Honey Kisses

Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Double Vision

Alligator answered his cell phone and said very unprofessionally, "Shit!"

Jackson bit his back teeth so hard he thought they might crack.

Al slapped his phone shut. "She's inside the club. Surveillance just picked her up sitting at the bar."

Jackson dropped his head to his chest. "What are you doing, Annie?" he mumbled.

"One good thing is that she made contact with our agent."

"So, what's the next step?"

"Get inside our surveillance van and watch. Send some more undercover agents inside the club."

Jackson gave him an incredulous look. "That's it? We need to drag her out of there if need be."

"My friend, you're thinking with your heart, not your head. If we go in there like an Old West shoot out, there's going to be trouble. Believe me, I want her out of there as much as you do, but it's got to be handled with finesse or someone's gonna get killed!" He ended his reprimand practically shouting.

Jackson clinched his fists to keep from blowing up. "Where's the surveillance van?"

"About six blocks away." Al reached into a duffle bag on the floor of the backseat. "Here, put these on." He handed Jackson some coveralls. "We need to look like city maintenance workers. When the car lets us out, we'll walk a block to a bogus public works van."

Both men struggled to put the coveralls on and Jackson cursed when he had to pull his boots off and then tug them back on. The car pulled to the curb and they jumped out. While they walked, Alligator alerted the agents in the van by cell phone. When they reached the van, he rapped a special knock on the door and it slid open just far enough for them to slip inside. Two agents sat behind monitors. Al motioned Jackson to a seat and then turned his attention to the monitors. He didn't even bother with introductions. "What's happening?"

"Kitty Puff made contact with Mrs. Martinez. They're in the dressing room now."

Jackson moved to squat behind the agent who was talking. He watched a screen showing Annie and the inside gal. The agent pulled his ear plug out and turned the volume up so everyone could hear.

Kitty Puff said, "This is our dressing room."

Annie nodded.

A stout dock worker type entered the room. "Okay, she's up in five minutes. If she's good, she's got a job and you can train her on the computer." He left the room.

Kitty Puff looked at Annie. "I hope that's your costume under your clothes."

Annie nodded again and her eyes got real big. "He wants me to dance...now?" she rasped.

Jackson groaned. "I'm going in."

Al grabbed his shoulder. "You make a move outside this van and I'll have agents handcuffing you."

They watched as Kitty Puff bent to Annie's height and said, "I thought you were aware you had to dance."

Annie said, "I'll...I'll do the best I can."

Kitty Puff said, "Holy crap! Wait! I have an idea. We'll do a duo. You can imitate my moves."

The beefy guy with the bulldog face stepped back into the dressing room. "Come on, ladies, I got stuff to do. Let's get this audition over with."

"Oh, Billy, get your panties out of a wad. Me and Honey Bee are comin' up with somethin' real special."

Billy said a few choice words and left the room.

Kitty Puff bent to Annie's ear, but her bug crackled and they couldn't understand her whispered words. Annie nodded and they walked toward the dressing room exit.

Jackson silently cursed and scanned the screens for the main room. Al pointed. "Over there."

Jackson couldn't breathe when he saw the two women enter a room of sleazy men. Billy climbed up steps at the side of the round stage and said in an announcer's voice. "We've got something special for our patrons tonight—another exotic dancer to add to our team. Of course, she's got to get the approval of all you connoisseurs first. So, without further ado, I introduce to you, Honey Bee."

In horror, Jackson listened to catcalls and watched Kitty Puff strut onto the stage, followed by a stiffly strutting Annie. The agent struck a provocative pose and Annie tried to imitate her. Kitty Puff said loudly, "Now, Freddy, Teddy, Dickey, Ricky, and all you other gentlemen..." she pointed flamboyantly toward the men she'd mentioned, "...we're gonna give you double the pleasure, double the fun." She nodded toward an unseen person and bump-and-grind music started. She did a little jiggle and the men cheered. She turned to Annie and pointed.

Jackson thought he was going to pass out. His sweet Annie was center stage in a stripper's bar. Annie's eyes rounded and she did a halfhearted imitation of the female agent's jiggle. One of the men called, "Come on, pretty baby, you can do better than that." The female agent slinked another move and Annie did a better imitation. "Yeah, baby," the same man yelled. Kitty Puff unbuttoned her blouse and Annie untied hers. The men howled. Kitty Puff slipped her sleeve off one shoulder, Annie did the same. In two more struts, they were parading around in their push up bras. Annie's unskillful moves seemed to please the men more than Kitty Puff's expertise. A few more wiggles and Annie was less her skirt. When the dance got more seductive and the music hit a crescendo, with peeks of Annie's rear showing from under a wisp of fabric. Jackson knew he was going to die of a heart attack. He had to get in there and save his wife. Al must have anticipated his intent because he grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved him into a seat. Blessedly, the agent at the monitor said, "It's over." Jackson finally breathed and glanced over the agent's shoulder to see the girls curtsy, pick up their clothes, and run offstage. The men hooted and made catcalls and he wanted to smash every one of them into bloody pulps.

"They're back in the dressing room," said the other agent.

Jackson looked at Alligator. "I'm okay." He moved to squat in front of the dressing room monitor.

The guy named Billy entered while Annie and the agent were slipping back into their clothes. He frowned. "She don't seem all that experienced, but the men loved her. So, okay, she's hired. But she's gonna have to dance on her own later tonight. Show her how we keep track of customers in the computer."

"Sure thing, Boss."

Billy left the room and a couple more dancers entered. Kitty Puff made introductions and Annie warmly greeted them.

Kitty Puff said, "I'm gonna show Honey Bee how we track good paying customers."

The gals nodded and went to their dressing tables.

Inside the van, Alligator said, "Come on, Annie, you're almost there. You can do this."

Jackson bit the inside of his cheek and tasted blood. The tension was killing him. All he wanted was to get his wife back so he could tell her how much he loved her. He'd been stupid to think he could keep his heart safe from Annie. He'd fallen for her during their first dance five years ago, and now he loved her with everything in him.

He leaned in as Kitty Puff began explaining how customers were identified in the computer by code words so the waitresses knew which ones to pay special attention to. He watched Annie tap on the keyboard while Kitty Puff kept up a running conversation as if explaining what to do. "Yep, now you select this code for creeps..."