Chapter Six
“Have you lost your mind?” Maude said as Jessie grabbed her best dress out of her closet and laid it on the bed. She wanted the perfect outfit for tonight.
“Jessie! Are you even listening to me?”
Jessie sighed. “Yes, I’m listening. And no, I’m not crazy. It’s the best way to find out what I’m up against. You were the one who told me I should check it out.”
Maude put her hand on her hip, her expression clearly saying she didn’t buy that excuse for a second. “Yes, check it out. Not dive right in and work for the competition! Doesn’t he think you are the Phoenix’s girl, like everyone else? What is the man thinking, asking you to work for him? And what’s he going to think if you accept? You don’t need to go playing private dick to get the score on this guy.”
“I’m not going get the information I need as an outsider. I need to be an employee, one of them. Then maybe I can see what’s really going on with him and Jameson, and see what’s drawing the crowds. What Tony’s got going for him that I don’t.”
Besides those dark bedroom eyes, tousled hair that looked like he’d just stepped out of bed, and a body that screamed for attention even through the well-fitting navy pinstriped suit he’d been wearing.
She had no doubt why women showed up in droves. She’d pay good money to sit and stare at the club’s handsome owner. She’d done a good bit of staring when he had walked into her shop, and she needed to stop doing that. Tony seemed like the kind of man who was game for a little fun but Jessie wasn’t anyone’s floozy, despite what the Feds thought. She feared ignoring Tony wasn’t going to be all that easy, though. She could still feel his firm grip on her hand, his fingers drawing circles on her skin while they had talked.
She shook her head and went back to getting ready. She couldn’t afford any distractions. With Willie the Weasel breathing down her neck about her dad’s debt and her siphoning off some of his bootlegging business, Tony’s new joint stealing more customers every night, and the Feds always just around the corner, ready to catch her if she slipped up in any way, she needed to keep her head on her shoulders. And she couldn’t do that if she was goofy over some man. Especially this man. He was her competition, for goodness’ sakes. And that was the best case scenario. He could be in cahoots with the Feds. She needed to take him down, not take him to bed.
A warmth low in her belly at the mere thought of being in bed with Tony uncovered the lie in that little thought, but she ignored it. She’d done well enough without a man since Mario had used her and left her in a million little pieces. She’d do just fine for a little longer.
She slung her dress over her shoulder and headed for the door, ignoring Maude’s dire muttered warnings. It was show time.
…
Tony’s bored gaze swept over his club one more time, but nothing even remotely interesting had occurred since the last time he’d checked the crowd. Business was booming, with more and more people filtering in every night. The owners of the rival speakeasies were starting to take notice, which was a good thing. Hopefully soon, he’d be able to ferret out someone who could give him a little information on what he was truly after. The identity of the Phoenix.
This nightclub owner gig wasn’t nearly as fun as he’d thought it would be, especially since he still hadn’t gotten any information he could use. Jameson and his bosses would get restless soon if he didn’t start producing something good for them and he’d be back to cooling his heels in his jalopy of a P.I. office instead of paintin’ the town as the manager of the hottest joint around.
Tony knocked back the finger of whiskey in his glass and slid the empty along the bar to his bartender George, who neatly scooped it up and stashed it in the dirty bin. Tony’s attention wandered to the sole entrance to the club, the smooth liquor running down his throat suddenly catching at the sight that met his eyes.
He coughed and blinked his watering eyes a few times. Jessie’s smooth brown hair was sleeked back in a sequined headband and fell in rippling waves to her shoulders. The red silk dress she wore hugged every one of her delectable curves, the fringe attached to the material swinging tantalizingly with every move she made. Her fingers played with a long strand of knotted pearls that hung from her slender neck. She glanced around the club, her bright red-painted lips pursed.
Tony was on his way to her before he’d decided to move. She glanced up, her mouth a little O of surprise when he stopped in front of her.
“Good evening,” he said, taking her gloved hand and pressing a kiss to it. “You look absolutely mouthwatering tonight, Miss Harlan.”
“Thank you,” she said, forcing the words out as though she didn’t have enough air in her lungs to speak properly.
“I’m glad you decided to come. Shall I show you to a table?”
Her eyes met his and he fought the urge to suck in a breath. Those startlingly blue eyes of hers raked over him from crown to toe. The contrast with her deep brown hair rocked him and it took him a moment to realize she hadn’t answered him yet.
He cocked an eyebrow at her. She blinked, her lips twitching into a chagrined smile. Hmm, perhaps she’d found his appearance to her liking as well. One could hope. His brand new suit felt like butter against his skin. Smooth and fitted to perfection. The knowledge that she was looking and liking what she saw sparked a smoldering heat low in his belly.
“That would be lovely, thank you.”
Tony led her to one of his best tables, right up front near the stage. He helped her into a chair but kept hold of her hand even after she’d been seated. She glanced up at him, a perfectly groomed eyebrow raising. He took the seat next to her.
“So, what do you think of my place?”
Jessie looked around, lingering on every corner of the club as if she were truly appraising it and not just humoring him. “It’s nice.”
“Just nice?”
“Well, I’m partial to The Red Phoenix.”
“Yet, tonight you are here.”
She shrugged. “You invited me and I wanted to see what all the hullabaloo was about.”
“And does it live up to your expectations?”
Her gaze explored him again and his body responded to her perusal as though it were her hands running over him and not her eyes. He wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of one of those looks. He liked it. Very much. At least coming from her.
“More than.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
She stared at him a moment and then looked away. He swore he detected one of her telltale blushes beneath her rouge. Good. Perhaps she was just as affected as he was. He still held her hand, and she’d made no move to pull it from his grasp. His fingers tightened slightly and she looked back at him.
“So, Jessie. What can I get for you this evening? Aside from a job, which I’ve yet to hear an answer about,” he said, teasingly. “I’m curious, with that voice you’ve got, why don’t you sing at The Red Phoenix, since you say you are a regular there?”
“They’ve got Maude Fairfax. They don’t need me.”
“If you’re still not sure, why don’t we give you a little trial? See how you like it?”
“A trial?”
“Sure. Hell, even if you couldn’t sing—and I know you can—my patrons would probably pay extra just to sit there and look at you for an hour a night.”
Jessie’s cheeks flushed the same red as her dress. It was utterly adorable and it surprised Tony how much he wanted to pull her back to his office to see if she was blushing everywhere.
Jessie nodded. “All right. Do you have an office or something? I can sing for you.”
Tony shook his head and stood, drawing her up with him. If he took her back to his office, he wasn’t sure he could keep his hands to himself. Besides, he really wanted to see if she could mesmerize his audience the way she had him. “The band will be starting a new set in five minutes. I’m sure they can play anything you’d like them to. Just go talk to Louis there and pick something out.”
Jessie looked up at the stage, her face paling. She licked her lips.
“Something wrong, doll?”
“No. Of course not. I just wasn’t expecting to perform tonight, that’s all.”
“Well, no better way to see if you like performing than to perform. You need to get a real feel for the stage to see if you want to do this every night.”
He watched her, certain she was going to back out. She seemed frightened. He didn’t just want her to say yes so he could keep her around. He needed to get closer to her, sure, but he was looking forward to seeing her up on that stage. He was doing a good business, but a sexy vocalist would really class up the joint. And since he needed to compete with The Red Phoenix, and better yet, be enough competition that it would draw the elusive Phoenix himself out, then Tony needed to step up his game and get some better entertainment out on the floor. And if that entertainment was the Phoenix’s girl, all the better.
That’s if his intended entertainment didn’t bolt out his back door. She had taken on a slight shade of green that was a bit worrisome.
“If you’ve changed your mind…”
“No. No, I’m fine. I’ll just go speak to Louis.”
Tony nodded, released the hand he was still holding, and gave her a little bow. She visibly firmed up her shoulders and headed to the stage to talk to his bandmaster.
Tony took her place at the table, settling back in his seat. The cigarette girl came by and he snagged a pack of new ciggys off her tray. She lingered for a moment, her eyes offering much more than the wares she was selling, but Tony had no interest. Most of the women working for him would give their eyeteeth for a spot on his arm, or in his bed, more like, but Tony didn’t have time for them. He wasn’t there for dames. Besides, it was never wise to have a romance with an employee. Things got all kind of complicated when you mixed business and pleasure.
He waved at a waitress and after a moment, she came over and plopped a tumbler of whiskey in front of him. He ignored the barely concealed anger coming from her. He’d already turned down her not-so-subtle offer. Twice. But he was sure she was only after the money she thought a successful speakeasy owner like himself would have.
Unfortunately, all the money he made went right back to the Feds. They were fronting his bills, after all, had set up this whole place in their elaborate scheme to catch the Phoenix. Maybe he could negotiate a nice fat bonus when this was all over. After all, he was doing dangerous work for them, going up against not only the Phoenix, but all the other speakeasy owners in town. The Phoenix wasn’t the only one who was getting antsy because of Tony’s success. Just the other day, he’d caught one of Willie the Weasel’s guys sniffing around. If Tony was going to put his life on the line, he figured a little bonus was in order.
All thoughts of Willie the Weasel and the Feds flew out the window the second Jessie stepped up to the microphone. The spotlight flashed on, illuminating her in its glow. She wrapped both hands around the microphone, lightly gripping the metal stand, one finger along the backside of the boxlike mouthpiece.
There were some hoots and hollers from the audience and Tony glanced around, partly pleased at the reaction she was getting and what that could mean for his profits. He wasn’t prepared for the anger spiking through him. He nearly rammed an elbow into the man sitting behind him who let loose a particularly loud wolf call. What is wrong with me? He wanted his patrons to like her.
He shook it off and downed the whiskey in his glass, slamming the empty down on the table with unnecessary force. The noise of it drew Jessie’s attention and she glanced at him, her eyes wide, her luscious lips frowning slightly.
She glanced behind her uncertainly and Louis nodded. The music started, a slow, sultry number. Tony frowned. He recognized the song, but the version he’d heard had been upbeat, campy. Jessie had them playing a different arrangement, one that set the tone for heat and passion before Jessie had even sung a note.
The double bass player plucked a few notes and Jessie’s eyes fluttered closed. Her whole demeanor changed as the music flowed over her. She ran her hands down the microphone stand as if it were her lover and then held her arms out to the side as the first notes escaped her mouth.
Tony sat up, his own mouth hanging open. The sensual sounds coming from Jessie captivated everyone in the room. He spared them no notice. As she sang, her body swayed in time to the music. Her hands alternately caressed the microphone, the air, and a few times, her own body, her fingers smoothing the silk of her dress down over her voluptuous hips.
Tony was enthralled. There was no other word for it. She sang like an angel. Well, a seductive temptress of an angel. She opened her eyes and looked right at him, the words of the song seemingly directed at him, meant for him. When she got to the bit where the singer typically did a “boop-boop-a-doop,” Jessie made a sort of humming purr sound that hit him like a sucker punch and burned its way down his body. He shifted in his chair. Damn, but the woman was a bearcat. One that had most of the men in the room ready to pounce, if they were feeling anything like him.
When her song was finished, she stood still for a moment, and then the spotlight dimmed. For half a second, there wasn’t a sound in the bar. Tony could see Jessie looking around the room, her composure slipping, the self-assuredness she’d assumed while she sang dissipating.
And then a thunderous applause rose. The men, of course, shouted their appreciation, but even the women, far from hating her for drawing their dates’ admiration, were joining in the raucous cheering.
Tony stood and jumped onto the stage. He took Jessie’s hand and the heat of the spotlight hit them again. He kissed her hand and gave her a little bow and then held his other hand up in the air.
“Ladies and gentlemen! I give you The Corkscrew’s new songstress, our very own Jessica Harlan!”
The applause was deafening.
“Give them a bow, sugar. You’ve earned it.”
Jessie glanced up at him and then turned to her audience, gave them a sweeping, if hesitant bow, and then stepped back out of the spotlight. As he was still holding her hand, and had no desire to let go, he stepped back with her.
The band whipped up a rousing Charleston and Tony led Jessie off the stage and through the crowd toward the back of the club.
She tugged on her hand a little. “Where are we going?”
“Back to my office. We’ve got some business to discuss.”
“So, I’m hired?”
“You are indeed, as long as we can come to an agreement on wages and hours.”
She didn’t need to know that he’d gladly pay her anything she wanted if it kept her on his stage. Tony led her into his office and pulled out a chair for her in front of his desk. Instead of seating himself behind his desk, he perched on the end, not wanting the huge piece of furniture between them.
Jessie watched him, her eyes wary but curious as she took in her surroundings. Tony waited until her attention was back on him before he spoke.
“You’ve got quite a set of pipes on you.” He let his gaze roam over her figure, not hiding the fact that he liked what he saw. “I had no idea you were hiding all that under your butcher’s apron.”
Jessie’s eyebrow rose. “Thanks,” she said. Her sardonic tone drew a laugh out of him.
“Sorry. I just mean that I think my patrons will enjoy watching you sing.”
“Yeah, I got that.”
She looked down, smoothing her hands down her dress. Tony’s eyes followed the path her hands took, suddenly wishing her hemline, though already knee length, fell a bit shorter.
“Your song choice was…” Tony trailed off, not sure how to phrase what he wanted to say without making it obvious he’d enjoyed her performance very, very much. Too much.
“I’m sorry. Are you unhappy with my performance?”
Tony looked up, startled. “No. Not unhappy. But…”
Jessie cocked an eyebrow, waiting for him to explain why he was so agitated.
He blew out a breath. “Cripes’ sake, woman, were you trying to cause a riot?”
“Excuse me?”
“That song you sang. I’m not sure that was the best choice of opening numbers.”
“Why not? It’s one of the most popular songs right now. I thought it would be good to start with a bang.”
“Yes, but the way you sang it. I’ve never heard it like that before. Usually the tempo is much more upbeat, fun. But slowing it down like that, singing it like that…”
Jessie’s lips pulled into an amused smile. “I didn’t realize you were a prude, Mr. Solomon. I’m sorry if I offended your sensibilities.”
Tony’s mouth dropped open, not sure if he was more amused or offended by the suggestion. “I am not a prude, Miss Harlan, but you nearly had every man in there on his knees drooling at your feet.”
She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. “I thought that was the point,” she said, standing and moving away from him.
She was right. It was the point. But Tony didn’t want any man but himself on his knees before her. And thoughts like that would get him in a lot of trouble he didn’t need. He took a breath, carefully weighing his words. Jessie watched him, her blue eyes twinkling. All right. If she wanted to play like that, he could play along. She could act innocent all she liked. No one could put on a show like that and not mean it, at least to some degree. He had no problem with her playing the sex kitten on stage, but if she was going to be coy about it, he’d call her bluff and show her exactly how that song had affected him.
He let his breath out slowly and stood, moving toward her. Jessie stepped back but she was up against the wall. Tony didn’t stop until he was nearly pressed against her. His eyes roved over her, lingering on the swell of her hips, the way the dress clung to her breasts.
“When you sang that song, you were looking directly at me.”
Now Jessie’s mouth dropped open. If she’d been hoping he hadn’t noticed, she was foolish. Kind of hard to miss when their eyes had been locked together through the whole song.
“You were in the audience.” A weak excuse and he knew she knew it.
“Were you singing that song to me, Jessie? Trying to tell me something, perhaps?”
Jessie humphed and tried to sidestep him but he moved with her. “Don’t flatter yourself, Mr. Solomon. I was just singing. You happened to be in my line of sight. Yours was the only face I knew in the audience and I was a little nervous. It was only natural for me to look at you. If you’d prefer that I only sing songs the way they were written, I can do that. And I’ll give you my set list to approve if you are concerned about my song choices.”
Tony studied her. “That won’t be necessary. Sing them however you’d like. I will offer a word of advice, though. Unless you want every man out there coming after you like a dog in heat, you might want to make sure you don’t lock eyes with anyone but me when you’re putting your own delectable spin on things.” He drew a finger along her neck and Jessie shivered.
“I’ll keep that in mind, Mr. Solomon.”
She raised her head, jutting her little chin into the air. Trying to show him she wasn’t affected by him. Though all she managed to do was expose more of the creamy expanse of her neck. He longed for a taste of that silky skin. When her teeth scraped over her bottom lip, biting into the soft flesh, Tony sucked in a breath, the sight of it igniting a flash of desire that had his own lips trembling in response.
He mentally gave himself a shake. He was there to do a job, not to ogle a criminal suspect. No matter how charming the dame was. He looked Jessie over again. No. Even if she was some rumrunner’s girlfriend, she definitely wasn’t the type to go throwing herself at a man. In fact, despite that little show she’d put on up on the stage, he’d be willing to bet she was as innocent as a sweet little lamb. And he’d love to be the one to educate her.
Where the hell did that thought come from? He could just see Jameson’s face now. The man would never let him live it down. Tony had been sent in to seduce some information out of her, not be the one seduced. Hell, the woman had been in his office two minutes and in his life barely longer than that, and he was having fantasies about her like some lovesick schoolboy.
Judging by the look on her face, she was very aware of the path his thoughts had taken. And was amused. Tony closed his eyes and backed away from her, moving back to the other side of his desk and taking a seat. Maybe a little distance between them would help.
Nope. The tantalizing smell of her jasmine perfume still reached him, and he didn’t think it mattered how far away from her he was, the sight of her still teased parts of him he’d tried hard to ignore for the past few years.
Enough of this. Down to business! He gestured to her vacated chair and she hesitantly sat down again.
“So, Jessie. I’m looking for someone who can sing, six days a week ideally. A few hours each night. I’d pay you thirty dollars a week.
Jessie’s eyes widened a bit at that.
“Not enough?” he asked, knowing the price he’d stated was more than fair.
“No, that sounds fine. But I can only come in three days a week. I have…other obligations,” she said, not meeting his eyes.
Tony frowned at her to cover the spurt of excitement her words gave him. Coming into his speakeasy wouldn’t affect her time at the butcher shop, so she must be referring to her obligations to the Phoenix. And having her available for the Corkscrew might just give him a clue as to when The Red Phoenix was open for business, assuming she was there on the nights she wasn’t with Tony.
“All right then. Twenty dollars a week for three nights. Fair?”
Jessie nodded and he continued. “Good. We’ll work out a schedule for you. I have a collection of gowns you may use as your wardrobe and if there is anything you’d like to add to it, just let me know and I’ll try and get you what you need. So, do we have an agreement?”
Jessie hesitated, and for a second Tony was afraid she would say no. Luckily, Jessie nodded and stood, holding out her hand.
“Agreed.”
He took her hand and shook it, keeping hold of it a tad longer than necessary. She pulled her hand away and stepped back a bit.
“When would you like me to start?”
“Tomorrow night, if that is acceptable.”
She nodded. “That will be fine.”
“Great. Be here at 11:30 and I’ll have someone show you around and get you settled.”
“I’ll see you then.”
Tony watched her walk out of his office and then sat back in his chair, his fingers steepled against his chin. He allowed himself a moment to enjoy the rush of satisfaction that spread through him. The most important part of his plan was now in place. It would be considerably easier to both keep tabs on Jessie Harlan, and get information out of her, if she was at his club, under his eye, than it would be if he had to continually drop in at her shop. With the added bonus of being able to pass along her schedule to Jameson. Their best shot at finding The Red Phoenix open for business and pulling off a successful raid were the days Jessie wasn’t scheduled to be at The Corkscrew. That oughta please the little rat bastard.
Thoughts of Jameson were quickly extinguished by the image of Jessie swaying on the stage. The dark, clandestine atmosphere of the club, and the delectable way the little live wire liked to perform, would make cozying up to her less of a challenge, that was for certain. Tony’s brow furrowed a bit at that, especially as images of Jessie’s full lips, delicious curves, and sultry blue eyes bombarded him. He needed to be careful not to get sucked into his own web. He must remember who was the bad guy. Jessie could not be as innocent as she seemed. She was, at the very least, protecting a criminal, and was possibly just as dirty as the Phoenix was. Tony had his orders. And he’d already paid the price for breaking orders once before. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.
No. He had the delectable Miss Harlan right where he wanted her. He just needed to stick to the plan. Maybe this time he’d be able to do his job and no one would get hurt.