The Predator and His Prey

Chapter Thirty-Three

Jade closed the door behind her, the small humidor resting against her side as her hand kept it firmly in place ensuring it did not fall to the ground. Walking through the back halls of the club, the music unnoticed at that part of the building as she made her way back to her post for the night. She used her keycard to open the door to the lounge, one of the few employees allowed into that room. The same familiar red throughout the club, dark and rich like a deep red wine, welcomed her as she walked toward the group she was serving that night.

The Lounge was a member only room, and the atmosphere reflected that. Jade had seen the same faces for the last week of her working there rarely a new one. She moved towards the gentlemen sitting in the plush leather chairs, she repeated her technique to light the cigar same as she had for Branden when she auditioned for the job. Both men, like many who frequented the lounge, were well dressed in understated designer suits. Unlike the ones in VIP they didn't make a large presentation of their status and wealth, they didn't need to.

The subtle glimpse at the cigars that start at $50 per and continues up, the shots of whiskey ranging from $30 to $1000, the slight flash of a Piaget or Patek Philippe watch on a wrist was enough. Jade had learned from the lounge those with real wealth didn't flash it in annoying ways, but subtly. They didn't care who knew their financial status, as long as they knew. Jade picked up the empty glass of whiskey her guest had been sipping on.

"Another, Sir?" She asked politely, a smile on her lips.

The blue eyes of her regular lifted to meet hers, a short nod and wink all the answer she needed before the older gentleman, greying at his temple, handed her a folded bill. She took it and glided away to the bar, practice walking on the 4 inch heels coming into play. She didn't need to look back to know the man's eyes were on her backside and the fishnet stockings she had paired with the red cocktail dress, but she did.

She turned her head just a little making sure he caught her eye before she smiled shyly back at him. He laughed softly and shook his head as she continued her way to the bar. She didn't feel wrong for flirting slightly with the men, it was part of her job to make them feel alluring and pampered. Normally she would have felt insecure, this wasn't who she was, a woman who enjoyed the attention of men. But since working with Dominik and Gina she began to feel like she was comfortable in her own skin again.

It helped also majority of her regulars were long time married men who never did more than look, often telling her long stories about their families. When she had first started, she had been nervous about the flirtation and attention. But as Gina said, if a man was looking to pick up a cocktail waitress at a bar, he didn't spend his time showing pictures of his four kids and wife. She moved towards the elegant marble topped bar and stood to the side waiting her turn to be served by the bartender, slipping the bill the gentleman had handed her into her locked little box where she kept her tips like all the hostesses.

"How is it going?"

The baritone voice snuck up behind her, causing her to twirl around in a rush to look up at the chiseled face of Branden. He didn't seem amused or fazed by her reaction, taking a step back to ensure he wasn't crowding her space as she turned to face him. In fact, he seemed uninterested except for his eyes, his hazel eyes that were traveling over her face, searching for any signs of wear and need of rest.

"It's going good."

Jade had learned early that he was a direct man, he didn't ask questions he didn't really want an answer to, nor did he sugar coat things. He was black and white, business and direct. Jade found a comfort in that, she never doubted his intentions or his words. He nodded his head briskly, his eyes never leaving her face, never lowering to stare at her chest, never giving her the impression he was doing more than focusing on her face like a gentleman.