Page 16 of Romancing the Rumrunner
Jessie’s cheeks flushed the same red as her dress. It was utterly adorable and it surprised Tony how much he wanted to pull her back to his office to see if she was blushing everywhere.
Jessie nodded. “All right. Do you have an office or something? I can sing for you.”
Tony shook his head and stood, drawing her up with him. If he took her back to his office, he wasn’t sure he could keep his hands to himself. Besides, he really wanted to see if she could mesmerize his audience the way she had him. “The band will be starting a new set in five minutes. I’m sure they can play anything you’d like them to. Just go talk to Louis there and pick something out.”
Jessie looked up at the stage, her face paling. She licked her lips.
“Something wrong, doll?”
“No. Of course not. I just wasn’t expecting to perform tonight, that’s all.”
“Well, no better way to see if you like performing than to perform. You need to get a real feel for the stage to see if you want to do this every night.”
He watched her, certain she was going to back out. She seemed frightened. He didn’t just want her to say yes so he could keep her around. He needed to get closer to her, sure, but he was looking forward to seeing her up on that stage. He was doing a good business, but a sexy vocalist would really class up the joint. And since he needed to compete with The Red Phoenix, and better yet, be enough competition that it would draw the elusive Phoenix himself out, then Tony needed to step up his game and get some better entertainment out on the floor. And if that entertainment was the Phoenix’s girl, all the better.
That’s if his intended entertainment didn’t bolt out his back door. She had taken on a slight shade of green that was a bit worrisome.
“If you’ve changed your mind…”
“No. No, I’m fine. I’ll just go speak to Louis.”
Tony nodded, released the hand he was still holding, and gave her a little bow. She visibly firmed up her shoulders and headed to the stage to talk to his bandmaster.
Tony took her place at the table, settling back in his seat. The cigarette girl came by and he snagged a pack of new ciggys off her tray. She lingered for a moment, her eyes offering much more than the wares she was selling, but Tony had no interest. Most of the women working for him would give their eyeteeth for a spot on his arm, or in his bed, more like, but Tony didn’t have time for them. He wasn’t there for dames. Besides, it was never wise to have a romance with an employee. Things got all kind of complicated when you mixed business and pleasure.
He waved at a waitress and after a moment, she came over and plopped a tumbler of whiskey in front of him. He ignored the barely concealed anger coming from her. He’d already turned down her not-so-subtle offer. Twice. But he was sure she was only after the money she thought a successful speakeasy owner like himself would have.
Unfortunately, all the money he made went right back to the Feds. They were fronting his bills, after all, had set up this whole place in their elaborate scheme to catch the Phoenix. Maybe he could negotiate a nice fat bonus when this was all over. After all, hewasdoing dangerous work for them, going up against not only the Phoenix, but all the other speakeasy owners in town. The Phoenix wasn’t the only one who was getting antsy because of Tony’s success. Just the other day, he’d caught one of Willie the Weasel’s guys sniffing around. If Tony was going to put his life on the line, he figured a little bonus was in order.
All thoughts of Willie the Weasel and the Feds flew out the window the second Jessie stepped up to the microphone. The spotlight flashed on, illuminating her in its glow. She wrapped both hands around the microphone, lightly gripping the metal stand, one finger along the backside of the boxlike mouthpiece.
There were some hoots and hollers from the audience and Tony glanced around, partly pleased at the reaction she was getting and what that could mean for his profits. He wasn’t prepared for the anger spiking through him. He nearly rammed an elbow into the man sitting behind him who let loose a particularly loud wolf call.What is wrong with me?He wanted his patrons to like her.
He shook it off and downed the whiskey in his glass, slamming the empty down on the table with unnecessary force. The noise of it drew Jessie’s attention and she glanced at him, her eyes wide, her luscious lips frowning slightly.
She glanced behind her uncertainly and Louis nodded. The music started, a slow, sultry number. Tony frowned. He recognized the song, but the version he’d heard had been upbeat, campy. Jessie had them playing a different arrangement, one that set the tone for heat and passion before Jessie had even sung a note.
The double bass player plucked a few notes and Jessie’s eyes fluttered closed. Her whole demeanor changed as the music flowed over her. She ran her hands down the microphone stand as if it were her lover and then held her arms out to the side as the first notes escaped her mouth.
Tony sat up, his own mouth hanging open. The sensual sounds coming from Jessie captivated everyone in the room. He spared them no notice. As she sang, her body swayed in time to the music. Her hands alternately caressed the microphone, the air, and a few times, her own body, her fingers smoothing the silk of her dress down over her voluptuous hips.
Tony was enthralled. There was no other word for it. She sang like an angel. Well, a seductive temptress of an angel. She opened her eyes and looked right at him, the words of the song seemingly directed at him, meant for him. When she got to the bit where the singer typically did a “boop-boop-a-doop,” Jessie made a sort of humming purr sound that hit him like a sucker punch and burned its way down his body. He shifted in his chair. Damn, but the woman was a bearcat. One that had most of the men in the room ready to pounce, if they were feeling anything like him.
When her song was finished, she stood still for a moment, and then the spotlight dimmed. For half a second, there wasn’t a sound in the bar. Tony could see Jessie looking around the room, her composure slipping, the self-assuredness she’d assumed while she sang dissipating.
And then a thunderous applause rose. The men, of course, shouted their appreciation, but even the women, far from hating her for drawing their dates’ admiration, were joining in the raucous cheering.
Tony stood and jumped onto the stage. He took Jessie’s hand and the heat of the spotlight hit them again. He kissed her hand and gave her a little bow and then held his other hand up in the air.
“Ladies and gentlemen! I give you The Corkscrew’s new songstress, our very own Jessica Harlan!”
The applause was deafening.
“Give them a bow, sugar. You’ve earned it.”
Jessie glanced up at him and then turned to her audience, gave them a sweeping, if hesitant bow, and then stepped back out of the spotlight. As he was still holding her hand, and had no desire to let go, he stepped back with her.
The band whipped up a rousing Charleston and Tony led Jessie off the stage and through the crowd toward the back of the club.
