A few days later, Joe stood by the door of the "Lacquer Shack" and kept a closer eye on the patrons than usual. It was an average night, about half the tables and chairs at the stage were full, no cause for major alarm based on the size of the crowd. But he was sweating and shifting his gaze around the room and back to the door. He was far too obviously nervous about the arrangement that his boss had made with the young Sister he met a few days ago. He had not seen the man in the picture yet, and that was a big part of why he was nervous. Gulping air, he was clearly attempting to settle his nerves when the DJ came over the speakers.
"Alright Gentlemen, put your hands together for Candy, she's workin' hard to keep your hard workin'!" he exclaimed in that goofy way DJ's always seem to speak. "She'll be coming down off the stage, and if you want a little private time with that little lady, just say the word, just let her know. Coming up, two in a row from another gorgeous creature, your headliner, this is Cynderella!"
Joe's mood instantly improved and his tension subsided. Cynderella always had that effect on him, though he couldn't explain why. She was certainly gorgeous, but plenty of girls who danced here qualified for that descriptor. She seemed to be passionate about everything she did, including dancing. There was just something about her. The crowd apparently agreed; a cheer went up from the assembly even as her name was mentioned. While most of the other girls danced to the likes of Lady Gaga or some nameless techno band, she preferred Cradle of Filth or Children of Bodom. Even now, the intro to "Her Ghost in the Fog" was pouring out of the speakers. Then the curtain burst open and Cynderella strode onto the stage in a dark red gothic dress, complete with long stockings, platform heels, and her raven black hair in two pony tails on either side of her head. The chorus of mad hooting and whistling announced the crowd's approval. As Joe stared, Cynderella's eyes caught his from across the club, and she shot him a crooked grin and a wink. The edges of his vision blurred, and he felt his knees turn to rubber. Forced to prop himself against the bar, he could look at nothing but the stage.
It was in that moment that the door to the outside world quietly swung open. A mountain came through it.
The figure in a long black coat was well over six feet tall and was built like a siege engine. He walked directly to a table towards the back of the club, and took a seat, despite the fact that a swinger couple were sitting there when he did so. They attempted to engage him in conversation, but he simply ignored them. When they got up and left, he reached into the pocket of his coat and produced a large cigar and a pack of matches. He chomped the tip off the end of the cigar and struck a match against the sole of his boot. The flickering flame reflecting off the mirrored aviator sunglasses he had yet to take off attracted the attention of Cynderella on the stage, and for the first time in her set, she stopped moving. The man in black put the match out on his toungue and tossed it over his shoulder before she began dancing again. He chuckled to himself, a rumbling sound deep in his chest, as billows of cigar smoke rolled out of his nostrils.
It was only then that Joe came back to himself and realized that there was a new patron in the club. He looked over in the direction of the new arrival and noted the long brown hair, full beard, and monstrous build of the man he had seen in the Sister's photo. Suddenly his bundle of nerves was back in full force. He walked over to the DJ's booth and asked what dancer was up next.
"Uhhh," the DJ said in a completely different tone from the one he used over the speakers, "Looks like it's the new girl."
Joe got that sinking feeling as he realized that the very end of "Angels Don't Kill", Cynderella's second song, was thundering through the crowd as they spoke. He turned back to the stage to see Cynderella, wearing only the platforms, stockings, the hair ties that kept her long silken hair in place, and her porcelain birthday suit. Clutching the rest of her costume and a small fortune, she blew a kiss to the crowd, looked back and the man in black for a moment, then hurried off the stage.
No Time.
"Alright guys, how about that Cynderella, devastating as always, am I right?" the DJ trumpeted over the speakers as the crowd continued to cheer for the recently departed dancer. "Now coming up for you guys, a special treat, a fresh face here at the Lacquer Shack! She's been workin' hard the last few days just to learn how to entertain you Gentlemen! Giver' a warm Lacquer Shack welcome, and treat 'er right, this is Hilde!"
The man in black had been leaning back in his chair looking up at the ceiling. But when he heard the name Hilde, his gaze fell back to the stage, he leaned forward in his chair, and he actually ordered a drink from one of the waitresses
"Ho-oh! Oh Shit!" Joe said.
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