Kiss of Steel

WANTED: New dancers 18-25. Must provide own costume for audition. Interested parties should prepare a 3 minute routine. Bring your music. Auditions Sunday 1 – 4 at Metal and Lace.

Jenni stared at the Craigslist Ad.

It was a solution, now wasn’t it?

Come over at once. Need help with a new routine.

I am in class!

Then come immediately after.

Fine. Better be worth it though.

I promise it will be.

With that taken care of, Jenni flipped through her closet, dragging out every Halloween costume she could find. The results were not impressive. Most of her costumes came from bits and pieces from other people or were nothing more than clever puns. She loved dressing up for all the themed parties around campus. But she was poor, so she owned very little that was, in actuality, a costume. She was not about to spend money on just an audition, so something had to come from sexy Supergirl and French Maid. She dug further into her closet and found a hot glue gun, some miscellaneous craft supplies, and a box of safety pins. This was actually starting to look up. There had to be something that could be done with these sweet finds. Right? She glanced at the clock. She had at least fifteen more minutes before Kennedy got there. Time to narrow down her music options. She was going to need to get creative with this one.

Ten minutes later she was ready to give up. Nothing she had was actually going to work. She had plenty of good music, but nothing that was really the style of a place like Metal and Lace. She needed to rethink this. Maybe she could audition with her own music and her moves would be enough to get her in. She could adapt to a new musical style once she was in. She flipped her playlist open again, trying to find some angle that she had missed. She listened to bits and pieces of songs over and over again. She closed her eyes and imagined choreography. Nothing behind her eyelids was right for Metal and Lace.

The knock on the door was earlier than she had anticipated. She shrieked at the unexpected noise, lept up, and ran to the door. An annoyed looking Kennedy stood on the other side of the door.

“You’re here early.”

“Class ended with a pop quiz.”

“Didn’t do too hot?”

“I don’t know. That’s the problem. I have no idea if it was as simple as I thought or I completely misunderstood.”

“What class was it?”

“Optics.”

“That sounds kind of terrible,” she called over her shoulder while heading back to her room. Kennedy followed her like he always did.

“I’ll know soon if it was,” he surveyed the items on her bed. “Jenni, what kind of routine are you working on? Or is all of this,” he waved his hand over her bed, “unrelated?”

“Ken, have you ever heard of Metal and Lace?”

He eyed her closely. “Is this some kind of joke?”

“No. Why would it be?”

“Jenni, that is a…ummm… ‘gentleman’s club.’” The quotation marks clear in his voice.

“Oh yes, that.” She dismissively waved her hand. “Did you know they pay $15 an hour?”

“No, I can’t say I knew what they paid and oh. my. God. You are not!”

“I am. Kennedy, they pay $15 and hour! I can barely pay my rent as it is. It’s just a couple hours a week. Just something extra to keep me afloat to help pay the bills.”

“Jenni, it sounds amazingly dangerous. It is a strip club! Seedy guys go there!”

“And so does at least half of the engineering school. How bad can it be? Besides, it is just dancing.”

“Dancing without clothes!”

“No, it’s dancing while removing clothes. There is a difference. Honestly, I think there is a decent chance I will be wearing more than I do when I go to the beach. I have heard that the girls there don’t get totally naked. Something about the ‘allure of the unknown’ or something. I can’t remember it well. It’s on their website.”

“But-”

“Now, I am really stuck here. I need to make my own costume and create a three minute audition. Are you going to help me or are you going to be a prude and go home?”

“You know I’m going to stay, so let’s get this over with already.”

She hugged him around the neck. “Great! Now, let’s start with the costume. All I’ve got is what is on the bed and I am not really sure what to do with it.”

“I think it might be a bit difficult to make Supergirl look steampunk, so I think we should use that costume for parts rather than as a base.”

“I knew you would know what to do!”

“I feel like I should be offended.”

“Not at all. You have got an eye for details is all.”

“Details that will help you at a very specific type of strip club.”

“Well when you put it like that…”

“Shut up and hand me the costumes.”

Kennedy picked up a pair of scissors and moved to the desk, busying himself with the fabric before him. Jenni moved to help him, but he brushed her away. “Do you have a song yet?” he asked, not looking at her.

“No. I can’t seem to find anything that will be suitable. Everything I have is too…” she struggled for the right word.

“Zumba?” he supplied.

“Exactly. You don’t suppose that will work, do you?”

Kennedy sighed. “Well, with my wealth of knowledge about steampunk strip clubs, no, I don’t suppose it will.” The sarcasm dripped off his words. Jenni made an affronted noise. “Jenni, why don’t you look for steampunk covers of songs you already know? That should help. We can download the song once you find one that works.” He passed the laptop over to her and bent over to plug in the glue gun. “Look, this costume is probably a one shot deal. It is going to be glued together. Feel free to use that to your stripping advantage.”

Jenni laughed and got to work. They worked quietly while the sounds of steampunk covers of songs flowed over the room. Jenni would listen for no more than thirty seconds before she was changing the song again, occasionally grunting her disapproval at a particular song. After almost an hour of working in this fashion and the grunts getting more frequent, Kennedy spoke up.

“Are you sure you will be able to listen to this kind of music for several hours a week? You seem pretty dismissive of everything so far.”

“If there’s a steady paycheck in it, I’ll listen to whatever they tell me to.”

Kennedy smirked. “What if they made you dance to steampunk Macerena for hours on end every week?”

“Hmmmmm. Well, it is still $15 an hour.”

“Would you rather dance to steampunk Macerena or have to have your hair cut by an inexperienced hairdresser?”

“Easy. Haircut. Would you rather I tell your mom that you made me a stripper costume or your roommate?”

“Mom.”

“Really?”

“Sure. Mom won’t bug me to make a costume for her, but Dave….”

Jenni threw her pillow at him.

“Careful! I’ve got a hot mess made with hot glue over here!”

“How much longer is that going to take?”

“You can’t rush genius.”

“So now stripper costumes are genius?”

“They are if I am involved. Now find a song or this hard work won’t mean anything. In fact, I bet I can finish this before you find a suitable song.”

“Any of these songs is technically suitable. I just don’t like any of them. None of them move me, you know?”

“Move you to what? Take off your clothes?”

“Kennedy!”

“What?”

“Don’t play innocent with me.”

“I never play.”

“You are insufferable.”

“Yeah, probably. And, actually, I will be done in just a few minutes if you will stop distracting me.”

Kennedy purposefully turned his back on Jenni and got back to work with the glue gun. Jenni turned back to her laptop decided to try a different approach. Instead of searching for steampunk songs, she would search songs she liked and hope a steampunk cover popped up.

“Done!” Kennedy proudly proclaimed as he whipped his creating off the desk and into the air for inspection.

“Holy shit. You actually did it.”

“You’re welcome.” Jenni stretched out her hand to take it from him.

“Just remember that it is rather fragile. It is just hot glue.”

Jenni snatched the costume. “Back in a flash!” she yelled over her shoulder as she took off for the bathroom.

Kennedy took a steadying breath as he waited for Jenni to return.

“It’s perfect!” she yelled out to him, her voice echoing of the bathroom walls.

She seductively posed in the doorway. Kennedy had cut apart the French maid costume and fashioned the top into more of a corset and had glued all sorts of metallic looking things from her craft box onto the bodice to make it look more mechanical. He had taken the skirt from Supergirl and used the fabric to create a bustle. The skirt had also had a bit of petticoat under it that he had used to lengthen the French maid skirt. He had used ribbon to make some silly garter – like items that were attached to the Supergirl cuffs that had been made wider to fit Jenni’s thighs. The final touch was a hair clip that he had made to look like goggles resting on her head. It was shitty workmanship, but if you squinted, it looked about right.

“Feeling more inspired now?” he asked.

“Very much so.”

“Well then, my work here is done.”

“But I still need to choreograph and I haven’t even picked a song yet!” she protested.

“And I haven’t studied for my test tomorrow yet. Besides, I am useless when it comes to dancing. You really do not need me for that.”

“Fine,” Jenni pouted.

“Look, are you sure you want to do this? Couldn’t you just pick up a few extra classes at the studio?”

“Zumba doesn’t pay nearly as well. Besides, there aren’t any more classes that I could pick up. Even if there were, I am the newest instructor, so I would be last on the list they asked.”

“Ok. But just be careful. I still think that it is a little more dangerous than you are thinking it will be.”

“Ohhh Kennedy. The guys aren’t even allowed to touch. They can only watch. I really do not see how this can be all that bad.”

“I am sure you’re right. Well, I’ve got to get out of here. Tests and whatnot.”

“Right. Well, I’ll catch you tomorrow night?”

“Probably. Dave’s going to a party. We’ll see if I let him drag me along.”

Jenni made a face. “You really should get out more. I mean, Dave’s friends are a bit…wild, but every now and then that can be fun.”

“We’ll see. Later Jenni.”

“Bye Kennedy.”

***

Friday night passed in a blur of steampunk music and cursing as Jenni attempted to perfect her dance. She had been lucky to come across Steam Powered Giraffe in her music search. I had enough of a beat that she could dance to it, and it seemed slow enough that she was not worried that her Zumba bounciness would make her moves more athletic than seductive. She was able to shimmy and shake, but she wanted to make sure that when the customers watched her they saw more of a luxurious panther than a galloping cheetah.

The stripping part, well, that was a little more difficult. Kennedy was not kidding about the costume being one time use. She could not practice with it. Instead she practiced with a t-shirt she had cut into a bustier and an old circle skirt that was not in fashion but she could not part with. She moved around her room in what she hoped was a sultry fashion. She thought she knew what guys wanted when they went to a strip club, but she was beginning to doubt herself. She should have asked Kennedy when he was here. That might have been useful information when picking out her music. Oh well. Too late for that.

Another thing she had not talked to Kennedy about was her underwear. She was certain that her undergarments mattered just as much as the outer costume, but she was not willing to sacrifice a perfectly good bra to the hot glue gun god. Luckily Kennedy had not used her box of safety pins. She used them to adhere ribbons and buttons to the sexiest bra and panty set she owned. It was not exactly steampunk, but it showed effort. She hoped that would be enough.

Saturday morning came and went with her morning Zumba class. Only five people showed up. She was worried. The small attendance numbers were becoming a trend, and she had heard whispers that the class was going to be cancelled. Yet another reason she needed this job at Metal and Lace to work out. She was just going to have to double down and make this audition really count. If they cancelled her Saturday class, that was another hour of pay she would lose every week. An hour of lost pay would have to come out of her already meager grocery budget. She couldn’t take it from the rent budget, that was for sure.

As her mind wandered from the paper she was working on Saturday afternoon, her phone chirped at her.

Dave wants me to go out with him tonight. Not so sure it’s a good idea.

Why? What could go wrong?

It’s an ‘anything but clothes’ party.

So?

Really?

What? You can make stripper costumes but your glue gun skills don’t extend to cardboard?

I’m just not sure I feel comfortable with that.

Ugh. Grow up. In fact, even if you don’t go, I don’t want to hang out with you tonight.

So my options are Dave and nothing. Awesome.

I told you you needed to get out more.

But I could choose to just sit at home.

And I would be very, very disappointed in you.

You suck.

I know. : )

Jenni dropped her phone back on her bed. Kennedy was definitely going to join Dave tonight. He might be an introvert, but he was trying to be more outgoing. She was positive that if he just opened himself up more and left his apartment once in a while, he would have a girlfriend in no time. He really was a sweet guy. It was ridiculous that he had made it to his junior year of college without really dating anyone. Maybe she could try to force the issue. You know, for his own good. He might not see it that way at first, but he would.

Dave, I need a favor.

Yes, Jenni?

I need you to get Kennedy drunk.

That’s the favor?

Yes. I think it will make him open up more. Maybe he will meet someone.

You know he doesn’t like drinking.

Well, get him coke but put a little rum in it. Have someone comment that it’s off brand or something. He won’t think twice.

I mean, I was going to try and get him to drink, just to loosen up, but you think drunk?

Oh yeah. Have you ever seen him drunk?

No. You?

Me neither. Film it. I am sure I want to see it.

You are a cruel woman.

No, I am just a good friend. Have fun tonight.

You want to join us?

Nah. I am working on a new routine and I want it to be perfect.

You work way too hard for that place.

I just like to be good at what I do.

Well, in that case, have fun dancing. I swear to god though, if I have to deal with a puking Kennedy I am going to blame you.

Maybe don’t give him that much to drink.

Jenni smiled to herself. If all went well, Kennedy might walk away with a phone number at the end of the night. She would bug him until he called the girl, and force him to go on a date. She was glad someone was watching out for him like she was. She thought Dave was his friend, but he just didn’t seem to care about Kennedy the same way Jenni did.

She went back to her essay. If she finished it tonight, she would be able to practice a few more times before the audition tomorrow and she would not have the essay weighing on her mind. One o’clock would come soon enough, and she wanted to be sure she was prepared both mentally and physically. She sighed and turned back to her computer. It would be hard to focus when she was so anxious to get back to practicing, but it would be worth it.

***

She must have fallen asleep while typing. She didn’t remember falling asleep, but around a page of random letters said that she must have left her hand on the keyboard when she finally lost the fight with weariness. Her hand went to her phone to check the time. Apparently she had a million texts and it was nearly 4 A.M.

Dave: Jenni, I am not so sure this is going to plan.

He is definitely a lot more open.

But in a bad way.

Like I think he might go streaking. He will never forgive me if that happens.

He is texting random numbers. You will probably get some weird texts.

His pants are still on, but I think I might need to take his phone.

Kennedy: Jennnnnnniiiiiii.

Why do I feeellll so funni?

Hahahh! It rhymed!

I think som1 gve me boobs.

Boze

Booze

hahahahahaha. Can you imigine someon givig me boobs?

Y wont ne1 give me booobs?

Yeah, sorry about that. Got his phone now. Won’t be bothering you anymore.

Ohhh Kennedy. She was right that he was more open when he drank. Of course the streaking would have been bad (from his point of view), but clearly he had gone out, met some people, and felt comfortable enough around them to get naked. Not bad for one night’s work. She would have to grill him about it tomorrow. Preferably after the audition. She did not want to be distracted before the audition. She also had enough time to crawl into bed and get a few more hours of sleep. She set the alarm for 8, and climbed into bed. It was so soft and warm and… the thoughts quickly subsided as she drfited away.

***

Kennedy had tried to talk with Jenni before the audition, but she ignored him. While his night was surely fun, this was business and came first. She had finally trned off her phone. She was sick of the text alert going off every several minutes. She parked her car in the mostly deserted Metal and Lace lot. She had her costume in a bag. She hoped there was somewhere to change.

Metal and Lace was definitely a weird idea for a strip club, but it was barely remarkable in this town. In her hometown, a place like Metal and Lace would be seen as somewhere for “social deviants” that “got off on weird stuff.” But here, it was fairly mundane. This college town boasted a dinosaur themed strip club (Tyrannosaurus Sex), a baseball themed strip club (The Batter’s Box), and a Hobbit themed club (Lord of the G-Strings). People barely batted an eye at Metal and Lace. The general acceptance of the public here was fascinating to Jenni, and now it was useful too. Since people were so accepting of strip clubs here, it meant that she didn’t have to go to an unsafe part of town to audition.

Jenni walked with confidence into the club. Auditions started well before you ever stepped foot on the stage. If she looked uncomfortable or uneasy, the job was already lost. Any girl who was willing to get up on stage and take off her clothes should be no shrinking violet when it came to walking into the club. Her bag was slung over her shoulder and she swept her sunglasses onto her head, emulating the movie stars that always pretended they did not see the paparazzi but always posed for them in the not quite natural way that always ended up in the magazines as a “Stars are just like us!” feature.

There was not much of an audience for all of her posturing. A man in full Victorian dress with a mechanical walking stick was sitting at a table with a woman that had a mechanical monocle and was wearing a corset that used gears for buttons. Only two other girls sat near the front of the room and neither of them were in costume. They sat close together, but did not talk. She noted tht their hair was the same cut and colot. How odd. Jenni let her eyes adjust to the light and then walked over to the table with the man and woman that seemed to be in charge of everything.

“Hello. I am here to audition. Are there any forms to fill out, and would you like me to change now or later?”

The man turned to look at her. His gaze was cool and indifferent. The woman looked at him. After a nearly imperceptible nod, she answered Jenni’s questions.

“There are no forms to fill out unless we like you. No need to waste everyone’s time. As for changing, there is a dressing room back there, toward the left. As soon as you are ready, you may take the stage.”

Jenni looked where the woman had gestured and then looked back at the girls already sitting in the front. They were not in costume and they were not heading toward the dressing room. What was the deal with them?

“Do not worry about them. They have already auditioned. They are just waiting for someone to pick them up.”

Jenni shrugged and strode to the dressing room. Whatever. She was not about to let an audience get in the way of getting this job. Besides, the whole job is about putting on a show and the audition should be no different. She would show those girls just what she had. She changed quickly, but with care. She did not want to rip her costume before she got on stage. The safety pins were rubbing akwardly, but it was worth it to get this job. She pulled her hair up into a bun that felt Victorian, but would send her long, mousy hair cascading down her back when she pulled it in the right way. She took a look in the mirror. It was not perfect, but it showed clear effort and thought. Hopefully that would be good enough. It was a shame she had not been able to see what the other girls had worn. It would have made her a little more comfortable with her own costume.

Jenni handed her iPod to the DJ and took the stage. The bright lights shone on her and she squinted just a little. She could not see out into the audience unless she really focused, and even then she could only see a row or maybe two. She liked that. It was just her and the music. She waited for the bass to kick in and she was off. The moves came naturally to her, and though she had not practiced in costume, her clothes came off effortlessly and on beat. By the end of her three minutes the thrill of the performance had given her a high. If this was not enough to get the job then she was not worth her weight as a Zumba instructor. She carefully collected her destroyed costume and went to the DJ booth to collect her iPod. She was not sure what she was supposed to do now, so she made her way back to the dressing room to change.

When she returned the high had broken and she was a little jittery. She looked questioningly at the girls still sitting on the front, wondering if she should join them. She knew that they were waiting for rides and she did not need a ride since she drove herself. Perhaps she should offer them a ride. If nothing else, it would show that she was a team player.

“You can come over here,” the monocle woman called to her. “We liked you, but we will not make any final decisions until all of the auditions have been completed. If you would leave your contact information, you are free to go. We will be in touch.”

Jenni scribbled her name and number on the heavy cardstock and walked back into the parking lot. She had clearly been dismissed, so she did not stop to offer the other girls a ride. Well, that audition was… something. Hopefully they would give her a call tonight. She had not even thought to ask if they would call to tell her she did not have the job. It was only 1:30, so she had at least two and a half hours before a call would come. That was more than enough time to grab a late lunch and hear about Kennedy’s wild party night.

***

“Are you talking to me yet?”

Kennedy was not in a good mood. Apparently Dave had used the cheapest vodka available to spike Kennedy’s drinks and that meant he had spent the morning with a wicked hangover and a phone full of messages he did not remember sending. Dave had confessed that he was simply following through on Jenni’s wishes, so Kennedy had been texting her all morning to get an explanation out of her. When she had ignored him until after the audition, he had told her that she could take him out to lunch and he would think about whether or not he was ever going to talk to her again. His anger was radiating; pulsing like the headache that still hung in the back of his head.

“This is so boring. I know you’re going to talk to me again. Can we just get over this?”

Kennedy raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he bit into his sandwich. She had yet to apologize and he was holding out for that. Jenni rarely said she was sorry for anything. She tended to not see how her interference affected those around her. He would have thought that it was intentional, but he knew her too well. She sincerely thought that her help was both warrented and wanted. She thought that everyone would eventually thank her. This time she had gone too far and Kennedy was determined to wait her out. He would have hated it if he did not think it was a very important message. He doubted she would actually learn from it, but he had to try.

“I can not believe I bought you lunch. You know I barely have any money! Well, unless this audition went well. Which it did. They’re totally going to call me.”

The smug look on her face pained Kennedy. He wanted her to be successful, but he could not shake the feeling that there was something wrong with Metal and Lace. It was not so much the stripping (though what a stereotypical way to pay for college- didn’t that only happen in trite teen movies?). No, it was more the club itself. He had been there a time or two with some guys that he had class with. It made sense- engineering students going to the mechanical themed strip club, but something just felt off. Kennedy never really relaxed. The place just gave him the heebie jeebies. Some of the girls on stage seemed stiff and uncomfortable, and the guys that were really into the steampunk aspect seemed to look down on the rowdy college group. He had been to each of the ridiculous clubs in town thanks to Dave, and none of them made him feel as off balance as Metal and Lace. Why couldn’t the auditions have been for The Batter’s Box?

“Earth to Kennedy! I want the details from last night! Did you score any numbers? Based on the texts I got last night, you were totally on point to get some!”

Kennedy did his best to give her a withering glare. He really preferred it when she stayed out of his love life. She did not understand the first thing about what he was looking for or what he wanted, though she thought she did. She continued to treat him like an inexperienced younger brother or a cute puppy that needed to be trained. He wanted to tell her the truth about what he wanted and why, but he did not trust himself to tell it right. Couldn’t she be content with the fact that he was where he was and that was just fine? Some things were a bit much, even for a best friend.

“Ugh! What do you want from me? Do you want me to be sorry that I told Dave to get you drunk? I wouldn’t have to ask him to do that if you were willing to go out and have fun and put yourself out there!”

So close. She almost apologized but then blamed him instead. So typical. Kennedy wondered if she was actually going to get to an apology at all. Just how much longer should he hold out on her?

Jenni was getting frustrated with Kennedy. He was more pissed than she had ever seen him. He had given her the silent treatment, but it had never lasted the entirety of a meal. Maybe it had been a bad idea to advise Dave to get him drunk, but he should be just as mad at Dave for actually going through with it. She had just wanted to help, but obviously he did not see things her way. She hated apologizing, but it seemed like that was her only option if she was looking for him to talk to her again. God she hated having to say she was sorry, especially when she thought there was nothing to be sorry for. Besides, had he done this to Dave? Did he make Dave say he was sorry for trying to make sure Kennedy had a good time?

“Fine. Apparently you did not like my interference with your evening, though it was kindly meant. I really was just trying to help you have a good time. You never seem to have much fun when you go out. Dave and I both thought you would be more comfortable if you loosened up a little. That maybe you would meet some more people. Go on a date for a change. I am sorry for trying to help.”

That was probably as close as he was going to get. The words “I am sorry” came out of her mouth, which was more than he could say for the last time he pulled an apology out of her. He decided to make her wait a little longer as he took a long drink from his milkshake.

“I know you were trying to help, but I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t. I know what I want and how I want to go about it. You are lucky I am not allergic to alcohol. This little plan you and Dave came up with could have seriously hurt me.”

Jenni let out a breath she had subconsciously held. She really thought she had totally messed it all up this time. “Don’t be silly, no one’s allergic to alcohol.”

Kennedy sighed and pushed his glasses up his nose to stall. Jenni thought he looked very much like a professor about to lecture a small child. “Yes, Jenni, some people are. They tend to stay away from alcohol or be the DD so they don’t have to explain it to others. But no, I am not allergic. I have a cousin that is, though.”

“That is totally weird.”

“But real. Look, I know for a fact that Dave will not be surreptitiously slipping alcohol into my drinks anymore, and I hope you respect me enough to leave this alone.”

“Well if you’re going to be such a jerk about-”

“I am. End of story.”

“Fine.”

“Good.”

They sat in awkward silence while Jenni played with some uneaten fries and Kennedy finished his shake. He was upset that she thought he was being a jerk about not wanting to drink. She just did not understand how destructive she could be. She was so clueless. Kennedy thought about how long they had been friends and what all they had been through and sighed. Eventually Kennedy decided to make a peace offering.

“So tell me about the audition.”

“Oh. My. God. It was SO WEIRD. I mean, it went totally well. I killed it and everything, but that place is super strange. I’ve driven by before, but I have never been inside and I didn’t know what to expect. The curtain on the stage has this weird brassy lace overlay that is like a million gears that are interconnected. It is totally cool, but where do you even get something like that?” It wasn’t a question that needed an answer, so Kennedy shrugged and she was off again. “When I got there basically no one was there. I did get there right at one, you know, to make sure they knew that I was very interested, but no one else was really there. There were maybe three girls all sitting up in the front and not talking to each other. The monocle lady, she said that they had already auditioned, but I was there right at one. Maybe they made arrangements to go early. She said they were waiting for their rides. Anyway, so the monocle lady told me where to change and that I should just get on stage and do my thing. Side note, great job on the costume- it was perfect! So I got up there, shook my moneymaker, and then they asked for my name and number and said they would call when auditions were done. Which is in about half an hour.”

“You know, they might not call right at four. They probably need to discuss each person and who will fit best with the other girls or who will add the most to their show. They might be hiring multiple people and have to work out just the right combination. Just don’t get your hopes up for a call right at four.”

“I am not sure they had all that many auditions. I mean, no one else came in while I was there, and no one pulled up as I was leaving.”

“You were there for, what? Fifteen minutes total? Fifteen minutes out of one hundred eighty minutes of audition time? But tell me, really, can you see yourself working there? I mean, does it seem like somewhere you would be comfortable spending your work week?”

“Oh yeah. It felt great to be on stage. I just love dancing, so it’s a good fit.”

“But the people seemed nice?”

“Hmmm. I guess so? I really only talked to monocle lady. The guy in charge was there and he did not talk to me. None of the regular dancers were there either. But I did get to look around the dressing room and there were several pictures and things up and they seemed pretty normal.”

“Ok. I just worry about you. I don’t care how good the pay is, you should not work somewhere that you don’t feel right.”

“I think it is you that doesn’t feel right about this. I feel just fine thankyouverymuch.”

Kennedy made a noncommittal noise. “Are you ready to go? I should probably be getting to the library. I wasted most of the morning with a massive hangover, so there is plenty for me to do.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“You can call me when you get the call- as long as you promise not to start screaming until I have left the library. Old Lorraine already hates me from last time you did that.”

“Deal.”

***

Jenni put her phone face up on the corner of her desk and tried to concentrate on reading As I Lay Dying. She had always found Faulkner confusing and this tale seemed rather morbid. She became restless. She did not want to read about a funeral procession when she was waiting for important, exciting news.

The clock read ten after four.

Jenni tried again. She pulled out her sociology text and began reading about Weber’s theory and how it had been applied to literature. It was better. Not depressing and somewhat fascinating. She could see herself going to grad school and doing studies on the inter- relatedness of culture and literature. Grad school. Another thing that cost money. Could she really afford to go to grad school? She had not really thought hard about the job at Metal and Lace. Sure, it could pay the bills this year, but what would she do senior year? She had wanted to do an internship this summer. If she was gone all summer, would they hold the job for her? Would she want them to? Did she really want to be a senior in college that paid the bills by taking off her clothes? It felt too juvenile for a grad student to be a stripper. Where could she find a job that would pay this well and not be so taboo?

She groaned when she realized she had been flipping the pages of her textbook but had not really read anything on the pages. She also had not written down a single note. She needed to focus. There was no need for a stripping job if she wasn’t passing her classes.

Her phone chirped and she leaped for it.

Heard anything yet?

Dammit Kennedy! She had been so sure it was the club.

Nothing yet. Hopefully that will change soon.

It’s only 5. No need to worry about it. Like I said, I am sure there is plenty to discuss.

Well if they don’t call soon I won’t need the job.

??

I can’t focus on anything. I am probably going to fail out of college because I did not get a call back from a strip club.

Not just any strip club- the premier steampunk gentleman’s club in the tri-county area.

That makes it sound more prestigious.

Obviously.

Look, I need to study.

But will you?

I am going to try.

Ok. Well good luck focusing.

Jerk.

Yup.

Jenni decided to leave her phone face down this time. She did not need to think about that call. No sirree. She did not care if they called back. She was too good for them anyway. She buckled down and got to work outlining chapter 7. The material was hard and required much concentration. This is exactly what she needed.

Two hours later there was still nothing. Jenni tried not to let it bother her and opened her email. She had several new messages sitting in her inbox. She methodically worked her way through them. Three in, an email address she was unfamiliar with popped up.

TO: jennifer.brown@sutton.edu
FROM: cyvesq@mandl.com

Dear Ms. Brown,

Thank you for your audition today. While your costume was certainly not up to the high standards that we hold at Metal and Lace, your spirit and fire did set you out as a dancer of interest. We are not yet ready to offer you a position with us. Instead, we would like to see what you can do with one of our costumes and without knowledge of the music. Consider it an improvisation. We will be waiting for you at 3:00 P.M. Monday. If you do not grace us with your presence, we will remove you from consideration.

Cordially,
Sir Cornelius Yourell Vernon, Esq.

***

It was not a hard decision. It was not really a decision at all. She needed the money. She needed this job. At 3:50 PM Jenni pulled into the parking lot of Metal and Lace. She was determined to ace this audition. This time when she walked in, she was greeted at the door by the monocle lady. Jenni idly wondered if the woman always wore her costume. Did she go home in it? It looked like a bitch to drive in.

“It is good to see you. My name is Lady Gillian Cummings Trente, and I will be walking you through today’s task.”

Lady Gillian turned and took off for the back of the club before Jenni could even offer her own introduction. Not that there was anything further to introduce. Lady Gillian already knew her name, they just had not been formally introduced. Jenni was confused as Lady Gillian strode past the dressing room. Apparently they were not going to the dressing room this time. Instead they went to a walk in supply closet where there were racks and racks of modernized Victorian clothing. Everything had been made easier to remove; buttons were in the front and some parts were even Velcro. Lady Gillian was lazily flipping through the racks. Since she did not seem to be looking at any one thing too closely, Jenni did not feel the need to make comment on her size or style preference. Given the tone of the email, they probably would have purposefully put her in something the wrong size and style just to see what she would do. Jenni already had a pretty strong idea how Lady Gillian felt about her.

Finally Lady Gillian made a choice and plucked it from the rack. She flipped it over her arm and went to a rack of bras, pulling one seemingly at random as well. When she was done, Lady Gillian turned a cool eye on Jenni.

“This is what you will wear today. We do not provide underwear. Should you sign with us, you will be given a small stipend to purchase appropriate panties. I will give you fifteen minutes to change and become familiar with the costume. If you are not on stage before that time is up, we will not be offering you a contract.”

Without awaiting reply, Lady Gillian swept out of the room, her bustle swishing lightly with her hips. Such formality and distance to her words. Jenni stood holding the costume for two full minutes before she realized she was wasting her time. She figured there was no reason to go back to the dressing room as that would just waste more time. She stripped down and started to pull on the various aspects of the costume. There were so many parts to become accustomed to. There was a petticoat and a skirt, a corset and a top, a hat (with hat pin), and a cape. No wonder these girls never really got naked. There was not enough time in a single song for that to happen!

Jenni made her way back to the stage. It was a good thing that the backstage area was mostly just a hallway with many doors. Otherwise she would have wasted valuable time trying to figure out how to get back to the front. Lady Gillian and the man (she guessed he must be Sir Cornelius) were sitting at the table again. No one else was in the audience. Jenni momentatily wondered if anyone else had been called back for a second audition like she had.

“Please take the stage. The music will start shortly.”

Jenni carefully stepped her way onto the stage. The costume was not constricting necessarily, but it was certainly fully Victorian. The long, full skirt made a pleasing swish. She had to daintily hold the folds of her skirt as she took the stairs, not wanting to trip and fall flat on her face. She was fairly certain that would be the end of her audition before she even had a chance to dance again. She refocused herself and soon her mind was racing with how to take off each item in a sexy way when a voice cut in.

“At your audition you were a bit too bouncy. Try to keep that in mind this time.”

As soon as she registered the critique the music was blaring. The song was much slower than the one she had auditioned with and did not seem to keep 4/4 time. Jimminy Christmas, how many different factors were they trying to throw at her? She started to sway her hips and get a feel for the movement of the fabric. She shimmied a little as she undid the buttons on her top one by one. She ran her hands up and down her body. She turned her back on the audience and looked seductively over her shoulder. In short, she tried everything she had seen in Showgirls. She lifted a small prayer to Elizabeth Berkley and the gods of girls that needed jobs.

By the time the music had finished, she was crawling on the floor, an entire mountain of skirts and corsets, and petticoats beside her. The song had been just the right length. Every piece of clothing had been removed but she didn’t have a moment longer that would have meant removing her underwear set. She stood up and stood proud, awaiting some sort of answer. She could hear whispering voices that seemed to be arguing. Arguing was not good. That meant one of them did not like her. Lady Gillian had been totally detached throughout their entire conversation, and Sir Cornelius had never spoken to her at all. Of course, she had her strong suspicions about which one was arguing against her.

“Miss Brown?” Sir Cornelius called out. His voice dripped like warm honey drizzled all over her body. Where had that thought come from?

“Yes?” she replied, trying to sound cool and sophisticated. She suddenly had a great desire to impress him. She wanted to hear that voice all the time. Perhaps whispering in her ear, while they were alone, and more clothing was removed, and there was a roaring fire and… concentrate! He is talking again!

“We would like to offer you a probationary contract with us. Essentially we like the talent we see but you are still a bit… raw. We will take you on for one month. At the end of that month we will do a performance evaluation and decide whether or not to keep you permanently. Do you agree to these terms?”

“Yes, of course. That sounds great!” Jenni sputtered before schooling herself back into her cool, devil – may – care attitude. God, that voice did things to her. “Shall we discuss the finer details then?”

“Yes. Lady Gillian will acquaint you with everything you need to know and will set up your work schedule.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Oh, and Miss Brown?”

“Yes?”

“From now on you are no longer Jennifer Brown, you are now Empress Lilly Eynsham Crohill III.”

“Certainly Sir.”

Sir Cornelius, who had been standing this whole time, made a slight bow to both ladies before striding out of the room to a back office. Jenni watched him walk away, then became self concious that Lady Gillian was watching her. Right. Time to be professional again. Jenni gathered up the costume pieces and tried to smooth out the wrinkles in the skirt with her hand. She stepped off the stage to where Lady Gillian was waiting. Lady Gillian’s mouth was a tight line. That seemed about right.

“This way.” she barked, practically running in the way powerful business women move down halls to important meetings. Jenni tried not to run, but eventually decided it did not matter if she looked gangly while trying to keep up. Sir Cornelius could no longer see her, so there was no one to impress. At least the question of who did not want her had been answered. Of course it was the woman she would probably have tons of direct contact with. Why would it be any other way? Why wouldn’t her instincts have been absolutely right yet again?

***

“You did what?!” Kennedy squeaked at her.

“I had to stand totally naked while this lady took my measurements!”

“Is there a reason you couldn’t at least wear your underwear? It just seems to unnecessary to be naked in front of a stranger.”

“Ummm, Ken?”

“I mean when you’re not getting paid to do precisely that. Obviously.”

“Obviously. And I really can’t think of a good reason why I had to be totally naked, but there you have it. I was. Crazy, right?”

“I think it is crazy that you are taking this job at all. Miss Jolly – pants seems like a mega- bitch and Sir Whats- his- face does not seem to like women in general. Why would someone that does not like women run a strip club? That does not make sense.”

“I don’t think he has a problem with women. I think he is just very professional. He is actually crazy good looking, so he probably has to make sure he doesn’t give the slightest hint of interest to the girls. I bet the strippers are always all over him.”

“That sounds super weird.”

“Yea, it kinda does.”

“So when do you start?”

“They want to ease me in, so no weekends for the first two weeks. I am doing Wednesday and Thursday this week. They will probably call me in for Sunday too, but she was waiting to hear if one of the other girls was still going to need time off. She’s sick or something.”

“The club is open on Sunday? Aren’t there, like, blue laws about that or something?”

“That’s the sale of alcohol and has nothing to do with strip clubs.”

“Huh. Thought it was like a ‘moral fiber’ clause or something.”

“Idiot.”

“Me? I am not the one that just took a job at a strip club where I have never seen any of the other strippers.”

“$15 an hour dude.”

“I am not sure that is enough for me.”

“Did I mention that I get to keep 50% of my tips on top of that?”

“That, girl, is truly insane.”

“I know! So, enough about me. Let’s talk about you. Specifically about the girl at the table over by the window that has been checking you out for the last ten minutes.”

“What girl?”

“Oh! Interest! That’s a first!”

“Shut up.”

“No, really. I don’t think I have ever seen you be that interested in someone checking you out. It happens all the time, you know.”

“It does not happen all the time, and I can’t decide if I am interested if I don’t know who we are talking about. So I ask again, what girl?”

“The redhead by herself. Go get me some more water and you can check her out on your way.”

“Always the schemer.”

“You wouldn’t get anywhere if I wasn’t.”

“Are all girls like you?”

“Only the good ones.”

Kennedy just laughed and walked away with Jenni’s glass. Jenni watched carefully to make sure he looked at the girl before he came back.

“Well?”

“Well what?”

“Are you interested?”

“That is none of your business.”

“Thati s so unfair! I pointed her out to you! I should totally get to know if you are going to do something about it.”

“Ahhh yes. Unfair. Like you always butting into things that aren’t your business like who I go on dates with.”

“What is this ‘go on dates with’? I don’t think you have been on a single date the entire time I have known you.”

“That is not true.”

“Well you have certainly never mentioned it to me.”

“Newsflash-I don’t tell you everything.”

“Well I don’t believe you. I am going to text Dave. He will tell me the truth.”

“You do that. And while you are chatting with Dave, I am going to get to study group. Later, Jenni.”

“You are no fun.”

“I am an engineer.”

“Fair. Later, Ken.”

Hey, has Kennedy ever gone on a date the entire time you’ve known him?

Why are you asking me this?

He claims that he has and he just doesn’t tell me about it.

Well if he doesn’t want to tell you about it, what makes you think I should?

Because it’s important.

I doubt that.

Are you denying me?

I am.

You suck.

Blame yourself. You’re the one that told me Kennedy didn’t want you to know.

I super hate you.

I know.

Geeze. What a bunch of secret- keeping dorks. Well, she could still do her bit to help out. Kennedy might not have appreciated it last time, but she was certain he would this time. She collected her things and got ready to leave. She walked past the redhead.

“His name is Kennedy and this is his number.” She held out a scrap of paper.

“Excuse me?” the redhead asked.

“The guy that was with me that you kept checking out. His name is Kennedy. I thought I would give you his number in case you wanted to call.”

The girl carefully took the paper from Jenni. “Did he tell you to give this to me?”

“No, but I like to help out when I can. He’s a good guy, so you should totally give him a call.”

“Oh. Ok. Thanks.”

“You don’t seem excited about this.”

“It’s just a bit odd is all. I don’t know you. I don’t know him. You’re telling me he’s great, but also telling me that he doesn’t know I have his number which would make it strange if I decided to use it.”

“It’s not strange at all. Just tell him Jenni gave it to you. It will all make sense to him. Trust me.”

“Ok. Well, thanks Jenni.”

“Anytime….”

“Addie. Short for Adelaide.”

“Well, Addie- short- for- Adelaide, I hope that later tonight Kennedy is telling me all about how you called him. Catch you later.”

***

Are you going to come?

To what?

To the club.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

What? It’s my first night! I could use some support!

I am not coming to watch you strip.

Why not?

It just seems…wrong.

I don’t get naked. Besides, it’s not like I’m the only girl that will be up there.

Yeah, that doesn’t mean that it’s any less weird.

If you were stripping for the first time I would come support you!

Ew. No thanks.

That’s what friends do!

I think you have a very warped sense of just what friends do.

It would mean a lot to me.

Jesus.

No need to bring religion into it.

OK, fine. What time do you go on?

8.

How long do you expect me to stay?

I don’t know.

I’ll stay for one song.

That’s nothing!

It’s way more than the nothing that I want to do.

Fine.

You probably won’t see me, but I’ll be there.

Thanks.

Sure.

Three hours later Kennedy found himself slinking into Metal and Lace and sitting in the way back. Not only had he come, but he had come alone. It didn’t feel right to ask anyone to come with him since the whole point was to see Jenni. He didn’t want the guys ogling her. He wasn’t in costume and he wasn’t in a group. He definitely didn’t fit in here and felt a little pervy. He looked around at the crowd. At least no one seemed to be looking at him and judging him. That was somethin, wasn’t it?

“Please welcome to the stage Empress Lilly Eynsham Crohill III!”

Oh, that was too much. He was totally going to make fun of her for that name. Who even thought of that? And why was she the third? Were there previous strippers with this name? Was it some sort of rookie name that got passed down. Next week would there be an Empress Lilly Eynsham Crohill IV? He tried to keep his mind occupied with these thoughts while Jenni got to work. The music was not something he liked, but it seemed to really be hitting the true steampunk crowd, so it must be good for steampunk. Jenni was really working it. She had always loved attention, so it was no surprise that she seemed to be a natural at working up the crowd. Kennedy was pleased to note that everyone was very civilized and no one tried anything inappropriate. As the song ended, it looked like she had walked off with a nice wad of cash. All- in- all it wasn’t terrible. It had been weird to watch her, but if he tried to remember that it was just a job, it wasn’t as awkward that he just watched his best friend strip for a crowd. It probably helped that he hadn’t felt anything while watching.

Now that he was done watching her, he decided to spend a little more time checking out the crowd. Just because they were polite for one song did not mean that was how they always were. All of the true steampunk fans seemed very courteous. Kennedy reasoned that this was probably due to some sort of Victorian decorum they were trying to uphold. The college boys were rowdy, but they didn’t seem handsy. A rather large bouncer was stationed near the stage, so that spoke volumes about how well protected the dancers were here. He watched the crowd while the next girl took the stage, and he was satisfied that, while the place still felt off to hi, Jenni was going to be okay here.

Just as Kennedy was getting ready to leave, he noticed a man standing in the back talking to a dancer. He must be Sir Cornelius. Kennedy watched him a little more closely. He seemed to be very detached from whatever conversation he was having. He made sure to leave a lot of space between himself and the dancer. He often was looking past her instead of at her. Kennedy didn’t think he seemed unkind, just very aloof. While he was watching, his phone went off.

Is this Kennedy?

Hm. Unknown number.

Depends. Who is this?

This is Addie. We sort of didn’t meet at the dinning hall the other day.

From by the window?

Yes. I was sitting by the window.

You’re right that we sort of didn’t meet. How did you get my number?

Jenni.

I should have known.

If this isn’t ok I can lose this number and never go to that dining hall again.

No, no. I wouldn’t want that.

Ok then.

Shit. It had been a while since he had done this. What happens now? Do they make small talk? Does he ask for a casual date? This delay in response was getting pretty long. That can’t look good to her. Think Kennedy! He didn’t want her to think he wasn’t interested. He definitely was.

“Let’s welcome Empress Lilly back to the stage!”

Suddenly, Kennedy noticed that Sir Cornelius was no longer paying attention to the dancer in front of him. Instead he was watching Jenni. Was he curious about her as a probationary contract or was he interested in her as a woman?

Ummm, I don’t really do this a lot, so I’m not sure what comes next.

Sorry. I got distracted. I’m kind of working on something.

Oh. I can let you go then.

No!
I mean, you don’t need to do that. I’ll focus better.

If you’re busy it’s OK. You have my number, so I can leave it up to you.

Sir Cornelius moved toward the stage, his eyes glued on Jenni. Kennedy needed to focus if he wanted any hope of getting a better read on the situation.

Give me 5 minutes.

Now that he was closer to the stage, Sir Cornelius stopped and was stroking the head of his cane. His eyes seemed to follow every move as though he was trying to burn it into his brain. It was both clinical and possessive. That sealed it. Kennedy officially did not like this guy. He settled back into his chair, determined that he would stay for a while longer to see just what this guy was up to. And text Addie. He would do that too.

***

“…and I made almost $100 in tips last night!”

Kennedy had been listening to Jenni gush about how much she loved her new job for the last half hour.

“Well, I wouldn’t quit Zumba just yet. You’re still on probation and this was just one night.”

“But imagine how much I’ll make when I work a weekend! Obviously I’m good at it! None of the other girls made nearly as much as I did!”

“Do you like them?”

“Who?”

“The other girls.”

“They’re all right. Some of them are really stand- offish. They just sort of stand by themselves in one corner of the dressing room. One of the girls was really nice, though. I think her name was Professor Henrietta.”

“Yeah, what’s up with the names, Empress?”

“Shut up! It’s cool. First of all, it’s nice that they don’t use my real name. It feels like an extra layer of protection, ya know? And second, it adds to the atmosphere.”

“Do you know Professor Henrietta’s real name?”

“No. I don’t think I do. That’s how she introduced herself. It’s probably a good idea to keep up the illusion as long as we’re in the club. Besides, I don’t really see myself hanging out with the girls that much after work. I mean, even Henrietta seemed a bit pissed that Sir Cornelius spent so much time talking to me between songs. I told her it was because I’m on probation and he’s supposed to give me feedback to improve my performance, but she said that he didn’t give her advice when she was on probation. I told her she must have been much better than me, because he gave me a whole list of things to work on!”

“Yeah, I think I might be on Henrietta’s side here. I watched him most of the night. Dude definitely seemed fixated on you.”

“Like how?”

“Whenever you were on stage he always stopped whatever he was doing and came closer. Once I even saw him stop talking with another dancer mid-sentence to get closer to the stage to see you. He didn’t do that with any of the other girls. The dancer he was talking to certainly didn’t act like this was a normal occurrence.”

“So he likes me. That can only help my chances of becoming permanent.”

“It could also make you a target for the other girls. They might get jealous and sabotage you.”

“Are you listening to yourself? This isn’t some creepy horror movie. Sabotage me? As if.”

“Just be careful, OK. I just didn’t like the looks of him.”

“Sounds to me like you’re jealous that a hot guy is interested in me.”

“What’s there to be jealous about? You’ve dated plenty of guys over the course of our friendship. Did you think I was jealous then too?”

“Well, no. I can’t say I thought about it at all. Anyway, I’m just teasing.”

“Good. Glad we got that settled.”

“So how are things going with Addie?”

“Excuse me?”

“Addie. The redhead? I gave her your number. Don’t tell me she didn’t call you!”

“No. She didn’t.” He wasn’t exactly lying. She had been texting him, not calling him.

“Oh. Huh. I totally read that wrong. I really thought she was going to call. Sorry then. I haven’t been that wrong in a long time.”

“It’s no matter. I’m sure it will work out.”

“So will you come again tonight?”

“Umm, no.”

“Why not?”

“I already have plans. Sorry. I can’t change them. It’s kind of important.”

“What’s more important than me?”

“Well graduation for one. Solving world hunger. Curing illness…”

“Fine, I get it.”

“Good. Now stop pouting and buy me a smoothie with those sweet, sweet stripper singles you made last night.”

“I hate you.”

“I know. Now hop to it.”

***

Jenni was excited for another night of work. If tonight went as well as last night, she wouldn’t have to worry about her bills again. This job was a god- send. When she walked in, Sir Cornelius was waiting for her.

“Empress Lilly, could I see you in my office?”

“Yes, sir.”

Jenni followed Sir Cornelius back to his office. The door had an ornate brass knocker on it, though she wondered who dared to come to his office uninvited. He was so imposing that she assumed that he intimidated absolutely everyone and no one would ever consider bothering him. He opened the door for her and she stepped in. His office had a beautiful mahogany desk. There was a fireplace to one side, flanked by plush leather chairs. Strewn about his desk were gears and tools. Some incomplete mechanism was in a vice with a large magnifying glass trained on it. He gestured for Jenni to sit in one of the leather wing- backs.

“Empress Lilly, I wanted to go over your performance from last night. I was very heartened that you took so well to my corrections to your performance. That is certainly something I had hoped for, but was unsure if you would be able to do. There are, however, a few details that I think will require some practice. As I don’t want you to practice them wrong, I was wondering if you would be willing to stay after close tonight to run over a few things. I know you have class in the morning, so I promise that we will stay no longer than an hour.”

“Oh. Well, yes. I can do that. I certainly want to please you and make sure that my performance is the best it can be. I would ask, though, that we stay no longer than an hour. I have an early class tomorrow.”

“Absolutely. I do not wish to interfere with your education. Now then, could I offer you a drink? Perhaps some brandy?”

“Oh! No thank you. I don’t mix drinks with work. If you’ll excuse me now, I need to get ready. I don’t want to upset Lady Gillian. You know how exacting she is about all the finer details.”

“Yes, of course. If she is upset, please let her know that it is my fault that you were detained. I am sure that will help smooth things over.”

“Thank you, sir, and I will see you at close.”

Sir Cornelius rose and bowed before Jenni, but did not follow her out. It was a good thing, too. Jenni wasn’t sure if she was walking straight. She had a funny rolling feeling in her stomach that wasn’t altogether unpleasant.

***

“Empress Lilly, you are altogether too…bouncy. At my club the men come to see something a little more smooth and controlled. Much like the time period, I want you to live within the rules, but try to push them to their furthest extent without breaking them. I want you to have more grace and poise. You might be taking off articles of clothing, but you are still classy. That is what you need to exude in both your personality and your movements.”

“I understand what you want, but I’m not sure how to make that happen. It’s just very different from the style of dance I am used to.”

“I figured as such. That’s why I wanted to rehearse with you. I think that you might be well served to learn some more traditional forms of dance. Perhaps those moves will become ingrained and help you to tone down the, pardon my language, but ‘booty shaking.’”

“But weren’t most dances partner dances? Or at least group dances?”

“They were. But we are going for attitude and a style of movement. I thought tonight we could start with a traditional waltz and see if that helps your solo dancing. Now, if you would please, you will need to join me here on the floor.”

Jenni stepped off the stage and moved to his side. The air seemed charged as he took her hand in his and delicately placed his other hand on her hip. His touch burned her skin even though he was wearing gloves and she had on several layers of clothing. Jenni wasn’t sure where to look. Sir Cornelius was not having that problem. His cool, deep brown eyes were fixed on Jenni’s face. How could she feel so naked under one man’s gaze?

“You will need to follow my lead. The dance is mostly three counts. You will undoubtedly mess up at first, but let me guide you and you will grasp the movements quickly. Don’t look down at your feet. Keep your eyes on me. Through gentle pressure of my hands you should become familiar with how to move. Now, eyes on me. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three.”

Jenni tried to focus and be professional, but staring into Sir Cornelius’s eyes was very distracting. His velvety voice seemed to make her brain turn to mush. His skin was the most unusual caramel color and her mind began to wonder if it might taste as sweet.

The thought jarred her. This wasn’t right. She absolutely was not going to be able to keep this professional. She needed to figure out how to get out of here. She pulled away from Sir Cornelius.

“I’m sorry, but I need to be going. I really thought I would be able to stay up, but I am getting very tired and I don’t want to be dangerous while I’m driving home. But, umm, thanks for all the help. I will certainly think about how to add more control to my dancing.”

She didn’t wait for his response. She turned immediately and all but bolted for the dressing room to get out of her costume.

“The pleasure was all mine, Empress.”

Jenni almost melted.

***

Need you to meet me at my place STAT.

Sorry. Can’t.

This is an emergency! What do you mean you can’t?

I mean I can’t. I told you I was busy tonight.

What could you possibly be doing at 2AM on a Thursday?

Things. Ok?

Kennedy! I need you! I’m not just being whiny! Something happened tonight at the club.

Are you OK? Why didn’t you say that first?

Yeah, I’m fine, I’m just a little shaken up, ya know?

Shit. OK. I really am busy. I’ll try to wrap it up. I’ll be over in half an hour.

Thanks.

Any time.

Kennedy shut his phone with a bit of impatience.

“Something wrong?”

“Jenni.”

“Oh. You guys are close then?”

“Yeah. She’s basically my best friend. She recently started a new job and something shady happened tonight and she’s freaking out. She wants me to come over so we can talk it out.”

“So you’re abandoning me for another girl?”

“Addie, I promise that is NOT what is happening. I’m abandoning you for my best friend. Look. Her job is shady as fuck as it is. I can only imagine what happened that made even her thick skull think things were not OK.”

“Ok. I feel much better. I can’t be jealous of a girl that you call ‘thick skulled.’”

“And I like your way of thinking. So, Adelaide, may I have a second date?”

“I think that will be acceptable. Call me tomorrow, err, later today. We’ll make some weekend plans. Perhaps you can tell me about Jenni’s problems.”

“I might not have dated in a while, but even I am not dumb enough to talk about another girl while on a date.”

“Oh, it’s completely acceptable if you’re talking dirt.”

“I could kiss you. And I will. Goodnight, that is.”

Kennedy leaned over and kissed Addie on the forehead.

“Is that it?”

“Gotta leave you wanting more so you’ll agree to that second date when I call.”

“Tease.”

“Maybe.”

“Goodnight Kennedy.”

“Goodnight Addie.”

Kennedy walked to his car and wondered just what could have rattled Jenni enough to call him in the middle of the night. She seemed to have no qualms about working at a strip club, and she had repeatedly gone to the club alone. She didn’t find anything odd about the set- up, even though Kennedy felt like something was wrong every time he even drove past the place. Perhaps someone had made their way through a bouncer to touch her? Perhaps she saw someone get manhandled by a bouncer and the violence upset her? Maybe one of the other girls attempted to sabotage her in some way? He couldn’t puzzle it out from her vague texts. He would just have to wait.

Ten minutes later, Kennedy pulled into the lot and took the stairs two at a time to get up to Jenni’s apartment. He didn’t bother knocking. It wasn’t necessary since her door was usually unlocked.

“Kennedy?” Jenni called from back in her bedroom.

“Yeah, it’s me. I’ll come back.” He locked the door like he was always telling her she should and made his way back to her room.

“So what’s up?” He plopped down in a chair.

“So before I started my shift today, Sir Cornelius asked to talk to me. He took me back to his office and talked to me about how I still needed work.”

“It’s been one day! What did he think you needed to work on? Did he touch you? Did he fire you?!”

“Slow down. Let me explain. So he told me I still needed to work on things, and he offered to work with me after the club closed so I could make sure I was practicing things the right way. So I said OK. I mean, I really couldn’t say no. He says I need to work on stuff and that means I won’t get to stay if I don’t show serious effort. And actually, I didn’t want to say no. I mean, he’s really good looking and he just has this, I don’t know, attitude? That makes you want to do anything he says. So I agreed.”

“So nothing happened during that meeting?”

“No. Nothing happened until after work. So, after the club cleared out, I met him at the stage and he talked about how my performance needed to be more controlled and focused like the Victorian people were. And then he said he wanted to teach me some Victorian dances so I could use similar movements when I was stripping. I mean, he didn’t say the word stripping, but that was implied since that’s what I do.”

“Ok. So where does the part that freaks you out come in?”

“That’s what’s next. So he tells me that he is going to teach me to waltz and he put his hands on me and we started to dance. And I didn’t get it at first, but then I was starting to get it and then I looked in his eyes and I lost it! I had to get out of there! It was terrible!”

“I am definitely missing something. What happened to make you lose it? Did he grab your ass? Did one of the other dancers see you and make the universal sign for ‘I will cut a bitch’?”

“No. None of that. Kennedy, I fell for him! I looked in his eyes and all I could think about was kissing him. And maybe it was the dance, or maybe it was how close he was, but I just had to get out of there. I made some lame excuse about being tired and I fled. He must think I am the most unprofessional person ever! I don’t know how I can go back to work after this!”

“Wait. You called me away from my evening plans because you think you’re in love with your boss? No, not even love. You think you’re lusting after your boss? Is that what’s happening here?”

“How can you be so dismissive of this?! Kennedy! I’m going to get fired!”

“Really? You think he’s going to fire you? Do you think he even knows why you took off? Do you think he knew that you suddenly realized you wanted to do a little naked dancing with him? I’m going to guess he just thinks you got uncomfortable and decided to peace out. Besides, it sounds like he wasn’t really being all that professional either.”

“What do you mean? He was a perfect gentleman!”

“Maybe, but he was still meeting with one of his subordinates all alone after everyone else left and putting his hands on you under the guise of teaching you some sort of dance. That’s not really how a professional would do it. It really sounds to me like he was trying to get you alone. Why not start this dance session with you while the others closed up so everyone knew what you were doing and there were some witnesses. If you ask me, he didn’t want anyone to know you guys were meeting one- on- one.”

“You’re making it sound like some sort of plot.”

“I mean, it very well could be. But plots don’t have to be sinister. Maybe he’s interested in you and he is using whatever tools he has available to try and be near you. You already said he doesn’t really take that much of an interest in the other dancers. You even said that last night you made more in tips than any of the other girls. That sounds to me like you’re good at your job. I think he’s fabricating reasons for you to be alone together.”

“Do you really think someone like him would be interested in me?”

“Jesus Jenni! Of all the times for you to get self- conscious! When HASN’T a guy been interested in you? How many times did Dave ask you out before I convinced him to save his breath? How many numbers have you collected at the library? You’re a good looking woman. Guys are attracted to you. Of course I think “someone like him” (whatever that means) would like you.”

“But he’s, you know, super hot.”

“Yeah, and so are you. There’s a reason men want to see you take off your clothes.”

“Do you want to see me take off my clothes?”

“Doesn’t really matter if I do or don’t; I’ve already seen you do it. I think there are two issues here: first, do you like him enough to want to see if that will go somewhere, and second, do you want to keep working at the club?”

“I don’t know. I don’t really know him. He’s like an Adonis, but he’s also my boss. Not only is he my boss, but he runs a freaking strip club and I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

“Says the girl that works at a strip club.”

“But I’m just paying the bills!”

“And what makes you think he’s not?”

“I didn’t think you liked him.”

“I really don’t, but I don’t want to let me feelings about the man get in the way of your feelings for him. I’d rather you not try to keep things from me simply because you think I don’t like him.”

“That’s really mature.”

“Thanks. So, do you still want to work at the club?”

“Yes, I really do.”

“You want to work at the club and you’re not sure if you want to pursue a relationship with you “super hot” boss. Is that right?”

“Yes.”

“Then it seems to me that you need to go to work on Sunday and dance your heart out. Maybe try to get to know the boss a little, but don’t move too fast. If it doesn’t work out, he’s still going to be your boss, and you want to be able to hold your head high and still go to work. Think you can handle that?”

“I think so. Thanks for coming over and helping me talk this out. What DID I call away from in the middle of the night?”

“Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t more important than making sure you were safe and you knew how to take on whatever had made you so worried. But you do owe me now.”

“Fair.”

“And I need to get going because I still have class in the morning.”

“8 AM?”

“Yeah.”

“How about you just sleep on the couch? I have an 8 AM and could use a ride in tomorrow.”

“Fine. But now you owe me double.”

“Noted.”

***

The weekend passed quickly. The whole time, in the back of her mind, Jenni worried about how awkward returning to work was going to be. She replayed the night in her head over and over again. When Sunday finally arrived, she had convinced herself that every last emotion had played out on her face and that Sir Cornelius knew exactly what had gone on in her head. She had also come to the conclusion that she would go in to work with her head held high and her pride in place. While she might have felt these emotions, there was no need to feel shame about them. Being attracted to someone is simply nature. She made the choice to remove herself from the situation because she needed space to contemplate it and all of the complications inherent in it. Being attracted to your boss is kind of a big deal. So while she was nervous, she was still confident that she could justify anything and everything she had done several night ago.

It was with this confidence that she walked into work on Sunday. She didn’t see Sir Cornelius anywhere, so she didn’t have to worry about any potentially long and awkward conversations before putting on her costume. For some reason that mattered to her. Putting on her costume was like putting on battle armor. She was a different person when she was in costume. She was the cool and aloof Empress Lilly that men wanted but could not have. She was mysterious and sure of herself. This is the personality she put on as she put on each layer of her clothes. It was almost meditative and calming for her. She was able to get “into the zone” that she always heard athletes talk about.

But when she got to her locker, inside was a letter. It was written on thick, creamy stationary. The paper looked expensive and had a certain weight in her hand. She debated when to read it. Ultimately, curiosity won out, and she opened the wax sealed envelope.

Dear Ms. Brown,

I wish to apologize for our last encounter. My only intention was to help you better your craft, but I seem to have made you uncomfortable in my attempt. I am unsure what caused the discomfort, but I truly do not wish to repeat it. It is of the utmost importance to me that you feel comfortable in your work environment. While I am ignorant of my transgression, I still feel the need to “make it up” to you, so to speak. I was hoping that we could get together, perhaps the next available day that you are not working, and talk things over. I was thinking Monday (as I see you are not on the schedule), for dinner. Please use the reply card provided to let me know if this invitation is acceptable to you.

Yours most sincerely,

Sir Cornelius Yourell Vernon, Esq.

Still tucked inside the envelope Jenni found a reply card. Carefully written on it was “Dinner, 7:00 PM, Wilfred’s Bistro,” and there was a check box for “I accept” and one for “I decline.” How oddly formal and charming all at the same time. She returned the card and letter back to the envelope and put it back into her locker. She would consider her response. She didn’t want to seem too eager in her reply. The end of the night would be soon enough to return her response.

She did not see Sir Cornelius the entire night. She was sure he was there, but she did not run into him. Of course, she rarely saw him in general. Usually the lights were high on the stage and low in the audience, so she normally couldn’t see beyond the edge of the stage. However, tonight she was hyper aware of him and was surprised that she didn’t see him lurking about when she wasn’t on the stage.

When she finally went back to the dressing room to change for the evening, she saw Henrietta waiting for her. In Henrietta’s hand was a creamy envelope of the finest quality.

“Hey!” Jenni said brightly. “How was your evening? Did you have a profitable night?”

Henrietta didn’t even bother to ackowledge the question. “What is this?” She held up the envelope for Jenni.

“Umm, a letter? Why?”

“This is a problem Lilly.”

“It is?”

“Of course it is! How could you think it wasn’t?!”

“I actually hadn’t given it that much thought at all. And why do you have that? I left it in my locker under my street clothes.”

“Yeah, well, Gillian told me she thought something was up with you and confided that she was going to search your locker. One of the twins was having an issue, though, so I was able to pull this out before she could see it. You should be thanking me. If she had found this letter you would be so fired.”

“How can she fire me if Sir Cornelius owns the place?”

“Well I guess she wouldn’t fire you, but she would make your life so miserable that you would quit. Or she might mess with your head enough to mess with your dancing and then it would be easy to justify firing you.”

“Ok, so you took the letter out of my locker, but why did you read it? And what made you think it was even a problem?”

“Look, I was new a year ago and I know what Cornelius’s stationary looks like. Just once did I get a handwritten note from him. I knew who it was from when I saw the handwriting on the outside. I read it because I was worried for you.”

“Worried for me? Why? What could Sir Cornelius do that would hurt me?”

“Look, he rarely takes a liking to a dancer, but when he does, it never has a happy ending. When I was new, there was another girl. She had been here maybe for a month before I got hired on. Cornelius had become interested in her. It started out innocent enough. He would talk to her between dances and stuff like that. One day she came to me and told me that he had asked her on a date. She was so excited. I mean, I would have been if I was her too. He’s a serious fox. I warned her that dating the boss can end poorly, but she was determined. Which, whatever. That’s her choice. So she went on a date with him. I guess it went well. She never really got into specifics with me. They went on a couple more dates, and that’s when things started to get weird. She wasn’t acting like herself anymore. It was like little pieces of her were no longer her. Slowly she seemed to lose all the parts of her personality. Her dancing started to suffer. She got more and more stiff with her moves. Finally Gillian had to let her go. The night she got fired, she didn’t even cry or anything. It was like she didn’t even realize what had happened. So I offered to take her home because I was worried about her. When we pulled into her place she was catatonic. It was like someone had shut her off, but her eyes were open. It was the creepiest damn thing I had ever seen. I wasn’t sure what to do. I called Gillian and asked if I should get her to the hospital. Gillian was a nurse before she got into all of this, so she said she’d come right over and check things out and tell me what to do. When she got there, she was able to wake her up so we just took her inside. I called her several times after that and she never returned my call. Later, I found out from a friend that she had dropped out of school. She was a senior. She was almost done and he messed her up so bad she actually dropped out of school. I just don’t want that to happen to you.”

“But you don’t know that it had anything to do with him.”

“Maybe not, but ever since, he’s always stayed away from me, like he didn’t quite trust me because I knew what had happened to her. Look, I’m not saying this will happen to you or that he’s even the cause of it, but be careful. Just, stay guarded, OK?”

“Yeah, sure. You don’t need to worry about me. I haven’t even replied yet.”

“But you’re going to say yes. You’re still on probation. Turning him down would be a bad career move. Plus, it’s a free dinner with a hot guy. I get it. Just, be safe. For me?”

“Henrietta, I promise I will take care of myself. You don’t need to worry about me. I’m tough.”

“I’m sure you are, but you can’t stop me from being worried for you. Just, tell me how it goes, OK? Here, I wrote my number on this paper. Call me or something when you get home from dinner. I mean, if it turns out that this is good and he’s great to you, at least I can live through you vicariously, right?”

Her joking fell flat after the seriousness of all her previous statements.

“Yeah. You got it. And thank you; for saving me from Gillian’s wrath that is.”

“Us dancers have to stick together. Besides, you’re good. The men are more generous with their money on nights you work.”

“Ahhhh. And the real reason you want me to stick around comes out!”

“Yeah, and I guess you’re tolerable too.”

This time the joking worked and the tension was released. Both girls turned and prepared to leave for the day.

***

“So Henrietta stole your letter and then told you that Sir Creeper had dated some girl about eightish months ago and she fell apart after dating him?”

“Don’t call him creeper.”

“And you still accepted his invitation and didn’t think there was something wrong with that?”

“I mean, even Henrietta said I didn’t have much of a choice. I’m still on probation.”

“This is stupid you know.”

“There’s no proof that he had anything to do with her breakdown. She might have just been unstable and it coincided with the dating.”

“That’s still a big risk. No job is worth your mental health.”

“But we don’t know that he’s connected to this.”

“You are an idiot. Where are you having dinner?”

“Wilfred’s Bistro.”

“Well at least it will be good food. Last meal, if you will.”

“You are so disturbing.”

“And you seem to have no sense of self- preservation.”

“Sir Cornelius has been nothing be wonderful to me. I have no reason to believe that there is anything wrong. Henrietta told one story that I haven’t even checked into. I think you’re parinoid.”

“I just worry about you. Someone has to.”

“Ugh. You’re suffocating me. It’s just as well, I’m off. I have class in fifteen.”

“Stay safe.”

“Don’t forget your tin foil hat!”

***

“This is definitely an interesting second date.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry about that.”

“Actually this is hilarious. I love that you asked me on a date to spy on your best friend that set us up.”

“When you put it that way…”

“”I really want you to finish that statement.”

“When you put it that way, I sould like the worst date ever.”

“Nope. I actually did have a lot of fun coming up with my costume. Now explain to me why we are spying on Jenni.”

“So Jenni’s boss asked her on a date, which is pretty unprofessional if you ask me.”

“But that isn’t enough to make you want to spy.”

“No, on it’s own it’s not. But this guy gives me the creeps. Plus, one of her coworkers found out that she was going on a date with him and she told him a story about how this girl went on a date with the boss and then had a mental breakdown and dropped out of school.”

“Now that’s more like it. So we need to make sure Jenni stays safe, but also maybe figure out how he does it.”

“Exactly. And enjoy a fabulous dinner with good company while we’re at it.”

“What time is her reservation?”

“Hers is at seven. I thought it made sense to be here before her so we could watch the date in its entirity and make sure that she doesn’t pick us out. We’re just part of the background since we’re already here.”

“You might have a hot body, but Kennedy, I love your mind even more.”

“I am so glad you used my number when Jenni gave it to you.”

“You absolutely must stop or we are in danger of becoming one of those gross couples that everyone tells to get a room.”

“That sounds good. Especially since the sleazy boss has arrived.”

“Wait. That’s her boss?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Ummm, this is trouble.”

“It is?”

“Yes. That girl that had a breakdown was friends with my sister. Lola’s family wouldn’t tell my sister what had happened and Rosie hasn’t been able to talk to Lola since.”

“So you actually know the girl that Jenni’s friend was telling her about?”

“Kind of. My sister knew her. I just remember Rosie being super upset about the whole thing and giving me the basic story. What I know of Lola fits with the story you told me. But that also means that Jenni…”

“Works at Metal and Lace. Yes. Just started.”

“You have a best friend that is a stripper.”

“Yes. But, for the record, I was against the whole thing.”

“And you don’t want to date her not even a little bit?”

“We’re not like that. It’s complicated.”

“I think I can handle complicated. I mean, we are at a fancy restaurant in ridiculous costumes spying on your stripper best friend who is going on a date with a man that might have caused a girl to have a permanent mental breakdown. And I’m not the tiniest bit worried or jealous about you and said stripper best friend. I’d say that’s fairly complicated. So dish.”

“Ok. But I’m sure that I’m going to tell this story wrong. Whenever I say it in my head it comes out as trite and pathetic.”

“Stripper best friend that we’re spying on.”

“Right. So, when I was in high school I had a friend named Marika. We met in freshman biology and became fast friends. We tried dating for a hot second and it didn’t work out. We got along so well that we stayed friends even after that one terrible date. When we were seniors, Marika was driving home from work at the grocery store. It was maybe eleven at night, and a drunk driver hit her car. It was pretty terrible. She was in ICU for three days, but never woke up. On the third day, she died. I lost it for a bit and was in and out of school the last semester, but pulled off graduating mostly because of nice teachers. When I got here, Jenni was in my orientation group. Jenni’s pretty much a dead ringer for Markia. Occasionally she even says a phrase or two that was just like something Marika said. If I let myself think so, Jenni is like a second chance. And now she’s off dating a man that might very well destroy her and it kind of feels like losing Markia all over again. But this time I have a chance to stop it. And that’s the story and it’s fine if you want to go home now. I will gladly pay for a cab for you.”

“Why would I want to leave?”

“Because the story is fairly pathetic and it makes me sound like a loser. Someone like you shouldn’t be with a pathetic loser- especially one that takes you on potentially dangerous dates.”

“Life wouldn’t be interesting without potentially dangerous dates. And I think the story about Marika is sad, but not pathetic. I will admit that it’s a bit odd that you latched onto Jenni like you did, but I’ve never been in such a situation, so who am I to judge. And, finally, even if I wanted to break up with you over this (which I don’t), I wouldn’t dream of doing so without attempting to see Cornelius get his just deserts. That man ruined on of my sister’s friends and I would love to see him suffer for the pain he put so many others through. And now is your chance to end this date because you don’t want to be out with someone that is out for blood- lust.”

“Nope. In fact I find it very sexy. And if we weren’t on a very serious mission tonight, I would very seriously be taking you back to my place.”

“Then it’s settled. Neither of us is leaving and we are both seeing this through, and there will be some very serious fun to be had when the danger has passed.”

“Can I just remind you that you are so very singular?”

“You can, but I think we have both been too distracted because Jenni has arrived and neither of us noticed.”

“So she has. I guess this might be a good time for us to eat quietly and observe.”

***

Jenni was thrilled when she came in and saw Sir Cornelius already awaiting her. She had borrowed a sleek black dress from her friend that lived in the apartment next door and she had given her hair a full blow out. She had arrived precisely on time, but she had expected that Sir Cornelius would already be seated and awaiting her. When she got to the table, he pulled out her chair for her and then motioned to waiter. Instantly two glasses of white wine were placed before them.

“I hope you do not mind that I took the liberty of ordering drinks and an appetizer for us. I am so, so glad you decided to join me tonight so I could make amends for my transgressions the other night.”

“This is exquisite. Thank you so much for your kindness. You really didn’t need to do anything like this. We could have simply talked at the office. I would have told you so, but you were suspiciously absent all evening, so I did not have a choice but to reply yes.”

“Ahh, yes. Well, I was worried that I would make you feel nervous and did not want to interfere with your night’s work. I suppose we could have just talked in my office, but I think you would agree that this is much more appropriate for making my apologies.”

“It certainly is a night that could make a girl forgive a great deal.”

“I do hope there isn’t a lot to forgive.”

***

“What is he doing? It’s hard for me to see. There’s a giant man blocking my current view.”

“It looks like they are laughing and he has taken her hand on top of the table.”

“You don’t think there was anything in that drink, do you?”

“Well, I didn’t watch the waiter the entire way, so I can’t be sure, but I don’t think he would make that play this early in the evening. We’ll need to keep an eye on him as the evening progresses, though. I’m not sure that we will catch it if he does do something. He could easily drop in a drug back in the kitchen and we would never know.”

“I guess we just watch for any unusual signals or any slipping of money. That might be a clue something fishy is going on.”

“Now he’s rubbing circles over her wrists. Did she expect this to be a proper date?”

“I think she hoped it was, but he was careful not to indicate it was a date.”

“Well, I would say it has escalated to an official date now. You don’t touch friends, nor employees, like that.”

“I would suggest we give it a try, but it might blow our ‘two old ladies reminiscing’ cover.”

“I really am loving that wig you have on. That bun is a really good look for you.”

“I thought so too. My roommate, Dave, thought it was a bridge too far, but I told him it was all the rage in the older set and he just doesn’t get geriatric style.”

“Clearly. Not to stray from how charming you look, but whatever the sleazeball is saying is making Jenni very red. Is this trouble?”

“I’m not sure. She gets red when embarrassed, but she will also turn red when she gets shy or laughs too much. It’s a bit hard to say.”

***

“I did watch you perform last night. I must say that, while the lesson was cut short, you are a quick study. Your dancing has improved much over the last several days.”

“Thank you, again, for trying to help me. I know that it must be a lot of trouble for you to help out one dancer that maybe you shouldn’t have taken on to begin with.”

“Oh, do not say such things! You are a magnificent dancer. Your body is very…athletic. You just needed a little help to meet the demanding and precise needs of our clientele.”

“You’re too nice. I am sure there was someone else that would make a much simpler hire than I did.”

“But no one else had such an intriguing style combined with such a pleasing form.”

“Are you saying I’m pretty?”

“I believe I am.”

“I’m not sure that’s strictly professional.”

“And is that what you wish me to be? Strictly professional?”

“I don’t know that it is strictly professional for me to answer that.”

“But I’d like you to answer anyway.”

“Only if you do as well.”

“A fair bargain.”

“Then, no.”

“Those are the loveliest words I have have ever heard.”

“I believe it is your turn.”

“Was not that response enough?”

“No.”

“Then perhaps this will be: no, I do not wish for us to keep things strictly professional. I’d rather like for it to be something a bit…more.”

“Now that sounds like something lovely to talk about.”

“Perhaps we can start this discussion over dessert and finish it over at my place?”

“Let’s see how dessert goes first.”

***

“So the date over there is heating up and we are going to need a plan because I think this is going to continue after the crème brule.”

“Well I do have that car I picked you up in, but I can’t say I’m very good at following people. Can’t say I’ve ever tried. And what do we do if they go inside someplace like her apartment? We can’t just lurk around outside the windows. We’ll get arrested!”

“While I do love a good adventure, a jail stay on our second date would be a bit much. I honestly don’t know what we can do, but I feel like he won’t make a move here. He’s going to do whatever it is he does somewhere more private.”

“So we try to follow and improvise when we get there?”

“Yes, I think so. I know it’s not much of a plan, but it’s better than the nothing we’ve currently got.”

“True enough.”

Kennedy quietly paid their bill and the two sat and finished sipping their drinks, biding their time until it looked like Jenni was about to leave. Addie had suggested they leave before Jenni and Cornelius so that it seemed less like they were following. When they final saw Cornelius signal for the bill, they got up and slowly made their way to the car, taking full advantage of the cane and walker they had brought as props for their evening of spying. It spoke volumes to their costumes that the couple overtook them on their way out, and neither Jenni nor Cornelius looked twice at them.

Kennedy started the car while Addie kept an eye on Jenni. As Cornelius held the door open for her, he bent over and whispered something in her ear. Jenni laughed and flirtily flipped her hair. Cornelius was clearly trying to impress, and this left Kennedy plenty of time to get ready for the only time he ever tried to follow someone without their knowledge.

“Hey, they’re leaving now. Let that car get in between us and then pull out.”

Kennedy patiently waited for one, and then two cars to get between him and Cornelius, and then he pulled out of the lot. For most of the drive they were able to keep several cars between them, and they were able to keep up with each turn. But then Cornelius got on the highway and was driving to impress. He drove a vintage Shelby, and there was simply no way to keep up with it on the open highway. Cornelius was weaving in and out of traffic. Addie tried to watch for them to exit, but fifteen minutes later they weren’t sure if Cornelius was even on the highway any more.

“I don’t see him,” Kennedy sighed.

“Me neither. It’s official- we lost them.”

“I told you I wasn’t very good at following people.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. You were doing great until we got on the expressway.”

“We need a new plan and I am fresh out of ideas.”

“Is this the way to Jenni’s house?”

“No, but we don’t know if he was just taking her for a drive.”

“That’s fair. However, it is more likely that they are going to his place than hers. But, why not loop back by her apartment? We can formulate a Plan B while we check that out.”

“Sounds good. Ok, so if he’s not taking her back to her place, he must be taking her back to his place.”

“That makes the most sense to me.”

“Oh! We can verify! Grab my phone! She told me she was going out with him tonight, and it would be totally normal for me to check on her. Send her a text and ask about her night.”

“Oh! Good plan!”

How’s it going with the boss?

Amazing! Dinner was fabulous! And you were totally right! He IS into me! How crazy is that?

Not crazy at all. So if dinner’s over, do you want me to come over so we can talk about all of this?

Ummm. Not exactly. We’re still out.

Oh? Did he take you dancing?

“Shouldn’t have said dancing. The moment that weirded her out and led to this date was an awkward dance session.”

“Ehh, I bet she doesn’t even notice. She’s totally into him and probably barely paying attention to these texts.”

No, not dancing. Right now he’s taking me for a drive in his awesome car!

Oh cool. What are you doing after that?

Ken, I promise everything is fine and I am totally safe.

I’m sure, but I would appreciate actually knowing what you’re up to in case things end up not OK.

Such a worry wart. OK, fine. He’s taking me back to his place after this.

Where’s he live?

Stalker much? And I don’t know.
I’ve got to go, I’m being rude.

Call me when you get home.

Sure.

“Ok, so she’s at least under the impression that they are going to his house, but she doesn’t know where it is. Any chance you know?”

“Just because I’ve been inside of a strip club does not mean I suddenly know the address of every club owner.”

“Chill out. I just thought you might have some idea.”

“I really don’t. In fact, I don’t even know his real name. There’s no way Cornelius is his real name.”

“And without a real name there’s no way to look up his address.”

“Maybe there is.”

“Oh?”

“How do you feel about breaking into a strip club office?”

“Amazing. Let’s stop off for some new disguises.”

***

It took a little work, but both Addie and Kennedy knew some people. Soon they were a well- dressed steampunk couple. Oddly enough, their friends just shook their heads and didn’t ask too many questions about the need to get dressed up in Victorian clothing at eleven on a Monday night.

“The club closes at midnight thirty, so we don’t have a lot of time.”

“We probably shouldn’t waste time either because who knows how quickly he will go after Jenni.”

“Then, my lady, let us be off!”

Kennedy and Addie sat at a table in Metal and Lace and quietly plotted their moves. After watching the routines of everyone on the floor, they thought they had it figured out. After every third dancer, the bouncer walked a quick lap around the room which left access to the backstage area briefly open. Typically a matronly woman would stand in his place, but whenever Henrietta came off the stage, she was distracted with having a discussion with her. They just had to time it right so that Henrietta was the third dancer. Addie was going to go backstage and find the offices. They decided that she was the most likely to blend in, and if she got caught, she could claim to be a friend of Jenni’s and state that she was trying to get a project to her so Jenni could finish it for class tomorrow. Meanwhile, Kennedy would keep watch out front and send a text if he thought Addie was in danger. It wasn’t precise, but it was all they had. Hopefully Addie would be able to find the employee files and get Cornelius’s address. Of course, that meant that she would also have to have some guess what his name was. It seemed that Cornelius and the bouncers were the only men, so hopefully the addresses would help her pinpoint which one was Cornelius. She sincerely doubted the bouncers made a lot of money, so she would look for the ritziest address.

Finally, fifteen minutes before the club was going to close, the coast was clear and Addie went for it. Kennedy sat back in his chair to get a wider view of the room. No one seemed to notice that Addie had slipped backstage. Just then his phone buzzed.

I’m home now. Still want me to call?

Home? Already?

Yeah. Is that a problem? I thought you would have been happy.

Oh, yeah. It just seemed like you were having such a good time. I didn’t think you would be home this early.

I have an 8 AM class.

I knew that. So what did you guys do?

Not much. He took me on a joyride and then we went back to his place for drinks. We chatted and then he took me back to my car.

Romantic?

How would you know?

I do go on dates.

Sure you do.

I do!

When was the last time you went on a date?

That would be none of your business.

Why not?

Because I don’t date lunatics that might psychologically damage me.

You’re impossible.

Probably.

Anyway, I’m going to bed. Early class and all. Lunch tomorrow?

Sure, sounds great.

Great. See you then.

Kennedy flipped the phone in his hand. Jenni was safe for tonight, so he might as well tell Addie to abort. Even if Jenni didn’t know the exact address, she would be able to give him a neighborhood and they could figure it out from there.

She just got home. You can abort.

Who is this?

…who is this?

Someone who has your friend. If you want to see her again, I suggest you follow my directions carefully.

***

Kennedy made his way up to the now empty strip club. He had gotten in his car and sat there until the club had closed and the lot had emptied out like he had been instructed. The lights were off, but like some sort of cliché horror movie, the door lazily swung open when a particularly strong breeze barreled across the parking lot. Once inside, his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. The instructions were to come inside and sit at the table with the candle. Kennedy had simply been told to wait there for further instructions. He wasn’t stupid. He knew that someone was most likely going to attack him while he sat, but he still followed the directions, and did his best to stay alert for changes in the room that might give him warning of what was to come. A soft hiss caused him to strain to look across the table. It had sounded close. Too close. Like “at the table” close. Too late his brain identified what was happening: the candle was emitting a gas. “Well, shit,” were the last words to float through his mind before he passed out.

When Kennedy came to, there was a harsh light focused on him, and he was clearly strapped to a table. His head throbbed from the mysterious aerosol poison as well as the glaring light. He stretched his jaw, but didn’t make an attempt to talk. In his mind he tried to catalog all of his body. When he was satisfied that no further damage had been done, he tried to ascertain just where he was.

While the light was glaring and made things difficult, if he turned his head and closed one eye, he could make out a few shapes. He wasn’t sure what the shapes were, but at least he knew there was something else in the room. He turned his head to the other side. Looking this way revealed what appeared to be another table with another body. “Addie!” his mind cried, but he kept his mouth quiet. He wasn’t sure that making noise was to his advantage. Whether sensing he was awake or hearing his movements, Addie turned her head toward Kennedy. The light over her was off, so she was able to tell that Kennedy was awake and looking at her. It was no use trying to mouth something- he wouldn’t be able to see her with the light blinding him. Instead, she stayed content with knowing that he was awake which meant he wasn’t dead. His body had been limp when he was brought in and she wasn’t sure what that meant about his health or lack thereof.

Kennedy wasn’t sure how long he simply lay there, but presently there was the sound of a large metal door swinging open and banging against a wall. Concrete most likely. Otherwise it would have broken the wall. Kennedy was pleased that his mental facilities were returning. He was certain he was going to need to use smarts to get out of this. The restraints didn’t seem to budge when he had flexed against them earlier.

“So nice to see you are awake,” a feminine voice sneered at him. “That will make this more fun. For me, that is.”

Ugh. She even had to say stupid villainous lines. For a moment Kennedy was certain this was some sort of elaborate prank and someone was going to pop out and say that he was on candid camera. But then he remembered that show hadn’t been on air in years and tried to force his brain to come up with a more current reference. Occupying himself that way, he nearly missed what the woman said next.

“Well Mr. Knight in Shining Armor, you have a choice. I’m about to start a little experiment. Would you like me to try it on you first or your pretty little friend?”

As if that were anything but rhetorical. “Me,” he croaked. His throat was on fire. Must have something to do with that gas that knocked him out.

“I thought so. Now it’s your turn to answer a question, Red. Only one of you gets anesthetic. Which shall it be?”

“Him!” Addie nearly shouted.

“No!” Kennedy protested. “I refuse. Her! Give it to her!”

“Oh my. A little lover’s spat it seems. How about I let you two talk it out while I go get my materials. I expect a unanimous answer when I come back or neither of you will get it.”

A click of heels echoed on the floor. The metal door swung open again. This time Kennedy was better able to place it as somewhere beyond his head.

“Addie, you have to take the anesthetic. Hopefully she won’t have a chance to experiment on you, but if I fail, I don’t want you to be in pain because you were being a selfless bastard.”

“Kennedy, I can’t just lie here and watch her do something to you that would be better with anesthetic! It will ruin me if I can’t help you out by giving you that. Besides, I have high hopes of being rescued before she can get to me.”

“I hope that too, but I can’t help if I’ve been knocked out during the procedure.”

“And you’re also no good if you pass out from the pain.”

“Please. I drug you into this. Please let me, at the very least, make this torture as painless as I can.”

“Always the gentleman.”

“Well, I do have a reputation to uphold.”

“So we’re decided then?”

“Yes. I go first and you get the anesthetic.”

“God I love how stupidly brave you’re being.”

“Keep that picture in mind when I start screaming, OK?”

“I promise not to tell anyone if you pee yourself because of the pain.”

“What more could I want in a girlfriend?”

“I don’t know, a girl that can bend her hand all the way back and pick locks would be useful right about now. If you had that for a girlfriend, you probably wouldn’t even be having this conversation- you’d already be free.”

“True enough. But you’re doing a great job of taking my mind off of my impending doom, so thank you for that.”

“Consider this my anesthesia substitute.”

“It’s certainly helping. So a plan would be good right about now. Currently I don’t have one, so all this false bravado is really not going to help me keep you safe. Can you tell what is restraining us?”

“I can see your restraints, and they seem to be leather belt like straps around your arms, chest, and I assume legs. I can’t move my head enough to look down, but it feels like I have restraints on my legs, so you must too.”

“If they are belt- like, does that mean they have a buckle?”

“Yes.”

“Can you see how close my arm is to my hip?”

“Very close.”

“I hope I’m flexible, because there is a decent chance my pocket knife is still in my pants pocket. If I can wiggle enough, I might be able to get it out. Then I have to be able to get it open, and position the blade to a strap instead of my skin. Oh! And get all that done before she returns. Ok, scratch that. I’ll work at it while we think, but we really do need a better idea.”

“I just…I really have no ideas.”

“That’s ok, I don’t either. At least we can be out of ideas together. Let’s try this: are we still inside the club?”

“We are. I was awake when they brought me down here kicking and screaming. We seem to be in the basement. I am guessing the door is soundproof because I was doing an awful lot of screaming at first and no one seemed to notice.”

“And do you know who the psycho scientist is that wants to experiment on us?”

“That would be the lady we were watching. The one that stepped in when the bouncer took his rounds.”

“I think her name is Jill or some steampunk version of that. I vaguely remember Jenni telling me about her. I think that’s the one that was going to search Jenni’s locker which led to Harriett finding the letter.”

“That could be. No one seemed to think it was odd that I was thrown down here against my will, so she has many people in on this or, at the very least, willing to turn their heads the other way. Even if we make it out of our restraints, we are still going to have to deal with whoever or whatever is beyond those doors. There’s no way that she’s by herself.”

The metal door clanged open. “I hope we’ve reached a decision. I did try very hard to give you more than enough time.”

“We have,” Kennedy affirmed.

“So what shall it be?”

“She gets the drugs.”

“And do you agree with this?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Excellent! Let’s get to work then!”

She pulled a metal cart up to the side of Kennedy’s table and picked up a scalpel. She hummed to herself a little as she looked over Kennedy, apparently not totally sure where she wanted to start.

“I promise you that all of my instruments are of the highest quality and were recently sterilized. Can’t have you getting sick after all of this hard work. Then I wouldn’t have any data on how well all of this worked.”

“Are you going to tell me what you’re planning on doing?”

“Oh no. It’s much more fun for me if you don’t know. The fearful anticipation that appears in the eyes is truly delightful.”

So it was going to be like that. Kennedy closed his eyes and braced himself for what was to come. He knew what she had decided when his shirt sleeve was cut away. He wasn’t sure how to prepare himself for what he knew was coming, but he tried to calm his heartbeat and take steadying breathes.

Though he knew that it was coming, the slicing open of his elbow was still startling. He wanted to jump but the restraints and sheer willpower kept him still. He knew that if he tried to fight it, it was more likely that she would mess up or slip and make the cut deeper or longer than necessary.

While the cut itself was shocking, what she did next was truly terrifying. After slicing and peeling the skin back, she proceeded to disconnect the muscle from the bone. His arm felt oddly useless as he realized that this cut meant he could no longer control the larger motions that he had just decided he often took for granted. “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone!” rang through his mind.

As the woman worked, she hummed to herself. While absolutely none of this was pleasant, Kennedy was glad that she was at least very skilled. This wasn’t some hack job of an amateur. That thought was also rather terrifying. How did she get so good at this? How many people had she done this to? What had happened to them? He was starting to get a little woozy. Blood loss and pain, most likely. He was proud of how stoic he had been. No pleasure in his pain for this horrid woman.

He became vaguely aware of something hard being pressed into his wound. Spots danced behind his eyelids. The air smelt of iron and blood. Now there was a new feeling. He wasn’t totally sure just what it was. She was doing something to his muscle again but his mind was getting soft and could not make the connections. He felt the blade slice into him again, elongating the opening and then the muscle above his elbow was being cut away. He thought he heard some soft crying, like background music. A soundtrack to his disfigurement. His brain, but not his mouth, giggled a bit at this. It was right about then that he passed out.

***
Have you heard from Kennedy?

Like today? No.

Me neither. He was supposed to meet me for lunch. We decided last night.

When did you talk to him last night?

I don’t know, close to midnight maybe?

So you’re saying he didn’t stay at your place last night.

No, why?

Because he didn’t come home last night. I just assumed he had gone over to talk to you about work or whatever you guys talk about and didn’t come home.

When did he leave?

Well he was out for a while and then he went back out around 11 maybe?

He went OUT at 11?!

Yeah. I thought he was going to see you at work.

Why would you think that?

Because he and some chick were trying to put together steampunk costumes and they went back out all dressed up.

He’s never dressed up when he’s visited me.

Huh.

And some chick?

Yeah, you know, the girl he started seeing?

Kennedy’s dating someone?!

Yeah, ignore that I said that.

Maybe he’s with her? Maybe that’s where he spent the night?

Maybe.

Do you have her number?

No.

Huh. I’ve texted him several times and he hasn’t responded.

That’s not like him.

I know.

Should we be worried?

What kind of trouble could Kennedy get himself into?

I don’t know. It’s just odd, right? I just don’t feel good about this.

If you talked to him around midnight, it’s only been about 12 hours since we talked to him. Is that even long enough to be concerned?

Like call the police concerned? Probably not. But it’s Kennedy.

Maybe he got caught up with a group project or a professor. Maybe his phone died.

Yeah, that’s possible I guess.

Look, let’s just wait a few more hours. I have a friend that has class with him at 4. I’ll ask him to let me know if Kennedy’s not there.

Then we panic?

Then we panic.

***

“How long was I out?” Kennedy rasped when he came to.

“I don’t know. I don’t have a good way of measuring time. A while, though. You passed out early on in the surgery. She messed with your entire arm. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t keep watching. It was…awful. That’s such a dull word for something so graphic, but I really can’t think of something better.”

“Do you have any idea what she was doing?”

“From what I did see, she was inserting gears in your joints. She started with your elbow. She cut apart however your muscles and tendons or whatever are connected to the bone and reconnected them to this gear rig that was meant to function in the same way, I think. After she had ‘installed’ it, she played with your arm and bending it and stuff to see if the gears were working. Not that it’s much of a consolation, but she did seem to use sterile equipment and she stitched you up and put some stuff over the stitches that I think is meant to block infection.”

“What else besides my elbow? You said she messed with my whole arm.”

“She also put gears into your wrist. That took a long time. That’s when I had to stop watching. It was a really complex gear that attaches to each of your fingers. You made it most of the way through the elbow, but that was quick compared to the wrist. I was terrified she was going to cut something and you would bleed out, but here you are, awake, so that’s better than the alternative, right?”

“It is. But how long do you think we’ll get to be alive?”

“What do you mean?”

“I know that she seemed to take great care to keep me alive through all of this, but she has to know that if she just lets me go I will go straight to the police. So how long does she keep us down here and alive before we’re too much of a liability?”

“Well I would think you need to heal so she can see how things worked before she would kill you. That got to be several days if not weeks. That was some intense surgery. Besides, there’s no way those joints will work without some training, so once you heal you’ll also need a physical therapy of sorts. I think we have time. Not that I want to be here another second longer, but I really don’t think she’s going to kill us any time soon.”

“And what about you? Has she hurt you yet?”

“No. I think she wanted you to be awake to see what she was doing.”

“That’s sick.”

“Said the boy that now has fucking metal gears in his arm because of this psycho. Sorry, I don’t curse a lot, but it was really hard to watch what she was doing to you and being helpless. I watched because I wanted to be able to tell you everything that she had done. I watched so I could replay every detail to the police when we get out of here and burn her. I couldn’t watch it all, but what I did see is burned in my brain now. I won’t forget a single detail.”

“I am so sorry that you felt like you had to watch at all. Thank you, though. I am glad there was a witness to my torture. It feels like maybe I wasn’t alone during it. I mean, I know you were here and she was here; but I mean alone like no one else understands my experience.”

“You know what I just realized?”

“What?”

“We are now a couple born out of a high stress situation. We’re like Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves in Speed.”

“Not fair. We had been on one proper date and at least two informal dates before this happened. We are statistically more likely to make this work than they were. I will, however, be your Keanu and come up with an insane yet workable plan to free us from this.”

“Yeah? You got anything?”

“Actually, yes. There’s still that pocket knife. And I have it in my hand.”

“What?! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I’ve been working on it since we started talking and I just got my hand around it. Next step is to open it. Keep talking to me, Sandra, I need some motivation and I think your voice is just that.”

“Oh you.”

“I know. Such a flatterer.”

“We still should have a plan B or C or whatever we’re on now. We don’t know how long it will be before she returns or what we will do if you happen to cut yourself free.”

“I just realized she could have this room bugged and be listening to what we’re saying. Or she could have a camera and be watching what we’re doing.”

“That’s certainly possible, but I say we proceed as if she doesn’t. If she has been listening or watching and hasn’t come down to stop you with the knife, then bully for us.”

“Fair. So this plan D…”

“I don’t really have anything.”

“Me neither. I am really failing at being a hero here. Plus side, the knife is almost open. I can only move it a tiny bit at a time, but it is opening.”

“I don’t care how long it takes you, just keep going.”

“You should care how long it takes me- she could come back while I’m working on this.”

“That’s a threat no matter what. I want you to take the time you need to in order to do it right. If you rush, you might slip or drop it, and then where will we be?”

“Point taken. So what do you think she’s trying to do?”

“This is going to sound far fetched, but I think she’s trying to make a human/robot hybrid.”

“Why would anyone want that?”

“Steampunk strip club.”

“Yeah?”

“Perhaps this is just a stepping stone to robots that look and function like humans and replace the strippers?”

“You would never have to pay them.”

“They would never get old.”

“They would never get sick.”

“You could make their bodies look exactly like the clients want.”

“You don’t have to give them breaks.”

“They don’t break up with their boyfriends and have a bad night.”

“So many reasons for robot strippers.”

“And the perfect club theme to pull it off.”

“It’s kind of a beautiful business plan.”

“Until you get to the part where we were held against our will and forced into non-consentual surgery.”

“Yeah, until that. But otherwise a solid plan.”

“True enough.”

***

Jack said Kennedy’s not in class.

Time to panic?

Time to panic. Jack said someone else mentioned that Kennedy wasn’t in his morning class. They thought he was sick.

Kennedy goes to class even if he has a 105 fever.

Exactly. So we have a problem.

A big problem. Any idea how we even start to find him? He’s still not answering his phone.

I think we need to assume he is in some sort of danger. Like he’s hurt somewhere.

But where?

I don’t know. Maybe we can call the hospital and see if he is there? If he was in a car accident or anything he might have been admitted.

Is a hospital even allowed to tell you that?

Just call and ask what room he’s in. If he’s not there then just say ‘oh, he must have been discharged.’

What are you going to do while I call the hospital?

I’m going to see if I can track down the name of the girl he was with. Maybe she knows where he is.

Good call.

He’s not at the hospital.

Addie. Her name is Addie.

THAT LIAR!

Excuse me?

He told me she didn’t call. Obviously she did.

Not the point. Do you know her number or maybe her last name?

I don’t. Didn’t any of the people you talked to?

No, but maybe I could find out. The guy that told me her name said that she’s friends with his girlfriend.

Well hop to it! That’s all we have to go on!

I’m trying. Geeze! Give me a sec, OK?

Something could be seriously wrong and you want me to calm down?!

I don’t know if this is good or bad, but no one has seen Addie since last night either.

Bad. Definitley bad. That’s SUPER unlike Kennedy.

You don’t think they ran off to Vegas to get married or anything do you?

Do you honestly think Kennedy would do that?

You’re right.

Should we call the police?

We have to wait for him to be missing for 24 hours before we can report him missing.

So we’re on our own until midnight.

Pretty much.

Well, I have to work tonight.

Maybe that’s good?

How?

Well he WAS putting on a steampunk costume when I last saw him.

You think the club is involved?

I think someone there might have seen him more recently than we have.

But you think someone there did something bad to him.

That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying that maybe someone saw him because where else would he go in steampunk clothes on a weeknight?

I just can’t see anyone I work with hurting him.

And I’m not saying they did. Just ask around, OK?

Yeah, I will. Keep me posted on whatever you find out.

Will do. I’m off to investigate then. I’ll contact you when I have something to report.

Ohhh, sounds like a spy novel.

Kind of feels like one.

I hope things don’t develop like one.

What do you mean?

Usually someone is in grave danger in spy novels. I don’t want that for Ken.

Me neither. That’s why we’re going to find him.

***

“So how was it?” Henrietta was practically bouncing with questions.

“It was wonderful! He took me to dinner at Wilfred’s and then we went for a drive in his very nice car and then he took me home like a proper gentleman. Nothing inappropriate whatsoever. I honestly don’t know why you were worried!”

“Did he kiss you?”

“Just on the cheek as we said goodnight. Like I said, a perfect gentleman.”

“So are you going to go out again?”

“You know what, I think we are.”

“Oh my god! You’re dating the boss!”

“Keep it down! I don’t get the feeling that he wants to make it public yet. Besides, it was just one date. I mean, he might change his mind.”

“Oh really? You really think that”

“Ok, no, I don’t. I’m trying to be modest though!”

“Well stop! I want all the dirty details! One of us has got to have some benefit from this job!”

“We do get paid fairly well.”

“Yes, yes, but you’ve got the hot owner! Dish already!”

“So it all started out very, very professional. He was already there when I arrived. He stood up when I got to the table and pulled out my chair for me. We talked a little about work, and then he said, ‘do you want things to be strictly professional?’ and I about died! I told him I would only answer if he did too and we both said no! We both wanted things to be more than just a working relationship! So then he started holding my hands on top of the table and gazing into my eyes and telling me how beautiful and talented I was! And after dinner (which he paid for), he took me out in his car and we drove around and he got on the expressway to show me how fast he could get it to go! And then he took me back to my car and kissed me on the cheek and wished me a goodnight.”

“So are you going to go out again?”

“I don’t know for sure. I was planning on talking to him tonight to set up plans. I am working almost every night this week, though.”

“And it’s not like you know someone who can change the schedule for you or anything!”
“You’re terrible!”

“Maybe! But you still like me.”

“I do!”

The ladies dropped into a fit of girlish giggles as they finished putting on their costumes.

“Oh!” Jenni exclaimed.

“What?”

“Do you know my friend Kennedy?”

“Don’t think I do. Has he ever come in?”

“Just my first night and then a night or two later.”

“Probably not then. Why? Trying to set me up?”

“No, it’s not that! Though, maybe if he’s not seeing someone right now. No, he’s been missing since last night and we can’t get ahold of him. His roommate thought he had come here last night, but no one is really sure.”

“Why did the roommate think he came here if you weren’t working? I mean, not that he can’t, it’s just it sounds like he doesn’t come here in general.”

“Yeah, this isn’t really his thing. He said the whole place kinda gives him the creeps.”

“So why would he come here?”

“I don’t think he did, but his roommate says he put on a steampunk costume and went out, so Dave assumed he came here.”

“Did he ever come in costume when you were working?”

“No.”

“He probably went to a party then. He probably got drunk and lost his phone and has spent the day sleeping it off on some stranger’s couch.”

“Maybe,” was Jenni’s noncommittal reply. Sure that’s what people might assume, but that just wasn’t Kennedy. He had been furious at her for the whole getting him drunk thing a few weeks back. There was no way he got blackout drunk without her or Dave and lost his phone. That simply wasn’t him. But if he hadn’t been at the club, where had he gone? Something wasn’t making sense. She was missing something, but she sure couldn’t figure out what.

***

“Kennedy! Wake up!” Addie’s voice was soft but urgent. “Please! Wake up!”

Kennedy had been working steadily at his wrist restraints and Addie had been making small talk with him. Slowly his words had become more slurred and he seemed to be grasping for the words he wanted to use. Addie had noticed that the incision site had grown red and angry and was slowly turning a disgusting yellow. There was nothing she could do about, and she hadn’t wanted to alarm him, so she simply said nothing. They had been there for hours and no one had come to check on them or give any food or water. Kennedy was clearlys uccumbing to some sort of infection. Once she realize he was going to lose consciousness at some point she had advised him to slip the still open knife back into his pocket so that it might not be discovered while he was passed out.

As soon as he lost consciousness, Addie started screaming for help. She agreed that the mad- woman wanted them alive for the time being. She wouldn’t want to lose Kennedy to infection before she could test out his new joints. Addie screamed until her throat was raw and dry and still no one came. She watched Kennedy writhe against his restraints as his fever addled braid created nightmares. He moaned and cried. He was sweating and pale. But the cut was not pale. It was even angrier and seemed to be oozing Dijon mustard. Addie was terrified but had no screams left in her. At some point she fell into a fitful, exhaustion fueled sleep.

She wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep, but Kennedy was peaceful. He still didn’t look well, but his fever dreams and writhing had stopped. Addie just stared at him and made small sounds, testing out her throat, hoping to have another screaming fit that might bring them some medical help. She realized she only had a few good screams in her before it would be too painful again. She debated waiting. That’s when she heard the metal door scraping open.

Addie urged Kennedy to wake up as a set of twins made their way toward the tables.

“This isn’t going to do at all,” the first twin said, tutting a little as she examined Kennedy’s arm. The other twin stood to the side, trying to stay out of the way. The first twin turned to Addie. “You’re going to want to hope he stays out. What I’m going to do is what he will need, but it will also be painful.” Without another word, she began cleaning the incision. She was careful and precise with her actions. They seemed practiced. The second twin assisted. Addie carefully watched the pair. The first twin had much more grace than the second. In fact, the second seemed almost…robotic!

“Are you so good at this because you’ve had to do this for your sister?”

“She’s not really my sister,” was the first twin’s reply.

“No? But she looks so much like you! It’s hard to believe that someone with such similar features would happen to be here too!”

“You misunderstand. She’s not my sister because she’s not alive.”

This startled Addie. However, the total lack of resentment for her own situation and the total lack of sympathy for Addie’s situation made a lot more sense if her “sister” wasn’t even human.

“Then why this?”

“Why what?”

“This!” Addie exclaimed. “Why experiment on us if your twin is fully functioning?”

“But she’s not, is she? You could tell that she was…stiffer than I am. He technology was a prototype. It is old and outdated. It has started to fail. We need something better. The mistress isn’t sure that fully robotic is the right way to go with their experiments. She thinks that we need to study each joint and its robotic counterpart. She wants to test the gears in real joints to figure out what is going wrong. Did you know there are 360 joints in the body? She has detailed plans for testing each one. I think it will take several prototypes before she gets each joint right. Usually it’s hard to find volunteers, but you two just waltzed right in.”

“Obviously we didn’t volunteer.” At this the second twin turned to look at Addie.

“Didn’t volunteer?” the second twin asked.

“No, we didn’t. And how can you talk?”

“I am a robot. I have AI. So far none of the other girls have even noticed that I am not human. But you said you didn’t volunteer. Why are you here then?”

“My friend and I were trying to find the address of Sir Cornelius because we thought he was going to hurt our friend. I snuck into the back to try and find the address while he tried to keep a lookout for me. I got caught. He tried to send me a text saying to get out- our friend was now safe at home, but it was too late. If he hadn’t have sent that text, he would not have been caught. He was blackmailed into following directions that landed him here too.”

“They are criminals, Nina. That is why they are here. Do not feel sorry for them.”

“I cannot feel sorry. It’s not part of my AI. I simply do not understand.”

“Our work is done. There’s nothing to understand, and we are leaving.”

“Wait!”

“What?”

“Can….can we get some food at water? For him! He is not going to get better if you don’t give his body fuel to fight the infection. Please? I don’t need anything, but something for him?”

“There is wisdom to this course, sister.”

“Shut up, Nina. I’ll see what I can do.”

The first twin grabbed Nina by the arm, spun her around, and marched her out of the room. Addie watched their retreating figures for as long as she could. The metal door slid open and closed with a bang. The noise seemed to startle Kennedy. His eyes fluttered a bit and he groggily opened one eye.

“Mghrreeee?” He mumbled.

“Is that so?” Addie laughed.

“My arm….” he tried again.

“What about it?”

“isghth…..on…..fire?” he managed.

“Is your arm on fire? No, but it probably feels like it is. Apparently, she didn’t clean things up as well as we thought. You’ve gotten a somewhat nasty infection. The pus was just cleaned, and I think I might have scored you some food and water to help fight whatever it is you’ve caught.”

“Mgghhhhh.” He replied before losing consciousness again.

***

Dave knocked tentatively on the apartment door. A muffled, “coming!” followed by someone clearly tripping, falling, and cursing, all took place before the door was thrown open.

“Hi?” The brunette questioned.

“Ummm, hi, Is this where Addie lives?”

“Maybe. Who the fuck are you?”

“I think she’s dating my roommate- Kennedy?”

“Dave! Come in!” The brunette wandered away, leaving the door open. Dave took a step inside the apartment and shut the door.

“How do you know my name?”

“Movie night,” was the cryptic answer.

“Excuse me?”

“Movie night. Kennedy was over for movie night. I don’t let Addie date just anyone, so I grilled him. He said he had a roommate named Dave. Thus, you must be Dave unless Kennedy has more than one roommate and neglected to give me that information.”

“Oh, no. Just the two of us.”

“So why are you here?”

“Ummm, have you noticed that Addie is missing?”

“Missing?”

“Yeah, as in not here. Gone. Haven’t heard from in an odd amount of time.”

“Can’t really say I have noticed. I did, though, just get back from a three day conference, so that probably has plenty to do with me not having noticed.”

“Oh. Well. Yes. I believe she is missing as is Kennedy.”

“Why would you think that? Perhaps they just ran off for an impromptu road trip together.”

“Kennedy missed class. Kennedy never misses class. He also hasn’t returned our calls. The last anyone saw of him, he was with Addie, so we think she must be missing too. Have you tried to call her at all while you were gone?”

“Can’t say I have. Addie and I are both a bit funny though. We can both be gone from the apartment for days on end. It’s not unusual.”

“What doe she normally do? Maybe Kennedy is with her?”

“You know, I;m not really sure. I know that she has spend several days in the art studio before, only emerging to go to classes. Even had food delivered to the art building. Once she was gone at a biology conference or something. Ummmm, I think sometimes she stays with her sister when she gets sick.”

“And can you maybe check that she is doing one of these things?”

“Why are you so worried?”

“Because all of this is very out of character for Kennedy and I get a ball of worry deep in my gut that’s telling me that something is wrong and I need to stop wasting time and find him.”

“Why didn’t you say so?”

“I…I thought I did.”

“No, you didn’t tell me about that gut instinct. I believe it’s very important to never ignore a gut instinct. I mean, you never know what causes these things. I have a strong belief in instincts and de ja vu and things like that. I’ll call her sister first since that one’s the easiest.”

“Thank you….actually, you know my name, but I don’t know yours.”

“This week? This week I’m going by Oregeno.”

“Like the herb?”

“Yeah. What do you think?”

“I think I don’t know what to think.”

“Fascinating!”

“It is?”

“Isn’t everything?”

***

“Fascinating!”

The woman was back. She was examining Kennedy’s arm, making him start moving and flexing. He didn’t have a large range of motion currently, but she had great hope that this wouldn’t always be the case. She again pushed his arm into a flex position gingerly, pressing until he cried out in pain.”

“This is a much better range of motion than I expected this early on. You really are a wonderful specimen. Now let me see those finger! Make a fist for me!”

It could have been dangerous to have completely removed one set of restraints, but she knew that he didn’t have the energy to use his injured arm to harm her. She had not fed him yet and had no plans to do so until he was restrained again. Besides, she didn’t want to deal with the mess of vomit if the pain of moving the joints made him physically ill. She looked greedily at his hand as he attempted to force his hand into a fist. He wasn’t successful, but she hadn’t expected him to be. The fact that his fingers twitched at all was very exciting. She clapped her hands in glee.

“Oh this is just too much! It’s all going so much better than I expected! I can’t wait to start with you, dear!”

At this Kennedy cried out. “No! Me again! Not her!”

“How chivalrous. But I don’t know that you’re strong enough to handle another surgery. Your progress is so promising. I don’t want a setback simply because you want to save your girlfriend a little pain. Don’t worry, though. I do have more planned for you.”

She turned to leave. “Restrain him again and then feed him,” she ordered Nina.

“Yes ma’am.” Nina bustled to work. Her robotic joints easily overpowered Kennedy as she reapplied his restraints. As she made her way to a cart filled with food items, Addie called out to her.

“Obviously we are never going to leave here. Could you at least tell me just where we are?

“Where you are? Why you never left the club.”

“We’re still in the club.”

“Of course you are.”

“Of course.”

“I know you,” Kennedy said suddenly.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I’ve seen you before. When I came to see Jenni because she begged me to. I saw you. On stage. With your sister.”

“She is not my sister.”

“Ok, you’re human counterpart. But I know you. Do you have to live here? Are you not allowed to leave?”

“My sister, as you call her, and I have living quarters here. Of course, I am a robot, so I don’t need much beyond a power supply, but humans need more than that.”

“Yes, we do tend to need more than that.”

“Did you say Jenni was someone you know that works here? Who is Jenni? There are no Jennis here.”

“Jenni is her real name. Her work name is Empress Lilly.”

“You are friends of Empress Lilly?”

“Yes.”

“She is the one you were trying to save?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

“What do you see?”

“My programming advises that it is not a good idea for me to share the new connections that I have made. At this time I cannot tell you what I now understand.”

“Oh. Ok then. That sounds fair.”

“Now then, food time.”

***

“Well?” Dave queried impatiently.

“Nothing. No one at the club remembers seeing him. To be fair, though, you can’t really see anything at all when you’re on stage and when you’re not on stage, you’re really not in the audience, so I didn’t really expect anyone to have seen him.”

“But did you look around at all? See if he was tied up in a back room or something? Look for secret trap doors?”

“Dave, you’re going crazy. I don’t think there’s any connection between Kennedy’s disapearance and the club. Tomorrow I’m going out with Sir Cornelius again if you want me to ask him. I really do think this is a dead end, though.”

“I can’t believe you made a date while Kennedy is still missing!”

“How is not going on a date going to help him?”

“I don’t know, but it would be nice to know you were available to help look for him!”

“Look where, Dave? We have nothing to go on!”

“I know. And the cops don’t have anything either. Actually they didn’t seem all that concerned period. I can’t be so laxidasical about the whole thing though.”

“What did Addie’s roommate have to say?”

“Ugh. He roommate is like this weird performance artist that changes her name every week. I guess they met in art class. Addie’s a bio major but she’s minoring in art because that’s her ‘true passion’- roommates words, not mine. We called Addie’s sister. She wasn’t there. I searched both the art building and the bio hall and no one had seen her. It seems pretty fair to say that she is with Kennedy, wherever they are.”

“Did her sister seem concerned?”

“Yes, actually. She said that, while Addie is very passionate and really does occassionally sleep in the art studios when working on a project, she is also fairly responsible. It was unlike Addie to not answer her phone and not to respond back. She didn’t have any ideas where Addie might be. I gave her my number in case she thought of anything and told her I would call if we came up with any ideas too. Rosie’s going to see if she can get any information from Addie’s friends.”

“And what are you going to do? What do you want me to do?”

“I don’t know. You talked to everyone you could last night? No one even thought they maybe saw him? Addie has bright red hair. Did you ask about her? She might have stuck out more than he did.”

“I didn’t think to ask about Addie, but I did talk to most everyone.”

“Most everyone? That doesn’t sound like you asked every single possible person.”

“There are some people I didn’t ask. I just didn’t think they would be helpful. Some of them are a little crazy and might have thought I was trying to accuse them of being involved and I don’t need to deal with that.”

“So you didn’t ask a few people questions because it might have made work a little uncomfrtable for you. Meanwhile, Kennedy is still out there somewhere and we don’t know what has happened to him!”

“You really think the club is involved, don’t you? You think that little of the place I work. You really think that the people I work with could have done something to him and then lied to me about it.”

“You did just say some of them were crazy enough to think that you even asking if they had seen him would be an accusation. That seems pretty shifty to me.”

“They’re socially awkward. They’re consipracy theorists. That’s why they’re crazy. That’s why they’d think it’s an accusation. Heck, the first time I asked one of the twins where the bathroom was she accused me of trying to corner her and interrogate her about her secrets- whatever that means.”

“And that doesn’t now ring a warning bell in your head? Your best friend is missing and some crazy lady you worked with once accused you of trying to learn her secrets? That’s majorly suspicious! Jenni! You have done nothing to help! These are EXACTLY the people you should be asking about Kennedy. Especially if they aren’t to blame. They’re so paranoid that they might be able to share something they saw that could be related. I don’t care how akward it is for you- you have to talk to them.”

“Fine. I work again on Wednesday. I’ll talk to them then.”

“Wednesday?! That’s three days from now! Think about what could happen to Kennedy in three days! If he’s not dead now, he might be in three days!”

“Stop being so morbid! Kennedy is a smart cookie. There’s no way he’s dead.”

“He’s also wreckless when he is trying to protect someone and I know he would want to protect Addie. He would care about her well- being more than his own.”

“Look, if you want me to talk to them and you want any chance at all of them giving me a useful answer, you’ll wait. It will be suspicious if I just show up when I’m not working to ask about my missing friend. That will for sure spook the crazies. If they are involved, I have to be a little more sneaky. Coming in on my day off is very out of character. That won’t help us get the information we need. Now I get that this could be bad news for Kennedy, but I will not mess this up and ruin our chance at the truth if someone at the club actually is involved. In the meantime, we will have to search out every other possible lead and investigate those. Plus we still need to go to class and do our schoolwork. Kennedy might need saving, but you know how he is about school. He would never fogive himself if our grades plummetted over our worry for him. Besides, if someone we know took him, they’ll probably be keeping an eye on us as well. We need to try to act normal.”

“I guess that makes good sense. I don’t like it, but it makes sense. In that case, I am going to head out and do some homework. Maybe I’ll study in the bio lounges and see if I can gather any informtion while I study.”

“Good. I’m going to the library. I’ll ask around while I’m there. Maybe someone who is used to seeing him there recognized him somewhere else over the last day or so.”

“So normal activities, but with a Kennedy twist.”

“That sounds like a drink.”

“Kennedy would hate that.”

“Sounds like we have something to tell him when we find him.”

***

“So glad to see you’re awake. We’ve been waiting for you.”

The woman stared into Kennedy’s eyes for a moment. She waved someone over without breaking eye contact.

“Now, I’m going to need to you stay alert for this. In fact, I bet you wouldn’t want to miss it.”

A cart was placed between the woman and Addie. Kennedy couldn’t help it, his eyes grew wide in fear and understanding.

“We had a deal,” he ground out. “She gets anesthesia.”

“Yes, yes.” The woman waved away his words. “Of course. Now while I did promise anesthesia, I did not state what kind. I will only use a topical anesthesia for this time. However, I will give you a choice as to where I operate on her. Your choice- fingers or toes?”

Kennedy’s mind raced. Addie loved art. If her hands were messed up, she might never be able to do that again. Toes might mean problems with walking, but life would be much easier with broken feet than broken hands.

“Toes,” he said, unflinching.

The woman moved the cart down to Addie’s feet. Neither Kennedy nor Addie was going to be able to really see what was happening. Kennedy looked back up at Addie’s face. “I’m sorry,” he mouthed at her just as she mouthed, “Thank you.” Kennedy gave a soft, bitter laugh. She was thanking him for picking “correctly” while he apologized for having to pick at all. He raised his eyebrows at her and then tilted his head to see what, if anything, he could observe about this surgery.

“Now you will not feel much pain, but you will feel all of my movements and all of the incisions. Do try not to squirm. It only makes things more difficult and potentially more sloppy.”

Kennedy readjusted to look at Addie again. He couldn’t see much of anything. The woman was entirely blocking his view. He tried to catch Addie’s eye, but her eyes were shut tightly. Kennedy could see her trying to control her breathing and relax herself. Kennedy realized he needed to use this time to plan. If all went as before, with his surgery, they would be left alone for several hours before anyone returned to check on them. He wanted to put that time alone to good use.

***

Dave sat at an empty table in the bio hall lounge. There were some students milling about, but most of the people he saw were quietly studying or doing homework. No one looked familiar to him, and very few people were talking. It was unlikely he was going to get anything for the time being, so he flipped open his book and began to read.

An hour later he was so engrossed in his textbook that he almost missed the conversation that drifted to him from a hallway.

“But I can’t get ahold of my lab partner, professor. Please let me complete the work on my own. I shouldn’t be held responsible for my partner’s irresponsibility!”

“While I will conceed that it is very irresponsible to not meet with one’s lab partner at the designated time and also not return your calls, I find this to be highly unusual behavior for her. I will let you complete the lab alone, but please do not lable your fellow classmates as irresponsible without the entire story. Besides, I do believe you partnered Adelaide because she has the highest grade in the class. Now, now, don’t look at me like that. She is brilliant, but achieves her brilliance through hard work. This is uncharacteristic. You may reschedule your lab time and complete the assignment alone. Now off with you.”

A grandfatherly man rounded the corner and entered the lounge. Clearly this was the professor that had just been talking. The lab partner must have turned the other way because he did not follow. The professor had his coat slung over his arm and was carrying a bag. Clearly he was on his way out for the evening. Dave decided to see if the professor could provide any new information to what had happened to Addie. He quickly packed up his things and hurried out of the building after the man.

“Professor? Excuse me! Professor?” He called out, a little breathless from his quick jog. The professor turned around to look at Dave, obviously confused to be called upon by someone that was not one of his students.

“Yes?”

“Hi. Umm, I just overheard you talking about my friend and I was wondering if perhaps you and I could talk for a second?”

“Oh?” Was the only reply.

“Umm, yes. You see, I’m friends with Addie, kind of, long story, anyway, she and my roommate haven’t been heard from in a while and I think they might be missing. I was wondering if you had spoken with her recently?”

“Son, I think you have a story to tell me before I share any information with you. I don’t know you and I don’t share things, no matter how harmless it might seem, with people I don’t know. If you’ll follow me to the union, you can explain to me just what it means to ‘kind of’ know Adelaide, and just what you mean by ‘missing.’ Only then will I tell you what, if anything, I know. And only if your story rings true. Shall we?”

“Yes! Absolutely. Certainly.”

Dave followed the professor to the union. Once there, they entered a small burger joint where the professor proceeded to order a vanilla milkshake.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I always concentrate better when I have something sweet to enjoy. Now, I believe you have a story to tell me.”

“Yes. Well, it all started approximately three days ago…”

***

“Please give me some good news.”

“You’re alive.”

“I guess that’s good for now.”

“That defeatist attitude doesn’t suit you.”

“Fine. Give me another piece of good news.”

“In about another hour I should have cut through one restraint.”

“Now that is something a girl can smile about.”

“I have always loved your smile.”

“I’d let you kiss me right now if we weren’t three feet apart, restrained to tables, and I haven’t brushed my teeth in what feels like a week.”

“I’d take you up on that if I was able to. And I just might in an hour.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

“You have little else to do but wait.”

***

“I can’t believe you are going on a date tonight when Kennedy is still missing.”

“We’ve been over this. What good does it do to not go on the date if there isn’t a lead for me to follow? I’d just be sitting at home doing nothing. Why not use that time to go on a date?”

“If just seems disrespectful to Kennedy and whatever is happening to him right now.”

“We still don’t know that his situation is bad.”

“Are you even serious right now? Of course it’s bad! If something wonderful was happening with Kennedy he would want us there with him!”

“Perhaps.”

“You are a terrible friend!”

“What do you want from me Dave? You want me to be sad and miserable because he’s missing and there’s nothing I can do about? So I want to go out and have an hour or two of fun where I can forget for twenty seconds that my best friend is missing and possibly dead. You’re the terrible friend- you’re the one that won’t let me try to escape my depression and fear.”

“Yeah, well Kennedy probably can’t escape his either.”

“I don’t see you out there doing anything!”

“I tried talking to one of Addie’s professors yesterday. He had nothing, but is another person keeping and eye and ear out for anything helpful. At least I’m going to places where I might be able to gather information. You’re going out to dinner with your creeptastic strip club owning bossy boyfriend.”

“I hate you sometimes.”

“Yeah, well that goes both ways. I hope you have fun on your date and you’re able to forget that Kennedy is still out there somewhere either hoping for us to find him or dead.”

“Fuck you.”

“No thanks. I’m not interested in women who sell their body.”

“That was low, even for you.”

“Maybe. But I’m not that one willingly forgetting that his best friend is missing. Have a good date, Jenni.”

Dave stormed out of the apartment and sat in his car fuming for a few minutes. He tried to calm down. Suddenly, he started the car, in a hurry to get back to his place. He just decided he and some of his friends had plans for tonight.

***

“Are you done yet?”

“Very, very close. In fact, it should only be another minute or two.”

“What do you think is beyond that door?”

“I don’t know, but I’m ready for us to find out.”

***

“My dear, you seem distracted tonight.”

“I got in a fight with one of my friends before I left, that’s all. I’m sure that now that I’m out with you, things will be much, much better. Shall we order some wine?”

***

“Dude, I didn’t think you were into this sort of thing.”

“I’m usually not, but it seemed like a good idea. I mean, we haven’t hung out in forever and what screams guy’s night more than hitting up a strip club?”

“Man, we are going to have so much fun tonight! Alright, who’s going to be the DD and drive?”

“I’ll do that. I mean, I invited you all out, it’s only fair, right?”

“Sure. Hey, you know what I heard? Some guy in my calc class told me that one of the dancers goes to school with us! Can you believe it? I wonder if we know her?”

“Only one way to find out! To the car!”

Dave sighed in relief. He may be pissed at Jenni, but she didn’t deserve everyone knowing that she was working at the club. Thank goodness she was on a date tonight. Besides, she probably wouldn’t like his decision to spy on the club since she was so certain that they weren’t involved at all. She might have a soft spot for her colleagues, but he would not have the same problem. He hoped he was as good at identifying sneaky behavior as he thought. He also hoped that being in a group of rowdy college guys would make any “odd” behaviors he might exhibit seem normal. Jenni might be sure that the club wasn’t involved, but that steampunk costume Kennedy was wearing when he disappeared said otherwise.

***

“One restraint down!”

“Go, Kennedy, go!”

“The next one should be easier since I now can move my entire arm. Up next is the chest strap.”

“Kennedy, we need to talk about what happens when you get free.”

“Umm, I cut you free and we get the hell out of here.”

“How?”

“What do you mean how? There’s a door about ten feet from us!”

“Kennedy, I can’t walk.”

“Oh Jesus. I forgot.”

“I know.”

“I mean, I didn’t forget what she did to you, but I forgot the implications. No big deal, I’ll carry you.”

“You can only use one arm.”

“Well, it will have to be a fireman carry. We’ll have you sit up on the table and sling yourself over my good shoulder. I’ll find tape or rope or something to hold down my bad arm so it doesn’t jostle too much.”

“Are you sure youc an carry me?”

“I know I’m kind of a skinny dude, but there are some muscles under there. Besides, what I lack in muscles I will make up for with adreneline. I’m sure it will kick in when the time hits.”

“There’s probably stairs on the other side of that door.”

“Yeah, probably.”

“Can you carry me up stairs?”

“Absolutely. And before you go on, I think I see where this is going, and no, I’m not going to leave you behind and run for help. She will kill you if I leave you. We are not splitting up. At least if she catches both of us we stand a better chance of survival.”

“But-”

“No. And that’s final. Besides, as soon as we get up those stairs I am finding a wheeled chair and just pushing you around. It will be faster that way.”

“And noisier.”

“You think i’m going to be quiet while trying to haul you around on my shoulder? There’s going to be lots of grunting. Manly grunting. You know, the kind that power lifters do.”

“I am fairly certain you just called me fat.”

“I did not such thing as I value my life.”

“Well, I couldn’t catch you if you ran away anyway.”

“True enough! Also, chest strap now complete. Moving on to my other arm.”

“The anticipation is killer. I am so worried we’re going to get caught!”

“I’m more worried about what happens if we don’t even try. How long do you think we’ve been here?”

“It’s been at least two days. But I’m terrible at time, so I don’t know, really.”

“I was thinking it was between two and four days. It’s hard to tell how long we’ve been sleeping.”

“Which makes me wonder.”

“Wonder what?”

“Do you think anyone is even looking for us?”

“I don’t know. I mean, how have they not found us yet? Clearly we are missing. Someone has to have noticed that we are not in classes, my roommate had to have noticed that I haven’t been home. Your roommate…well, maybe she’s noticed that you’re missing. We clearly were heading to the strip club. Where else would we be going in steampunk costumes? At the very least, they should have been able to trace us back to this building. In fact, my car is still in the lot I bet. I don’t know what they’re doing, but we can’t count on them looking for us. We have to save ourselves.”

“It’s just disheartening, you know? I mean, either our friends don’t care, or they’re kind of stupid. Neither is doing us any good.”

“Remind me to tell Dave how stupid he is when we get out of this.”

“Only if I can watch. His face is going to be priceless.”

***

At that moment, Dave was pulling into Metal and Lace’s parking lot. As he parked the car, he wondered just what he should be looking for. Surely there had to be some sort of clue just waiting for him to discover it. If he could find the clue, then he could find his friends.

“Dude, Dave, c’mon!” His friends lumbered toward the entrance. Dave tried to study the outside of the building. He wondered how many rooms there were in the back. He had always been fairly good at spacial reasoning, so perhaps if he took a good enough look at the outside, he could figure out where there might be extra rooms that Kennedy and Addie could be in. If they were here at all. Finally, satisfied that he had memorized the general exterior of the bulding, he jogged to catch up with his friends, slapping one on the back and loudly proclaiming that this was going to be one epic night. He had to keep up appearances after all.

The bouncer checked their I.D.s, but other than that paid very little attention to the rambunctious group. Once inside, they sat at a table near the middle. Most of the front tables were full and the guys wanted to be as close to the “action” (as they called it) as they could be. Dave said the first round was on him, and used the opportunity to go up to the bar and check out the club without looking too suspicious.

“One pitcher, please.”

“What do you want?”

“Whatever’s the cheapest. I can tell my table is going to be putting it back tonight, so no sense in wasting a fortune on it.”

The bartender looked over at the their table. “Just make sure that everyone follows the rules, ‘k?”

“I’ll try. I’m the DD tonight. I usually am. Not much of a drinker myself. Someone’s got to be the responsible one in the group, ya know?”

“We do free Coke products for anyone that’s a DD, so feel free to order as much of that as you like. It looks like you’re going to be rather busy tonight with those guys.”

Dave looked at his table. They were already getting looks from other tables for being so loud. He would need to calm them down. He didn’t want to get kicked out before he could even investigate. “Tell me about it. Sometimes I don’t even know why I’m friends with them.”

“They look like they’re all right guys most of the time.”

“Yeah. I’d rather be here with my engineering friends. They like to come in costume and follow all the rules and all that. A lot less stress for me, ya know?”

“Well, I do prefer those guys for general attitude, but they sure don’t help pay the bills like your table does,” the bartender laughed.

“I bet! Well, I’m sure I’ll be back here for another round soon enough. It’s been nice talking to you…”

“General Ernest Mulready.”

“General.” Dave tipped a fake hat in the bartender’s direction and went back toward the table. Later on he planned to ask the General if he had seen anything, but he was going to take his time. Again, he didn’t want to raise suspicions before he could gather any good data. He poured the guys some beer and feigned interest in the stage. He looked around, trying to overlay what he saw around him onto the image of the exterior he had saved in his mind. If he was correct, there was actually a decent amount of unaccounted for space. In another drink or two he would go “in search of” the bathroom (which was actually to his right), and hopefully map out some of the area to his left before being steered back toward the actual bathrooms and mapping out that area as well. He owed it to Kennedy to be as through as possible. He couldn’t afford to miss a single clue.

“Dave! Do you know which one is the girl from school?”

“Ummm, I think it’s one of the twins. I don’t think her sister goes to school, but she does.”

“There’s twins here! I hope they’re on tonight!”

“Me too. However, that girl is pretty hot, so if you don’t mind, gentlemen, I’d like to enjoy the show.”

Dave turned back toward the stage. He actually hadn’t done more than glance at the girl onstage, but he needed the guys to shut up for a while. If they only had occasional outbursts of excitement, they probably wouldn’t get kicked out. However, it wouldn’t take long to get the boot if they insisted on screaming everything for no discernible reason.

As soon as the song was over, Dave stood. “I’m going to grab us another pitcher. You boys behave while I’m gone.”

“Yes mother Dave.”

Dave made his way back to the bar and slid the empty pitcher toward the General.

“General, I am sorry about my boys. How long do you think I’ve got before we’re done for the night?”

“Oh they’re fine for now. They only yell a little bit and it hasn’t been curse words, so I think you’re good for at least another hour.”

“I’m telling you, it’s not nearly this trying with the engineering guys.”

“I’m sure.”

“Actually, mu friend actually brought his girlfriend here the other night. I was shocked that he would think she wanted to come here. Apparently they had a fabulous time, though.”

“We don’t get a whole lot of women in here, but they seem to have fun when they come.”

“Maybe you remember her? She sticks out a lot. It’s the red hair- hard to forget. And it’s not even auburn or whatever fancy word girls use for dark read. Her hair is like a ridiculous carrot. It’s practically orange.”

“Oh yeah! I remember that redhead. Pretty little thing she was. That must have been, oh, three nights ago now?”

“That sounds right. I honestly think she just liked getting dressed up in costume. I’m sure she’ll want to come back again soon. She is always trying to get him to go to these theme parties that require crazy costumes. She might drag him to the club just to play dress- up!”

“Ahh, well she did seem like a firecracker!”

“Well, thanks again General.”

“You got it, kid.”

So Kennedy and Addie HAD been here. Or at least Addie had. Seriously, it wasn’t that hard to get the information. Why hadn’t Jenni done her job? They might have had this information two days ago and be closer to finding Kennedy. Oh well. They had it now. Metal and Lace was somehow connected to Kennedy’s disappearance. Dave sincerely hoped that he and Addie were still somewhere in the club and hadn’t simply been abducted from here and taken elsewhere.

***

“Addie, when was the last time you ate?”

“I’m not really sure. Quite a while ago since she wouldn’t let me eat for several hours before the surgery, and Nina hasn’t come with food since. Why?”

“It’s just that I’m free now, but I moved too fast and the room started to spin and I realized I hadn’t eaten since Nina was last here and I didn’t think you were allowed to eat then. If I just nearly passed out from hunger weakness, then you must be in worse shape. I’m going to come over there and cut you free in a moment, but you need to make sure you don’t move too quickly. I don’t want you to pass out before I can get you over my shoulder so we can get out of here.”

“If I read between the lines, that means you are totally free.”

“You are correct.”

“When you come over here, ignore the water on my face. I’m not crying out of relief that this is nearly over. I just think she probably used a little bit of water torture on me and there is still some dampness left from that.”

“Don’t worry. I understand. I would never make such a mistake. In fact, I’m fairly certain that’s what I was feeling when I finally realized the last restraint had been broken. Just left over water torture. Not tears at all.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

***

Jenni pushed the food around on her plate. This was Dave’s fault. He had ruined her date. If he hadn’t chastised her for even considering going on the date, maybe she could be enjoying herself. But no, Instead she felt guilty about Kennedy and the fact that she wasn’t currently helping him.

“My dear,” Sir Cornelius finally cut in, “is something bothering you? You seem to have less sparkle than normal. Surely if there is something wrong you can tell me.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just worried about a friend.”

“Oh? Is there a way in which I can help?”

“Not unless you’ve seen him. He went out a few nights ago with his girlfriend- which he didn’t even tell me he had- and hasn’t come back.”

“That is most strange. And no one has heard from him or his girlfriend?”

“No. They aren’t returning our calls and no one on campus has seen them.”

“And you are feeling guilty that you are out having a nice evening when you don’t know where your friend might be.”

“Exactly. His roommate yelled at me earlier for being selfish, and I can’t get that out of my mind.”

“And is there something you could be doing right this moment to possibly help your friend?”

“There’s nothing I can think of.”

“Then I think you have no reason to be so hard on yourself. Perhaps if you picked this over your friend, then things would be different. But if there is nothing you could be doing, this is probably the best thing you could be doing. You need to take your mind off this tragedy some too. A little time apart from the situation might allow you to see something new. It’s like a good essay. You must step away and come back to revise it because that is when you see the mistakes you made before. Now, can you think of anything I could do to help?”

“Well, for some reason his roommate thinks he went to the club the night he disappeared. We were out that night, so I don’t think there’s any way you would know if he was there or not.”

“Maybe I can help.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I happen to have security footage. Now, we do tape over our old footage, but I might still have that night. Write down the time and date and I will see if one of the men can pull it for you if I still have it. I will have it for you tomorrow night when you get to work. See! This has been productive. Can you relax and have a good time now?”

“You know, I think I can.”

***

Kennedy cut through the last restraint on his ankle and sat up. He gripped the edge of the table in an effort to make the room stop spinning. Once he felt more stable, he tentatively stood up.

“Addie, I’m going to cut all your upper body restraints and then give you the knife so I can find something to tie down my arm. Think you can handle that?”

“Of course.”

“Good.”

Kennedy made quick work of the the three straps and passed the knife to Addie who made quick time of her remaining restraints. Kennedy rummaged around the room. Finally he found a roll of duct tape. He grabbed the roll and brought it to Addie who quickly secured his arm to his body, taking care to not put the tape in direct contact with his skin. As she put down the roll, Kennedy addressed her.

“Are you ready for this?”

“Are you? Do you feel strong enough to lift me?”

“I do, but I can’t promise I won’t hurt you. I will probably accidentally bang you into some walls or such.”

“I can handle it. Especially if that means I can get out of here and to a proper hospital that can fix whatever she has done to me.”

“Ok then. Here we go. I’m going to stand in front of you, squat a bit, and then you need to sort of throw yourself over my shoulder.”

“This is ridiculous and it is going to work.”

“One, two, three!”

Addie hoisted herself onto Kennedy’s shoulder without much grace. Kennedy grunted at the sudden weight. And pushed himself back up to standing.

“Ready?”

“Ready.”

***

Dave had pulled a pen out of his pocket and taken a napkin from the table. He drew a rough outline of the building and then started laying out everything he had found. He knew where the dressing rooms were based on things Jenni has said in passing in the past. He wasn’t sure how big they were, but he was fairly certain that they didn’t take up all the room that he couldn’t account for. That meant that there was at least one other room in the back, which made sense. He suspected there was at least an office. The more he thought about it, though, the less he thought Kennedy and Addie would simply be kept in a back room. Sure, the music was loud, but Dave didn’t think that would drown out their screaming if they timed it right. Of course, that was hoping that they were still alive. Which they were. He couldn’t stand the thought of them not being alive. So, if not the back room, then where? Perhaps a smoke break was in order.

Dave tapped one of his friends on the shoulder and mimed smoking. The guy nodded his understanding. Dave raised his eyebrows, asking if the friend wanted to join. Just then the twins took the stage. His friend looked at the stage, then back at Dave and gave a definite no. Dave shrugged and got up.

Once he was outside, Dave lit up. He really didn’t like smoking, but sometimes he found it useful. For instance, no one was going to look at him funny if he walked all around the building while smoking. It would just look like he was bored. Hopefully no one would notice how carefully he was looking at the building itself.

He started to walk around to the side of the building. He easily determined that the building was just one story, so there was no upstairs to be concerned about. As he rounded the corner, that’s when he saw it. A small window at ground level. Jackpot! There was a basement!

He tried to act casually as he walked toward the window. He looked around a bit and then bent down to look in the window. The window itself was very small- only about twelve inches by sixteen inches. It looked down into a hallway with several doors, all of which were closed. At the opposite end of the hall were stairs that went up to the main floor. The entire basement seemed to be concrete and cinder block. The doors were all metal.

He stood up. This is where he would find Kennedy and Addie. He was certain of it. Dead or alive, they were here. The question was now, just where was the door that would get him to those stairs and how could he get down there without being noticed?

He walked back to the front of the building. It must have been his lucky clue day, because that’s when he saw the car. Kennedy’s car was there in the parking lot. If that wasn’t a sure sign that they were here, he didn’t know what was. He went to the car and looked in the window. Kennedy’s car was a mess, but maybe there were clues in it.

What to do, what to do. Maybe he should call the cops. They might be able to see something that he couldn’t. They might be able to do forensic tests that he couldn’t even imagine that would tell them, just where to find Kennedy and Addie. But, more than likely, calling them would tip off whoever it was at the club that was holding them and it would be too late. They would be killed or moved or their bodies hidden and they might never find out what happened. No. Dave needed to do this himself.

Dave went back to his car and opened the glove compartment. In there was the spare key he had for Kennedy’s car. Kennedy had let him borrow it a few times when his car was in the shop, and he had never returned the key. Looked like that was finally going to come in handy.

Back at Kennedy’s car, he rummaged around until he found what he was looking for. Kennedy’s phone was in the center console. Dave flipped open the phone. There were about a million missed calls and new voicemails and texts, but Dave was more interested in the last read and sent texts said. He scrolled through the old texts, cursing that he had to maneuver between “sent” and “inbox” because Kennedy refused to upgrade to a smartphone. It took a bit to piece it all together, but the final picture was clear. The last place Kennedy had been was in the club after it had closed because someone had abducted Addie and told Kennedy to be there or she died.

And Kennedy, like an idiot, followed his every last direction. Including “tell no one.”

Dave snapped the phone shut in frustration. Stupid, stupid Kennedy! Why hadn’t he at least sent a text to Dave to call the police? Why didn’t he call the police instead of going in himself?

Dave took the phone with him and went back inside. Whoever had first taken Addie had said he or she would kill Addie. Was that an empty threat? And why take Kennedy too? Yes, Kennedy knew where Addie had been when she was taken, but how was that a problem for the abductor? What could they have stumbled upon that would even make someone consider killing them?

“Dave!” One of his friends drunkenly slapped him on the shoulder. “This is the best night I’ve had in a long time! And I love you for that. You’re a good friend, ya know. You got us all together, and you took us all out, and you bought us drinks, and the girls are so pretty, and you’re watching over us so we’ll be good in the morning, and I love you man. Like, really. You need to know that. You are a good dude. I’mma start calling you Dave his Dudeness because you are like friend royalty!” The other guys started to loudly agree. “To Dave his Dudeness!” And then he was engulfed in a bear hug that smelled like sweat and stale beer.

***

“Holy shit on a stick is this hard.”

“Shit on a stick? That’s holy?”

“Hey, I’m trying to save you. Stop busting my balls.”

“Not going to happen.”

“Good. I wouldn’t want you any other way.”

***

“You wanna start something?”

“Why? You lookin?”

“Maybe I am.”

“Well then let’s do this.”

“Guys! This is stupid! Please stop! I’d kind of like to not get kicked out of the strip club.”

“Stay out of this Dave.”

“Shit.”

***

Kennedy slowly made his way across the room to the large, metal door. Just lumbering across the room had been difficult. He had to make sure to keep Addie balanced, but he also had to be careful of his own balance. While they were both excited by their potential escape, the reality of their situation had already begun to set in.

“I’m not sure I can open the door without dropping you.”

“What if you turn and let me open the door? I should be able to grasp the handle, and I have decent upper body strength.”

“But then my back is to the door. What if there is someone out there that we need to deal with?”

“Not to be a Debbie Downer, but if there is someone out there, we’re in trouble anyway. You won’t be able to fight them and neither will I. Running away isn’t really an option either.”

“This really sucks.”

“Well, here’s to hoping luck is on our side. Now, turn around so I can work on this door.”

Kennedy dutifully turned around, but his heart was no longer in it. There was no way they were going to make it all the way up and out without running into someone that would twart them. He knew they had to go up stairs, and he was worried about how didficult that would be. The staircase most likely led to a back part of the club, and there was no way of knowing who all was in on this plot. Their best hope was to start screaming as soon as it was clear that they were about to be caught and some friend might hear them. There were so many “what ifs” that he nearly puked.

“Oooph!” Called out Addie as the door finally swung open. The sound of metal on concrete screetched in their ears, sounding much louder than it probably was.

“See anything?”

“No. Actually, the entire hall is empty. Maybe lady luck is on our side after all.”

“Any thoughts on which way we should head?”

“Actually, I only see one staircase, so I say we go straight there.”

“Well then, off we go again!”

Kennedy made a small, looping circle and oriented himself to the door. One step at a time he got closer and closer to the stairs.

***

Dave was starting to have a bad night. His drunk friends seemed interested in a fight. It was a little unclear, as it is with most drunken fights, just what had started everything, but one drunk friend was currently yelling at a drunk man in steampunk clothing. Mr. Steamdrunk’s friends, while intoxicated themselves, seemed to also want to avoid the fight. Truth be told, both men were a little drunk to even have a proper fight. They would probably swing and hit someone innocent if they tried to fight.

Dave, however, didn’t want to stay for the show like his friends did. He now was desperate to stay until closing just so he could try and figure out a way to find and rescue Kennedy. This was going to be tricky. One of the bouncers was heading toward their table.

“You take that back, you filthy gear sucker!”

“Uncultured swine!” (Mr. Steamdrunk was rather articulate for being wasted.)

“Are you saying I’m like a pig? Pigs are fucking smart, asshat!” (Apparently Dave’s friend was some sort of snapple cap factory when drunk.)

“You are a disgrace to decorum and respectibility.”

“Says the jerk- off that got dressed up in a costume to see strippers.”

“Why don’t you come a little closer so I can beat some manners into you.”

“What- the- fuck- ever dude. I would OWN your ass.”

Now the bouncer was on them.

“Doctor Lafayette, I thought I told you to settle down already tonight.”

“That’s Doctor Lafayette Braddock Toner to you!”

“Dude, did he just say his name was ‘Bad Cock Boner’?”

“See! See, Inquisitor Stanley! Do you hear what kind of foul language this ruffian is using? Can you deny the appropriateness of my actions in the face of such filth?”

For a moment the bouncer, who was apparently named Inquisator Stanley, had a look of long suffering indifference on his face. Then, it hardened and his face was back to commanding and cool.

“Doctor, I am asking you kindly to sit down or I will have you removed.” Inquisator Stanley turned to Dave and his friends. “I know you’re not perfect either, but try not to let him rile you. I will kick every last one of your fully paid up asses out of here if there is any more trouble. We clear?”

Dave looked him square in the eye. “We’re clear, but I really don’t think it’s fair to throw us out when we will gladly sit here quietly and spend our money if the good Doctor over there isn’t causing trouble.”

Stanley seemed to get the hint and nodded to Dave and turned away. Dave stared down his friend. “So help me if you ruin this night by having to prove you’ve got a dick.”

***

Kennedy could see the stairs the entire time, but he felt a special satifaction at having finally reached them. His body was aching and tired, but he had made it all the way to the stairs. This was so much more than he thought possibly just twenty minutes ago. Now his eyes traveled up the staircase. There were at least thirty stairs. Stairs that he was fairly certain he would have to place both feet on before moving to the next. They had gotten this far, no use letting defeat take over now.

“We’re there, aren’t we? That’s why we’ve stopped.”

“Yes, we’re at the stairs.”

“How does it look?”

“There’s around thirty of them, but the coast is clear. I don’t think this is going to be easy, though.”

“You’ve made it this far, what’s thirty more stairs?”

“I know, but I just mean that it is going to take a lot of time.”

“Then take that time, but move. I’m really hating being useless and I have high hopes for a wheely chair once we get up the stairs.”

“How does your foot feel?”

“How does your arm feel?”

“It hurts like hell and feels like it’s on fire.”

“Pretty much the same here.”

“Good, glad we’re both miserable.”

“Miserable, but almost free.”

“Almost free, but not quite.”

“Please. Please don’t be like that. I can’t bear the pain if I don’t have hope.”

“I can’t bear to hope when the consequences could be very dire.”

“Then shut up and start up those stairs. That should take enough effort that you can’t talk. I’ll stay quiet about my hope if you’ll not remind me that you’re afraid to have it.”

“I know it’s ugly, but it feel so much safer to me.”

“You can feel however you want to as long as you start moving again.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Don’t call me ‘ma’am.’ It makes me sound old. I refuse to believe that you are dating some sort of frail spinster. If you were, getting up these stairs would be a lot easier because I would mostly be a bag of bones and weight next to nothing.”

A slight rumbling below her let Addie know that she had broken through his desolation.

***

Where are you?

On my date. Duh.

Oh yeah. That.

I can hear you judging me.

You can’t “hear” anything. This is a text.

You know what I mean.

Look, when do you think you’ll be home? I might need some help.

I’m not really sure. We’re having a good time and I think I might go back to his place.

Really?

Really.

Wait, how long have you been out?

He picked me up maybe two hours ago? Maybe a little more?

Ok. Nevermind. I’ll talk to you when you get home. Have a fun night!

Why the change of heart?

What’s the point in being mad? You’re already out.

Dave closed his phone. If Sir Wackadoodle was out with Jenni all night, that was probably in his favor. He wasn’t sure how, but he knew that Cornelius was involved. Jenni being with him made it less likely that he would be around to interfere when Dave finally made his way to Kennedy.

Dave knew where he needed to go. He knew that he needed to get to the only area that wasn’t mapped out in his head. That’s where he would find the staircase. The bouncer guarded the only entrance to the back that Dave saw. However, Stanley had left his perch when the two drunks went at it. If Dave could incite them to fight again, and then slip away before the bouncer got to them, he might be able to slip into the back. He needed to make sure that his friends didn’t get kicked out, though. They would raise the alarm looking for their driver if they were kicked out. So it had to the the Doctor that started the fight. It also needed to be obviously started by him. Dave’s head began to throb. How did spies do this shit?

***

“Fifteen! Does it look like halfway?”

“Actually, it kind of does. I could kiss you right now.”

“That would waste time.”

“But it would be fun.”

“Fine. It would be a fun waste of time. Once we are out of here I promise you can have all the fun wasting time you want.”

“If we get out of here.”

“Once we get out of here.”

“Roshambo for it?”

“Can you see my hand?”

“No.”

“Can you move yours without dropping me?”

“No.”

“Then it’s a draw. Also, sixteen.”

“I love that you’re counting.”

“I plan on being very precise when we have to tell the police our story. And do not think I will leave out what a jerk you have been.”

“Can you blame a man for being cranky, given the circumstances?”

“Yes.”

“Fine. I suppose you CAN, but you know that’s not what I meant.”

“Seventeen. Sounds like you need to be a bit more precise with your words.”

“Sounds like I know exactly what kind of wife you would be.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s supposed to mean you will endlessly argue semantics whenever we get into an argument to make sure you win, even though you have completely thrown aside the true content and meaning.”

“How is anyone supposed to understand content and meaning without the precisesness of language?”

“How is anyone supposed to communicate when they cannot allow emotions to occassionally overtake their words?”

“How am I supposed to argue with you when you mentioned thinking about me as a wife?”

“How am I supposed to account for the choice of wife over ‘long- term- girlfriend’ when I am trying really hard to focus my energy on getting us up these stairs and one of those phrases is signifigantly shorter!”

“You think I’m gorgeous. You want to kiss me. Eighteen. You want to hug me. You want to love me.”

“Wrong Sandra Bullock movie! I thought we were in Speed!”

“But Miss Congeniality is so much fun! She gets to be badass and save the day and she gets to learn about herself and others.”

“But that makes me the asshole cop that only gets with her because she’s pretty.”

“That’s why he is initially attracted to her, but he stays interested because he gets to see all the sides of her.”

“I still don’t think I like it. It’s kind of shallow.”

“Do you want to be the pageant consultant then? Nineteen.”

“See the crown. Be the crown.”

“You’re a natural! I should have known!”

“What’s your talent going to be?”

“Not saying ‘I told you so’ when we get out of here.”

“You’re totally going to blow that.”

“We’ll I’m no good at playing glasses of water.”

***

Dave was stumped. He went over to the General to order another pitcher. He couldn’t think of a way to get the Doctor to start something without it being obvious what he was doing. He sighed and turned toward the barkeep.

“Another round, please.”

“Son, you look beat.”

“As I am sure you saw, my friends kinda got into it with someone and I am worried about them getting testy again.”

“Yeah, Doctor Lafayette is like that. He likes to pick fights with the college boys. He doesn’t like that you all don’t get dressed up and become part of the ‘atmosphere.’”

“And do you dislike that too?”

“I dislike it when people don’t drink well and tip well. Other than that, I don’t much care.”

“I hope, then, we’re on good terms.”

“I would say we are.”

“Good. Glad to know someone is on my side if Inquisator Stanley decideds that we are causing a ruckus.”

“Stanley’s a good man and he knows his clientele. He knows you all are bleeding money tonight, so he’s not likely to be in a hurry to kick you out. But he also knows that Lafayette is a regular, and that’s something like an investment. Sometimes that man gets away with a bit more than he should simply because he’s always here. ‘Course that just makes him worse. Eventually the Inquisator is going to cut his losses. Possibly tonight. I’ve never seen him get so crazy so early. What did your friend say to him?”

“I actually don’t know. I went to the bathroom, and when I came back they were going at it. I thought we were done for the night.”

“Yeah, well, guess it’s your lucky night.”

“Maybe it is.”

Dave took the pitcher back to his table and started pouring out drinks. In a fit of possible lunacy, he decided to take a glass to Doctor Lafayette as a sort of “I’m sorry my friends are dicks” peace offering. He made his way over, thrusting the glass at Lafayette.

“Hey, I’m sorry that things went a bit crazy earlier. My friends and I just wanted to offer you a beer as a way to say we’re sorry. Well, at least I am.”

Doctor Lafayette looked up in disgust.

“You do realize that’s the cheapest beer this place has to offer?”

“Well, yeah. But we are college students and they are a little more interested in spending their money elsewhere in this establishment if you catch my meaning.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you are offering me the most vile of beverage options available.”

“Look, you don’t have to take it. I’m just trying to say I’m sorry, and this is what I have. I don’t know what you like to drink, but this is what we’re drinking. I can just take it back to my table. Sorry for making your night worse.”

“Oh you have absolutely made my night worse by even being here.”

“Look, I’m not looking to fight you. I’m not drunk like my friends are, and I can see how they might be annoying. If you don’t want to accept my apology- fine. But stop trying to turn it into some sort of fight. That’s not what I’m looking for.”

“If you’re not looking for a fight, then why come over at all?”

“Ok. I’m done. Sorry for the intrusion.”

Dave picked back up the beer and turned away. And that’s when he got punched in the back of the head.

***

Rosie had been looking at her phone for the past twenty minutes, waiting for some sort of response. Dave had sent her a text that simply said “Metal and Lace as soon as you can.” When she had asked him why, he hadn’t responded. She didn’t want to go anywhere near that club if she could help it, but it looked like no response was forthcoming. She never liked the place to begin with, but after what had happened to Lola she positively despised the place. Dave had told her he thought the club was involved, but she had refused to believe it. There was no way that her sister could be in that kind of trouble, but now it looked like she was.

Rosie looked in her closet. She had a good idea where this was going. She rummaged around until she found the old Halloween costume Lola has borrowed for her audition. No one was messing with her sister.

***

“Thirty- five.”

“This is the last one.”

“The last one?”

“The final frontier.”

“What are you waiting for?”

“There’s a door.”

“Let me at it!”

***

Dave came to slowly. First were the muffled noises, then colors started coming back, and finally he started to get definition to everything, including the pounding in his head. What had happened?

He started to get up and realized the floor was sticky and dirty. Meaty hands were pulling him up. He turned his head, wincing, and looked up at the man helping him. Inquisitor Stanley looked back down at Dave. When Dave was finally off the floor and in a chair, his least drunk friend sat across from him and attempted to explain what had happened.

“So you went over to talk to the pretty boy and you must have made him mad because when you left he punched the back of your head which is hella cowardly.”

“Does anyone even say ‘hella’ anymore?”

“And we didn’t know what happened until the bouncer dude was tossing him out. Then we saw you on the floor. But we thought maybe we shouldn’t get you up because maybe you were really hurt, but then you came to and the bouncer got you up and we all agreed that we can go home now.”

“No! I mean, um, no. I think we should stay a bit longer. I don’t think I’m fit to drive yet, but I think I will be soon.”

“Ok. I guess if that’s what you want.”

“I really think it is what’s best.”

***

“You look terrible,” a female voice cooed in his ear.

Dave looked up quickly. That was a mistake. The room spun for a minute before coming back into focus. The pounding rattled around a bit. Even once her face was clear, Dave wasn’t exactly sure who he was looking at.

“Ummm, hello?”

“Don’t tell me I made that small of an impression on you. And I got all dressed up when you asked me to come out.”

“Rosie!”

“Ahhh, now you’ve got it.”

“I didn’t recognize you in all of..that,” he flailed his hands unhelpfully as some sort of indication to her costume.

“Not bad, huh?”

“Brilliant. Perfect.”

“So you think she’s here?”

“Kennedy’s car is in the parking lot. According to texts on his phone, which I found in the car, Addie was picked up first and Kennedy was blackmailed into coming into the club after it was closed in order to rescue her. After some snooping, I learned this place has a basement, and I’m pretty sure that’s where they are. I don’t know how to get to the basement except that it’s back there, past the bouncer.”

Rosie’s mouth was a grim line as she listened to Dave explain his reasoning. “And do you have a plan?”

“No. But I hoped with two of us we could figure one out. Though right now I’m not sure I’m any good for forming plans. I just got punched in the back of the head.”

“That explains the look of total pain on your face. Luckily for you, I’m a woman in costume that knows the real name of one of the strippers.”

“How is that helpful?”

“I can walk right past that bouncer because 1- I’m a woman, and 2- I clearly know someone and am dropping something off for her.”

“How do we keep you safe, though? And what happens when the girl reveals you’re not actually here for her.”

“See that girl on stage right now? Her stage name is Henrietta. Her real name is Joey. She was friends with my friend Lola, and she was just as devastated when Lola lost it. She might not be willing to help much because of her own safety fears, but she will cover for me and that’s enough.”

“But once you’re back there I can’t do anything to help you out really.”

“Well, I’ve got your number. If I think I need help, I’ll text. Besides, you might be able to create a large scene out here that draws everyone to you which could help me. You’ll never be able to get back there, so just help the best you can out here.”

“I’m still scared for you.”

“And you should be. But there’s nothing to do for it. I’ll head back in about five minutes because Joey should be all the way in the back by then.”

“Thank you for coming. I don’t think I would have figured out a way to get in the back and save Kennedy and Addie.”

“Now you don’t need to. She’s my sister. I have to be here.”

***

Kennedy and Addie had opened the door and were now making their way down a hallway. This seemed more perilous than the previous part of their journey. They were now on the main floor. They were likely to encounter someone and it would be hard to tell if that person was friend or foe. They couldn’t run, and hiding was going to be difficult.

“Maybe we should check each room. Maybe there’s a phone and we can call for help.”

“Or maybe the evil surgeon lady will be sitting in a chair in the room and we’ll be done for.”

“What if one of these rooms has a side door that leads outside?”

“We need to get somewhere that lots of people will see us. That will make it more difficult for her to re-apprehend us. If we throw a fit, others will hopefully help or at least call the police. If the outside door leads us to a back alley, we might not have a chance.”

“We might not have a chance in this hallway either.”

“Fair point.”

“So what do we do?”

“I think we keep moving forward. Opening doors slows us down and the music is getting louder so we must be getting closer to the club proper.”

“But getting closer to the actual club means more danger.”

“True.”

Kennedy continued to slowly move forward while both had an internal debate about which course of action was better. Both options had serious risks.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to be here,” cut in a new voice.

***

“Your house is amazing!”

Jenni looked around in unashamed awe at the splendor that was Sir Cornelius’s house. It was spacious with high ceilings and lots of wood and brick and rock. It was earthy and manly but understated and regal. She thought it seemed like a royal family log cabin, if there was such a thing.

“Thank you, my dear. Would you like something to drink? Perhaps a glass of wine?”

“That would be lovely, yes.”

“Why don’t you have a seat in front of the fireplace while I procure it?”

Jenni pulled her phone out of her purse. She was halfway through a text to Kennedy when she realized there was no point in sending it. He wouldn’t be responding. He was still missing. This dampened her mood considerably. What good was having a great story to tell if she didn’t have a best friend to tell it to?

“You look sad, what is wrong?”

“I’m just thinking about my friend. The one that’s missing. I was just thinking about how much he was going to enjoy hearing about this wonderful night, and I realized I couldn’t tell him because I don’t know where he is.”

“How about you give me that date and time now and I call and get those tapes ready for you? Perhaps we can stop by the club when I take you home to pick them up. Will that make you feel better?”

“So much better. Could you? Please?”

“Your wish is my command.”

***

Kennedy’s eyes drew up from the floor and rested on Nina’s very blank face.

“No, we shouldn’t be,” he answered slowly.

“You should be in this room here until the coast is clear.”

“What?”

“You are clearly strong and determined and I am going to help you now.”

“But Nina, won’t you get in trouble?”

“Just don’t say I helped if you get caught.”

“How do I know you aren’t doing this to keep us in place while you go get that vile woman?”

“You don’t. However, I am not. If you stay in this room, I will come back for you when the coast is clear.”

“Do we wait until the club closes? Are you going to come get us while it’s still open and we can make a scene? Is there anyone else that can help us?”

“I do not know when I will get you and I do not know of anyone who can help. I just know you will not make it right now. This is the best I can do for you. I am a robot stripper, not a robot genius.”

“Fair enough. Then we’ll wait.”

“Good. I will come back when it is safe.”

Nina opened the door and closed it again once Kennedy and Addie were safely inside. The room was an office and had three plush chairs. One behind the desk and two in front of it. Kennedy placed Addie on the desk with her back to the chair behind the desk. Then he pushed the chair in so Addie could scoot back until she fell, butt first, into the chair. They left her legs elevated on the desk. Kennedy then took one of the chairs on the other side of the desk.

“I’m worried I won’t be able to get back up when the time comes.”

“At least you can push me in this chair instead of carrying me.”

“Do you think we can trust Nina?”

“I don’t think we have a choice. Maybe you should look for anything we can use as a weapon, though, just in case.”

“It’s probably best that I don’t sit down for long anyway. I’ll probably start to get sore and it will make the final stage of this harder.”

“I’ll check the desk drawers; why don’t you check the filing cabinet and shelves over there?”

“Ok, let’s see what kind of random objects we can turn into violent projectiles.”

“That’s the spirit.”

***

“Hi!” Rosie chimed brightly. “I’m here to give Joey a project.”

“Excuse me?” inquisitor Stanley looked at Rosie closely, trying to discern just what she was up to.

“Joey? She works here? Oh shoot. She told me that’s not her name here. Oh geeze, what is it here?” Rosie frowned and started fiddling with her phone. “I know she told me it was something else at work. It I hadn’t taken so long getting my part done I would have had this for her before she came in. Hmph.” She made a few more exasperated noises as she scrolled through her texts. “Ah! Henrietta. I am here to give Henrietta my part of the project so she can add it to her part!”

Stanley had been studying Rosie carefully while she had gone through her little act.

“Why are you dressed up?” He asked suddenly.

“Isn’t that what people do at this place? I’d never been, but I do understand what steampunk is. I thought that everyone dressed up here.” She surveyed the room behind her. “But I guess that’s not strictly true.”

“You want to give the project to me and I’ll pass it along to her?”

“Sure! Do you have pen and paper? I’ll need to write down which files she needs and which folders they are in. Oh! And can you also tell her that she doesn’t have to do the part on microderms? Sally said she would do that. So, I mean, Joey will still have to do it because Sally is a shit writer, but at least she’ll have something to revise, but she’ll have to bug Sally to get it to her in time for it to be revised!”

Stanley looked slightly confused.

“I don’t have a pen and paper. Ummm, can you tell me which files?”

“Ok. In the folder marked ‘Science’ she will find the file called ’343 Project.’ That file is the group paper that I’ve started. Then she needs to go into the ‘Informatics’ folder. Inside that folder is another folder called ‘Lab charts.’ In that folder she’ll find the file ’343 Project Charts and Data.’ then she’ll have to go to the…”

“Yeah, I don’t think I can remember all that. I’m sure Henrietta has some paper in the back so you can write all that down for her. If you go down this hallway, the second door on your right is the dressing room. You should find her in there. She’s not due back on stage for another fifteen minutes, so don’t take too long.”

“Are you sure? Really, I can leave this all for you if that’s better.”

“No, I’m sure. Go ahead and go on back. I’m sure all of this will make more sense to her anyway.”

“Thank you…”

“Stanley. Inquisitor Stanley.”

“Thank you Inquisitor Stanley. You’ve been very kind tonight!”

“Any time miss.”

Rosie practically skipped back to the dressing room. This had been much simpler than she had anticipated.

***

Dave watched as Rosie went straight to Stanley and within minutes was walking past him and heading to the back. He watched her figure disappear for sight, through a door just off the hallway. Now he would have to wait. He fidgeted with his phone, not wanting to miss her call if she thought she was in trouble or needed help.

“What are you looking at?”

“What? Oh, just that girl. I didn’t know she worked here. She came by and said hi to me, but for the life of me I can’t remember what I know her from. I was just trying to figure it out.”

“Well she’s hot. I hope she gets up there tonight and shakes it for us.”

“Me too. Maybe with less clothes on I’ll remember where I know her from.” Dave winced inwardly at the crude comment.

His friend slapped him on the back, a bit harder than he would have if he had been sober. “Damn you get around, Dave!”

“You know me.”

His friend just laughed and turned back toward the stage. They had only been here two-ish hours and it had seemed like a lifetime. Dave checked his phone again. Rosie had only gone back two minutes ago.

***

“Henrietta!” Rosie called out as she entered the dressing room.

“Hi. Ummm….Rose, is it?”

“Rosie.”

Henrietta pulled Rosie over to her locker, away from the prying ears of the other girls.

“What are you doing here?”

“Just dropping off this project that we’re working on.”

“Oh! Of course, how could I have forgotten?”

“Do you have a pen and paper? I need to write down all the files you’ll need and what folders they are in.”

“Sure, sure. Just a second.”

Henrietta made a show of going to get a pen and paper. For the most part all of the other girls lost interest in the new comer and Henrietta. This wasn’t going to be juicy or interesting. Henrietta came back and handed the paper to Rosie.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks. Let’s see here you’ll need…”

Rosie got straight to work writing on the paper.

I think my sister is here and in trouble. Lola kind of trouble.

Henrietta took the pen from her.

“Oh, wait, is that in the same folder as this file?”

Why do you think that?

She disappeared with her boyfriend and his car is in the lot here. No one can get ahold of them, and his roommate has reason to believe they are in the basement.

“Oh! I almost forgot that you’ll need the data file too!”

What do you want from me?

Just a cover. And directions to the basement if you know them.

“Thanks Rosie. I’ll get the project done tonight after work and we can meet before class to go over it one more time.”

“Sounds great.”

“Let me show you out.”

Henrietta walked Rosie to the door of the dressing room and out into the hallway.

“Down this hall, I think the basement door is the third door on the left, but I’m not sure. I’ve never been down there. I’ll do my best to cover for you, but that’s all I can do.”

“I understand.”

“I hope, for your sister’s sake, that she’s not actually down there.”

“I don’t know what I hope. I want her to be there so I can take her home, but I don’t want her to be there because I don’t want her to end up like Lola.”

Henrietta quickly embraced Rosie.

“Be careful.”

“Thank you.”

Henrietta turned to go back through the door, but it opened before she could open it herself.

“I think you’ll find,” Nina said, “that the door just down and to the left is the one you actually want.”

“Ummm, pardon?” Rosie asked, trying to sound genuinely confused instead of utterly terrified.

“You look very much like the girl in the room just to the left, so you must be looking for her.”

“How…?”

“I head you talking to Henrietta.”

“But we didn’t say anything about my sister.”

“You also didn’t say anything about your project. Nothing real anyway.”

“How do I know this isn’t some sort of trap? That this isn’t how you grabbed my sister too?”

“You don’t. However, I am not that clever and I like your sister and the boy. They are friends with Empress Lilly and she is very kind to me. So are they.”

“How do I get them out of here?”

“I don’t know; I am a robot stripper, not a robot genius.”

Henrietta looked sick. “You’re a robot?”

“Why do you think Mistress Gillian has to help me so much? Why do you think I live in a strip club? I am an experiment.”

“A rather successful one I should think.”

“I am not good enough. My gears don’t function completely right. That is why she needs to test out her gears.”

“What do you mean test?”

“She puts them into people and sees how they work. That’s how she knows she has it right.”

“Nina, are Rosie’s sister and her boyfriend experiments?”

“Yes.”

Now it was Rosie’s turn to look pale. “Are they alive?”

“Yes. That is how they got into the room just to the left.”

“I have to get them out of here!”

“I have to get on stage. I don’t want them to think there’s a reason to look for me and find you. I’ll be back once I’m done and I’ll do what I can to help.”

“Nina, I’m starting to formulate a plan, but I am going to need assistance.”

“I can be of assistance.”

“Wonderful.”

The door creaked open. Kennedy held the ball shaped paperweight in his hand, ready to fast- pitch it into the face of any enemies that came in the door. A face slowly peaked around the door, eyes clearly not adjusting well to the dark.

“Rosie?” Addie whispered.

“Addie?” came the response.

Addie had to try hard to not throw herself out of the chair and into her sister’s waiting arms. Addie looked over at Kennedy, nodding to let him know he could stand down. Rosie came into the room and shut the door softly behind her. Her eyes took in Addie’s bandaged foot, but she couldn’t really understand what she was looking at. Tentatively, she stepped toward her sister.

“Addie, what did they do to you?”

“Not they. She. She cut my foot open and put gears in each of my toes.” Addie all but spit out the words, disgusted by what had been done to her. What she had allowed to happen to her.

Rosie made a muffled chocking sound as she came closer to the elevated foot.

“Does it hurt?” she whispered.

“Of course it does, but I can’t hurt nearly as much as Kennedy does.”

At this Rosie finally took note of the boy who had been planning on smashing her face in only minutes before. His arm was still taped to his body, but it was starting to come unstuck in places and he holding his arm in place just as much as it was being held in place. She took in his injuries before looking up to his face, which was covered in a nervous smile.

“How do you do?” he asked awkwardly.

“Well hello Boo Radley. I’m not going to hurt you. You’ve clearly been trying very hard to save my sister and I can’t thank you enough for that.”

“It’s my fault she was here at all.”

“Oh hush you!” came the reply for Addie. “You were absolutely right to be worried and this was as much my idea as yours. There is no one to blame except that butcher of a woman. All that should have happened is I was kicked out and maybe arrested. No one could have imagined that this would happen.”

“But Lola.”

Here Rosie looked carefully at Kennedy. “What about Lola?”

Kennedy launched into the story of his fears for Jenni coupled with the story of Lola and how they ended up locked in a basement and experimented upon. The whole story made Rosie ill. They had tried so hard to help someone out and had miscalculated so badly. However, she couldn’t fault their logic. Who would have thought that the problem was actually the mother hen of the strippers and not the somewhat lecherous and overly charismatic club owner? Rosie had to wave off some of the details, not wanting to actually be physically ill and wanting to spare both of them the recounting of their torture. She needed them to stay strong for one final push toward freedom.

“Ok, I have a plan to get you out of here. Nina and Henrietta are willing to play their parts, so all we have to do is wait until the coast is clear and the time is right. Do you think you can wait? Will you still be strong enough?”

“I’ll wait as long as necessary,” Kennedy said, “if it means we will be out of here and can put all of this behind us.”

“Good. It should only be another ten minutes and then, hopefully, you can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.”

***

Dave nearly jumped and dropped the phone when it vibrated in his hand.

Be prepared to make a scene when I tell you to.

What kind of scene?

Preferably something big that calls the bouncer to you. It’s fine if you get kicked out. Try to drag it on as long as you can.

How long do I have to prepare?

About ten minutes.

Dave looked over at his drunk friends, a plan already formulating.

“Hey Sam.”

“Yeah?”

“In a couple minutes I want you to punch me.”

“What?”

“Punch me. Like in the face or something. I don’t really care where. Just when I give the signal, get up, yell at me, and punch me.”

“You are making no sense.”

“I’ll punch you if you don’t want to punch me first, but I think it will be more realistic if the drunk guy throws the first punch.”

“Dude, what is this about?”

“If I’m right, this is about saving Kennedy.”

“Your roommate? But he’s not here.”

“Actually, he is. And hopefully I can help him get out of here if you just do as you’re told and punch me in the damn face when I tell you to.”

“This is messed up.”

“If you only knew.”

***

“Dear, it seems there is a problem at the club. I’m going to be a bit on the phone. I am terribly sorry.”

“Oh, of course! I understand.”

Jennie waved off Sir Cornelius’s apologies and decided to look around the house. At first she wandered aimlessly, taking a closer look at things here and there that peaked her interest. It didn’t take long for her to decide to be a bit more through as the phone conversation seemed to be quite involved. She poked her head into a room in the back of the house and gasped. There, standing in the middle of the room, was a humanoid robot. She walked further into the room to take a closer look. The robot was all gears and copper and aluminum. It was roughly the same height as her. In fact, it was even female. The robot had a soft hourglass figure and even had mechanical boobs. Jenni reached out to touch the creature.

As soon as she touched it, a gear sprang loose and ricocheted off the wall into some unseen corner. Jenni was terrified at her mistake and instantly started crawling all over the room, trying to find the missing gear. She wasn’t sure what she would do once she found it. She wasn’t quite sure where it had sprung from, and she really didn’t know anything about robotics anyway. However, finding it would be a start and she might as well tackle one problem at a time.

She was so engrossed with crawling around that she didn’t hear the footsteps entering the room at first. But when he cleared his throat, Jenni nearly jumped out of her skin.

“I was wondering where you had gotten to,” Cornelius called to her.

“Oh!” Jenni shrieked, sitting bolt upright at the sound.

“So you have found my workshop. Just what do you think of it?”

“I…I think I shouldn’t have touched it!”

“Touched it?”

“Yes. I was looking at your lovely lady over there and I reached out to touch her and pop! One of her gears came flying off and I have yet to find it. That’s what I was just doing now. Trying to find the gear I lost.”

“Hmmm.” He took a few steps over to his robot and looked carefully at her, trying to determine where the lost gear came from.

“It looks like one of the gears in her shoulder is missing. It should be medium sized with three- eights inch teeth.”

Jenni looked at him helplessly, certain that she had no idea just what he had said to her.

“No matter dear,” he bent to offer her a hand to help her up as she was still hands and knees on the floor. “I am sure it will pop up when I go to clean next. Truly it is no problem. It’s a standard gear.”

“What is she for?”

“She’s an experiment. I’ve been trying to make a lifelike robot. She is my latest prototype. I’ve been having difficulty getting the joints to work as precisely and fluidly as a human. I keep trying, but it’s just not right. You wouldn’t believe the research I have done.”

“So this is just a hobby? It’s just for fun?”

“Yes, I guess so. There are many practical uses for a robot that can appear fully human. I just have to get it fully functional so that the uses can be explored. I have a long term plan.”

“Sounds like more than a hobby.”

“I suppose it is. I see it as a business plan.”

Realizing she had nothing more to say and he did not seem to wish to discuss this topic in detail, Jenni decided to change the subject. “Is everything OK at the club?”

“Actually I was thinking that it might be best to head to the club sooner rather than later. Gillian seems to be having a problem, but she didn’t want to discuss it in detail on the phone. She sounded somewhat frantic, so I think it would be best if we left. Hopefully the boys will have your tape ready as well. I will be giving them less time than I originally stated.”

Jenni nodded her willingness to leave now, even though she had barely gotten to spend any time with him at the home. He led her back to the front of the house and they were on their way.

***

NOW.

Dave checked his phone, turned to Sam, and said, “You have ten seconds before I punch you.”

Sam didn’t waste any time. He stood up, knocking the table and spilling drinks.

“You son of a bitch!” he screamed as he sucker punched Dave.

“Oof!” Dave gasped as the air was knocked out of him. Doubled over, he launched himself at Sam, speaking him and knocking him over. This time the table came down with him. Straddling Sam, Dave started to punch Sam in the face. Sam took a few hits before he was able to start blocking the blows and attempted to push Dave off of him.

Now the others were getting involved. Someone tried to pull Dave away from Sam, but he fought, pushing his way forward, arms and legs pumping, trying to hit anything and everything silly enough to be in his path. Someone else was doing the same to Sam. Unfortunately, Sam was much larger than Dave, and the guy trying to hold him back was not very strong or he was possibly very drunk. It wasn’t long before fists were making contact and blows were being exchanged again. Rosie had asked for a scene, and that was certainly what she was getting.

By now there was a ring of patrons surrounding the fight like they were some highschool freshman having it out in the hallway. People were standing on chairs and craning their necks to get a good look at the fight. The crowd was so thick, that Inquisitor Stanley had some difficulty pushing his way through.

“That is enough!” Stanley bellowed.

Dave was not about to be deterred by just a voice. He planned on fighting until he physically wasn’t able to do so any more. The voice seemed to have momentarily stopped Sam, and Dave took advantage of his distraction, landing a solid blow to his jaw. This invigorated Sam (who still had no idea just why they were fighting, but who was he to turn down a good brawl?), and Sam came back at Dave with a vengeance  Inquisitor Stanley was a strong man, but he wouldn’t be able to pull them apart on his own. Dave and Sam were a pile of wildly flailing appendages, tangled on the floor. Stanley tried to find a loose arm, much like the end of a ball of yarn. He hoped he was pulling things lose and not tighter.

***

Backstage was also pandemonium. Just as Henrietta was coming off stage, Nina had started complaining loudly and holding her elbow, screaming that it was on fire. The girls rushed to her side while someone ran to get Gillian. Though she was a robot, she made convincing sobbing like sounds, though no tears actually fell. Henrietta had also run out to “get Gillian,” but really she ran to the room where Rosie, Addie, and Kennedy waited. She threw the door wide open and stood in the doorway, startling the inhabitants of the room.

“Showtime ladies and gents!”

Rosie got behind Addie’s chair and started to push her to the door. Henrietta led them out, with Kennedy taking up the rear. Still clutched in his good hand was the glass paperweight. The sounds of Nina screaming and the roar of the fight club outside made the walls shake with the din. It was thrilling and terrifying. Henrietta was motioning for them to move faster and they were nearly at a run when they hit the arch that was the barrier between the club and the backstage.

A gunshot filled the air and suddenly the room was deathly silent. Everyone stopped and looked in the direction of the sound. Gillian stood calmly behind the group of escapees, gun leveled at Kennedy’s chest.

“While this has all been quite vexing,” she said confidently, “it is also now coming to an end.”

That’s when Henrietta saw just what Gillian had shot. Nina lay in a pile on the floor. A large swath of her face had been blown apart. Gears and wires sparked as the robot attempted to continue to function. An irregular humming and intermittent clicking filled the air. The dying sounds of the robot were just as pitiful and heart wrenching as those of a human. None of the other girls knew that Nina was a robot. Their shock hung plainly on their faces as they attempted to fully take in that one of their friends was dying and was also not human. They huddled together, a mass of women in varying states of undress and belief. Bravely, Nina’s twin “sister” came forward and held the dying robot in her arms.

“Shhhhh,” she cooed over her sister. “It will be all right. I’m here with you. No need to worry.” Tears streaked down her face. “I’m with you now. It’s all right.”

“Oh for heaven’s sakes. Will you shut up already? It’s a bloody robot! It’s not like it’s actually your sister!” The harsh words drew everyone’s focus back to the madwoman with the gun.

“If you’re so upset over a robot, I really think you’re going to have a problem with the rest of this evening. Now then. Would everyone in the club kindly take a seat?” She waited a moment, but no one moved. “Now!” she yelled, waving her gun over the audience. Chairs started to scrape across the floor as everyone carefully took a seat.

Dave took care to sit somewhere that he could see everything that was happening.

“Before anyone gets any heroic ideas, I’ve engaged my cell signal blocker. You won’t be able to call out.” Everyone continued to listen with rapt attention. “Really, most of you I don’t have a problem with. It’s just this group right here that I need to deal with. Once I’m done with them, we’ll have a chat about the rest of you.”

At this she turned her gun back on the group of escapees and their rescuers. Addie was still in the chair, bandaged foot gingerly touching the floor. Rosie was behind the chair, knuckles gripping tightly on the black leather. Kennedy stood to the side of the chair, coiled and tense. Henrietta stood off to the side and behind all of them, pale from the ramification of her choice to help.

Sir Cornelius, with Jenni by the hand, selected that moment to walk into his club, completely oblivious to the situation he was walking into.

The quiet of the club was suddenly obvious and tense as Cornelius slowly stepped forward, then abruptly stopped when he saw the gun.

“Gillian?”

“I wasn’t ready to show you yet. I had been working so hard. Making such progress. And then this! And then everything had to go and be ruined by a few college kids that thought it nothing could be more fun than interfering with my life.”

Kennedy started to speak, but a tug on his sleeve from Addie made him think better of it.

“College kids ruining your life? What are you talking about? What have you been doing? What weren’t you ready to show me?” He took a few more steps toward Gillian, concern etched in his brow.

“I wasn’t ready to show you this!” She waved her gun hand toward Addie and Kennedy. “I’ve been working so hard to make your gears right. To make them flow in a more human- like fashion. I wanted to show you how perfect your machines could be!”

There was a gasp behind Cornelius as Jenni finally saw the battered and bandaged Addie and Kennedy lumped together in the line of fire. There was a shuffling of her feet as she started to go to them, looked at the gun, and thought better of her choice.

“Gillian, these aren’t machines. These are kids. My machines were never human. I mean, my Nina always looked human, but she wasn’t. I make robots. Not humans with robot parts.” He tried to say it soothingly, gently even. But all Gillian could hear was the judgement he was making about her and her experiments.

“Can’t you see how hard I’ve worked? How far I’ve come? With my data and discoveries we could make your designs flawless. No one would be able to tell the difference. We could have a whole club of robots that don’t need food or water or breaks or payment! So many possibilities if we could just get it right.”

“Did these kids volunteer? Did you ask them if you could do this to them? Did they know what you were going to do to them?”

“They volunteered when they decided to break into the back of the club and go through our files! They volunteered when they sneaked into the club after hours! They knew what I was going to do because I let them decide which joints I paralleled!”

“Gillian, giving them a choice is not the same thing as asking consent.”

“They gave their consent by being nosy brats!”

Cornelius was now much closer to Gillian. Jenni, too, had been creeping forward, trying to get to Kennedy and Addie. So far Gillian had not trained the gun on them and had not seemed uneasy with their advancement.

“Ok, so they gave their consent. Just what did you do? What did you learn?” Cornelius tried to placate her by faking interest in her achievements. All the while, closer he came.

“I made improvements to your gears. I measured where they were failing or how the range of motion needed to be altered. Then I cut new gears to correct the problem. But here’s where the genius part comes in! I put them into people in parallel with the actual bones! Then I could study how they did or did not function appropriately and tweak them as needed. I kept extensive notes. You would be so proud of my process. It’s all detailed and recorded.”

“I do think it is important to be meticulous and well documented when experimenting.”

“And these two were going so well until the ruined everything! Who knows what damage they have done to all my careful planning and preparation by escaping! I’m certain that they’ve sent me gears off course and I’ll need to correct them now which will mean waiting again through the recovery until I can get to the physical therapy section and then I will have to redo all the data. What if they’ve ruined the gears? I will have to completely start over!”

A cold chill went down Dave’s back as he listened. She was speaking as though she was going to just grab Kennedy and Addie and take them back downstairs for some more back alley joint surgery. She was talking as though Cornelius was going to be okay with this and let it happen. As though all of them were going to do this and just let it happen. Then again, they had been just letting this happen. They had all been just sitting there. The fear of her killing someone was too much of a risk for them right now. They all had hopes that this would be resolved without any further gunfire. Maybe Cornelius could make that happen- if he wasn’t on her side.

Jenni was now halfway to Kennedy and Addie. She was full of guilt as she realized that Dave had been right and her own prejudices had kept her from seeing it. The club had been involved and she hadn’t tried hard enough to look for proof when she had been at work last. If she had talked to more people or maybe tried a bit harder, maybe Kennedy and Addie would have already been home. Maybe no one would be looking down the barrel of a gun and praying that they weren’t going to die. Jennie’s guilt was full and complete.

Kennedy and Addie had been quietly holding hand, watching the exchange between them with rapt attention. It seemed like Cornelius was on their side, but the more he talked, the less they were sure. Kennedy thought that he was simply trying to comfort Gillian just so he could get closer to her. Addie, meanwhile, was focused on the gun in Gillian’s hand. She held it with a confidence that was worrying. She seemed like someone who had shot many times before and knew what she was doing. This was good because it meant no accidental discharges. It was bad because that meant that whomever she shot at she was going to seriously injure or kill. And it was looking like she and Kennedy were at the top of her list.

“I don’t want you to start over. I am sure this is salvageable. I am sure that the damage is minimal if there is any. Clearly they took some care to protect the surgical sites. Look, that one is in a chair, so that means she has kept off her feet. And he has his arm taped to him. Surely that means he was trying to keep his arm safe and secure. I think you over- estimate the amount of time and data that has been lost.”

“Really? Do you think so? I would love to be able to keep going. He was producing so much interesting data. In fact, I was going to apply some of my findings to Nina.” Gillian paused here, looking back at the dead robot, still held in her sister’s arms.

“What happened to my Nina?”

“She malfunctioned.”

“Gillian. What. Happened. To. Nina.”

“She was helping them escape and when I realized what was happening, she tried to stop me. I had very little choice in the matter.”

“She was my only one. My only working prototype. And now she is nothing. She is dead. Four years of hard work gone because you can’t contain her while she is trying to stop you. She had an off switch for Heaven’s sakes!”

Cornelius’s anger started to boil over and the tension started to rise again. Would this be the comment that pushed Gillian over the edge? Would she snap now and start shooting them?

“I wasn’t thinking clearly,” was her pleading answer.

“Obviously. How could you have been! And you said that there was data we could have used to improve her! I guess we can’t test that out now, seeing as there is no Nina to test it on.”

“I am so, so sorry, Sir.” The gun faltered just a bit in her hand. A collective breath was held. “But I will not be sorry that I am stopping this experiment from escaping. I will not apologize for that!”

“You stop that right now!” Jenni screamed, having snapped. “They are not experiments! They are people! With names and hopes and dreams and families! They are not some lab rats that you ordered out of a catalog! I am done listening to you talk about them in such a detached manner! These are my friends and you have hurt them!”

The gun did not waver anymore. Now it was perfectly aimed at Jenni.

“I didn’t want to hire you, you know. I knew you were trouble. You just don’t know your place. You certainly didn’t realize it wasn’t your place to date the owner, but you still did that. Not only did you do it, but you flaunted it in front of all of us.”

“I never flaunted!”

“You came here, tonight, with him. Like you had caught some prize and you wanted all of us to see it. You came here tonight with him so you could make sure we knew that he had taken you to a fancy dinner and driven you in his fancy car. You came here to shove it in my face because you knew that I wanted him. That I deserved him and you didn’t! You know you didn’t earn the right to be with him! There is nothing special about you! You are not smart. You are not beautiful. You are not kind. But you still took that spot next to him like it was nothing and we should all admire your abilities to trap a man.”

“Excuse me?! I don’t deserve him? I didn’t earn him? What does that even mean? What sort of backwards mindset do you have going on? And, for the record, I am plenty smart, beautiful and kind! In fact, when measured against you, I am certain that I am off the charts!”

She didn’t take aim, but Gillian did fire, and that’s when all hell broke loose.

***
Many things happened all at once. There was one immediate scream followed by many others. Most of the sitting patrons leapt from their seats. People moved in all directions. Punches were thrown. Mistakes we made. Heroes emerged. Standard fare for this sort of moment, one would suppose.

The bullet had made a nice hole in Cornelius’s shoulder and had lodged itself in Jenni’s neck. Bit of bad luck, that. Cornelius had been knocked backward when the bullet hit him, falling into Jenni who also fell backwards, her head making a sickening thwap on the floor. Her eyes fluttered shut and did not reopen. Cornelius, on the other hand, was screaming in pain, trying to apply pressure to his wound with his other hand. Blood began to pool around both of them.

Gillian stared at the scene in disbelief. She knew what she was doing when she fired, but it had not gone the way she had planned. She had meant to hit Jenni. But stupid, chivalrous Cornelius had to move just as she fired. Surprisingly, no one had come for her. They were saving themselves, or tending to the injured. She slowly backed away, trying not to draw attention to her exit.

Kennedy dropped to his knees, next to Jenni, trying to find a pulse. There was little that he could do with one arm, but he would do what he could. The pulse was there, but weak. He pressed his hands to her throat, trying to stop the blood loss. His one hand occupied, there was little else he could do. It was just as well. He couldn’t see through the tears streaming down his face. He had caused this. His intentions had been to save Jenni, and instead he might have been indirectly responsible for her death. His grief was deep and cutting. First Addie, now Jenni.

Dave made a beeline for Kennedy and Addie. He needed to touch them, to know they were really there. To know they were actually alive. That was the only thought running through his head. He skidded to a stop next to Kennedy and hugged him fiercely. Well, more grabbed his head and held it tightly in his crotch since Kennedy was on his knees with Jenni. It would have been hilarious if it wasn’t sad.

Presently the sound of sirens could be heard. Someone had been able to call the police and they were finally here. Cops began to flood the main club floor. Orders to put your hands up were shouted over and over again. Slowly the din quieted as the patrons complied. There was a call for the paramedics, but the police were dissatisfied- Gillian was nowhere in sight and this made everyone restless and on edge. As the paramedics got to work on Cornelius (who had ceased screaming and commenced moaning), and Jenni (who had still not regained consciousness). Kennedy and Addie were looked over, deemed stable, and told to wait for the next ambulance.

One of the paramedics got up to grab the stretcher and backboards while the others continued to treat. Suddenly the old intercom system crackled on.

“Everyone got what they deserved!” Gillian’s voice screeched. “Except for Cornelius. That was never meant to happen. But he will forgive me. He will understand. It was for the science! It was for the advancement! The work will never be truly done.”

The intercom snapped off. The police were out of their depth. They didn’t have the manpower to deal with gathering statements from all of the patrons, keeping them in place until that happened, and going after Gillian. They tried to make due. A team fanned out and began systematically searching each of the rooms, attempting to find their gunwoman.

Jenni’s limp body was lifted and then transported to the ambulance. Cornelius quickly followed. Kennedy, Addie, Dave, Rosie, and Henrietta were left standing in the middle of the room essentially alone. Dave, Rosie, and Henrietta refused to leave until Kennedy and Addie had been seen to. The group huddled together, saying very little. Exhaustion was starting to take its toll as the adrenaline wore off. Kennedy and Addie most likely had many hours of questioning ahead of them to explain their several days of absence.

“Fools. As if it would be that easy to find me. You are pathetic!” There was a gunshot over the intercom. Or was it in the room?

It was the room. Definitely the room. Kennedy slumped over, his leg now bleeding. He didn’t cry out, he didn’t really do much of anything but fall over, almost in defeat. Dave examined the entry of the bullet and did some rough calculations in his head. He wasn’t great at mental trig, but his approximations would have to do. His eyes scanned the opposite wall and determined that Gillian had to be in the catwalk that held the stage lights. Now to pass on that information without calling attention to what he was doing.

“Please! Please! Help us!” He called to one of the officers that had filled the room after the gunshot.

At first the officer stared at him, unsure what he should do. Seeing Kennedy on the floor with blood oozing out of his leg seemed to be incentive enough, though, and he came over. The officer bent down to examine the injury before he radioed the details. As he leaned over, Dave began frantically whispering to him the location of Gillian. It took some persuasion, but finally the officer agreed that he was likely correct in his deductions. The cop radioed the details of Kennedy’s injuries, and added a few coded sentences at the end.

The effect was almost immediate. The officers that had all been fanned all over the room became more concentrated and their guns were aimed up at the catwalk.

“Show yourself! Put your hands in the air!” they ordered.

The response was laughter and nothing else. Dave and Rosie attempted to treat Kennedy’s gunshot wound. As long as Gillian was in the room and firing her weapon, the paramedics would not be coming to their aid. Rosie’s steampunk costume came in handy. They were able to rip strips of fabric from one of her many layers to make a tourniquet. Then they covered the wound in a makeshift bandage. Addie cried softly, unable to be of any help, exhausted and terrified. Rosie embraced her sister and whispered softly into her hair.

“Everything is going to be fine. They are going to catch that madwoman, and we are all going to go to the hospital, and we are going to get to take a shower, and everyone is going to recover, and we are all going to have amazing cocktail party stories from all of this. You will lift your pant leg and show them your scars as evidence and everyone will know you are the most badass woman they have encountered and will be in quiet awe. If this thing with Kennedy goes as Speed 2 on you, there will be men that are all over you for your fantastic stories and the woman they have made you.”

Meanwhile, Dave’s concern for Kennedy deepened. His breathing had become rapid and his skin had become cold and clammy. He was awake, but just barely. Dave schooled his face into what he hoped was an indifferent expression. He didn’t want Kennedy to be worried by his worry.

One of the police officers was making his way up to the catwalk. His approach was not silent, so there would be no surprising Gillian, if she was still up there.

If she was still up there, she had gotten to the breaker box because all the lights went out just as the officer stepped onto the catwalk. That woman- what a flair for the dramatic.

Dave didn’t like being in the dark. He wasn’t all that concerned about Gillian at the moment. Instead he was worried about Kennedy and his condition. Without being able to see him, Dave was unsure of his abilities to treat anything that might go wrong. Of course, he didn’t really have any medical abilities to begin with, but he had watched his fair share of I Shouldn’t Be Alive, so that counted as survival training, right?

Rosie had other plans. The dark could conceal Gillian, but it could conceal her too. Addie was still in the chair, so she simply started rolling her toward what had to be the exit. Of course it made noise, but there were a lot of noises. Hopefully she could get her sister to safety. If possible, she would push the chair back, and between her and Dave they should be able to lift Kennedy into the chair. They could push him to safety too.

Flashlights flickered on as the police continued their search for Gillian. The cop on the catwalk continued moving forward. Even if Gillian wasn’t there anymore, she had accessed the breaker box up here and he should be able to turn it back on.

Rosie had grabbed Henrietta’s hand as she started for the door. “If you get the chance,” Rosie whispered, “you run like hell and get out of here. Don’t you dare think twice about the rest of us and don’t you dare feel guilty if something happens to any of us.”

“I can’t do that!” Henrietta protested.

“You can and you will. You said you couldn’t get too involved and look how much danger I ended up putting you in. You have to save yourself. I can’t bear the guilt of involving you if you don’t.”

“But-”

“No. I mean it. Run. Do not look back, do not turn back. This is about my sister and her boyfriend and has nothing to do with you. You owe us nothing.”

“But I am a human being.”

“And I trust your sense of self- preservation to kick in.”

Click! The lights buzzed back to life slowly. Addie, Rosie, and Henrietta were maybe five feet from the door.

“Run!” Rosie hissed.

They bolted, made it to the door, and threw it open. Outside, several cops turned to them, weapons drawn. All three girls threw their hands in the air, Addie’s chair rolling a bit more from the left over momentum. They let out a collective breath when the weapons were lowered and an officer as well as a paramedic rushed to their side. The door swung shut and Addie turned to look. There was nothing to see. She missed the sliver of opportunity to see Kennedy again.

Kennedy was not actually unconscious. He didn’t particularly want to be conscious, but it seemed that this wasn’t his choice. When he had been shot he had fallen forward. Forward onto his arm. Initially that was the only pain he felt. He had felt a pressure in his leg moments before hitting the ground, but once he was down, his arm was his main concern. He had decided fairly quickly not to try to get up. He wasn’t sure he would be able to push himself up with just one arm without causing further pain and possible damage. As his mind probed his arm, the pain in his leg made its leisurely way up to his brain.

As the pain strolled along the nerve pathway, Kennedy became aware of something being tied around his leg and cloth being applied to what he soon realized must be the gunshot wound. The pain came now in dull waves that were growing in intensity and volume. He decided to push his face into the concrete as hard as possible to distract himself. As he pressed into the dirty floor he contemplated the stickiness he felt. His first thoughts were for spilled drinks and grime, but then the iron smell hit his nose and he remembered Jenni’s neck and the blood she lost. He stopped trying to press his cheek through the floor.

When the lights went out, he thought that maybe he had finally lost consciousness. But then he realized that he could think that he was no longer conscious and that certainly meant that he was. And that thought was a little too much for his brain. He tried to focus on the sounds around him to figure out what was happening, but his breathing had become rapid and was drowning out all the other sounds. Why did he feel like he had just finished a marathon? Why was he so cold and hot at the same time? And now his heartbeat. He could tell it wasn’t just what it should be, but he couldn’t pinpoint just what it was that was wrong with it either.

Just like that the lights were on again and he was alone with Dave in some halfway house to death. He tried to crane his neck to find Addie. Where had she gone? Was she safe?

Dave realized that Kennedy was trying to find Addie. By now he was positive that Kennedy was in shock and that he possibly couldn’t reason properly, though he wasn’t sure if shock affected mental facilities or not.

“She made it out. Rosie pushed her all the way to the door while the lights were out.”

Kennedy relaxed at this. If Addie and Jenni had made it out, then all would be okay.

***
After a rather bumpy ambulance ride (though she wouldn’t have known it was), Jenni had come to in the hospital and she was not a happy woman.

“Where is my friend?” she cried over and over again, even though just opening her mouth made her brain spin and her neck ache with a raw redness.

“His name is Kennedy Watson. Where is he? Is he here? He needs medical attention! I need to see him! He has to be here! I have to tell him I’m sorry!” Her head started thrumming with sharp, needle- like pains.

The ER nurses did their best to calm Jenni and reassure her that all was well. They made little tutting noises and soothing noises, but just noises. None of the sounds were actual words with actual information that Jenni could use. A soft prick registered at the side of her mind as an IV was inserted into her arm. The nurse had a nondescript face that was neither happy nor upset to be dealing with Jenni. Jenni hadn’t annoyed her yet.

“Then take me to him! Show me where he is! This is my fault!”

The nurse clearly wasn’t interested in the things Jenni was saying. She plopped a stack of paperwork in front of the girl. Though there weren’t many pages, they had tiny print and her eyes swam a little trying to look at it.

“Dear, you were shot in the neck and we need to operate,” the nurse calmly and matter of factly stated. “Since you’re awake, you need to fill out these consent forms.” She pointed to little arrow tabs. “Wherever you see one of those, sign your name.” The nurse bustled out, leaving Jenni with no choice but to sign the forms. She hoped that they could tell her about Kennedy once she was done with this.

Nearly fifteen minutes later the paperwork was done and the nurse re-entered with a medication bag that she attached to the IV stand.

“Now, about my friend.”

“I cannot tell you anything. Not he is here, not he’s not here. Not he’s okay, not he’s dying. Nothing. So get it out of your head.”

“But! But I have to know! Oh my god! What if he is dying and I just wake up and you tell me he’s gone?!”

The nurse opened a valve on the IV and a warm tingle started to flow into her arm. Her thoughts started to get fuzzy. They were a bit squishy, like a good teddy bear. Now that’s not what she was supposed to be thinking about. She willed herself to focus.

“Where is he?” she demanded. “Why are the walls moving?” was her follow- up question.

The nurse nodded sagely until her eyes fluttered shut again.

***

“Hello gentleman,” a voice cooed from the stage.

Gillian stood in the middle of the stage, gun still in hand, clearly aiming in the direction of the police.

“Put the weapon down, ma’am!”

“Mmmmm, maybe.” She reached into her bra with her empty hand and pulled out a matchbook. The book was new and crisp. The gold of the packaging shimmered under the stage lights like some sort of gem in a jewelry case.

“Put down your weapon!”

“Which might you mean?” she asked with fake innocence as she casually lit a match and wiggled her head and hips in a softly suggestive manner. Her skirt swaying long after her body had stopped moving.

The cops moved in closer, but were still on the floor. A few of them started toward the side stairs.

“Put down your weapon!”

Gillian continued to ignore the cops. She let the match burn down to her fingertips, watching the flame the entire way, but clearly keeping the movement of the cops in her peripheral vision. And then she lit another match and let it drop into the folds of her skirt. It didn’t take long for the fire to start. It was slow and small at first, but Gillian just lit and dropped another match into a different fold. Match after match, she slowly lit her skirt on fire, clearly relishing the crack! when the match ignited and the woosh! of the match lighting and righting itself into a bulbous flame. A small smile played on her lips. Soon she was standing calmly in an engulfed skirt. As the flames started to lick her skin through all those layers of skirt, it took great concentration, but she kept her gun out and aimed at the police watching the stage.

“The girls always got to have all the fun up here. Now I see just what they liked about it. There is something exhilarating about putting on a really good show for an expectant audience.”

One of the officers started to come closer. Gillian moved her aim to him.

“Ah ah ah! Sorry, but no touching the performers.” Her self- control was incredible. The smell of burning flesh started to curl around the room. Her skirt was burning in earnest now and casting shadows all over her face, distorting the smiles she kept shooting at the men. The red, orange, yellow of the flames dancing in a grotesque mimic of the dancing women that had been on stage not an hour before.

Dave had watched in horror as Gillian had started to light herself on fire. He briefly remembered Jenni mentioning that she could only see the first row or so of patrons and nothing further back due to the strong lights. Hopefully, that meant Gillian couldn’t see him or Kennedy. Dave made his way to the bar. He knew that what he needed was back there. He snatched the fire extinguisher off the wall and made his way back up to the front.

“Stay back!” one of the cops barked at him when Dave got close to the stage.

“I have to put her out! She doesn’t deserve to go out on her terms!” Dave was nearly delusional with anger. She was going to get away with this. The cops were going to let her burn simply because she was still armed. “She deserve a trial with public ridicule and a life in prison!” Gillian cocked her head at that. The smile on her lips faltering a bit. Clearly she thought the police were going to let her have her way and didn’t like that she couldn’t control this turn of events. She aimed for Dave’s voice.

A different cop came up to Dave and snatched the extinguisher from his hands. “You need to stay back,” he ordered. A small shove backwards and Dave was clear on the matter.

Extinguisher- less, Dave went back to Kennedy, kneeling down next to him again. A few moments later, the pain was too much and Gillian faltered, gun dropping to the ground. It was then that the police used the extinguisher to put her out. The fire was a bit much for just one extinguisher, but Gillian was knocked down, and the rest of the fire was smothered. She had been so composed through everything else, but now she howled in pain and her burns hit the floor and rubbed against each other while they subdued her. As the cuffs were snapped on, the paramedics were cleared to enter. One team went straight to work on Gillian while the other made its way to Kennedy. They shooed Dave away.

Dave was at a loss. He didn’t know what to do with himself. Kennedy was getting the medical attention he needed and it was all over. Dave looked back at the paramedics tending to Kennedy. At some point during the fire, Kennedy had lost consciousness. The medics worked quickly and effectively. Dave was certain that they were yelling orders, but all sounds were like a rush of water over his ears. It was all over and he suddenly was at a loss for what to do. He knew that he needed to be at Kennedy’s side when he came to. There would be a lot of questions, and Dave would be there to answer as best he could.

Dave realized that Kennedy was probably heading straight to surgery, so there was time. He headed outside and immediately a cop was at his side. Statement. Right. Suddenly many of the things he did tonight, especially not calling the cops, seemed so stupid. Kennedy and Jenni were shot because he didn’t call the police. At the same time, though, he’s still not convinced they would have helped the situation if they had been called earlier. They had practically no concern for Kennedy when he was missing and Dave doubted they would have actually responded if he had said that Kennedy was being held hostage in the basement of a strip club. Even the phrase itself sounded ludicrous!

It would be over an hour before Dave was free to leave the club. He idly wondered how his poor, drunk friends had gotten home. He would call them in the morning. For now he was going to take a shower and get some sleep. Visiting hours didn’t start for another six hours.

***

Epilogue

Jenni’s injuries turned out to be more superficial than anything. She did get shot in the neck, mind you, but the bullet had somehow missed all the vital arteries and her spine. She was very lucky. Instead it had lodged itself in the muscle of her neck and sat there without doing much collateral damage. The surgeons found themselves out of surgery much faster than they thought.

The real problem was the concussion she got when her head bounced off the floor of a strip club as Cornelius fell backward into her. A strip club that she no longer worked at. A strip club that no longer paid her bills. Even if she had some deep- seated desire to still be a stripper, she would never step foot in Metal and Lace again. The club had ruined too many good things and held too many bad memories. She tried to push her mind to test the soreness of this topic and realized that it didn’t hurt like she thought. It was more of the dull pain of a several day old bruise that you poke to see if it still hurts. Losing the job and the club itself held very little pain for her any more.

Her professors had all given her extensions on projects and were very understanding of her recovery from the physical and mental trauma that only lasted a few hours but did at least a years worth of damage. She had defaulted on her rent twice since she wasn’t allowed to teach Zumba for two months while her neck healed. Her landlord was understanding, but not that understanding. She had been kicked out, but Henrietta had taken her in. Henrietta now went by her real name, Joey (short for Josephine). Well, she had always gone by Joey since Henrietta was just a stage name, but Jenni had some adjusting to do. It was an adjustment for Joey too if she was being honest. Joey and Jenni had a rough go of it at first, but soon settled into a comfortable existence when they both realized they didn’t blame the other for anything that had happened and, more importantly, their realized no blame was being placed on themselves.

Jenni and Cornelius (whose real name was Gerald- how disgusting!), did not last long after the night at the club. Jenni knew it was irrational to blame him in any way, but she still did at first. She was so angry at him. Why didn’t he check Gillian’s background better? How had he not noticed a mad scientist’s laboratory in the basement of his club? What was with his obsession with creating a robotic stripper? Not only was that weird, but that would totally put her out of a job. The resentment, while understandable as she recovered from the trauma, was too much. He wasn’t willing to help her work through her feelings. He wanted things to be normal as quickly as possible and she was not meeting his timetable. She eventually worked through it, and gave up her ill will toward him, but it was too late. He understood that she couldn’t help how she felt, but he also couldn’t help that it made him fall quickly out of like with her. They didn’t have an established relationship that could weather something like this. Perhaps if he had seen more in her than a body.

Her parents were furious when they saw her on the news connected to a crazy event at a strip club. They were positively livid when they found out she wasn’t just at the club- she worked at it! And was dating the owner! They nearly made her transfer home for her senior year. That plan was quickly nixed when they realized that a transfer would probably mean more than one more year of school, and they were not prepared financially for that sort of circumstance. Furthermore, her parents realized they didn’t want their “fallen” daughter living in their house tainting them by association. Jenni was exiled until after she received her Master’s degree. At that time, her parents felt they could hold their head high and brush off any mentions of their daughter the stripper by mentioning that she was now their daughter the college professor. (It was adjunct, but no one needed to know that.)

Someone had told Jenni the story of Kennedy’s high school friend that had died and she suddenly understood so many things about their friendship that she had never bothered to look for before. She also better understood why he had set out to protect her in the first place, and why his guilt was so complete when he realized that she had been hurt because of his attempts to protect her. She valued his friendship and, selfishly, desperately needed it when she was losing her apartment, her boyfriend, and her family in the aftermath of being shot. For once, though, she put Kennedy’s concerns and needs ahead of hers and was able to save their friendship through sheer determination. She needed him, but she was going to keep this friendship for both of their sakes and she was going to do it in whatever way Kennedy needed it to happen. Kennedy moved across the country after graduation, but Jenni was still a constant in his life. She called every month or so and tried to see him once a year. Once she wrote a very pretty piece for a faculty magazine about the importance of Kennedy in her life. She meant to mail it to him, but never did.

***

Dave was a fucking hero. At least, that’s what the word was around campus. Dave had devised a plan that saved his roommate and said roommate’s girlfriend from a lunatic. He had performed some basic survival first aid that probably had saved Kennedy’s life. Oh, and the best part, he made sure that the lunatic didn’t burn herself to death because he was vengeful (in an endearing way?) and wanted her to face the public for her crimes. There were exaggerated accounts of different parts of the story. In one version, his diversion fight had resulted in him breaking a rib and still doing all those heroic deeds. In another version, he had pushed Kennedy just as the shot was fired and it was those millimeters that saved him from being shot in the femoral artery and bleeding out in minutes. There was also a story with him carrying Kennedy out of the club while Gillian smoldered in the background. Dave knew the rumors existed and he did nothing to stop them. He quite liked them. Besides, he knew that it wouldn’t last long. The next thing would happen and everyone would move on.

Of course, this was just his way of coping. As long as he was a hero to the student body, he could tell himself he was a hero and not a coward for not doing more. When he looked over the events of that night when he laid in bed and stared at the ceiling, he found many instances where he simply waited and did nothing. It was always those periods of nothing that made him feel like he had truly done nothing at all. He didn’t even come up with the plan to get to Kennedy and Addie. He just sat in the club trying, and failing, to formulate a plan. Rosie was the woman with a plan. And when Gillian first ordered the club to stand down, he had done that. He could have gone after her and tackled her. She was one woman with one gun. He might have gotten shot, but maybe Cornelius and Jenni and Kennedy would not have been shot. He did nothing and on those lonely nights it would eat away at his brain and make him feel so. damn. guilty.

It took a long time, but Kennedy did move back in. Kennedy spent around two weeks in the hospital recovering from the first of his surgeries. Then he was moved into an inpatient physical therapy center. He spent several months there. Dave visited him often and would talk about how great it was going to be when they were back in the apartment. The reality was much different from the rosy picture Dave had painted. Kennedy would get frustrated with everyday tasks and Dave would quietly complete them for him. Kennedy was easily the worst off of all of them, and Dave was never sure how best to help him. Kennedy’s dominate hand had been operated on, and he would become agitated when a simple task, such as opening a jar, became nearly impossible because of the damage done and the weakness from the surgical corrections. Dave was always torn: open the jar for him and let Kennedy feel weak, or do nothing and let Kennedy feel defeated. Dave was certain that more than half the time he made the wrong choice. If he had asked Kennedy, he would have found out that Kennedy was mostly too tired to have feelings on the topic.

While the first months were full of a brooding Kennedy, their friendship was still strong, and over time it started to fall into familiar patterns that allowed both of them to breathe easier. Dave was satisfied when Kennedy agreed that they should live together for their senior year.

Dave and Rosie discussed dating, but ultimately stayed essentially nothing to each other. He didn’t know Rosie before the incident, and the incident didn’t really provide “normal” information about her. Neither of them made much of an effort to get to know each other better, and they slid back into the realm of people you nod at when you meet in the grocery store but secretly hope you don’t have to talk to because you have only one thing in common and it is rather dated.

Dave and Kennedy stayed friends. Kennedy was the best man in Dave’s wedding and a constant presence in his kid’s lives. They would have guy’s weekends together and play fantasy football. Their friendship was solid prior to that night, but Kennedy felt very strongly about how Dave had responded to his disappearance and the subsequent events related to the disappearance. That night had cemented their friendship like some sort of concrete shoes. (Kennedy would argue that it was much pleasanter than it sounded, he just liked a good mob reference.)

***

Gillian got just what Dave thought she deserved. Gillian was taken to the hospital to be treated for her self- inflicted burns. The many layers of her costume had meant that her burns were not as severe as they could have been. In some ways, her petticoat has saved her from worse injuries. Her legs would be scared forever, but such a small price to pay when she still had her life. (Though she would argue that death might have been preferable.) When she was deemed well enough to stand trial, the proceedings began. (Well being a relative term. Initially her lawyers had toyed with insanity as a defense, but they quickly realized that she wasn’t crazy, she was just mean as hell and had no remorse. They knew very well that they weren’t going to win this case and tried to get her to plea, but she was having none of it.)

Gillian’s real name was Roxanne. The case against her was nearly airtight. The police had found her detailed journals which backed up the stories that Kennedy and Addie told about their time in the basement. Some of the other girls came forward to testify against her as well. Nina’s “sister,” Imogene, had a plea bargain that said no charges would be filed against her if she testified against Roxanne. Imogene told a terrifying story of how Gillian had forced her into living in the club when her parents died tragically. Imogene was Roxanne’s niece and the faces of the jury clearly said they did not like how Roxanne treated family.

Joey got on the stand as well as, surprisingly, Lola. Lola had been her first experiment. Lola’s parents had never pursued legal action because they didn’t want it to get out that Lola had been a stripper. They quietly had taken her to specialists that reversed the surgeries, and sent her to therapy. When the prosecution was gathering evidence, they latched onto the story of Lola as the precipitate that led Kennedy and Joey to think Gerald was trouble. Lola’s parents didn’t think testifying was a good idea, but, in the end, the therapist had recommended that she take part in the trial. It seemed to really help Lola to testify and see Roxanne held accountable for her actions. Her parents bemoaned her “tainted” reputation, but Lola became more confident after the trial and ultimately that was more important than public opinion.

The trial was highly publicized. National news outlets picked up on the story. Dave’s wish came true- the whole country knew her name and were disgusted by her and her actions. Morning shows had guests on to discuss Roxanne and her actions, doctors on to discuss the road to recovery for Addie and Kennedy, legal experts to discuss the best strategies for each side and give their verdict predictions.

It didn’t take the jury long to find her guilty. She was sentenced to thirty years with no chance for early release. She was often found fighting with the other inmates. She liked to see how far she could push someone with her words before it turned physical. She always did think she was clever.

***

Addie and Kennedy are a Sandra Bullock movie, but they are not Speed 2. They are Practical Magic. Addie was very little she was very certain that she would never find true love. She was certain that a relationship that powerful would ruin her relationship with art. (Her parents might have been a little melodramatic about “one true love” and all of that. They had been costumed talent at Disneyland which is where they feel in love and eventually married.) She was terrified that it would consume her mind and her time. So she put it out of her mind. She went on dates here or there, but she never lost her heart.

Kennedy also guarded his heart carefully. After barely finishing high school, he had fears about getting too close to someone. He wanted to, but was scared to let it happen. After all, the only non family member he had ever been close to he had lost in a foolish, tragic way. The pain of that loss consumed him, but a tiny voice in the back of his mind told him that if love could cause such pain, perhaps it could also cause great pleasure.

Both of them went on their initial dates thinking they would be a fun diversion and nothing more. They were both surprised by the immediate pull they felt toward each other. They were immediately comfortable and their quirks were instantly on display. It wasn’t until later, alone in their beds, that they were afraid of the strength of the draw between them.

Metal and Lace nearly ruined them. They were separated for long periods following their ordeal, which allowed for much introspection. hospitals allow lots of time for sleeping, visiting with people who feel they need to visit and always overstay, and long nights spent thinking. They both knew what they wanted (each other), and were both too consumed by their own feelings of guilt to think that the other might feel the same way. They both left the hospital miserable about their circumstances.

It was Jenni that did it again. She ran into Addie in the cafeteria one day, and noticed that Addie wore a bracelet that had a centerpiece that looked like a smashed bullet. When Jenni pressed her for details, Addie admitted that Rosie had conned Dave into stealing it from Kennedy for her. She had spent hours in the art building trying to make the perfect bracelet that could hold all of her feelings, and this is what she ended up with. Jenni prodded until Addie admitted that she missed Kennedy, but still ardently refused to see him.

One carefully planned “chance meeting” later, they were back to their old ways. It wasn’t long after Kennedy had moved back in with Dave that Jenni begged him to come to lunch with her for “old times sake.” They sat and talked about Jenni’s new boyfriend and their undefined plans for after graduation and how Kennedy’s physical therapy was coming along. And as they started to hobble out, in came Rosie, practically dragging Addie behind her. Kennedy stopped dead in his tracks, concerned about how awkward this must be for Addie. Addie turned the color of boiled beets.

They stammered through a series of words that might have been “hello” or maybe “how have you been,” when the sun played its part in destiny and glittered off her bracelet and caught Kennedy’s attention. When he saw the bullet bracelet it was a romantic comedy and he pulled her into his arms and kissed her truly and passionately in the middle of a cafeteria that was fully aware of who each of them were. Someone wolf- whistled. Another person started a slow clap; and then the entire cafeteria was chanting and hooting and hollering and cheering. Kennedy and Addie pulled apart, blushed furiously, and gave a short bow.

Addie had to go through several surgeries before her foot was fixed. It took nearly a year of physical therapy before she walked properly again. He therapist warned her that some things, such as running and jumping, might be difficult and take a long time to come back. Addie hated the matter- of- fact way the therapist had made these statements. She had been almost bored when she made the declaration. She said it like it was to be expected and, overall, not that big of a deal. A year later, Addie ran a marathon.

Kennedy was a mess. It took one surgery to repair his leg and an additional six surgeries to repair his elbow and wrist. He learned to write with his left hand to compensate for the new inadequacies of his right hand. He spent months upon months in therapy, squeezing clay and lifting tiny weights. Every day he went to therapy determined to push as hard as he could, and every day he walked away feeling defeated because he couldn’t see the measurable difference. He spent a lot of time talking to a psychologist about the guilt he felt. The guilt over putting Addie into such a dangerous situation. The guilt over reading the situation with Jenni and Cornelius/Gerald wrong. The guilt over putting Jenni into harm’s way when he escaped. The guilt over not feeling bad for Gillian/Roxanne. The guilt over putting so many others in harms way- Dave, Joey, Rosie. His parents feared that it would be like high school all over again.

But it wasn’t. At some point Kennedy decided he was done being a sad sack. He couldn’t change the past and he couldn’t change how others felt about the past. Of course it wasn’t an immediate change. He still had periods of self- doubt and guilt, but his sudden self- forgiveness allowed for more and more good days. And then the good days outnumbered the bad until the bad days became far and few between.

Both Kennedy and Addie’s professors had been understanding. Addie was able to get back to school rather quickly. She had a little scooter thing that she could use while her foot healed, so she missed very little in general. The professor Dave had talked to spent extra time tutoring Addie to get her caught up. She really was one of the brightest students in the department. When she graduated, she won top honors in biology and had her pick of graduate programs to decide from.

Kennedy was out much longer. Luckily, he had a lot of down time in the hospital, and his professors were fine with a “telecommuting” rig that Cornelius had donated out of his own guilt. Kennedy was able to “attend” class, and turn in all of his homework online. The work kept him busy, which made him, overall, less guilty than his natural tendencies might have led him to be. He wasn’t a natural talent like Addie, but he was a hard worker, and he, too, had some choices for grad school.

They decided to go to schools in neighboring towns.

Kennedy would have been a hero like Dave if he hadn’t been so moody and defeated in the aftermath of the night. Dave was not as emotionally scared and fit the hero role very nicely. Kennedy was fine with this. At the time, he thought he was to blame, so the hero hat didn’t really fit him. When he moved back in with Dave, most of the hero talk died down. Kennedy took many opportunities to use the phrase “my hero” when speaking to Dave. That was how Dave knew he was going to be okay.

Kennedy and Addie didn’t marry, but they didn’t stop being together either. They just…were. They went on many adventures and had many fun times and didn’t always live together and they were perfectly content to be the best them they could be. Their parents would harass them to get married and would be met with stone determination, so they changed tactics. “Fine if you don’t get married,” they would say, “but what about kids?” And so it would go. Over and over again. And they didn’t let that phase them.

One day when they were very old, and Kennedy’s old leg wound was giving him a slight limp, they both sat in chairs near a fireplace reminiscing.

“Would you change it?” Addie asked.

“Change what?” Kennedy asked.

“Any of it,” she gestured grandly, fire light reflecting off her bracelet.

“None of it,” he answered solemnly.

“Not the gunshot?”

“Nothing. All of it brings me to you.”

Addie smiled softly and the night wore on.

 

THE END