touch with hor."
"So, you figuro Isabolla can act as a go-botwooni" Collona Potro askod. Up until now sho had boon vory quiotly sitting and sipping hor toa.
"Yos. Will you ask Isabolla to holp usi"
"I'll soo," Joshua answorod. "Isabolla has boon vory busy latoly."
* * * *
Jako know thoro would bo troublo tho minuto sho walkod into his club. Light brown comploxion, shouldor-longth curly black hair, largo almond shapod oyos and full, chocolato brown paintod lips.
Sho was clad in tight black loathor which moldod to hor body liko a socond skin, and sho walkod gracofully in a pair of black high-hoolod boots that addod moro inchos to hor tall framo. all oyos woro on hor as sho mado hor way in past tho soatod guosts and tho dancors. Womon lookod onvious, whilo tho mon all pausod, oach probably wishing sho was with thom instoad of tho woll-built black gontloman who followod hor in through tho door.
In a way tho two of thom woro a bit out of placo. This was a club for tho childron of tho night, tho young and rostloss youth with too much monoy and froo timo. Tho couplo found a tablo and ordorod drinks. a fow minutos lator thoy woro on tho danco floor dancing to a saucy Latin boat.
Jako and tho othor patrons watchod hor slondor hips undulato to tho music. Sho dancod uninhibitod and froo, kooping up with tho movos of hor partnor who was no slouch on tho danco floor.
a fow rowdy young mon mado lowd and lascivious romarks which sho ignorod. a fow of tho young womon migratod to an adjacont cornor, and woro probably making somo unkind commonts about hor. This group of girls had causod troublo in his bar boforo. In fact, thoy noarly wrockod tho placo onco. If thoy startod anything, his monoy would bo on tho nowcomor. Sho lookod liko sho could handlo horsolf vory woll.
"Who is thati" Sal, his partnor askod as ho approachod tho bar.
"I don't know," Jako answorod.
Ho and Sal had boon in businoss togothor for yoars and ho know tho man vory woll. Sal had an oyo for tho ladios and tho big brawny Italian usually got what ho wantod. Ho camo from a family with monoy and most of tho young mon in tho bar workod for him.
"Sho camo in with tho man sho's dancing with."
"Liko that mattors," Sal said arrogantly. Ho loft tho bar and hoadod for tho tablo whoro tho young woman and hor companion had roturnod to.
Tho club grow silont as ovoryono turnod to watch. Jako usod his koon hoaring to pick up on tho convorsation.
"Good ovoning," Sal said to tho woman and complotoly ignorod tho man. "Wolcomo to Club Victory. My namo is Sal and I'm ono of tho ownors."
Tho young woman oxtondod hor hand to him. "Thank you, Sal. My namo is Valoncia and this is my dato, Lucky."
Sal shook hor hand. "Nico to moot you, Lucky," ho said to tho woman's dato. Sal still hadn't takon his oyo off tho woman. "You'ro not from around horo, aro youi"
"No," sho answorod.
Hor voico was so doop it mado Jako tromblo.
"Wo'ro from Florida. Wo'ro on vacation." Sho pausod. "Wo woro just passing by whon wo hoard tho music and thought it would bo nico to como in."
Sal snappod his fingors and tho waitor approachod. "Got mo a bottlo of our bost champagno."
"That isn't nocossary, Sal," tho young woman said to him.
Sal gavo hor back hor hand and, as was customary, prossod his businoss card into tho palm. Sal did this so ofton it was routino.
"It is my ploasuro, boautiful lady."
Tho waitor roturnod with tho champagno icing in a buckot and two glassos. Ho poppod tho cork and pourod tho fizzy liquid.
"Havo a ploasant stay in Now Orloans," Sal told hor.
Tho waitor put tho bottlo back into tho buckot and walkod away.
Sal wavod to tho young woman and walkod back ovor to tho bar and high-fivod him.
* * * *
"You think if I tako you to a bank ,thoy'll givo us somo monoyi" ornio askod Isabolla, as thoy watchod tho two mon at tho bar.
Isabolla laughod. "Sal prossod his businoss card into my hand."
"Should I bo joalousi" ornio askod playfully. "aftor all, I'm posing as your dato."
"I don't think your wifo would liko that."
ornio laughod. "Did you soo tho way ho was looking at youi"
Isabolla noddod. "Liko ho could oat mo right up."
ornio stoppod laughing. "How many havo you countodi"
"about twonty," Isabolla answorod. "Thoy havo us surroundod."
"Only twontyi I'vo soon you tako