Page 4 of Stained
Alicia wished she had time to write this down. “I thought we didn’t refer to them by name,” she said.
Susan stopped in the middle of the club, the laughter and music almost drowning out her next few words. “Ms. Moreau is the exception. You will soon learn that she is the exception to everything around here.”
After a warning like that, Alicia had no idea what to expect.
She certainly did not expect one of the most striking women she had ever seen waiting at the front entrance.
Alicia assumed that the club was owned by two older individuals. Why older? Well, didn’t they have to be older to afford a place like this? That’s how it worked, right? The richestpeople were the oldest ones. A good chunk of the wealthy guests in the club were gray in more ways than one. They may have young lovers, but they were probably owed such trivialities.
So, to see a woman who couldn’t be much older than Alicia walk up and shake Susan’s hand… that was only the first surprise.
How is it possible for someone to look this good?Money, of course. Genetics probably played a part, but it was mostly money. Money paid for that tailor-made pantsuit hugging her body as she walked with a confident gait. Her hand, as it raised to take Susan’s, appeared heavy with such a delicate watch on the wrist. Alicia didn’t know the name of the watch or the suit. Nor did she know the name of the leather flats or the black wallet poking in and out of her jacket pocket. What shedidknow was that Ms. Moreau had the silkiest hair Alicia had ever seen. There wasn’t a black strand out of place, let alone an eyebrow in need of trimming. This was the woman who didn’t even go to a salon to get her hair cut and brows trimmed. She had someone who came by every two weeks to make sure Ms. Moreau looked suitably kempt.
Alicia also knew that perfume emanating from this woman. The only reason she recognized Jean Patou was because she and Candice once went into a perfume salon in New York to pretend they were rich enough to buy such extravagances. This particular perfume stuck because of how thick and flowery it was.Jasmine and rose. A striking combination, and it took a bolder woman to pull it off. But when worn by someone like Ms. Moreau? No doubt about it. In this case, it was definitely perfume turned powerful. So happened that it smelled good on Alicia back at that salon.Maybe some of it will rub off on me.She could only hope.
“This must be the new hostess,” came a smooth voice. Alicia remained frozen where she stood, even after a pair of bright amber eyes turned in her direction. “Who are you?”
Before Alicia could open her mouth and subsequently lose her voice, Susan cut in. “This is Alicia Colbert. Tonight’s her first night.”
Ms. Moreau gave Alicia a cursory look over, eyes lingering on her breasts as they humbly poked from her plain black dress. When they returned to her face, those bright eyes lit up even more… almost as if something switched on in the back of Ms. Moreau’s mind. “Welcome to Midnight, Ms. Colbert.” Ms. Moreau extended her hand. “I’m sure you’ll be quite successful.”
“Th… thank you.” Alicia took her hand.Talk about someone who hasn’t had to do a whole day of real work in her life.Alicia enjoyed the softness of Ms. Moreau’s firm grip until the woman had to pull her hand away again. “I look forward to working here.”
“As well as you should.” Ms. Moreau looked back at Susan. “Shall we?”
“Of course, Ms. Moreau. Right this way. The Diamond VIP area?”
“If you would.”
Susan led the way, and Alicia brought up the rear, following not just Ms. Moreau, but her small entourage of assistants, which curiously included one woman. The lot of them went upstairs into a secluded loft bedecked with plush leather furniture and enough warm lights to start a fire. Only a few were turned on, however. Ms. Moreau sat on one of the couches while everyone else spread out around her. There was no real intimacy between her and anyone else.That’s different from the other groups here. Friends sitting next to friends and cracking drunken jokes. Lovers canoodling. Even business relationships were fostered across tables or on the same couch. Ms. Moreau, however, was more than content to put some space between herself and the others. Even Susan didn’t get too close. Nor did Catalina, who took drink and appetizer orders.
“Is Liza in tonight?” Ms. Moreau asked before the hostesses left. “I should like to see a performance of hers.” She gestured to the stripper pole set up not too far away. “It’s been a long week, and I wish to unwind.” Nobody else said anything.
“I believe she has started her shift, ma’am.” Susan retained a careful smile. “I’ll have her come up here right away.”
“See that you do.” Ms. Moreau flashed Alicia a flirtatious grin. “Don’t be too hard on the new girl, either. She seems capable.”
Susan’s smile faltered.Did I do something?“We’ll go get Liza.”
“Do so.”
Susan let out another pent-up breath as soon as they were downstairs again. Alicia didn’t ask why. Did she have to?That woman was intimidating!Seemingly nice, but intimidating. Not just because she was an owner, either… there was something about that confidence that unsettled even Alicia.
Liza was in the staff dressing room, dithering between a black negligee and a pleather suit. When she saw Susan come into the dressing room with a pale face, she immediately said, “It’s Moreau, isn’t it?”
“Diamond VIP area, yes.”
“Hmph.” Liza tossed the pleather suit down and held the black negligee up to her dark hair. “Think she’ll be happy with this?”
“I doubt you’ll be wearing it for long.”
“Doubtful, indeed.”
Alicia didn’t ask what was going on. Within ten minutes, when she was back out in the gallery helping Susan show a new group to their seats, she saw Liza bounding up the stairs to the Diamond VIP area wearing nothing but that sheer negligee. She would not be twirling on the downstairs stripper poles that night.
It was almost eleven, three hours shy of closing, when Susan was called away to consult with the manager on something. She told Alicia to go take a break until the conference was over. Finewith her. Alicia slipped into a small break area and slyly checked her phone in her purse. Phones were not allowed to be out at any time due to privacy concerns. Not like Alicia wanted to take a video of the third piece of action she saw that night, anyway.
“Shit, are you the only one around? Where’s Susan?”
