“Came to see your other life. You don’t mind, do you?” Indy answered.

I shook my head and, for some reason, I didn’t. It was way too late in the day, my secret was out and nearly everyone had seen my Smithie’s uniform anyway.

“Be sure you’re in my station,” I pointed at some tables.

“I’l take care of you.”

“Hey, you!” Smithie shouted, lumbering down the bar toward us, pointing at Al y, “Or you.” He pointed at Indy,

“You friends of Jet’s?”

Both Indy and Al y nodded.

“Either of you dance?” he asked when he made it to the waitress station.

Uh-oh.

Not good.

“Smithie…” I started.

“Quiet, Jet, I’m f**kin’ recruitin’.”

At his words, Indy, Al y, Tod and Stevie al looked to the stage, then they looked back at Smithie.

“Not that kind of dance,” Al y said.

“Trust me, you’d make a f**kin’ fortune.”

“Can you spel ‘yikes’?” Tod whispered loudly to Stevie.

Smithie ignored him.

“Think about it, get my number from Jet, cal me. You’d be drivin’ a Porsche in a month,” he promised.

“You told me I’d be driving a Porsche in a month,” I cut in.

“Wel , you got a f**kin’ uptight, f**kin’ cop boyfriend who don’t want you onstage and I’m stil a f**kin’ dancer down.

I’m scoutin’ and these girls are talent.”

“Um… thank you?” Indy said, or more like, asked.

“You’re f**kin’ welcome,” Smithie replied then turned to me and raised his brows. “Hel o? This ain’t a social club for hot chicks and g*y guys. Get to work.”

Then he lumbered back down the bar.

Tod turned to Stevie, “See, I told you it would be interesting.”

Stevie gave him a look.

“Anyone sees us here, we’re getting kicked out of the Gay Club.”

“Pul-leese,” Tod took off toward my station, “who’s gonna see us here?”

Indy and Al y waved as they went and settled at a table.

* * * * *

An hour and a half later, I was just finishing serving Indy and Company’s fourth round of drinks when I turned, again at my name. “Wel , hey there, Sugar Bunch.”

It was Daisy. She was wearing a pair of platform go-aheads (toeless mules that were backless, and thus, when wearing them, you had to “go-ahead”) and a spangly dress with so many beads and sequins it glittered like a disco with so many beads and sequins it glittered like a disco bal . The hem was cut at a wide slant starting at her upper thigh on one side and going down to mid-calf on the other, the entire hem sporting a beaded fringe. She had so much cle**age bursting forth that I feared one of her br**sts would pop out at the slightest movement. Completing this ensemble, her hair was two sizes larger than last night and seemed, at first glance, to take up most of the room.

“Daisy!” I greeted her.

She gave me a brief hug, like we’d been friends for years instead of just meeting once under supremely scary circumstances.

She let me go and said, “After meeting you last night, I got nostalgic. Thought I’d stop by, see how the old gang was doin’.” She looked at the stage, “But I don’t know any of these girls.”

I looked at the stage too, thinking that, in most cases, stripping wasn’t a long-term job prospect. JoJo and Mandy were the only ones who had been there since I started, most of the others were new and some had come and gone in the eight months I’d been around. In fact, not including Tanya, I was the most veteran cocktail waitress on staff.

Smithie had a huge employee turnaround.

“I don’t mean to be nasty, but these girls need to get some moves,” Daisy noted, “When I drove in, I didn’t see a Porsche or Corvette in the parking lot. That’s just sad.”

“Did you drive a Porsche when you worked here?” I asked.

“Sure, Sugar. I bought one the second month.” Wow.

Wow.

I looked at Indy’s table. They were al staring at Daisy with awestruck faces.

“Daisy, I want you to meet my friends.” Daisy turned and planted a megawatt smile on the table at large and the awe in Tod’s face turned to reverence, “This is Indy Savage, Al y Nightingale and um… Tod and Stevie,” I finished, not knowing their last names.

Now Daisy’s eyes were wide.

“Indy Savage and Al y Nightingale! I heard about you two.

I know Lee.”

Indy and Al y looked at each other.

“I’m married to Marcus,” Daisy explained.

Understanding hit them and they nodded. Marcus had been involved in Indy’s drama but obviously they hadn’t met Daisy.

Indy smiled, “Do you want to join us for a drink?”

“Best offer I’ve had al night, Sugar,” Daisy said and Stevie immediately got up and grabbed a chair for her. He held it while she planted her narrow ass in it. “Wel , aren’t you sweet?” she said to Stevie, with another dazzling smile and a little tinkly-bel giggle.

“I’l get you a drink,” Stevie said, and if he wasn’t g*y, I would have sworn he’d fal en in love.

“It’s my job to get drinks,” I said, putting my hand on his arm and giving him a grin, then I turned to Daisy, “What’l it be?”

I brought her a drink and Smithie caught me at the waitress station while I was putting in another table’s orders.

orders.

“You got Daisy at your friends’ table,” he said. “Treat her like a queen. She’s a f**kin’ VIP, she used to work here and once a Smithie’s Girl, always a Smithie’s Girl. Even more so now she’s married to the biggest, badass motherfucker in Denver.”

“I know Daisy, I know Marcus too,” I said to him.

He stared at me. “How do you f**kin’ know Marcus?” I thought about lying and decided against it. Don’t ask me why, it was a stupid decision. “He kinda kidnapped me last night after work, that’s how I met Daisy. She kinda saved me.”

I realized immediately I should have lied Smithie stared at me some more, his eyes going a little wild. Then he shook his head and I didn’t know if it was to clear it or if it was because he knew my life was a complete mess.

“Of course she’d f**kin’ save you, you’re a Smithie’s Girl.”

“That’s what she said.”