ask me to.” I clenched my fist, pulling away. I wanted to keep stroking her cheek, to smooth away the pain in her eyes. “So who are you hiding from in that getup?”
She raised her clasped hands to her breast, forming a barrier between us. “No one.”
I gave a short laugh. “Don’t try to bullshit me. I’m a master of disguise, and I see a snow job going on.”
“Get lost.” Without a backward look, she made her way over to the other side of the room.
It didn’t bother me one bit that she was blowing me off. She was hot for me, almost as hot as I was for her. The fact that she was also pissed that I had scared her to death didn’t matter. It might even be one of the reasons why she was so hot for me. Kink could be weird that way.
“Donations!” a girl announced, thrusting a top hat at me. She was wearing a bondage harness of black rope over a nude bra. Her dark hair was slicked down tightly and wrapped in a bun, with some sort of shiny stuff that likely repelled fire.
I pulled out a couple dollars, trying to place the girl. I had seen her recently.
Glancing over at Sierra, she was riveted to us. Then I remembered. This pretty, if rather surly girl had been with the guy Sierra had been chasing down in the Chamber.
The same guy who was up front packing away the fire gear.
“What’s your name?” I asked the girl.
“Lola.”
“What’s the name of your group?”
“Transcendence.” She gave me a mocking smile. “Any more questions and you’ll have to give me five bucks.”
I laughed at her as she moved on. From across the room, Sierra looked like she was dying to hear what we were saying. But as Lola circled around with the other girl in their ménage, Sierra managed to turn away just as she passed her table.
Sierra was hiding from Lola. Interesting.
I waited as Sierra watched the group finish packing up the gear. When they went upstairs, so did Sierra, with me following behind.
Lola’s group was at the bar having a drink and celebrating a good show. One of the producers was talking to the guy in charge of Transcendence. In the brighter light, the performer’s gnarly broken-down skin made him look older than he probably was.
I saw that Sierra had parked herself at a banquet along the side wall, where she could see the group through the glass partitions. A couple sat on the other side of her table, ignoring her with their heads very close in deep conversation.
I went up to the bar to say hi to the couple who produced Pleasure Salon, and got introduced to Martin, the guy with the face. He had come to the city a few months ago, having traveled around the country for the past few years doing gigs. Lola was by Martin’s side talking quietly to her other half in the show, June.
“Were all of you on the road together?” I asked, including the women in my question.
“June and Spike were. We met Lola here.”
“What kind of shows do you do?”
“Anything we can,” Martin said. “Party entertainment. Street fairs. Corporate hires. You wouldn’t believe how they want to spice up a party, and we can keep it vanilla and still put on a slamming show.”
Martin handed me a card that had their website and contact info. It was heavy on the flames, with the word Transcendence blazoned across it.
After I got the spiel, I went to the other end of the bar. When I caught Sierra’s eye, I raised my drink to her. She looked away, mad.
What was Sierra’s interest in Martin’s group?
I waited for Sierra to make a move, but she kept watching from the shadows of the banquets. There wasn’t much to see. Martin worked the crowd, handing cards out to anyone who would take them. A hustler, for sure. Pimping his thing, and shooting for the big brass ring by coming to New York.
But even when Sierra could have gotten a few words with Martin away from the two girls, she didn’t try. She said hello to him when he greeted the other people at her table, and I could have sworn that Martin didn’t
She raised her clasped hands to her breast, forming a barrier between us. “No one.”
I gave a short laugh. “Don’t try to bullshit me. I’m a master of disguise, and I see a snow job going on.”
“Get lost.” Without a backward look, she made her way over to the other side of the room.
It didn’t bother me one bit that she was blowing me off. She was hot for me, almost as hot as I was for her. The fact that she was also pissed that I had scared her to death didn’t matter. It might even be one of the reasons why she was so hot for me. Kink could be weird that way.
“Donations!” a girl announced, thrusting a top hat at me. She was wearing a bondage harness of black rope over a nude bra. Her dark hair was slicked down tightly and wrapped in a bun, with some sort of shiny stuff that likely repelled fire.
I pulled out a couple dollars, trying to place the girl. I had seen her recently.
Glancing over at Sierra, she was riveted to us. Then I remembered. This pretty, if rather surly girl had been with the guy Sierra had been chasing down in the Chamber.
The same guy who was up front packing away the fire gear.
“What’s your name?” I asked the girl.
“Lola.”
“What’s the name of your group?”
“Transcendence.” She gave me a mocking smile. “Any more questions and you’ll have to give me five bucks.”
I laughed at her as she moved on. From across the room, Sierra looked like she was dying to hear what we were saying. But as Lola circled around with the other girl in their ménage, Sierra managed to turn away just as she passed her table.
Sierra was hiding from Lola. Interesting.
I waited as Sierra watched the group finish packing up the gear. When they went upstairs, so did Sierra, with me following behind.
Lola’s group was at the bar having a drink and celebrating a good show. One of the producers was talking to the guy in charge of Transcendence. In the brighter light, the performer’s gnarly broken-down skin made him look older than he probably was.
I saw that Sierra had parked herself at a banquet along the side wall, where she could see the group through the glass partitions. A couple sat on the other side of her table, ignoring her with their heads very close in deep conversation.
I went up to the bar to say hi to the couple who produced Pleasure Salon, and got introduced to Martin, the guy with the face. He had come to the city a few months ago, having traveled around the country for the past few years doing gigs. Lola was by Martin’s side talking quietly to her other half in the show, June.
“Were all of you on the road together?” I asked, including the women in my question.
“June and Spike were. We met Lola here.”
“What kind of shows do you do?”
“Anything we can,” Martin said. “Party entertainment. Street fairs. Corporate hires. You wouldn’t believe how they want to spice up a party, and we can keep it vanilla and still put on a slamming show.”
Martin handed me a card that had their website and contact info. It was heavy on the flames, with the word Transcendence blazoned across it.
After I got the spiel, I went to the other end of the bar. When I caught Sierra’s eye, I raised my drink to her. She looked away, mad.
What was Sierra’s interest in Martin’s group?
I waited for Sierra to make a move, but she kept watching from the shadows of the banquets. There wasn’t much to see. Martin worked the crowd, handing cards out to anyone who would take them. A hustler, for sure. Pimping his thing, and shooting for the big brass ring by coming to New York.
But even when Sierra could have gotten a few words with Martin away from the two girls, she didn’t try. She said hello to him when he greeted the other people at her table, and I could have sworn that Martin didn’t
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