Cat Haus - The Complete Story (7 page)

He led me to the back, but stopped well short of the entrance to his sitting room. "I need a favor."

"Gus, what the hell did you do now?" I had to force the words through my clenched jaw. This man was enough to turn a peaceful woman to violence, and I'd never been all that peaceful to begin with.

He ran a hand over his face. "Look, I don't need your smart-mouthed shit tonight."

"Fine. Then I'll go." I turned on my heel when he grabbed my arm, hard enough it got my attention and raised my blood pressure. I glared over my shoulder at him until he dropped his hold.

"I need your help." That admission, from Gus of all people, was enough to pique my interest.

"With what?" I had a feeling I was going to regret asking but you know what they say—curiosity killed the cat. This was a cathouse, so I suppose it was a fitting cliché.
 

"I need these guys to be good and distracted. I invited them here for a poker game and I need them to make mistakes. Big mistakes."

"So get them drunk. What do you need me for?"

He let out a snort. "What the fuck do you think I plan on doing? Believe me, I already thought of that and that's what I plan on for two of 'em. But that one guy doesn't drink when he plays. That's where I need you."

I instinctively knew that one guy Gus had referred to was John, which explained why Gus had chosen me rather than one of the other more endowed girls for this dubious honor. But the reason for this card game and Gus's desperation was what had me worried more than his request that I be a distraction.

"How much you in for, Gus?"

"That's none of your fucking business."

"Fine." I spun to go, when his hand on my arm stopped me.

"A lot."

I turned back. "Enough the business could be in danger?"

His nostrils flared as he drew in a shaky breath. I could tell he didn't want to answer, but he did anyway. "Yeah."

"Fuck! Gus . . ." All I allowed myself was a frustrated growl as the insults and cusses that came to mind after his revelation were too many to get into here and now.

"Will you help me or not?" This was serious. Gus was asking for help, and hadn't even eyeballed my barely covered tits, which were rising and falling like the ocean before a storm because I was breathing so hard.

My corset was too damn tight for me to breathe through this kind of stress. I was going to pull a Scarlett O'Hara and faint if I didn't calm down. Meanwhile, thanks to Gus, it felt as if the fate of the Cat Haus sat squarely upon my shoulders. I didn't know how much he'd lost, or had put up for his buy in tonight, but if it was enough that he couldn't pay the bills or the taxes on the place, we could be in real danger of getting shut down.

"All right. But I'm doing it for the other girls. Not for you."

"I don't give a shit who you think you're doing it for as long as you get in there and do what I need you to do."

Gus made it easy for me to hate him, yet I was going to do him yet another favor anyway. One day I'd have to take some of my earnings and get myself some therapy, because I obviously needed it.

Teeth clenched, I took a step toward the sitting room. "Let's get this thing started."

"Hold up. I haven't told you my plan yet."

I stopped, wishing he'd had a plan before his gambling had cleaned out his bank account. "Yes?"

"You ask them what they'd like to drink. Go to the bar and get the cocktails, but when you come back in, be wearing nothing but heels and the garter belt.

The glare I shot him should have sufficiently expressed exactly what I thought of that idea, but just in case it hadn't, I said in no uncertain terms, "No."

"Cate, these guys are high-rollers used to playing in some of the best and the worst places in Vegas. You think you in your little outfit is going to even get their attention?" He looked me over with an expression that told me I came up lacking in his opinion.

I liked to dress classy at work, and I spent damn good money on my outfits, but no, I didn't strut around the parlor with my nipples or my pussy exposed, and that was obviously what Gus thought I needed to do to be his
distraction
.

With a huff, I started toward his sitting room again.

"You'll do it?" he asked from a step behind me.

"I'll do what I think I need to to save your ass but you're gonna owe me for it." Hoping I wouldn’t regret my promise, I opened the door to Gus's sitting room and watched every eye in the room swing to me. "Good evening, gentlemen, and welcome to the Cat Haus. I'm Cate and it's my pleasure to be able to serve you. Now what can I get you all from the bar? We're fully stocked, so just tell me what's your pleasure."

I'd specifically made my offer kind of vague. I could be offering to serve them cocktails, or sex. They weren't quite sure. I could see that in their hopeful but hesitant expressions. All except John. He watched me with a kind of detached calm. My act wouldn't work on him, and that was a problem, because of all these men he was the one likely to take the most from Gus in this game. He'd already done it once.

I turned to the first guy, a hulk of a man wearing a black cowboy hat and more rings on his fingers than I had in my jewelry box. "What are you drinking tonight, sir? You look like a bourbon man to me."

He grinned. "Scotch, little lady. Served neat. The oldest and most expensive you've got since it's on him. And a cigar too, if you've got 'em."

On Gus, and on me apparently, because this guy with the Texas drawl was not shy. He wrapped one beefy hand around my hip and pulled me closer before he slid his hand around and cupped my pussy through the fabric of my outfit.

"We certainly do have both, good scotch and fine cigars." I forced a smile and sidestepped out of his grasp.

"And for you to drink?" I asked the next gentleman, and I used that term lightly even in my own head.

Poker player number two was a little more sedate though that didn't stop him from eyeballing my cleavage. He seemed a little shell-shocked this was happening at all, but then again, he probably hadn't been prepared for the full whorehouse experience when he'd set out tonight to play poker. I suppose it could be overwhelming the first time.

"Uh, vodka martini, up. Two olives."

"You got it." I smiled for real now. Straight scotch and straight vodka. I'd make sure they were big ones and I'd keep them coming and these guys would be putty in Gus's greedy, poker playing hands.

I moved to the final man and my heartbeat sped a bit. I'd never had this reaction when having to face, after the fact, a man I'd spent the night with. "And for you?"

Breathing felt difficult again as I waited for his answer. I'd have to loosen the corset while I waited for the drinks.

"Club soda with a lime, please."

"A little vodka in that?" I suggested.

Cool as a cucumber, he shook his head. "No, thank you. Just the soda."

"All right. Your choice."

"Thank you." One corner of his mouth tipped up with the tiniest hint of a smile, as if he knew what I was up to. Of course, he would. I'd gotten the impression from our one night together he was smart. Smarter than Gus, that was for damn sure.

I was sure John would be the only threat to Gus tonight, judging by how the Texan and the shy guy were eyeing me like I was a juicy steak on their plate and they were just waiting for a fork and knife to dig in. Alcohol would only work in our favor.

But John wasn’t drinking and he'd already tasted me, a few times that one night we'd spent together, as well as the next morning. He was the challenge, and I had no idea what to do about that and not a whole lot of time to figure it out. But I'd better.

I glanced at Gus. "You want anything?" I hated serving him with every fiber of my being, but it would have been rude not to ask.

"The usual."

I nodded and headed for the door.

The girls in the parlor all looked a little too interested when I put in an order for four drinks at the bar and then stood there waiting with a cocktail tray I'd found in back. Most probably thought I'd somehow landed a party for four guys and couldn't figure out how I'd done it without them seeing. Finally, Sahara sidled up to me. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. Gus has some guests and asked me to play waitress. Figures, right? He doesn't care if I'm busy serving him and miss out on a good Saturday night here."

She wrinkled her nose, making her look even younger. "What a jerk. Sorry you got stuck doing that."

I shrugged. "It's okay. I'll sneak out and pick up some parties later after these guys get drunk on all this booze."

"If I see you out here and have a guy willing, I'll pull you into another threesome, if you'd like." Sahara's offer made me wonder if she had a little crush on me. Which was fine. Harmless enough, I guess.

"Thanks. I'll do my best to escape." The glasses were lined up on my tray and I had no more excuses. Time to head back in. "See you later."

She nodded. "Later."
 

I hiked up my boobs so when I returned with the drinks, I was showing an almost indecent amount of cleavage but I had not done as Gus asked and gone topless and bottomless. I knew men, and I firmly believed a bit of mystery went a long way. They'd be so busy imagining what was beneath my outfit, it would be a far greater distraction than just dropping trou and showing them.

Gus, who'd never been one for subtlety, scowled when I came in and he saw I was still dressed.

So he didn't approve of my decision. Like I cared. I did my best to serve the drinks in the most seductive way possible. Bending over at the waist to deliver the scotch earned me an open palm slap on my ass that nearly upset the tray in my hands.

"Ooo. What a bad boy, you are." I pretended it was okay and that I'd enjoyed it, but if I'd been a real cocktail waitress the two remaining drinks on my tray would have accidentally ended up in this asshole's lap.

I made sure to face my butt away from the Texan and toward John when I bent to serve the martini. When I straightened and turned toward him, I noted he wasn't immune to staring at my ass, which I'd stuck right in his face, but he did seem amused. His brows raised, he treated me to his crooked little smile and waited for me to give him his drink. I bent low and delivered a good showing of cleavage along with the soda as I put the tall glass in front of him.

"There you go. Club soda, lime, no vodka."

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome."

I put a beer in front of Gus, and then set a bowl of pretzels I'd nabbed off the bar in the center of the table in hopes the two having the alcohol would get thirsty from nibbling on the salty snack and, for lack of anything else, guzzle their drinks. They'd end up shitty, Gus would win their money, and all would be well. But again, John, the non-drinker, still represented my greatest challenge. At least he was a handsome and polite one.

My tray was empty, and I'd done all I could do by way of flirting so I stepped off to the side figuring I'd watch the level in the glasses and go get refills before the men asked me to. My goal was to at least keep two of them happy and drunk so they didn't notice if they lost everything to Gus and John. Then there'd be two down and only one to worry about.

It wasn't a great plan, but at least it was a plan and as the only one I had at the moment, it would have to do.

CHAPTER 6

I don't know how many minutes of serious poker playing passed. Playing this game might be fun to some, but watching it was not. It felt like an hour, and my feet hurt as if it had been two hours from standing in these damn heels. But in reality, it was probably only about fifteen or twenty minutes that had gone by.

Bored as shit, I decided it was time to go and get another round.

After I'd returned with the drinks and delivered them, Gus pushed his chair back from the table.

"Gentleman, how about we take a short break?" He grabbed my wrist and pulled me down into his lap. He sent me a
shut the fuck up
look when I frowned at him. "Cate here is one of my best girls and it seems a shame to have her talents wasted on serving cocktails when her real expertise is in servicing cocks, if you know what I mean."

"Now's not the time or the place. I'm here to play cards." John's words seemed like a beacon of light in the darkest of nights. I clung to them, hoping his voice of reason would spread to the rest of the men in the room.

"Hell, it's always the time to fuck." The Texan, apparently, was past reasoning with.

"Well, I can't. My wife catches wind I even touched her, she'll take me for everything I've got." Shy guy looked a little afraid just talking about it.

"You can watch me then, 'cause I got a pre-nup. I can fuck this little lady 'til the cows come home and my wife can't get a dime outta me." The Texan stood, and started to work on opening the biggest belt buckle I'd ever seen, reinforcing his intent.

I started to feel sick to my stomach. No way. Gus couldn't make me do this. My heart pounding, I turned to my boss. "Gus—"

He grabbed my arm and hissed in my ear, "I win this game, I'll make it worth your while."