Moon Shadow
Chapter Twelve
“I hear there’s meant to be new stripper on tonight.” Lisa Holt confided to Joey.
“Really?” Joey asked trying to feign interest and surprise.
“Yeah. A real looker from all accounts.” Lisa giggled a little.
Joey gave Lisa a half-smile and slowly began to tune out to her companion’s chatter. Lisa had been rather chirpy tonight almost as if the veil of depression that had covered her since Parker’s and Riner’s death had finally been lifted. She had been laughing, chattering and flirting the whole night and the regulars at Moon Shadow had all commented about how glad they were to see that Lisa was back to being her old self.
As Joey watched Lisa carry on it was difficult to believe that this woman might be responsible and capable of the murders of Jerome Parker and Perry Riner yet Joey couldn’t ignore the evidence that suggested that Lisa might somehow be involved in her lovers’ deaths.
“Joey c’mon!” Lisa cried and she began to tug on Joey’s arm. “We need to get good spots near the stage. The new stripper is going to appear soon and we want a good view so we can assess his qualities and abilities and see if he’ll make a good addition to Moon Shadow.”
They left their table and stood on one side of the stage as the manager of Moon Shadow introduced their newest and latest stripper.
A smoky mist emanated from the bottom of the stage as the lights dimmed until virtual darkness. The music played and a shadow of a person appeared. The music grew louder and the distinctive beat of drums began to take over and the spotlight shone on the center of the stage revealing the strong back of a man dressed as cowboy. His boots tapping and his body moving to the rhythm of the music, the mysterious cowboy danced, his face still hidden from his audience.
Even with his back turned it was obvious that the cowboy had an amazing muscles. His tight shirt accentuated the ripples and movements of muscles and his fitted jeans perfectly cupped his buttocks.
“Shake dat ass!” Some woman cried and others screamed their agreement.
With cheeky casualness the cowboy complied with his audience’s demands before he swung around finally providing a frontal view.
There was something primal and charismatic about the new stripper. Rugged, wild, sexy, cocky and mischievous bad boy looks combined in one. The audience in Moon Shadow was going crazy as the cowboy mercilessly teased them with his movements and toyed with the top button of his shirt.
“Oooh, I like the new stripper. What I wouldn’t give to ride him.” Lisa whispered to Joey before she hollered to the cowboy to take it all off.
With a lazy smile he ripped his shirt off to reveal a hard, muscular chest that was glistening with a few drops of sweat from the heat of the spotlights and his physical exertions.
Joey stared aimlessly around the room. All around her people were cheering, howling and whistling as the cowboy slowly got rid of more and more clothes. She snuck a few glances in the cowboy’s directions and smiled inwardly at the cowboy’s antics. Even though he appeared to be having fun Joey knew instinctively that the flush on the cowboy’s cheeks was partially from embarrassment. She giggled a little as she watched one man boldly pinch the cheek of Pacey’s ass and Pacey’s slightly startled expression although he hid it well. Little things like that made Joey remember why she loved Pacey Witter so much.
She wished she had taken the time to talk to Pacey after their encounter in cell 5 instead of fleeing and hiding after Drue’s innuendoes.
Now as he approached them with only his cowboy hat and a g-string full of notes.
Pacey paid particular attention to Lisa as directed by the Captain who continually slipped note after note under the elastic of Pacey’s underwear. Joey’s eyes narrowed a little as she saw the white of a business card get tucked in with the green of various notes. Lisa whispered something in Pacey’s ear who responded with a grin and grinding his body into Lisa’s. Finally he moved onto Joey.
Licking her dry lips Joey summoned the appropriate, appreciative response before quickly adding some of her notes to the pile already on Pacey. For one brief second their hands touched and they both froze, Pacey’s blue eyes locked with Joey’s smoky, gray eyes. He grinned as his thumb gently trailed the back of Joey’s hand, gave her a slow and deliberate wink, tilted his hat in thanks and then the music and the cries of the audience took over and Pacey was back dancing and collecting tips.
Joey closed her eyes wanting to cry, for no reason at all. She heard the squeals of delight and then dismay as the music faded, the lights dimmed and the audience demanded an encore.
“That cowboy is really something.” Lisa declared.
“He is.”
“Did you check out that fine ass of his? Not to mention that gorgeous body. And what a ‘package’ God gave him!” Lisa enthused.
“I know.” replied a somewhat subdued Joey she paused somewhat hesitantly before speaking again. “Lisa, if you don’t mind me asking, I noticed that you slipped a card in with the money.”
“Oh you saw that?” Lisa laughed before whispering. “We’re going to meet later onwards. He’s so good looking and very sweet. Do you know I haven’t felt this alive since Jerome died? I grant you that Perry was there for me but when he died as well, my whole world turned upside down. Jerome was so smart and Perry was so handsome. They hated each other because of that, you know. Jerome always wished he was handsome as Perry and Perry was so jealous of Jerome’s intelligence. Together they were the perfect man. Everything a girl could ever wish for. I always felt so protected and safe whenever they were around, like nothing could hurt me.”
Lisa pouted in reflection before brightening up again. “But this cowboy, I know he’s different. My horoscope said I would meet someone special today, somebody who would change my life. One look at my cowboy and I knew my horoscope had been correct. He’s so handsome and he’s smart too. Just looking into his eyes you can see such depth. Do you know that I’m giddy with excitement? Pinch me Joey to make sure this isn’t a dream.”
Dramatically Lisa produced her arm to be pinched and Joey complied with a light squeeze of Lisa’s flesh.
“Oh it isn’t a dream!” Lisa enthused. “It’s real. Look he’s coming out! He’s so incredibly gorgeous. I know he’s going to make everything right. I finally know that everything is going to be okay. My cowboy is going to make everything better. Joey, how do I look? My lipstick isn’t smudged is it? No. Good. So I look fine?”
Anxiously Lisa’s stroked the creases out of her dress, shook her head, inspected herself using her compact mirror and once satisfied with the result bade Joey goodbye and headed towards her waiting ‘cowboy’.
Joey watched from the distance as Pacey and Lisa chatted. She watched as Pacey lighting stroked Lisa’s arm, bought her drinks and played with Lisa’s hair. Joey continued to sneak glances careful to advert her eyes and concentrate on the greenness of her cocktail every time she felt Pacey glance in her direction. Once their eyes met and Joey could not help but give Pacey a small smile, he smiled tentatively back at her before returning his concentration back to the conversation with Lisa.
After a while it appeared that Lisa was eager to leave and discreetly Pacey and Lisa exited Moon Shadow. Joey noted their departure and a few moments later she too exited the club radioing in to Drue and Chris the departure of Pacey and Lisa. She watched as Pacey and Lisa left together, in Pacey’s car, and Drue and Chris followed before she tiredly got into her own car and drove home.
*****
Pacey watched as Lisa downed another glass of wine.
“I feel sooooooo good.” She exclaimed and burst into a fit of giggles. “Hey cowboy where’s your horse-y?”
“Let’s get you into bed.”
“Oh I like that idea. You and me in a bed together.”
“I don’t think that’s a very good idea.” Pacey gently declined as he lifted Lisa up into his arms and carried her towards her bedroom.
“I do.” Lisa said in a little girl’s voice. “My bed is so big. Huge. And it gets so lonely at night. Just me and my big bed. I don’t want to be alone. Promise me you’ll stay.”
Pacey carefully placed Lisa into her bed, taking off her shoes and then helping her dress into her pajamas as if she were a child. Then he tucked her in and pulled a chair near the bed and sat down.
“I’ll sit here all night so you won’t be alone.” Pacey promised.
“Thank you.” muttered Lisa sleepily before her eyes closed.
He watched Lisa sleeping in her king size bed, clutching her pillows tightly for comfort and Pacey was awash with the need to be with Joey. All he wanted was to hold her in his arms and fall asleep in her embrace. They still hadn't talked and when Pacey had tried to call her last night all he had gotten was Joey’s answering machine. Part of him was still furious at her and yet another part of him just wanted to be with Joey. He was so tired. So tired and fatigued.
*****
“Geez, it’s like 2:30am already and Witter still hasn’t left
the premise.” Drue remarked.
“I wonder if he’s okay.” Chris asked somewhat worriedly.
“Any bet he’s screwing Miss Holt.” Drue smirked. “Did you see the way she was checking out Witter? I swear I thought she was gonna jump him then and thereon the doorstep. Lucky bastard. Witter gets all the luck.”
“Miss Holt is a suspect. It’s against protocol for Pacey to sleep with her.” Chris reminded Drue.
“Like Witter cares. He’s already screwing that luscious partner of his. Maybe once the department breaks the two up I might be lucky to get Potter as a partner. It seems like I’m the only one who hasn’t had a go with her yet.”
“Like Joey would give you the time of day.” Chris scoffed.
“Well she slept with you.”
“That was different.”
“Oh really.” Drue stated amusedly. “Tell me, partner to partner, just how good Joey Potter was. I want to make sure my efforts are worth it.”
“Forget it, man. I’m not going to tell you shit.”
“Oh well, I suppose I’ll just have to find out myself.”
“What are you planning, Valentine?” Chris asked suspiciously.
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“Nothing.” Drue answered. “Well nothing much.”
“You’re such a dick sometimes.”
“Thank you.”
Chris groaned and turned his concentration
back to the quiet mansion while Drue sat besides him silently grinning to himself.