Covering His Fox: Paranormal Dating Agency (Heads N’ Tails Series Book 4)

by Roxanne Witherell

  Foxy was too focused on Menot and his lack of feeling than on her stage dance. Her preoccupation led her to releasing too much pressure on the pole causing her to slide to fast down the pole. She hit the stage floor with more force than usual. Not letting it phase her, she danced it off like it wasn’t an accident. Though her spine is protesting from the sudden impact. She finished her songs with less enthusiasm than when she started. She collected her tips from the stage floor and left as Raven came on stage.

  She plopped down on the chair at her makeup station. While she was trying to look sexy, she ended up making a fool of herself in front of him. Maybe he didn’t see it. As the dressing room door opened, she knew that wasn’t the case. She could smell Menot coming without looking in the mirror.

  “You okay?” Menot asked, coming up behind her.

  “Of course, why wouldn’t I be?” She straightened her money, stacking it in a pile.

  “Because you hit the stage pretty hard.” She could feel his eyes on her back.

  “It was nothing,” she lied. She turned in her seat to face him. His eyes trailed down her body.

  “The three dancers hissing in painful empathy say otherwise,” he told her.

  “So, I came down a little fast. No big deal. I’m fine,” she told him. “Unless you want to rub it and make it feel better.” She smiled up at him. Jasmine came in the dressing room door. Ruining any chance of her getting any closer to Menot.

  “I just wanted to check on you. You want another beer? I can let Nina know when I go out there,” he offered.

  “Nah, I think I need something a little harder. I’ll be out shortly,” she said, turning back to the mirror.

  With a nod, Menot left the dressing room. Jasmine went to her makeup station and checked her makeup. Through the reflection in the mirror, Foxy could see Jasmine’s disgruntled look in the mirror.

  “You going to hog him to yourself, too?” Jasmine asked, dripping with attitude.

  “What are you talking about?” She turned toward Jasmine.

  “Or are you going to run him off like you did with Damon?” Jasmine spat out.

  “If you have a problem with me you better spit it out now before I seal your mouth shut.” Foxy stood up, leaving her outfit on her makeup station. She had enough of Jasmine’s bullshit this week.

  “You’re my problem! You always have to have everyone up your ass.”

  “It’s not my fault my ass smells like roses.” Foxy planted her foot, ready for action.

  “What’s your secret? Do you have to sleep with everyone to make them like you?” Jasmine asked and put her hand on her hips.

  “Bitch!” She balled up her fist and punched Jasmine’s mouth. “That ought to shut you up.”

  Foxy had had enough of Jasmine. It didn’t matter what she did, Jasmine was going to complain about it. Blood dripped from Jasmine’s lip. Foxy dodged the punch Jasmine intended for her eye. She kicked her foot out knocking Jasmine off hers. When Jasmine landed her leg swept Foxy’s, causing her to fall on top of her. The two were in a rolling ball of fists when the dressing room door open and Menot and Ryan came rushing in.

  “Enough!” Ryan shouted. Ryan grabbed Jasmine by the arms and Menot grabbed Foxy. Together they pulled them apart and stood them up.

  “She started it!” Jasmine spat blood onto the floor.

  “No, her mouth is what started it,” Foxy enlightened them.

  “I don’t see why Tony doesn’t put you two in the fighting ring, if you insist on fighting,” Ryan told them.

  “Fine by me.” Foxy shrugged.

  “Well, it ain’t fine by me. Look what she did to my lip.” Jasmine pointed at her busted lip.

  “Next time you should keep your mouth shut,” Foxy advised her.

  “Ding, ding. Ladies, go to your separate corners,” Menot said stepping between them.

  “Fine, my separate corner is the bar.” Foxy wiggled out of Menot’s grip. She grabbed her money from her station and headed for the door.

  “Might want to put something on,” Menot suggested. Foxy looked down at her topless body.

  “It’s a strip club, they’ve seen my tits before.” She shrugged and walked out.

  She was too pissed to even care if she was topless. It’s not like someone wouldn’t be asking her to take it back off in a minute. Foxy stormed up to the bar, ignoring Antoine’s attempts to get her attention

  “Beer?” Nina asked.

  “No, I need two shots of tequila and a shot of Moonmist.” Foxy stood at the end of the bar with her back to the customers.

  “Coming right up.” Nina turned, and grabbed a bottle from the shelf.

  “Will you please slip this on?” Menot came up behind her.

  He reached around her and put a purple tube dress on the bar. He was close enough that his arm grazed hers. His touch sent tingling sensations up her arm. She took a deep breath, inhaling his sharp woodsy scent. Damn, he smelled good. He wasn’t wearing cologne. A lot of the customers tend to drowned themselves in overpowering cologne that nearly gags her. His scent reminded her of a creek bed along the mountainside.

  “Thanks.” She picked up the purple dress and stepped into it. “I had to get away from her.”

  “Is there really a fighting ring here?” He asked as Nina set her shots on the bar.

  “Oh yeah, it’s up on the 24th floor on the east side. Tony sent Passion and me there once when we had our issues.” She picked up her shot of Moonmist. The shimmering purple liquid was mesmerizing. She swirled the shot and tossed it back. The sweet liquid coated her throat then ended with a tangy bite.

  “How’d that work out?” Menot asked.

  “We no longer try to kill each other, so I guess it did the trick.” Foxy shrugged and tossed back a shot of tequila. She may not be able to get drunk but combined with the Moonmist, it would get her buzzed for a bit. “You’re new in town, aren’t you?”

  “How’d you know?”

  “Most shifters around here have come in a time or two. Yet, I’ve never seen you,” she answered.

  “You’ve seen so many in here. I doubt you would have remembered me even if I did.”

  “Oh, I would’ve remembered you.” She wouldn’t have been able to ignore the pull she had to him. Downing her last shot of tequila, Foxy looked out at the customers. As much as she’d love to stay and chat with Menot, she had dances lined up with customers. No reason to keep them waiting unless she wanted to lose them to another dancer. “I need to get back out there.”

  “See you around,” he said. She could feel him watching her as she walked off, so she put an extra sway into her walk for his benefit.

  Five

  Days went by since Menot first started working at Heads N’ Tails; each night they flirted more and more, yet he still hasn’t made a move on her. The way he made her feel, she knew he was the one Gerri had planned for her. Every time she danced, she imagined it was just for him. She desired him more than she ever had another. Why is he fighting this?

  A man came to the end of the stage, where Foxy was dancing. He wasn’t watching her dance but rather her face. She made her way to the edge of the stage, thinking he wanted to ask for a private dance.

  “I need to speak with you when you’re done.” He flashed a badge on the inside of his jacket.

  “She had it coming for weeks.” Foxy couldn’t believe Jasmine would involve the police over a little scuffle.

  “I’ll explain in a bit.” The detective walked to the wall and crossed his arms. He stood there, waiting for her.

  She finished her stage dance and quickly gathered her tips. Hurrying off the stage, she went into the dressing room. Jasmine was standing just inside the door, waiting to go on stage.

  “Can’t fight your own battles? You just had the call the cops on me, huh?”

  “You’re crazy.” Jasmine rolled her eyes and walked out onto the stage.

  Foxy walked to her makeup station and grabbed her long white dress that tied on the sides. As
she tied the strings on one side, Menot came in the dressing room. She looked up and saw him smiling, taking in her attire.

  “That looks great on you,” Menot said walking over to her.

  “Thanks,” she replied. “Do you know why that cop is here?”

  “He’s a detective,” he corrected her. “He’s here about a missing person’s report.”

  “Why does he want to talk to me? I don’t know anyone who’s missing.”

  “You’ll have to go out there and find out. He’s talked to a couple of the girls and the bartender. I guess it’s just your turn.” Menot shrugged.

  “Man, I don’t have time to grab a beer.” Foxy pouted and tucked her tips in her garter.

  “Then you’ll be delighted to see this.” Menot pulled a beer bottle from behind his back. “I figured you wouldn’t have time when I saw him at the stage.”

  “My hero! Thanks.” She took the beer from his hand and took a long guzzle. “Nothing better than a cold beer when you’re hot and sweaty.”

  “I don’t know.” Menot smiled. “I can think of a few things better.”

  “Oh, yeah? What’s better?” She took a step closer to him. With her heels on, she was able to look straight into his eyes.

  “Foxy!” Tony came through the door, ruining any chance she had of Menot making a move. “Hurry up so we can get this detective out of here.” Tony looked between her and Menot.

  “I came to get her.” Menot backed away. He gave her a wink then walked out, passing Tony as he went.

  “What does this have to do with me?” Foxy asked Tony.

  “Landon didn’t make it home the other night and hasn’t been seen since,” Tony told her.

  “How would I know anything about that?”

  “Just go and answer his questions. I want him out of here as quickly as possible. Shifter or not, cops are bad for business. Don’t keep him waiting.” Tony turned and left the dressing room.

  “Alright, I’m coming.” She spritzed her favorite magnolia perfume. Taking another gulp of her beer, she followed Tony out. She didn’t have to go far. The detective was waiting just on the outside of the door.

  “Here she is.” Tony waved her over. “Foxy, this is Detective Haze. Detective, if you need somewhere quiet, you can use the back office.”

  “We’ll be fine at a table.” Detective Haze motioned for her to take a seat at the table beside him.

  The table was behind the speakers that were suspended from the ceiling, so it wasn’t as loud as some of the other spots around the club. She took a seat and waited from him to do the same. Nina walked over and offered the detective a coffee, but he turned it down, claiming he wouldn’t be long.

  “So, what can I help you with detective?” She crossed her legs and looked out at the crowd.

  “When was the last time you saw Landon Pierce?” Detective Haze held up a picture of Landon.

  “He was in here Wednesday night. I’m not sure what time he left, if that’s what you want to know. I can’t keep track of every customer.”

  “I know what time he came in and what time he left. The membership logs told us that. I want to know about your incident with Landon that night.”

  “It wasn’t a big incident,” she corrected him.

  “I was told you threatened to cut off his hands and stab him in the chest.” Detective Haze looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

  “Jasmine told you that, didn’t she?” Fucking bitch!

  “Did you?” He asked in a stern voice.

  “Yeah, but only because he ran his hand up my thigh. You’re not allowed to touch here. It’s against the rules. I didn’t hurt him, just told him I would if he touched me again,” she explained to the detective.

  “And did he? Touch you again?”

  “No, I didn’t give him a chance. After the dance, I moved on to another customer. Landon even got a dance from Raven after me. I didn’t stop by his table any more that night and I was on shift until daylight.”

  “Did he mention any problems or a trip he was planning?” He asked with a disheartened sigh.

  “Why would he tell me anything like that? I’m a stripper not a therapist.”

  “I’m just trying to find out what happened to him.” He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out another photo. “Have you seen this man around?”

  He slid the photo across the table. Foxy picked it up and took a close look. A familiar man stared back at her from the photo. She recognized him immediately, though she hadn’t seen him in a while.

  “He was in here a few weeks ago,” she told him and handed the picture back. “I haven’t seen him lately.”

  “Did you threaten him, too?” Detective Haze asked her.

  “Yeah, when he tried to lick my tit. I may have smacked him around a bit. He was unharmed when he left here. Is he filing a complaint about me?”

  “He’s missing, too. Funny thing is, you’ve threatened both men and both went missing.”

  “What? Are you saying that I had something to do with it?” Foxy was shocked. “Check my time cards. I’m here practically every night.”

  “I doubt a woman of your size could man handle these men. However, I don’t like coincidences. Something is going on.” He tucked the photos in his jacket pocket. “Chances are, I’ll be seeing you again.”

  “Chances are, I’ll still be here, not doing anything wrong.” She rolled her eyes as he walked off.

  She chugged the rest of her beer and walked up to the bar. A shot of Moonmist would make her feel better. The stuff was strong so she only allowed herself one a night. Any more than that and it would make her have questionable judgment like these other fools that don’t know how to hold their intergalactic liquor.

  “Nina, can I have a Moonmist and a beer,” she pleaded with her best puppy eyes.

  “Better do what she says, Nina, or you’ll go missing, too.” Jasmine came up beside Foxy, bumping into her arm.

  “Jasmine, if I was doing this, you’d be the first bitch to go missing.”

  “Tony! Did you hear her?” Jasmine pretended she was scared.

  “Foxy, take the rest of the night off,” Tony said, walking up to the bar.

  “What?” Foxy was caught off guard. “Why should I go home? She started it!”

  “Just go, come back tomorrow night,” he ordered.

  “Man, damn!” Foxy slammed her hand down on the bar. Nina slid the shot of Moonmist to her and placed the beer bottle next to it. The shot glass was filled to the rim with the shimmering liquid. “At least, someone loves me.” She grabbed the shot and drank it down.

  Slamming the shot glass back down on the bar, she grabbed the beer and stormed back to the dressing room. How was she going to get Menot to ask her out if she wouldn’t be there? There’s always tomorrow.

  The next night, Foxy came into work a little early. She had hoped to catch Menot in the parking garage, but his truck was already parked a few spots down from her normal spot. With a sigh, she grabbed her bag from the backseat. She took the employee elevator up to the tenth level. The club was already hopping with customers. She spotted Menot standing near the bar, watching the main floor. She gave him a sultry smile as she walked passed.

  As she walked into the dressing room, there was a surprise waiting for her. A large glass vase filled with a dozen red roses sat on top of her makeup station. Foxy dropped her bag in the locker under her station. She’d never received flowers at work before. A small card was tucked down in the leaves. Plucking the card out, she opened the small envelope and pulled out the card.

  “You see me, but do you even notice me?” She read the card out loud. She flipped the card over but there wasn’t a name signed to it. She had a good idea who they were from. With all the flirting they have done over the past few days, how could he say she didn’t see him?

  Six

  Menot noticed Foxy the moment she stepped through the club door. Her scent alone called to him. He shoved his hand in his pocket to keep from reaching
out to her as she passed. Tony gave specific instructions not to get distracted by the girls. Yet, to him, Foxy was very distracting. She smiled back at him as she entered the dressing room. Most nights she put her stuff down and comes to the bar for a beer before getting dressed. Tonight, Menot decided to bring it to her instead. If he couldn’t be with her, he could at least catch a few seconds alone with her.

  “Nina, let me get a beer for Foxy,” he told the bartender.

  “Won’t be long and she’ll have you wrapped around her finger.” Jasmine came up beside him.

  “I’m just bringing a friend a beer,” Menot commented as Nina pulled the beer from the cooler.

  “Friend? You never brought me a beer.” Jasmine pouted.

  “That’s because you’re always being a bitch in one way or another.” Menot grabbed the beer from the bar. “Thanks, Nina.”

  He left the bar with Jasmine staring at him in disbelief. Nina snickered and made no effort to hide it. When he entered the dressing room, he found Foxy in the back corner at her station. She was looking at a vase of roses when he stepped up behind her. He set the beer down next to her. Her eyes lit up when she noticed him in the mirror. Quickly, she turned and pushed him up against the lockers.

  “I notice more than you think.” She pressed her lips against his.

  In that moment, he nearly lost it. Forgetting he was at work he weaved his fingers through her hair and deepened the kiss. He snaked an arm around her and turned them, pressing her against the lockers. He brought his lips to hers with the passion that has been building the last few days.

  “Damn,” he spoke softly against her lips. “I should bring you a beer every night.”

  “That wasn’t for the beer,” she told him. “I wanted you to know your note was wrong. I do notice you. Every time we work together. I’d like to notice more of you, but you seem to be avoiding asking me out.”