Real Vampires: Glory Does Vegas Bartlett, Gerry (good fiction books to read .txt) 📖

Aren’t you supposed to be in Dom’s office, impressing him?” I smiled at her. She looked about twenty but had to be pretty old to have accomplished as much as her grandmother claimed. Shape-shifters aged slowly.

“Done. He’s hiring me. Likes the idea of, and I quote, ‘a pretty girl watching his back’, unquote.” She looked around the club. “Gran and Pops are working out details for the Halloween gig.”

“The big tasting bash.” I scanned the room. The few customers who had arrived had already been served by Barb, the other waitress. This might be a slow night. “What do you think of this place?”

“Not impressed. Though Dom is surprisingly sharp. Attractive too.” She smiled. “Gran would not like for me to notice that. And I won’t, on the job.”

“Of course. This place is too far off the main drag here. But the girls are doing the best they can. Wait till you see the show. Topless.” I shuddered.

“What were you looking so angry about when I walked up?” Caro wasn’t going to let it go. She was like her grandmother in that way.

“The audience. Wait and see. The men who come here tend to be creeps. Maybe they’ve been run out of the nice places on the Strip.” Caro looked confused so I explained. “Those neon signs you saw outside your hotel, heck your hotel itself is on the Strip. That’s the street where the really nice casinos and showrooms are. The Velvet Slipper obviously isn’t close to it. You had to have noticed that when you drove here.”

“Yes, we did. Pops used the GPS in the rental car or we never would have found this place.” She looked around in the dim lighting. “It seems okay, smaller than the showroom in our hotel. That place is huge.” She laughed. “I think Pops was hoping for the dancers there to be topless like you advertise here.”

“Sorry Fergus was disappointed.” I made myself smile at a man who kept staring at my own bra top. Tips, Glory. “Unfortunately, we get a lot of men who hope the topless thing means the women are for sale. I don’t mind being looked at, the outfit guarantees that, but I’d like to see some respect, know what I mean?” I nodded when a new arrival waved at me and pantomimed drinking. “I’d better get to work. See you later.”

“I’m not a bouncer, but I’ll keep an eye out. No respect?” She fisted her hands and straightened her shoulders as if ready to rumble. “I’ll show them respect.”

I chuckled, suddenly in a better humor as I went over to wait on the customer. My good mood vanished when he tried to tuck a twenty between my breasts.

“What do you think you’re paying for, bud?” I jerked it out and threw it in his face.

“A look at a fine pair of jugs, babe.” He grinned. “Why so sensitive? You gonna take that top off when the show starts?”

“There a problem here?” Caroline walked up, her face grim. She wore a pair of black pants and a black shirt, with a padded vest over it. I bet she had a weapon tucked under it.

“Yeah, I got a problem. This chick won’t take my drink order.” The man waved the twenty. “Scotch on the rocks, sweet cheeks.”

“Touch her again and it’ll be you on the rocks, outside in the parking lot. You get me?” Caro leaned down, her voice was hard and her hand gripped his shoulder. Whatever pressure she used on him was enough to make him squeak. “Glory, you on the way to get that drink?”

“Yep.” I snatched the twenty and walked away, hiding my grin. Sweet cheeks? I’d take it. “Thanks, Caro.”

The night wore on. The dancers did a better job with the songs and between dances the photographer was busy taking pictures. I got lucky and had my picture taken a few times, my face aching from my fake smiles.

Fergus and Maggie settled at a table before the first dance and stayed through the second. They were joined by Dom who waved me over.

“Glory, tell the bartender to bring us drinks from my private cellar. He’ll know what to pour.” Dom grinned when Caro walked up. “How do you like my new bodyguard?”

“She’s terrific.” I turned to walk away, sure my face was flaming. I hated that I had to be seen by my old friends in my flimsy waitress costume. Tonight’s bra top was another push-up that made what the customer had called my “jugs” seem enormous. Then there were the skimpy shorts that left my rear exposed. No wonder I was treated like a slut.

“Glory!” Maggie was out of her seat. “Don’t be embarrassed.” She walked with me to the bar. “I think you look good.” She squeezed my shoulders. “A little obvious, but you’ve got the figure for it.”

I slammed my empty tray on the bar. “This is why I need to get away from here, sooner rather than later. You think I like flaunting myself this way? Unfortunately, it was the only job I could get that paid decently and didn’t require daylight hours.” I waved down the bartender. “Dom needs three glasses of his special drink for service at table three right away.” I turned to Maggie. “How do you like it? Hot or cold?”

“Cold. We’re in the desert. We’ll take our drinks cold tonight.” She studied me from head to toe. “Relax. No judgement here.”

“You heard her, Ray. Three cold ones.” I leaned against the bar while I waited. “This is not the kind of business I want. You’re on to something with the vintage clothes. I need to find more, though, if I want to stock a shop.” I turned to pick up the tray. The smell of the fine synthetic tempted me like none of the other drinks I’d already delivered had. This was another reason why I had to get together money fast. I wanted to be able to afford luxuries such as premium synthetics