“Chase, I know, man. She wouldn’t help us lay low, that is for sure. She seems really tired, anyways.”
We made our way to the Feather Kitty strip club and tried to blend in as much as we could. It was a high-end joint so it wasn’t going to be too difficult to blend as long as we
had cash.
“Did you bring the cash?” I asked Chase as we waited to get through the front doors.
“Yeah, I have five thousand dollars in twenties.”
“That should certainly get us some answers. Now, just follow my lead and don’t pay too much attention to the girls. We don’t want to draw attention from the bouncers.”
“I think I know how to handle myself in a strip club, Jackson. I was single only a few months ago.”
“I know, Chase, I just wanted to make sure we were both on the same page.”
We made it through the entrance without much excitement. The bouncer simply asked to see our identification and then went over the basic rules of the club. Basically, don’t touch the girls unless you’re in a private lap dance room. He also suggested tipping well if we wanted any of the women’s undivided attention.
“How about we just have a seat and check things out for a little bit?” Chase asked.
“Yeah, over there looks good.”
The club was packed, but we found two seats near the front. It wasn’t ideal since we would have our backs to a lot of people, but it was good to help us blend in. If we could just look like normal guys hanging out in the club, that would be our best chance at getting to know the girls and seeing who might actually know who Ana is.
“I haven’t been to a strip club in years,” I said to Chase as we sat down.
“Don’t worry, I have.”
Chase looked really comfortable in the club, and I wasn’t about to ask him why he had been going to strip clubs so much in Atlanta. It had likely been where he started to get himself into trouble and took hard money loans out that he couldn’t pay back. I was just happy to see him doing well and out of trouble. It was nice to see him settled down with Jordan, even though it seemed a bit quick for my taste.
“Can I get you boys something to drink?” a sexy ass brunette asked.
She was dressed in a tight pair of cut-off shorts and a tiny plaid shirt that was tied right around her large breasts. It was impossible to look her in the eyes, but I assumed that was the point of the whole outfit. I instantly had to wonder why she was serving instead of dancing. Most of the servers had a few extra pounds or were really shy. But this girl had a rocking body and bubbly personality, it was a red flag to me and I took a mental note.
“I’d like to get a bottle of Grey Goose,” I said and handed her three hundred dollars in cash.
“It’s only two hundred for the bottle,” she said.
“Then the other hundred is for you, darling.”
She smiled at me and turned to get our drinks. As an investigator, I knew that the waitress was often the best starting point for who I would need to talk with later in the evening. Making friends with her would easily get me more information. Plus, throwing extra cash at a waitress didn’t draw as much attention from the bouncers as it did when you monopolized a dancer’s time.
“Now, welcome to the stage, Roxy!” the announcer called over the intercom.
The lights dimmed and the music increased in intensity as the dancer took to the stage. I could hear the click of her heels on the floor and focused on her intently as the lights came up for her to dance.
“Hello, Roxy,” Chase said as he turned his chair toward the stage.
“You’re married.”
“I can look. I just can’t touch.”
“Oh, are those the rules of marriage nowadays?”
“Shut up and watch the show.”
I couldn’t argue with Chase about watching the show. As Roxy came out on the stage, I could see why the crowd exploded with excitement. She was voluptuous and sexy as hell. Her red hair was pulled up and she had on a tight pencil skirt and jacket. It was some sort of naughty teacher costume and even I wished I was a student in her erotic classroom.
As the music played, Roxy took control of the entire audience, including Chase and I. She mesmerized us and we couldn’t look away. There was a power in her eye contact and she seemed to be able to make direct contact with each one of us all at the same time. Somewhere during the show, our drinks were delivered and I hadn’t even seen the waitress drop the bottle off. I was slightly sad I had missed an opportunity to flirt with her and gain an edge in my investigation.