Free Gin and Toxic (Swan Song) by Audrey Cole

Chapter One
     
     
    My head is killing me. It’s not the first time this week but I really hope it’s the last. I must be coming down with something. I think about asking around to some of the girls, see if they’re feeling under the weather as well, but I don’t want to cause a fuss. I don’t want people knowing I’m getting sick because it will only get back to Tommy or Ralph and they’ll flip their lids. Rescheduling acts during the holiday season is tough. One night with me out of commission will be a huge headache for them, so I keep mine to myself.
    “Do you wanna switch the order of the songs around?” Smitty asks.
    I take a long look at the drummer. I don’t know what I want to do other than go home and sleep this thing off. But the show must go on and for that to happen so must I.
    “Yeah.” I tell him, rubbing my face briefly. “Let’s bring the slow number to the close. Tone the place down a bit.”
    “When are we starting with Christmas songs in the act?” Cla ra asks from the chorus lineup.
    She’s a young girl with wild red hair but shapely hips and ankles. The ankles are what got her hired. That and Hal’s strange obsession with them. He begged and pleaded with Ralph to give the girl a chance and lucky for her he did. Lucky for me she has talent and two days later she was in the show. It only took Hal two more to get in her .
    “Not until it’s actually Christmas time.” I mutter.
    “Amen.” Smitty says quietly, making me smile.
    “It’s practically Christmas now.” Clara whines. “Don’t ya see the snow outside? It’s the season. Yo ho ho.”
    I grit my teeth. “It’s ‘ho, ho, ho.’”
    “Huh?”
    “What you said. It’s not ‘yo ho ho’. You sound like a pirate. Santa—you know, never mind. It doesn’t matter. No Christmas yet.”
    She looks past me and grins like a viper out into the darkened dinner area. Either she’s nuts or she’s smiling at someone and I thought the place was empty except for us. I squint into the shadows so I can see what she’s looking at. There’s a man there. Sitting back perfectly shrouded in darkness as though he belongs there. Only the outline of his stocky frame is visible.
    My heart skips in my chest. It’s Drew.
    I fight to hide my excitement. My sheer, unadulterated pleasure at him being here. Despite the way our last meeting ended I’m thrilled to see him. Relieved even. It’s been weeks but I can’t get the guy out of my head. I was certain he’d never come around again, that whatever it was that had started between us was completely finished.
    “She’s right, angel.” the shadow speaks up.
    My heart plummets. It’s not him. It’s Hal watching his taste on the sly practicing her dance moves. The fact that my pra ctice is being used as foreplay on top of my crushed hope makes me shaking angry.
    “Get out, Hal.” I say severely.
    “What?” he asks indignantly. “I sided with you!”
    “I don’t care. Get out. No spouses, no girlfriends, no boyfriends, no paying customers allowed at rehearsals. You know the rules.”
    “Alright, alright.”
    I hear him chuckle as he walks through the room toward the side door. He’s heading to the back where the guys are playing poker. That’s their rehearsal. Trading greasy, wrinkled, ripped pieces of green paper back and forth in exchange for lies and empty promises. The same money traded back and forth between the whores for their time and valiant efforts. The same money I get paid in.
    “I’ll come find ya when I’m done here, Daddy.” Clara calls after Hal.
    Her high pitched baby-tone voice is grating on my nerves. She’s doing it on purpose which only makes it worse. Some men like that childlike attitude, I guess. Personally, I want to slap her silly every time she talks. Running around the club pouting at everybody and calling all the men ‘Daddy’.
    “Shut up and get in line, Clara.”
    She scowls at me. “You can’t talk to me like that.”
    “Can’t