I surmised I may have actually landed in a tattoo jungle. The music was loud, but not loud enough to drown out the conversation to my left.

  The woman laughed and said, “Do you really have a Harley?”

  I couldn’t hear what the man said, but it must have been a dirty suggestion. She laughed again and said, “You’re a naughty boy. I want to give you a test drive.”

  My eyes searched for the bartender; I really didn’t want to hear this. The bartender must have gone in back. I glanced over at Brett and shrugged. He didn’t seem to mind, giving me the impression that he was staring at my rear end this entire time.

  The bartender reappeared and took down my order. I was interrupted when the woman tried to slide off of the man’s lap and stumbled into me.

  “Oh, sorry,” she said, righting herself by hanging onto me. “I just need to go to the restroom. I must’ve had a little too much to drink.”

  “No problem,” I said, letting her through.

  She turned to the man. “I’ll be right back, babycakes.”

  I turned to the bartender and finished my order. The bartender took my cash and walked to the register. I stood, waiting for the change. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the man with the nice arms was studying me. I pretended to ignore him.

  “What’s your name?” the man asked.

  “None of your business,” I said as I turned to him.

  It was Evan. My mouth dropped open. He took a good, long look at me. The realization hit him and his eyes widened.

  “Holy shit! Mars, is that you?” His eyes roamed, taking in all of me. “I’ve never seen you like this. You’re always beautiful, but this look could make me beg. Come home with me,” he urged with his playboy smile.

  “I’m here with Brett.”

  His eyes drifted through the bar until he spotted Brett at the table. “The hell you are,” he said. “Only one thing can happen when a girl dresses this way.”

  “Oh yeah? And what’s that, babycakes?” I asked.

  “You aren’t going to find out with him,” he stated. “You’re coming with me.”

  “What about the girl who was just sitting on your lap?”

  “She doesn’t mean anything to me.”

  “They never mean anything to you,” I said, picking up the change minus a few dollars for the bartender. “I don’t want to be someone who doesn’t mean anything.”

  His arctic blue eyes sent frost into mine. He was upset to find me with another man. I wasn’t too happy to find him with another woman, but I’m used to it. He always has women trailing after him. They’d run over tacks to be with him. I wasn’t one of them. I’d never be one of them.

  I turned to leave. He gently held my wrist. “I’m sorry, sugar,” he said, letting go.

  I didn’t look at him but walked to the table and sat down by Brett. His jaw was rigid.

  I smiled at him, brushing his stubble with the back of my hand, “Don’t worry about it,” I murmured, more for myself than him.

  Brett relaxed and held my hand. Moments later, Evan and the woman left the bar. He shot a final look at me before he left. My heart hiccupped as he left with her. I heard a motorcycle take off. Gone again.

  When our food was dropped on the table, Brett pulled me onto his lap.

  “How are you going to eat if I’m sitting on you?” I asked.

  “You can feed me.”

  “I’m not going to feed you.”

  “Then I’ll pass out on the dance floor from starvation, and you’ll have to pull the women off me.”

  I rolled my eyes. How was I going to feed him a greasy hamburger and not get us both stained? I cut a small piece off, placing it in his mouth. His teeth grazed against my fingers, licking my fingertips.

  “Do that again and I’ll let the women ravage you.”

  He chuckled. “You’re not playing fair.”

  “When have you ever played fair?”

  “Never.”

  I fed him most of the burger and fries before he freed me and leaned back to watch me.

  “I never get tired of looking at you,” he said.

  “You’ve only known me for five days.”

  “Mmm, and it’s been a very unsatisfying five days.”

  I relaxed in my chair, licking the grease off my fingers one by one. He groaned.

  * * *

  We entered through the back door of Longhorn’s since the front door was still locked. Some of the dancers were already there and looked over when Brett and I appeared. He gave them a dark look that could only mean “back off, she’s mine.”

  “I can’t let you back in the dressing room for obvious reasons. Head to the front and wait there.” He shoved money into my front pocket. “You’ll be safe at the bar with Annie. Many of the dancers don’t go by the bar.”

  I nodded and turned to leave.

  “Mars, I understand why you don’t want to be here,” Brett said. “If our lives were reversed, I couldn’t bear to see you up on stage.”

  I gave him a small smile and made my way to the front. Annie was there getting ready for the night.

  “Hi, Annie,” I said, hopping onto a barstool.

  She looked at me funny.

  “It’s Mars.”

  “Mars?” She blinked. “I didn’t recognize you.”

  “I know. It’s a bit much.” I gestured to myself. “I’m having some fun with it.”

  “I’ve seen some pretty trashy people walk through these doors, but you don’t look trashy. More va-va-va-voom,” she said with a laugh. “Are you here with Brett?”

  “Yes,” I said. “He told me I'd be safe at the bar.”

  “Most likely, yes. The dancers stay away from the bar and try to work the rest of the room. Every once in a while they come over to harass anyone who looks like they’re trying to hide.”

  “I’ll remember that,” I said, inspecting myself in a compact. “Keeping this face and hair intact is a lot of work.”

  “Brett’s worth it though, right?” she asked.

  “He is worth it. I’m only doing this for the night, and then I’m going back to being me,” I said, snapping the compact closed.

  Annie stepped to the front door to unlock it. She reached up in the window and pulled the chain to light up the open sign.

  “Do you ever date any of the dancers?” I asked Annie.

  “I have before, but I don’t now,” she said. “It’s too hard of a life. To watch them dance and have women fawn over them. It doesn’t stop at the stage, you know? They give off a vibe or aura that women can’t stay away from. It always ended badly, so I’ve given them up for good.”

  “I’m not sure how it will end with Brett, but I’m going to enjoy it while it lasts,” I said.

  “I have to turn on the music until the DJ arrives,” Annie said. “Can you tell the guys we’ll be ready in five minutes?”

  “But there isn’t anyone here.”

  “There will be any moment now.”

>   I remembered what Brett had said about the men, and I didn’t want to go back there. I pulled out my cell phone to relay the message from the safety of my seat. There was a text from Evan. I hesitated before opening it.

  It’s true. They don’t mean anything to me, but you will always mean EVERYTHING to me. Don’t give up on me before you give me a chance.

  I sensed heat on my back. Brett. I peered up at him. His hard expression told me he had read the text. I tucked the phone into my pocket.

  “I was going to call you. Annie said you should be ready in five minutes. I didn’t want to go backstage.”

  Brett nodded. He was dressed in a construction outfit this time. His jeans were tight. I traced the lines on his oiled abs with my finger and he gave a small shudder. I smiled.

  “Careful,” he warned. “I can’t go on stage if I’m worked up. I’ll have to find someone to help alleviate the situation.”

  “Who, me?” A sly smile escaped.

  “No one else but you, sweet thing,” he said, kissing my neck. “Can you help me? I can’t fasten the bottom of the jeans. They’re so tight, I bust out every time I bend.”

  “Couldn’t one of the guys in back help you?”

  “Yes, but I like it better when you touch me.”

  I knelt down and sealed the pant legs. On my way back up, I took the scenic route, catching a glimpse of some spectacular sights.

  “I saw that,” he said.

  “I’m just admiring the view.”

  “I want to kiss you, but that damn red lipstick keeps standing in my way.”

  “Good to know,” I said. “You better go backstage before ladies start showing up.”

  He brushed his fingers against my cheek and turned to leave.

  Within a minute after he left, women trickled in. They were mostly in groups, some bachelorette parties, but every once in a while a lady flying solo showed up. Could the Hammer be one of these ladies? I observed each one from my seat. They all seemed normal to me.

  “Let me get you something to drink before it becomes a madhouse in here,” Annie offered.

  “That sounds great.”

  She mixed me a brilliant blue concoction. I tasted it.

  “Kool-Aid?”

  “Blue Zombie,” she said. “Sip it or it’ll kick your ass.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  With my drink in my hand, I settled and watched women fill in around the catwalk. In a matter of seconds, the atmosphere was about to change. How do men do that? They have the unique ability to throw life into a topsy-turvy roller coaster. I guess they could say the same about women.

  The women here looked normal, average. Not knowing what the Hammer looked like made the job of finding her nearly impossible. Like finding my Uncle Auggie’s Viagra bottle the time his dog stole it and ran halfway across town with it. He never did find it, but the dog returned home with disturbing side effects. Unless the Hammer made a move, I didn’t have a chance of finding her.

  “Annie, have you ever heard of the Hammer before?” I asked as she poured drinks.

  “Is that a rock band or something?”

  “No, it’s a serial killer. A woman who’s killed other women who have become involved with a male exotic dancer she’s stalking.”

  “You’re putting me on. I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

  “No, I’m serious. She has her eye on Brett, and I’ve been threatened. She beat the hell out of my car with a sledgehammer and broke into my house.”

  “Sounds like you need to be careful.”

  “I can’t imagine who it could be. No one here looks like they could be a serial killer. Brett and I aren’t even serious.”

  “Have you been seen together?” Annie asked. “Like on a date?”

  “Yes.”

  “I would assume anyone might take that as a relationship. Or at least the start of one.”

  “I guess you have a point.”

  “Maybe you should give him up. Is he worth your life?”

  The DJ pumped the music. I quickly peeked to see who was onstage. No Brett. I breathed a sigh of relief. I turned to my drink, keeping my back turned to the dancers.

  Brett was right. So far, none of the dancers came to the bar.

  I should have brought the rest of the lockets to work on. Sitting here with no one to talk to was going to be very boring. I could take a peek at the dancers . . . no, not worth it.

  I slipped out my phone. I never replied to Evan’s text. I didn’t even have a clue how to respond to it. How can I give up on him when he never gave himself the chance to be in a relationship?

  The music changed. My heart palpitated. I snuck a quick peek. Brett was on stage. Damn, he was hot with the lights glittering against his vast, rippling muscles. His presence eclipsed the rest of the dancers. My eyes glazed in a trance that could only see him. As the music peaked, he tore off his vest and swung it in the air. I coughed, sputtering my drink.

  Did he just bite a dollar out of a woman’s cleavage?

  Squelching a jealous urge to stuff the dollar back where it came from, I refocused on my drink. It was only a matter seconds before my eyes returned.

  If I was the Hammer, Brett would be my objective too.

  Damn him! I’m all flustered again.

  Brett locked eyes on me. His hand moved tantalizingly slow to his jeans. Women screamed for him to take it off, and I watched with drool forming at the corners of my mouth. The beat of the music hit; he ripped them off in one fluid motion. I jumped, sloshing my drink over the rim of the glass. He smirked.

  I quickly turned back to the bar, but I could still see him in the reflection of the mirror behind the bar. It was like watching through a blurry television.

  A woman sat next to me. She was pretty with dark hair and eyes. She had an air of strength to her. She looked familiar to me.

  “Hey, Annie,” the woman yelled over the music. “Give me a beer.”

  Annie nodded and brought her a beer, charging it to her account. The woman took a long swig from the bottle and settled into her seat.

  “Hey, hon,” she greeted me with a hint of a Southern accent. “Who’s your man?”

  “The construction worker,” I answered. “How did you know?”

  “Hon, if you’re sitting at the bar not watching them, then you’re here with one of them.”

  “You look familiar to me. Have we met before?”

  The woman gave me a glance and shook her head. “I don’t think we’ve met. But I come in here all the time.” She pointed to the stage. “Tarzan is mine. I come here to fend off the women.”

  I looked over to see Tarzan. He had perfect cocoa skin and a nicely sculpted body.

  “I must have seen you last week then. I was here for a bachelorette party. Your Tarzan is good-looking,” I said.

  She nodded. She’s probably heard that a lot.

  “I’m Renee,” she introduced herself.

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Mars.”

  “You’re Mars?” she asked.

  “Yeah, do you know me?”

  “No, but it’s starting to make sense now.”

  “What makes sense?”

  “Last night, one of your man’s fans had a fit because he wasn’t here.”

  “He was scheduled to work last night?”

  “Yeah. You didn’t know?” Renee eyed me. I’m sure she knew exactly what was up in Tarzan’s life. Hell, she probably kept his calendar for him.

  “No, I just started seeing him.”

  “Well, you’ll learn to keep better track of your man. These men tend to have a roaming eye, and where their eyes go, so does their penis.”

  I sputtered on my drink again. Through my coughs, I nodded for her to continue.

  “Anyway, she found out that he was with Mars. I didn’t know who Mars was. I thought it may have been a stage name. Sorry, but that’s a strange name you’ve got there.”

  Renee looked me over. “But now that I’ve met you, I think you can pull it off.
Not many people named Mars would be able to.”

  “I’ve had thirty years of practice fitting into the name.”

  “No, you didn’t fit into it. It fits you.”

  I smiled, taking a sip of my blue juice. It was starting to make me sparkly . . . yes, sparkly and queasy.

  “You’ll want to be careful with that drink,” Renee cautioned. “One of those could knock out an elephant.”

  “It’s already started. I can’t feel my toes.” I yanked off my heels. “Of course, it could be these shoes.”

  Renee inspected me. “How many fingers am I holding up?”

  “Two.”

  “Okay, you’re fine. You may want to switch to something else.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  “Annie,” I called to her from across the bar. “Can you get me something fruity and light on alcohol?”

  Annie started mixing a drink but had to go to the back to grab some more juice.

  Renee watched Tarzan intently, making sure no woman got too handsy.

  Annie came back with the juice and finished my drink. She handed me a mai tai. I took a small sip.

  The mirror reflected Brett leaving the stage. I sighed and stirred my drink.

  “Renee, who was the woman who got upset yesterday?”

  “I don’t know her name, but she’s a regular.” Renee looked around the room. “I don’t see her here. After her outburst yesterday, she may not come back.”

  A woman stood to the side of me. “Excuse me,” she called to Annie.

  Annie walked over to the woman. I looked at her reflection in the mirror. It was Karina Fenwig.

  “Can you give this to the construction worker?”

  “Haven’t you had enough?” Annie muttered.

  Karina glared at Annie. “Don’t start with me. I’m cleaning up enough messes without your crap.”

  “Be careful,” Annie warned.

  “Is that a threat or concern?” Karina sneered, tilting her head back to let out a callous laugh. “Never mind, I know exactly what it is. Just do this for me. I won’t bother you again.”

  Annie nodded, tucking the envelope behind the bar. Karina took a last look at the dancers before she strutted out. On her way out, she gave a tight nod to Renee. Renee returned the nod.