Beguiled

Chapter 5

Saige

“He said what?” Tawny grabbed her iced tea, sucking on the straw in the most annoying fashion.

I took a bite of my sandwich, nodding profusely as I did. After licking mayonnaise from my lip, I grabbed a napkin. “‘I tend to savor children for dessert instead of breakfast. It gives me something to look forward to in my dull drudgery of a life.’ Quote unquote.”

She grabbed her phone, her fingers flying.

“Don’t bother,” I added. “You didn’t get the email. I was tired and had forgotten the last one I’d sent hadn’t been to you, but to him confirming the meeting we had.”

“Oh, you need to send a copy so I can see just how much trouble you’re in.” She could laugh hysterically while I was still cringing inside, praying that he’d forget all about my insidious faux pas.

Which I doubted.

Something else I knew about my boss was that he had the memory of an elephant. “I’ll send it to you. You know what’s funny though? He wasn’t upset. He was amused.”

“How can you tell with Mr. Stone Face?”

We both giggled, the nickname suiting him. Although I had another one or two. “I think I caused a little crack in his armor.”

She slipped her hand into the chip bag, pulling out a couple. With her brows furrowing while she chewed, I could sense her mind spinning. “You know we have a pool going on upstairs about him.”

“A pool?”

“You know. About what he’s into. Half the girls think he’s gay.” She arched an eyebrow. She’d suspected something had happened at the party since I’d insisted on leaving.

I rolled my eyes as a first response. “Half the women you work with are casual sluts.”

My bestie tossed a chip at me. “Has anyone ever told you that you have a mean streak running through you?”

“That keeps me sane.” I took a couple more bites of my sandwich as I thought about him. “He’s not gay. He almost flirted with me this morning.”

“Almost is like saying almost a little bit pregnant. Does this have anything to do with the two of you doing the hanky-panky at the festive holiday event?” She burst into a fit of giggles.

My turn to toss a chip. “Stop it. Nothing happened. I’m not dating him and I assure you I won’t be fucking him. He’s just cautious.”

“But you’re special.”

Now I cocked my head. “You’re terrible.”

Her laugh faded, a strange looking crossing her face. “If he’s really a Bratva enforcer, tying himself down would be dangerous.”

“Okay, why?”

She glanced from one side to the other. Was she really worried someone could overhear the conversation?

“Think about it. A girlfriend would make a good bargaining chip. If the enemy wanted to find a weakness in him, they’d use the woman.

You could find yourself tied up in some dark, dank warehouse, tortured for what you knew even if you didn’t know anything. ”

“Try getting out of the house more often. Watching endless hours of Netflix is rotting your brain.”

“I’m not kidding. I did a paper on the mafia in college.” Her gaze returned to her food.

“For marketing purposes.”

“I was initially going into the justice system but was lured away by making actual money.”

Smirking, I shoved the remainder of my sandwich into the Ziploc bag. Somehow, I wasn’t very hungry any longer. “I’ll take your warning to heart that I dodged a bullet. Now, what is this favor you need to ask me?”

With her actions methodical, she placed her sandwich on her extra napkin, wiped her mouth with the other, and very slowly lifted her head so she could stare me in the eyes.

Uh-oh. I knew that look. She’d done something to get herself in trouble.

“I have a date tonight.”

“Okay, wow. Plus, don’t tell me it’s with…” She’d been on again, off again with Brian over the past few months.

“No. it’s with this new guy.” She didn’t seem overly enthused. Maybe she was trying to break the cycle of abuse.

Exhaling, I could tell the shoe was about to drop. “I am not going to hold your hand. You’re a big girl.”

“Very funny. See, I have a problem. I have work tonight. It’s the only night he can get free for the foreseeable future and he insisted on seeing me. I mean, I want to see him too of course. A fancy date.”

I’d learned a few months before she had a second job at a club.

Why I didn’t know. I thought given her gorgeous apartment and a few things she’d told me that she came from a rich family.

However, I knew she was more like me in being determined to live her life the way she wanted.

She’d mentioned she liked the energy. And the tips.

“Call your boss. Tell him it’s a special night. ”

“Yeah, right. He’ll have my legs broken.”

“What?”

She appeared flustered. “I’m kidding.”

No, she wasn’t.

“My boss is just one of those guys who tell you right up front you get one chance. If you fuck it up, you’re out.”

“Sounds like a plum of a job.”

“You don’t know how much money I’ve made over the last year. Enough I’ll be able to get a little house by myself soon.” She was more flustered than I’d seen her in a long time.

“Where, in Jersey?” She knew my favorite topic was earning money.

“Yeah, so what? Paramus is nice. But it’ll be mine. I can finally be free.”

Free. What wasn’t she telling me?

Softening, I had to remember how stubborn she was. “Good for you. So what is it you want me to do, run over your foot so you have a decent excuse?”

“Very funny.” Her entire face scrunched up.

“Oh, I’ll just say it. I need you to take my place tonight at the club.

I wouldn’t ask except I really like this guy.

We met in the cute little coffee shop down the street.

You know the one I mean. Anyway, we started having coffee together then we managed a drink after work one day.

Now, we’re going on a real date including a cruise around the Hudson. Doesn’t that sound romantic?”

She wasn’t kidding. She was also jabbering, which she did when she was nervous.

“You’ll need to forgive me. I’m still back at where you asked me to cover for you on a job.

I honestly think they might notice the differences between the two of us.

You’re one hot brunette with an hourglass figure.

I’m a tall brunette who looks more like a schoolteacher.

Plus, I’ve never waited tables a day in my life.

I assure you even if your boss had a mild stroke, I won’t be able to pass myself off as you. ”

The truth was, with our hair down we could be twins, except she was shorter and spunkier.

Her giggle was close to being infuriating. “No, silly. Not waiting tables.”

“Then what do you do in this club?” When people didn’t answer a question right away, that normally wasn’t a good thing. “Oh, Tawny. Please do not tell me you’re some… I mean you don’t… Do you?” No wonder she’d made so much cash.

“What?” She narrowed her eyes until she figured out what I was talking about. “Oh, God. No! I am not sleeping with men for money. Or stripping. Although you could almost call it pole dancing.”

“I am thoroughly confused.”

“Okay, I’d forgotten I never went into any real detail.”

“No, you did not.” I had such a bad feeling about what she wanted me to do I began closing myself off, folding my arms as a strange chill coursed through me.

“I’m a card girl.”

“Gambling?”

“No,” she chuckled. “For a fight.”

“A fight. You’ve lost me, Tawny.”

“You’ve heard of MMA fights. Right? Mixed Martial Arts?”

“Yeah, sure. Aren’t they brutal fights where anything goes?”

Her shrug was an answer, but I could tell there was more. “Yes, almost no rules apply. It’s an underground club run by some Irish folks.”

“Irish folks. Why underground?”

She was suddenly very interested in toying with her long hair.

Her obvious nervousness caused me to check to ensure my bun was still somewhat in position.

Thankfully, I’d foregone ripping it out after my meeting with Mr. Chertov.

I would no longer refer to him by his first name.

Doing so was way too personal, and I needed to be on my best behavior around him.

“Between you and me, I think they’re the Irish mob, but the only business I’ve ever seen them engage in is the fights. They usually have three, two that are fairly benign. I think it allows fighters to practice their moves.”

“Okay, and what do you do?”

“You’ve seen fights on television where a sexy girl holds up a card in between the rounds. Right?”

“Yeah, maybe a million years ago before electronics were invented.”

Her look was challenging. “They like to do things the old-fashioned way. I parade around for a few seconds holding a card and strutting my stuff. If the men like what they see, by the end of the evening I leave with a thousand in cash, sometimes more depending on the night and the size of the crowd. Plus, I get paid a cool five hundred in cash just for working about two hours. I was thinking that since you need money…” She allowed the rest to trail off.

I was taken aback by the idea as well as the amount of cash I could earn. If the amount was accurate, I could ease some nerves for a little while. “Wow. Not bad.”

“See? I thought you’d like it. All you need to do is to wear a sexy outfit, toss your long hair around, and smile a lot. Oh, and I add to the fantasy by painting my face. You know what I’m talking about. Like I did for that Halloween party last year.”

She was an artist, talented with makeup. When she’d finished, she appeared like a sensual butterfly. I was not nearly so talented.

“While enduring sweaty men pawing at you.”

“Don’t worry,” she added. “They have huge bouncers that keep the guys from hassling me. Plus, they’re professionals.”

“The fighters. Well, I’d hope so.” MMA could be brutal, but what little I knew about the sport, the training was very specific, the fighting for real. Not like the wrestlers who’d gained fame from putting on an act.

“The customers. There’s a strict dress code so they’re all in suits. And they’re rich. You can tell by their jewelry and the wads of cash they pocket. Everything is under the table.”

I eyed her suspiciously. “You mean criminal.”

“Maybe you’re the one who needs to get out more often. If there’s anything criminal going on, I wouldn’t know. I do my job and I’m treated very well, like a princess. Honestly, I can’t lose this job.”

“Is there something else you’re not telling me?”

Her expression turned pained. “My dad thinks he knows best for me. He wants me to come work for him at his company.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“You don’t know him. Let’s just say if I can prove I’m independent in buying this house, he might leave me alone. Just for one night. Two hours. That’s all I’m asking.”

I’d learned a long time ago that there were no perfect families.

Every depiction seen on Hallmark was bullshit, reality more like a cross between Lifetime movies and a crime thriller.

Even my family held their share of secrets.

That’s how I could tell she wasn’t being overdramatic. Her father was putting pressure on her.

“Plus, you never know. They operate six nights a week and I can’t work that many hours so you might be offered a job.” Her face remained scrunched up, but her eyes allowed a view of whatever the truth was. She was frightened.

“Okay. One night. That’s it.”

The moment was gone, her bright unassuming smile returning. “That’s fantastic. I knew you’d say yes, which is why I brought a costume with me.”

“You’re kidding.”

She was back to giggling as if the line she’d crossed into some dark side of her own didn’t exist. “Let me show you. It’s perfect for you. I haven’t worn it because red doesn’t look good on me. You’ve told me that.”

As she grabbed a bag by her feet, I sat back, uncertain how I felt about this. “Are you okay?”

“Very. Completely okay. Just excited about my date. I know that’s ridiculous after my history with men, but he’s such a nice guy.”

I’d heard about one too many nice guys. She was the girl most who most wanted to get married. Now I had an inkling as to why.

“Look at this. Would you believe I found this at a little thrift store? It’s so you.”

“It’s so glittery,” I groaned.

“That’s the entire point. The hotter you look, the better the tips. You’re going to look fabulous.”

As I pulled the outfit into the air, my self-confidence tanked. “I don’t know about that.”

“I do. Stop worrying. You’re an angel for doing this. I’ll text you all the information and your contact while you’re there. I’ll call my boss and let him know so he can put you on the guest list.”

“You’re sure your boss will be okay with this?” I wasn’t certain I was okay with this.

“Absolutely. He’ll be thrilled to have new blood.”

Hmm… There were several reasons I didn’t like the words she used.

“You owe me.”

“You’re right and who knows, maybe you can buy a hot little dress for when that sexy boss of yours asks you out on a date.” Her wink was an attempt to make me feel better.

It wasn’t working. “Just out of curiosity, what about the third fight?”

“What do you mean?”

“You mentioned there are three different fights and the first two are more for amateurs.”

“Oh,” she said. “The third is definitely more professional and is usually over with quickly. The bets are much higher.”

“Let me guess. Which means the tips are higher.”

“Now you understand.”

I had to wonder if that was true or not and why I still had a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.