Naked Frame Part 13

Gabby laughed. "That's right. But you paid me back."

"I did?"

"Yeah. You got sick as a dog, and on the way home you threw up in my car."

"Oh, yeah." She laughed. "And you wanted your ten dollars back. You said it didn't count if I couldn't keep it down."

"Those were fun times."

"Yeah."

The man sitting in the booth behind Gabby finished his meal and walked out.

Rebecca got up and grabbed the newspaper the man had left on his table. She sat back down and began thumbing through it.

"What are you looking for? Surely you don't think-"

"-no, no. I want to check out the business section. Maybe there's something in here about his company. Some new product. Whatever."

Gabby loved to watch Rebecca working a problem. How many times had he seen her feverishly sketch out a plan to defeat a rival basketball team? Her studies were put on the back burner. Movies became unimportant. The only thing she could think about was how to overcome her enemy. And she nearly always succeeded.

He looked over the top of her newspaper. "Grasping at straws?"

"Yeah, I guess. Oh-maybe I should try this." She showed him an advertis.e.m.e.nt.

"You could."

"I was kidding."

"No. You could definitely pull it off-if you could handle the nudity."

"Maybe if I could work one shift-that might be enough. Girls talk. But what if Joey recognized me last night?"

"He didn't act like he knew who you were. Besides, I can give you a drastically different look. We'll need to go shopping for clothes again. But first-put down the paper and eat your lunch."

"Now I'm too nervous to eat."

Gabby recognized the look on her face. Determination. She had always loved pushing herself to the max. "Take a few deep breaths and relax."

Rebecca followed his advice.

He leaned in, so as not to be heard by the mother and children walking by. "Now eat. You're going to need your strength-to hold up your b.o.o.bs."

She punched him in the arm.

"I'm kidding. They're nice and perky."

She c.o.c.ked her fist for another wallop.

He held up his hands. "Enough. I'm sorry. But, hey-I think it worked. You seem more relaxed now."

Rebecca grinned.

"Eat."

CHAPTER 19 - Tuesday, 2:18 p.m.

Joey Ketrousie sat behind his desk, puffing on his cigar. "What's your name, Honey?"

"Heather Dreslaw," said Rebecca.

"How old are you, Heather?"

"Twenty-five." She could still hear her father's words: To be a private investigator, sometimes you have to lie. Good thing she had listened and learned, because right now she was lying her b.u.t.t off.

"I don't think so. And that's my cutoff. I'm very strict about it. There's a reason the ad specifies a range of 21 to 25. Men come here to see tight, young bodies. And while they're here, they spend a lot of money. I can't afford to disappoint my customers."

Rebecca felt the sudden urge to leap over his desk, cram the cigar down his throat, and beat his face to a b.l.o.o.d.y pulp.

Bobby chimed in. "Give her a chance, Boss. She's got a killer body."

"You think?" said Joey. "Let's get a better look." He grinned at Rebecca. "Well?"

Rebecca thought she had prepared herself for this moment. But as she unb.u.t.toned her blouse and took it off, and unhooked her bra, she wished she was somewhere else. Anywhere else.

"Very nice. Huh, Boss?"

"Hmm. Pretty good b.o.o.bs," said Joey, blowing a ring of smoke into the air. "Now let's see the rest of the package."

Rebecca reluctantly unzipped her mini-skirt and let it drop to the floor.

"Panties too," said Joey.

What the h.e.l.l was she doing? Rebecca didn't have to put up with this s.h.i.t. But if she couldn't handle getting naked in front of two men, how was she going to walk around in front of all those men in the cafe wearing nothing but a tiny thong? She took off her panties fast-before she could talk herself out of it.

Joey smiled. "Give me the 360."

She gritted her teeth and slowly rotated. Halfway around, she wanted to bend over, tell him to kiss her a.s.s, and get the h.e.l.l out of there. But she had already humiliated herself. She had to stick with the plan.

"Okay, you know what? I don't care whether you're really twenty-five or not. h.e.l.l, with that body, I don't care if you're forty-five. You're hired, Baby."

Rebecca put her clothes back on, and Bobby sent her down the hall to fill out some papers and get a badge. He watched her until she was inside the security office.

Bobby walked back inside Joey's office and closed the door.

"That girl looks sort of familiar," said Joey. "But I can't place her."

"You don't think she's a cop, do you, Boss?"

"Didn't you check her out?"

"Well, yeah. We ran the usual background check on her. Like we always do. But we couldn't find a Heather Dreslaw."

"Go down there and tell her I changed my mind, and kick her a.s.s out of here."

"Oh, come on, Joey. Give her a chance. I really don't think she's a cop. But even if she is, it doesn't matter. We're not doing anything illegal here."

"Oh, I get it. You old son of a b.i.t.c.h. You've got the hots for that babe."

"No...well..."

"Okay, look. I'll keep her on for a couple of nights. But if you haven't banged her by then, you're out of luck. And she's your responsibility. So, keep a close eye on her."

"Oh, I will, Boss."

"I don't doubt it. How long since you got a piece, Bobby?"

"I don't kiss and tell."

"That's because you ain't got nothing to tell. Believe me, Bob-o, if you were hitting it every night like I am-"

"-I know, Boss. You're a stud."

"One h.e.l.l of a stud." He leaned back in his chair and puffed on his cigar.

Gabby pulled over, and Rebecca got into the car.

He said, "Well?"

"I got the job."

"Congratulations. I knew you could do it. Did he make you take off your bra?"

"Just drive."

Gabby drove away from the curb. "So, you start tonight?"

"Start and finish. It's a one-shot deal. One night is all I can stand. I just hope I don't have to kill anybody."

"What do you mean? You can't take a gun in there. There's no way you could get it past security."

"I don't need a gun. If some guy comments on my b.o.o.bs or my a.s.s I'm liable to take him out with my bare hands."

"It's going to be tough. I know. But you've got to keep your cool-somehow."

"I know." She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "They open at five. I've got to be back at four."

"Okay."

"I really think Joey might have hired somebody to murder Big Bill. He couldn't have done it himself, or he would have recognized me."

"Yeah, especially when he saw you in the buff."

"I can't believe I'm gonna do this."

CHAPTER 20 - Tuesday, 3:56 p.m.

Gabby dropped off Rebecca at the end of the alley. As she approached the employee entrance, she saw two young women going inside. The alley smelled like dead fish.

She swiped her badge and the door unlocked. She pushed it open and walked into a long, narrow hallway. The door immediately slammed shut behind her, creating a loud echoing racket.

"Welcome, Miss Dreslaw."

Rebecca looked around, trying to locate the source of the loud voice. She spotted a security camera and speaker near the ceiling. "Thanks."

When she entered the dressing room, several women were already changing into their outfits: black high heels and a black mini-thong. Each waitress had a dressing table with a large mirror in the center, bordered by three smaller, angled mirrors. The only thing missing was a rearview mirror for checking out your b.u.t.t.

Rebecca found the dresser with the name tag, Heather Dreslaw (b.o.o.bsicles), and sat down on the stool. All of the waitress were a.s.signed s.e.xy nicknames. Rebecca would have preferred something like WhatAreYouLookingAta.s.shole.

She held up the mini-thong. It looked like a pirate's eye patch.

"You'll get use to it."

Rebecca turned and saw a young woman to her left, just arriving at her own dresser. "I doubt it."

The woman laughed. "Hi, my name is Darcy. AKA, Sweet Cheeks." She held out her hand.

Rebecca extended hers. "I'm Heather." She doubted Darcy was 21. She looked like a teenager.

"Better try your shoes. They give you whatever size you say, but, you know, sizes can vary. I'd guess you're a 10B."