She scribbled down her location in the spiral-bound notebook she’d kept beside her all day. “And what if she is a witch?”
His jaw tensed. “Then you get your cute little ass out of there as quickly as possible.”
“You’re not coming with me?”
“No. I’ll have to stay close, but not too close. If she’s really a witch she might be able to sense what I am. And it’s doubtful she’ll be happy to see a demon.”
“Don’t go too far.”
“Couldn’t even if I wanted to.”
“Wish me luck.”
Before she got all the way out of the car, Darrak grabbed her hand and squeezed it in his before bringing it to his lips. She turned to look at him with surprise at his heated touch.
“Be careful,” he said.
“I’ll do my best.”
She walked up to the strip club and opened the front door. It was dark and empty inside, but a big, broad-shouldered bartender was behind the bar, wiping the counter with a wet cloth.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey yourself.”
“Can I help you?”
“I was just…” She cleared her throat nervously. “The girl who just came in here a minute ago—”
“You mean Vanessa?”
“That’s the one.”
“I’ll get her for you. No problem.” He disappeared from behind the counter before she could say another word.
A minute later the bleached blonde in question came out of the back room through a beaded curtain. She teetered on black patent leather stilettos as she walked toward Eden with a big smile on her face. She wore a short red miniskirt, fishnet stockings, and a sparkly black tank top.
“I’m glad you got here early,” Vanessa said. “Please, have a seat and we can do the interview right away.”
“Interview?” Eden’s eyebrows shot up. “But, I’m not—” She shut her mouth before she said anything else. “That’s great. I really appreciate it.”
She’d been mistaken as somebody coming in to apply for a job at the club. Did she really look like she could work as a stripper?
It didn’t matter. The opportunity had nicely presented itself to get a sense of who this Vanessa person was and if she was corrupting Fay’s husband into having an affair with her as if she was using a magical roofie.
She took a seat on a precariously high stool at the table Vanessa indicated. The blonde had a piece of paper in front of her.
“You have lots of experience,” Vanessa said. “That’s fantastic.”
“Totally,” Eden agreed, although she wasn’t sure what kind of experience she was claiming.
“Was this two-year gig at the Eager Beaver in Dallas all-nude?”
“Yes, yes it was. Completely.”
“Good stuff. We like the girls here to be completely comfortable with their bodies.”
Okay, so she was a stripper looking for a job. She had to get into character. “You are looking at somebody who feels exactly that way. I’m ready to get completely and totally naked.”
Perhaps the less she got into character, the better.
“Your thoughts on lap dancing?” Vanessa asked pointedly.
“I’m…” Eden bit her bottom lip. “All for it? Provided the, uh, customer follows the… rules of the club?”
“We have bouncers to protect you. Don’t worry. If somebody gets frisky, they are so out of here. Like other places, you’re allowed to touch the customer, but he, or she, isn’t allowed to touch you.”
“Awesome,” Eden said weakly. She was definitely not a natural at this. Plus, as Darrak liked to remind her, she was a bit of a prude. “So, you’re… you’re a dancer here?”
“I am. And I’m also the brand-new owner of this club.” Vanessa grinned, showing off very white teeth. “It’s so exciting having all this responsibility.”
Eden struggled to stay on the high stool. “You’re so young, too. It’s quite an accomplishment to be a business owner at your age.”
“I’m twenty-five. That’s not too young. But I have to admit, this was a gift from my boyfriend. He bought me the club last week when they were going to shut it down. We’re closed right now to hire some new girls and to do some renovations.”
“That’s the man I saw drop you off outside?” Eden asked, then added, “I was parking my car at the time and couldn’t help but notice you and him.”
Her smile only grew. “Yes, that’s Richard. He’s so wonderful.”
Wonderful. Well, that was debatable. Fay said he was an accountant. Eden was sure he would make a decent salary, but enough to buy his mistress her own strip club? She didn’t need a PI license to notice that smelled a bit funny.
“Generous,” she said.
“He is.”
Eden glanced over at the T-shaped stage with three strategically placed poles. “Have you been dating him long?”
“Three weeks tomorrow.” Vanessa cocked her head to the side. “Hey, you’re supposed to be the one being interviewed here, not me.”
“Sorry, I can’t help it. I’m naturally curious.” Eden focused very hard and tried to sense something Otherworldly emanating from the girl. Was she a witch? Or was something else going on here?
And would a witch willingly put up pink neon wall art that looked like ten-foot-wide breasts?
A witch with bad taste might.
“It’s okay,” Vanessa said. “Actually, I love talking about Richard. I’ve never been so happy.”