by Maggie Ryan
“You are gonna ask for a job?” Opal asked, her eyes wide.
“No. I’m going to walk in and talk to the owner. If need be, I’ll order a drink at the bar.”
“We’re coming with you,” Amy said. “We can talk to the girls. They’ll give an honest answer as to how the place is run. No owner is gonna admit they are having troubles.”
“And not a single one of you will be going alone,” John said. “If the streets aren’t totally safe in the middle of the afternoon, once the sun goes down, I’m not going to be the least bit understanding if you think you’ll be wandering off alone. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir,” Opal said. “You can even hire a girl or two. Just be sure to keep your eyes open.” Nudging his arm, she added, “You can be the inside man if you know what I mean.”
His only response to her double entendre was a roll of his eyes. “Fine, we can poke…” Peals of laughter had him shaking his head. “Good grief, you two are…”
“Incorrigible,” Juliette provided. “I will appreciate all the help I can get and trust that teasing will be left right here.”
“We promise not to let you down,” Opal said, wiping her eyes. “We know how much this means to you.”
“To us,” Juliette said. “Nettie doesn’t want to be idle and neither do I. Until we get to Culpepper Cove, we need to learn all we can. Are we ready to start?”
The gems suggested they ‘gussie’ up a bit. Jewel changed her dress, choosing one that displayed a bit more décolletage. She worked to pin her hair up, arranging several tendrils to fall around her face, applied some rouge to her cheeks and lips and then grabbed a shawl to wrap around her shoulders. There was no need to have Mr. Emory decide that not even Nettie’s skill in the kitchen warranted housing painted ladies. She was glad to see that Opal and Amy evidently understood the need for a bit of modesty as neither wore a great deal of make up and both also had shawls. After informing Nettie of their plans, and assuring her that she had no intention of straying out alone, she, John and the gems left the inn.
The first house they entered seem rather empty, a few men leaning against a bar with drinks in their hands. They had just taken seats at a table when a woman sauntered over, her expression showing that she wasn’t expecting to have to address three women.
“You can’t sit without drinkin’,” she informed them.
“We’ll have…” Juliette realized she really had no idea what to order. “I don’t suppose you have tea or coffee?”
“This is a bar,” the woman said. “Whiskey, beer, tequila, cactus wine or champagne.”
Memories of her hangover had Jewel brightening with the last offerings. “I’d like a glass of wine.” After the others gave her their orders, the woman turned to John, bending over to allow him a good view of her ample breasts.
“You plannin’ on ordering anything else?” she asked and Jewel was positive she didn’t mean liquor.
“Not tonight, darlin’,” John answered, “but thanks for the offer.” The woman walked off without another word.
John grinned. “You were right. The citizens appear to be quite friendly.”
Ignoring him, she turned to Opal. “Is that how it’s normally done? The woman approaches the man?”
“Depends,” Opal said. “It’s a given that if you are working in a whorehouse, you are expecting to have clients. “It’s awfully slow in here so I guess she wanted to make her offer before another girl caught John’s eye.”
When their drinks arrived, Jewel paid the tab and asked if she might speak with the owner of the establishment.
“What for? We don’t need no more whores, specially no amateurs.”
“I’m not seeking employment. I’d appreciate it if you could see if he or she is available, please.”
The woman turned and yelled, “Ralph, some fancy lady wants to talk to you iffen you is ‘vailable.”
“What does she want?” the man behind the bar yelled back.
“How the hell do I know?”
Ralph looked up from pouring drinks. “In a minute, now get your ass over here and take these drinks upstairs.”
“That’s Carla’s job!”
“Carla’s working. Just do it.”
The entire exchange had been made at a high decibel level and yet Jewel noticed that not one of the patrons seemed surprised. Lifting her glass, she was about to take a sip when she noticed the glass was filthy. Shuddering, she set it back onto the table. “Don’t drink that,” she told John as he lifted the shot glass to his lips.
“Don’t fret, this rotgut would have killed any germs.” She watched as he tossed it back in one swallow. Opal and Amy gave her a grin.
“Most clients don’t expect everything to be spick and span,” Opal said, taking a sip of her drink. “Whoa, and evidently they don’t care if the drinks are awful. This is the strangest wine I’ve ever had.”
“It’s tequila and tea.” Jewel looked up to see that Ralph had accepted her invitation. He used the cloth he had over his shoulder to wipe his nose and judging by the stains she could see; she didn’t think he’d be exchanging it for a fresh one anytime soon. “I’m busy, what’s the problem?”
“Nothing,” Jewel said, pushing back her chair and rising. “I’m sorry for bothering you.” The others followed her back outside. The next two establishments weren’t much better.
“Storyville wasn’t the most glamorous place, but from what I saw, it shames every place we’ve been in. I haven’t seen a single woman smile or really engage with the customers. I know it wasn’t some fancy social club, but when you were with Cliff playing cards, he seemed genuinely glad to have you on his lap.” Turning to Amy, she added. “The gentleman who dealt that poker hand seemed very pleased to spend time with you as well.”
“I think we are just in the wrong area,” Opal suggested. “You only saw the part of Storyville where we worked. I promise, walk just a few blocks further and you’d find the same sort of place as we’ve seen here.”
“It’s getting late,” John said.
“Just one more for tonight,” Jewel said.
“Fine, but let me choose it.” With her nod, he told them not to move a single inch from where they stood and then strolled down the block a bit. They saw him stop and speak to someone before he walked back. “Two blocks west and one south. We’re looking for The Broken Mast.”
“That’s the name of a whorehouse?”
“According to the man I asked, it’s the best this close to the wharf.”
“I hope it’s a vast improvement,” Jewel said. “Let’s go.” As they walked, she noticed that John’s head constantly moved right and left, scanning the area. She hadn’t been truly nervous but began to wonder if she was simply in denial about potential danger. They could hear the sounds emanating from the establishment before they saw it.
“Now, that’s more like it,” Jewel said, quickening her steps.
Chapter Fourteen
“We’ll definitely have music,” Jewel said as they pushed through the door and found a crowd of people. Men stood three deep at the bar while others lounged around the room. None appeared to be bored and it didn’t take her a moment to understand why. On a small stage, four women were dancing. With eight legs kicking up in the air as they shimmied, their breasts threatening to bounce right out of their corsets, Jewel could understand the hoots and hollers being shouted.
“Can I help you?”
Tearing her eyes from the most risqué show she’d ever seen, Jewel saw a pretty young woman standing before her. “We’d like a table if you have one free.”
“Follow me,” the girl said, turning on her heel. Jewel watched her hips sway and her hair swing as she led them to a table. She didn’t have to be a man to know she’d be far more tempted by this smiling, attractive girl than the sullen ones she’d seen at the other houses.
Having learned that nothing was free, including research, she ordered a bottle of champagne for the table. It was delivered with another smile and four clea
n glasses. Jewel decided she’d wait until the end of the show before seeking the owner. She could feel herself blushing when the entertainers faced their audience and as one pulled down their corsets and did another shimmy. Breasts bobbled and bounced to a growing wave of sound as men yelled. The women almost brought the house down when they then turned, bent over and flipped up their skirts to reveal naked backsides before straightening, smiling and waving to their fans, and walking off the stage. Each was surrounded almost instantly by men and as she sipped her champagne, Jewel watched as one by one, the newly formed couples made their way to the staircase. She was surprised that not a single fist fight had broken out until Opal leaned over to whisper, “I promise, not a man will leave unhappy. They’ll either choose another or wait their turn with the dancer of their choice.”
“I’m off,” John said, draining his glass and standing. “Do not leave until I get back or I promise you’ll be showing off a red arse tonight.”
Jewel wondered what he’d say if she informed him that while she very much appreciated his dedication in his role as their escort, she didn’t need him constantly threatening to spank her. Noticing that he was looking directly at her, she decided it might be safer just to nod as she said, “We’ll be here but don’t take all night.”
“Jewel, you can’t be telling your clients to hurry up… not if you want happy gems.” Giving them a wink, he sauntered to the bar and was soon conversing with a buxom blonde.
“We’re off as well,” Opal said, scooting back her chair.
“Wait, you can’t both go!” Jewel protested.
“Relax, we’ll be around. I just want to talk to some of the girls to find out how they like working here, how much they can make a night, what sort of person the owner is, their hours…”
“Okay, I get it,” Jewel said. “I’ll see if I can chat with the owner.” As the two women left the table, she sat back and simply observed. This was far better than the other houses but still was less than what she was envisioning. Though the glasses had thankfully been clean, she could see dust and dirt on the table tops, the chairs and the floor. The room was crowded and though she supposed that boded well for the books, it made it difficult to watch what might be happening. Seeing a man grab a woman and bend her backwards, pawing at her breasts, she half rose from her chair. Before she could stand, the woman was allowed up and the two evidently made an arrangement as the man slapped her ass as they too headed for the stairs. She needed to remember she was in a brothel and not some drawing room. Looking up at the ceiling, she wondered how many rooms were upstairs.
“You wished to speak with me? I’ll tell you right now, you can make a lot of money working for me. Men will pay a fortune to see if your entire body blushes when you take your clothes off.”
Jewel gave him a smile, remembering her Uncle’s advice on hiding her emotions. “I’m not in the market for a job, but thank you for the offer.”
“That’s a shame, your accent alone would increase your worth.” He held out his hand, “but, it is indeed a pleasure to have you...”
God, was everything said meant to refer to sex? Holding out her hand, she introduced herself. “My name is Jewel.”
“Jewel…”
“Just Jewel.” He took her hand and raised it to his lips, brushing his lips across her knuckles. “Cedric Tompkins at your service, Miss Jewel. What brings you to my establishment? Perhaps you are seeking the company of one of my ladies?”
“What?” Remembering Mavis’s offer, she blushed again and shook her head.
He chuckled and tipped his head to the side. “No? I assure you, you wouldn’t be my first female client. Or perhaps you are here hoping to gain some tips on how to entice your husband though I can’t imagine that would be a problem for a woman who looks like you.”
Jewel was torn, feeling as if she were being debased and yet he hadn’t really said anything explicitly rude. Remembering her mission, she said, “Perhaps you’d join me for a bit?” When he grinned, she felt her cheeks heat and quickly waved her hand at one of the empty chairs. He chuckled and sat across from her, allowing her some room. He removed the champagne bottle from the bucket and refilled her glass.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She discovered the lifting of his hand was some sort of signal when another pretty woman brought him a drink.
“Thank you, darling,” he said, pushing a coin down the front of her corset and popping her bottom when she turned to leave. “I expect to hear those coins jingling by the end of the night.”
“Yes, sir,” the girl said, her own cheeks flushing a bit.
“You tip your own ladies?”
“Keeps them motivated and motivated girls mean happy clients,” Cedric said, sipping his drink. “As much as I wish I could sit here and chat, I do have a place to run. Why are you really here, Jewel?”
“I could give you some sort of story about how I’m just visiting and wanted a bit of a show, but, I won’t waste your time.” She gave him an abbreviated story of how she’d decided to open her own establishment. Seeing his expression change, she quickly added. “It’s just an idea for now. Before I decide, I wanted to check out what’s been described as the best house on this side of the city.”
“So you’re a virgin.”
If he thought her blush obvious before, she could only imagine what he thought as she felt heat suffusing her entire body. “That’s hardly any of your concern!”
“Relax, Jewel, I meant in the business.”
“Oh… um… yes, I am.” She gulped the rest of her drink, telling herself to calm down.
“Have you been to other places since you’ve been here?” She gave him a rundown of the places she’d seen.
“You’ve got a good eye,” he said, refilling her glass with the last of the sparkling wine. “Tell me, what are your thoughts about The Broken Mast?” When she hesitated, he grinned. “I’m a big boy, Jewel, my ladies might love me but I know very well they’d be hesitant to make comments that they believe could get them in trouble. They make more in one night here than they would in a week elsewhere.”
“I can understand that,” Jewel said and she could. If she were looking for a job, this would be the place she’d choose to ply her trade. Deciding that was a good place to start, she verbalized her thought and he awarded her with a smile. “Honestly, it was the music that drew me in. The show was quite… invigorating and was obviously a huge hit. Your glasses are clean even if your tables, floors and chairs aren’t. Your bar is crowded, your champagne is one of the better brands and your ladies are not only lovely, they are friendly. All in all, Mr. Tompkins, I’m impressed.”
“Cedric, please.” Running his fingertip over the top edge of the chair next to him, he looked at the dust he gathered, his smile disappearing for the briefest moment. “You’re right. This place needs a good cleaning. My girls work long hours and I guess I have let the housekeeping slide. I assure you that I’ll provide them motivation to clean every inch…” He stopped speaking when voices began to raise. “Pardon me, I need to see to this.”
“Or course, I understand.” Jewel not only did, she was impressed that he was attentive to what was happening around him even when conversing with her. When it became obvious that a fight over a woman had broken out, she realized that she’d need to make security for her gems a priority. Opal and Amy returned to the table, picking up their glasses to finish their champagne. The three watched as the fight was broken up. Jewel’s brow furrowed in puzzlement when Cedric signaled to a girl and once she had joined them, saw him give her instructions. She seemed to hesitate but then smiled and slipped her arms into one of each of the men’s and moved to escort them, not outside, but up the stairs. Jewel looked back to see the woman the men were fighting over, shaking her head. Whatever she was saying didn’t appear to sit well with Cedric. He snapped his fingers and a large man pushed away from the wall next to the door. He listened to what she supposed were directions and then took the girl’s a
rm and led her through a door at the back of the room. Jewel didn’t understand what she had seen and didn’t have a chance to ask when Cedric returned to speak to her.
“I need to go, but please, come back and we’ll speak again. Come around noon and we won’t be interrupted. It was a pleasure to meet you, Jewel.” He kissed her knuckles again and then grinned. “If these two belong to you, I can offer you a good price for their contracts. I’m always looking for new ladies with nice tits and pretty faces.”
“These are my friends and don’t belong to anyone,” Jewel said, her earlier opinion of the man taking a dive. “Thank you for sparing me some time.” He nodded and walked away from the table as John walked towards it.
“Ready to go?” he asked, not bothering to take a seat.
“More than ready,” Jewel said. “It’s been a long day.” She asked John to flag a carriage and they all climbed inside. In an unspoken agreement, they didn’t discuss what they’d each discovered until they were seated around the kitchen table.
Jewel gave them a summary of what she’d discussed with Cedric and her observations. “Something is bothering me and I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s just a feeling that Cedric is not quite as… benevolent as he seems. He certainly didn’t earn any points by practically offering to ‘buy’ you two from me. Nettie would have hexed him for sure if she thought slavery extended to his brothel.”
“Trust your gut,” Opal said and Amy nodded. “Tell me, what did you notice about the girls? I mean, did you see anything that gave you pause?”
Jewel thought for a moment, thinking past the surface of what she’d seen. After a moment, she nodded. “They are all young and very pretty. From the dancers to the servers, they all look… well, now that I think about it, very similar.” She told them about the girl who had brought Cedric his drink, she added. “When he tipped her, she smiled but I think it was forced.”
“That wouldn’t surprise me,” Amy said. “We talked to one of the girls. The first clue that something was off was that she refused to tell us her name. In fact, I never heard anyone referred to by name. Anyway, she said that Tompkins is not an easy man to please and pity the girl who pisses him off. And the girl who was the subject of the fight? Well, don’t be surprised if you don’t see her around the place if you go back. From what the girl we talked to said, she’s already probably been moved out.”
