It’s a good thing you have me along,” Jonathon said as they rode in the cab to Rick’s Cabaret on Bourbon. “You have to have a male escort to get in.”
“I’m surprised any of those joints on Bourbon require you to have a man with you,” Kate said.
“The nicer ones do, and I’m your man.”
Lucy settled further into his lap. “And you’re man enough to escort all of us. I like that.”
Vivian, Wendy and Kate cracked up laughing as Jonathon pulled Lucy in tight.
Vivian pulled up the local ABC affiliate and found a new story about Daisy and the other two girls. She held her phone so everyone could see and turned up the volume.
A lot of what was reported, the girls already knew. The story cut to a reporter standing in front of the arches to St. Louis Cemetery #1. Spotlights lit the area behind her, casting an eerie glow and shadows on the screen. “The police are still at work, searching for evidence of who could have committed this crime and desecrated these historic grounds. Though the victim has not been identified to us, sources tell us it is one of the three missing dancers who have disappeared during the past month.”
Pictures of all three victims flashed across the screen. “Police are requesting the help of the public and have established a tip line.” The phone number was displayed, and the reporter continued talking. “I had the opportunity to speak to Jason Pitts, the fiancé of Daisy Easley, to discuss what he and others are doing to help bring Daisy home.”
The story cut to the interview with Jason, microphone in his face. He said, “I’ve had an unbelievable response to my pleas for help. People have come from across the country to cover the city with flyers, ask questions and just do anything they can to help. I know we’re going to find her safe.”
Vivian put her phone into her pocket just as the cab pulled to a stop. Rick’s red neon sign cast a glow, making everyone who walked by look sunburned. “We need a game plan,” she said as everybody got out. She asked Jonathon, “How do we get Lala Lollipop to talk to us about Daisy?”
“This is the Daisy from the newscast?” he asked.
The girls gave him a quick rundown of the kidnapping and the Lollipop connection.
He smiled. “Leave it to me. I can get any woman to talk.”
“Oh yeah?” Lucy said.
“Twenty bucks says I can get this chick to come to your hotel.”
Lucy slapped him on the arm. “She’s a stripper, not a prostitute.”
“Wanna bet?”
Vivian laughed and told him their hotel and room number. “I want to see this process in action. Do you need some cash? How much does this kind of transaction cost?”
“Depends. I’ll have to feel her out, literally. I’ll buy a lap dance, and the handsier she lets me get, the more likely she’ll go to the hotel. I’ll know pretty quick how much for the whole shebang.” He laughed at himself.
“I’m only supporting this for the cause,” Lucy said, tracing her fingernail down his chest to his navel, “but I’m going to be watching you.”
Kate looked at the too-tanned woman in a neon-green G-string bikini and 6-inch acrylic platform heels that flashed like a strobe light, standing out front of the club. “I’m good with staying out here. I’ve about had enough of naked ladies.”
“I’ll stay with Kate,” Wendy said. “Buddy system.”
Vivian linked arms with Jonathon. “I got my boy buddy right here. Let’s go!”
Lucy linked arms on the other side and they walked to the door. Too-tanned welcomed them in, giggling and jiggling as Lucy paid the cover charge.
The three found a table in the middle of the club, not too close. A girl in hot pants and a highlighter-yellow bikini top asked what they’d like to drink. Twenty-four dollars and three beers later, they were tortured by Trace Adkins’ “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” and a girl in chaps, leather bikini top, cowgirl hat and high-heeled western boots.
Vivian groaned. “And yet another reason why I can’t stand country music.”
Lucy started singing really loud and Jonathon joined in. Vivian put her head in her hands, then looked up to see Jonathon grinding on Lucy and both of them waving pretend lassos. She put her head back into her hands and turned to the side to slip in sips of beer.
Finally, Lala Lollipop was announced. Her starting music was the same as at the French House, Shirley Temple’s “Good Ship Lollipop” gone wild. She strutted on stage in a super-tight navy sailor dress with a white-trimmed collar and red belt. The candy-cane heels fed into red platforms with cupcakes painted on the sides resembling boobs.
“How is she going to get out of that dress?” Vivian leaned over and asked Lucy and Jonathon.
“She’ll manage,” Jonathon said, never taking his eyes off the stage.
When the music changed to Nickleback’s “Burn It to the Ground,” Lala threw her belt aside and ripped off her dress, which apparently was Velcroed in the back. She took to the pole and tricked, turned and twisted beyond what Vivian thought the human body could do. She ended the routine in the splits, and the crowd clapped for an encore. She did the next routine to Bow Wow Wow’s “I Want Candy.”
Vivian stood up and started dancing along with Lucy and Jonathon. “Now this is a great song!”
“I’ve never heard it,” Jonathon said, “but I like it.”
That comment hurt a little, and Vivian looked at Lucy. Dammit! We’re not old!
Lala ended her routine upside down, legs spread-eagle, clinging on the pole. Jonathon whispered something to Lucy, then walked toward a bouncer standing by the stage. He slipped the guy some cash and disappeared behind a velvet red curtain.
Jonathon chose a spot in the far left corner that was nice and dark, although the entire room was much darker than the rest of the club. He sat on a bench seat and pushed the small table that was in front of him away a few inches.
Lala walked out about 10 minutes later. She’d changed into a fluorescent orange string bikini.
I’m gonna enjoy this! he thought.
Lala sat down next to him and ran her hand up his thigh. “You here for me?”
“You are hot, baby,” he answered.
She threw her leg across his lap and got down to business. She pushed her bikini top to the side and shoved her boobs in his face.
He went for the handsy moves and Lala let him go... almost to candy land.
Jonathon pushed through the red curtain and walked up to Vivian and Lucy. “I’m in. We might need to stop by an ATM on the way to the hotel. She’ll be there in 30 minutes.”
“How much is this gonna cost us?” Lucy asked.
“I promised her $200.”
“We’ll give her $100 to keep her clothes on, how’s that?” Vivian asked.
He shrugged. “She ought to be happy.”
They made their way outside and found Wendy and Kate covered in beads, laughing with a couple of cute guys holding big ass beers. “Hey, hookers!” they yelled.
“Looks like y’all’ve had a good time!” Vivian said, grabbing Kate’s beer and taking a big-ass sip.
Wendy threw an arm around Vivian’s shoulders and danced to the music blaring out of another club. “Woo hoo!”
Vivian danced along and said, “We have a date with a stripper. We gotta get to the hotel.”
“Adios, boys,” Wendy called to the cute guys and ambled off down Bourbon, still dancing next to Vivian. “I love this town.”
They passed an ATM and Lucy halted everyone. “We need to get some phony fuck money.” Jonathon stood guard as she completed the transaction.
Once in the hotel room, Vivian started laughing. “I can’t believe we have a prostitute coming here.”
“No shit,” Wendy said. “I’m hiding my laptop.”
Kate sat down on the bed. “I can’t believe she’s a prostitute.”
Jonathon put a hand on her shoulder. “Many of them are.” He smiled.
Ick!!
“What should we do while we wait?” Lucy asked. “Do we need some mood music?”
“Her mood is going to be ruined the second she walks in and sees y’all. Music won’t help.”
Lucy fumbled with the clock radio anyway but was interrupted by a knock at the door.
Jonathon rubbed his hands together and whispered to the girls, “Here we go.” He cracked the door. “So glad you came.” He then let Lala in and closed the door behind her.
“What the fuck is this?” Lala said, then turned to Jonathon and waved her finger around the room. “This is gonna cost extra.”