St. Valentine's Day Massacre Dance

Pauline looked over the crowd for any sign of Gabriel, not sure that she would recognize him if she saw him in costume. Except that when she saw him, he stood out like a sore thumb. He wore a white hat, two silver six-guns, a tight, light blue cowboy shirt and matching pants, and dark embroidered boots. It's the Lone Ranger! Behind his mask, Pauline spotted his glittering gray eyes.

Gabriel stood near one of the poker tables. She saw that his prey, Johnny Rubies, had a pile of cash in front of him that didn't interfere with his cardplaying. Johnny held a large cigar in his mouth. When Johnny saw Pauline, he stood up and waved her over.

Pauline dropped her mink were she stood, took a deep breath, and walked like a Sixties' rock star towards one of the most dangerous killers in the city. Johnny Rubies, dressed like James Bond in a tuxedo, opened his arms to welcome her. She kissed his cheek. She tried not to jump too high when he roughly grabbed her ass and squeezed hard.

Johnny chuckled. "You finally lost some of that weight I been telling you about." Then he looked at her chest, and added, "And you put it up front. You look good and you feel good, baby doll." Johnny sat back down, and pulled Pauline toward his lap. "You're my good luck charm."

Pauline sat down hard on him. Something hard poked her backside, and she squirmed.

Johnny laughed. "Sorry about that."

He reached underneath her and pulled from his pocket a folded black switchblade. When he pressed a button, it sprang open. A gold metallic blade glittered in the hall lights. Johnny stabbed the knife into the tabletop. It shuddered in front of his money pile.

She still felt something poking her backside. She looked at him, and saw his pistol was on his hip, so it wasn't the pistol that was causing her discomfort. As she squirmed he rubbed against her. She was immediately disgusted but smiled through her revulsion. Johnny won the next hand.

"See? You're my good luck charm, baby doll."

Pauline tried to stand up after the hand, but Johnny pulled her back onto his lap.

"I can't kiss you or grab you from over there," he said.

Pauline looked at Gabriel, who was waiting to join the poker game. He had been looking at her as if there was something unfamiliar -- something that was not the Molly he had known. On the other hand, he still hadn't figured out what was familiar about the Cher he was studying.

A gray-haired man with thick glasses escorting two young girls loudly chewing gum stopped by the table to pay his respects to the boss. He had a question for Johnny.

"I unnerstan you gonna provide ennertainment tonight."

Johnny smiled and nodded, not looking up from his cards. Pauline shifted on his lap, which caused him to chuckle.

"I unnerstan you gotta cop for us. Who is it?"

Johnny shook his head. "It's a surprise."

Pauline saw Gabriel's eyes grow cold behind his mask. She wanted to warn him, to tell him it was a trap, but she was trapped herself. Between hands, Johnny liked to lean her backwards and plant a tobacco-flavored kiss on her lips. The last time, as she came back up, she saw Gabriel staring at her. His mouth was agape. The penny had dropped -- he recognized her now.

"I want to dance," Pauline said. "Come on. Dance with me." She pulled Johnny, who brushed her hands away.

Gabriel spoke up. "I'll dance with you."

Johnny gave him a dirty look, but said, "Go ahead, but come right back. You do a lot of nice things for me." He wiggled his hips on the chair, chuckling obscenely.

Gabriel led Pauline to the dance floor. Behind them, they heard Johnny cursing the hand he had just been dealt.

The music changed to a slow song, which allowed Pauline and Gabriel the slightest opportunity to talk. His right arm encircled her waist, while his left hand held her hand close to his chest. She leaned into him so that they could speak into each other's ear. She was a little embarrassed that her breasts were crushed against his broad chest, but it was necessary. She enjoyed the sensation but remembered she needed to warn him.

"This is a trap, Gabriel," she said to the lobe of his ear.

"Where is Molly? Why aren't you with her?"

"She tried to slip me a mickey and it backfired. She's sleeping it off in her penthouse. But it's a trap. She was just trying to lure you here. If we're smart, we should get out of here."

His grip became firmer around her waist. His hand squeezed hers until it hurt.

"Not without my brother," Gabriel said.

Pauline saw that Johnny kept checking on her between hands. She smiled encouragingly at him. The music changed to an uptempo beat. She stayed in character, and swayed her long frame to the music. Even so, she could feel her tits rubbing against the fabric of the costume. Her nipples popped, hard enough to show through the dress's fabric, something Cher never had to worry about.

Gabriel danced awkwardly for a few bars, then tried to lead them to the exit. A goon stepped into his path, and asked where he was going. Pauline spoke up.

"I'm looking for the little girl's room," she said.

He pointed to a corner across the dance floor. When she looked, she noticed another door that was almost hidden in the wall. What brought it to her attention were the two intimidating guards stationed by it. She nudged Gabriel, and nodded to the door with her head. He understood when he saw the door and the guards. Those men, though, seemed more interested in the young women shaking their booties provocatively on the dance floor than guarding the door. Pauline couldn't be sure what was behind the door, but she had a strong suspicion.

Gabriel headed back to the table, while Pauline kept up the pretense of looking for the rest room. As she walked past the two guards, Pauline asked them, "Why don't you ask someone to dance? Everyone can see they want to spend some time with strong men like you."

Both men laughed nervously at her suggestion. One said, "We'd be cat food if we left this door unguarded."

"What's back there?" she asked, wide-eyed and faux curious.

"It's a surprise," he said. "Call it entertainment."

Pauline was sure then that Michael Reid was being held somewhere behind that door.

Pauline returned to Johnny's table, and stood next to him. He immediately claimed the next pot. He laughed and put his arm around her waist, pulling her tightly toward him. He noticed her nipples were pointed and pressed hard against the costume fabric.

"Those rubies look good on you," he said with a curled lip. Then he squeezed her buttocks again, and tried to slip his hand between her legs. Pauline slipped away sideways, which made Johnny angry. He pulled her onto his lap again. She could feel he was hard, trying to get off by rubbing his manhood against her backside.

A seat at the table opened up, and Gabriel sat down. He was dealt in immediately.

"I thought there was going to be entertainment," Gabriel said, while studying his hand.

"Oh, yes," Johnny said, "there will be entertainment. Patience."

Gabriel lost the first hand. When the second hand was dealt, he folded early.

"I think I need to borrow your Cher for some good luck," Gabriel said.

Johnny laughed, and allowed Pauline to stand up. Gabriel stood up, too.

"I would lend her to you, except that she is the first act of the entertainment," said Johnny. He waved to the orchestra, and the first strains of an updated version of "The Stripper" echoed through the ball room. It attracted everyone's immediate attention.

Pauline swallowed, but kept smiling.

"What's the matter? You stripped for years, baby doll," Johnny told her. "One more time will make me very happy. You know the gifts I gave you? I want everyone to see, and I want you to drive them all crazy with lust at the same time." Johnny kissed her cheek, and began to clap his hands. "So, take it off!"

Pauline forced herself not to look at Gabriel, but to smile at Johnny as though she had expected him to ask her to perform. She hoped that the heavy makeup she wore was enough to hide the blush that was building from her chest up through her throat to the tops of her cheeks. Two of Johnny's goons appeared at her side to help her to the stage, in a spot in front of the band.

Pauline knew that she would be exposed as a fraud because she did not have Molly's rubies. She knew that Gabriel needed the time to explore the hidden door and he needed her to create the diversion that would allow him access. She tried to work out how she could stall for bit. She wore a bra and panties, which Molly did not. So there would be some time before she was found out.

The music changed to a heavier drum and more sinuous melody, perfect for stripping in a cheap club. Pauline could be painfully shy, and had never been on stage. She didn't even like to speak in court if she didn't have to. She'd never been to a strip club for men or for women. She certainly had never taken her clothes off in front of a drunken crowd. She usually undressed in the dark, and avoided looking too closely at herself in the mirror. She thought back over movies she'd seen of strippers to find one she could emulate. She could only think of really, really old movies that were maybe sexy in 1950, but not now. Gilda, Pal Joey, Gipsy. She wished she had long gloves she could unroll off her arms.

The goons manhandled her to stage center, and then they stepped back so everyone could watch the fun. Pauline swayed back and forth, the way Cher might. Eventually the crowd tired and began to shout, "Take it off! Strip! Now, Take it off!"

Pauline been able to zip up her costume alone, so she should be able to unzip it, too. She reached behind her back and found the zipper that extended from the base of her spine to the middle of her neck. She pulled it halfway down, and shrugged the dress off her shoulders. The crowd appreciated it, and yelled and clapped their approval. Pauline looked for Gabriel. It was unreasonable, but it was his disapproval that she dreaded. She couldn't see him anywhere in the crowd. Her shoulders were suddenly cold. She could just imagine how cold she would feel once the dress was entirely shed.

She pulled on the rest of the zipper, and let the crowd see that it ended almost halfway down her ass. She was grateful she was wearing clean underwear. It was just a purple thong, but at least it was something. The whistles and shouts made it clear that the dress had to go. Her back was still to the crowd when she let it fall. It gathered at her hips, to her surprise because they were so skinny. With a few shakes of her butt from side to side, the dress slipped down her legs smoothly and pooled at her ankles. She stepped out of the material, wearing only her silk stockings and garters, her purple thong and her matching brassiere. She turned around to the crowd's overwhelming approval. She looked over the group, and found Gabriel trying to sneak into the hidden door while the two guards were distracted by the striptease she was performing. She unhooked her stockings and began to slowly, sensuously unroll the hosiery down the slender length of her legs. Each inch of her long, sylph-like legs had been visible before, but there was something seductive about removing the silk barrier that made the legs seem more exposed, more vulnerable. She tossed the limp stockings to the crowd.

Now she had a decision to make. As soon as she took off her bra, Johnny would see that she lacked the ruby nipple rings that Moll had. That would be the end of the act. Even worse, it wouldn't give Gabriel enough time to explore the hidden passage. The ruby on Moll's vagina ring was pretty well hidden, so Pauline thought no one could be sure it wasn't there on her. At least not as easily as the nipple piercings.

She pulled at the sides of her lavender thong, and could feel the building excitement in the room. She pulled it away from one hip, showing how naked she was on that side. Then she did the same thing on the other side. Her hips tingled as she thought of the number of eyes that were staring intently at her. It gave her a strange sense of power that overcame her near-debilitating embarrassment. She could feel a tingling deep between her legs. Maybe Molly's career choice wasn't so bad.

Pauline turned around and bent over, giving the audience a perfect view of her innocent rear end. Then she snapped the thong over each round mound of her ass, and slipped it to her knees. The crowd breathed as one, and exploded into cheers when she let the thong fall to her ankles. She kicked it off, into the crowd, thinking she would never get it back again.

Pauline turned around for them. Her pubic hair was dark and lush and made everyone think, pussy. They could imagine they smelled its musky odor. She walked by taking steps that let her cross her legs and uncross them demurely. She traversed the entire stage to the side farthest from Johnny, then began to take small steps back toward him. Her vagina never gaped as she moved, so no one could be certain whether there was a ruby there or not. No one could complain about her. Yet.

Her good stuff was already on display. The audience was excited even though she was not completely nude, but not satisfied yet. It didn't matter that her most intimate, private parts were open to the view of every person in the place. They wanted her completely vulnerable and all parts of her visible.

Pauline scanned the crowd, looking for Gabriel. The guards were focused on her, like everyone. Gabriel was gone, and the door was slightly ajar. She felt vindicated, and she knew two goons who would soon be cat food. She had been humiliated, but it had been worth it. He'd been able to get in. She couldn't help the huge smile that exploded on her face.

She no longer felt shy. Even her blushing was under control. She reached for the front clasp of her size DD bra. The moment of truth was here. In the next few seconds, Johnny would know that she was a fraud. Still she delayed the inevitable by turning around. She removed her bra with her back to the crowd, but in full view of the band. To her chagrin, the band misplayed the next few bars. She hoped it was because her generous breasts were so impressive, and not because they lacked the ruby nipple rings. After all, those gifts were only a rumor about Johnny Ruby's girl, right? Still, the band seemed distracted.

Pauline whipped around, her eyes looking up to the ceiling, so that she could not see the slavering reaction of the excited mob. She threw her hands over her head, lifting her breasts for a complete viewing by everyone. They clapped, but rather quietly. They knew something was wrong.

Pauline looked down, and the men were still riveted on her but also snatching quick looks at Johnny. So she looked at Johnny. He seemed rather amused by the whole affair. Then she saw the person standing next to him, dressed in the yellow ensemble she had left at the penthouse.

It was Molly.

The suit was tight around Molly's hips and very loose across the bosom. Molly had left most of those buttons undone, so that her décolleté was its own attraction.

At Johnny's signal, each of Pauline's arms was rudely grabbed by one of Johnny's goons. They dragged her before Johnny and Molly. Johnny was smiling. Molly looked a little dizzy.

"Who is this? Is this my beautiful woman? Wait let me check if it is she." Johnny used his rough large thumbs to scrape against Pauline's areolae, teasing each nipple to maximum erection. "Something is missing, no? I seem to remember giving my woman a beautiful ruby for each of her lovely breasts. Your nipples are hard and pink, but they are not rubies, are they?"

Then Johnny knelt on one knee so that his eyes were just above Pauline's pussy. "I may have overlooked something. What do you think?" Johnny used his thumb and forefinger to spread Pauline's bushy vagina. He examined it closely. "I don't see anything. Anyone else want to look?" The crowd laughed uncomfortably.

Johnny stood and looked into Pauline's face. She averted her eyes.

"One more way to check," said Johnny, "like the police do." He placed his hand on Pauline's mons, and used his middle finger to probe into her, until she squirmed and cried out. He slowly pulled out his finger, and held it up to the crowd.

"Nothing there," he said. "Now, turn her around."

Pauline's back was to Johnny. He ran his fingers down her spine, and clutched her buttocks one last time.

"There is one other place she might have hidden those rubies. Let's check that place. Bend her over."

The goons bent Pauline at her waist, leaving her ass open and vulnerable to Johnny's examination. Before he could begin probing of her ass, Pauline collapsed onto the floor, her skinny butt on her ankles, her knees protecting her boobs. Angry, silent tears began to flow down her cheeks.

"Stand her up again, and bend her over," said Johnny. Then he spoke lovingly to her. "You know, don't you, that this isn't the worst of what's going to happen to you tonight. I don't like people who play jokes on me." She felt his thick fingertip touch her anus, and she involuntarily contracted both it and her butt cheeks. Johnny spit on her ass to lubricate it, and began to twist his finger slowly into her asshole. Pauline tried to relax, but it hurt too much as his finger with its large ruby ring jammed its entire length into her butt.

"Tight," said Johnny, "but I don't feel any rubies. It's tight, though. My dick is going to love loosening that tight little place. You're going to love it, too, at some point. If not tonight, then maybe the next night. Or maybe next week. We'll see."

He laughed, and made an arm movement to the goons. They understood and brought the three posts closer. The streamers, hearts and tommy gun pictures were brushed off the posts, leaving the bare stakes reaching upright to almost ten feet. The thugs used ropes to tie Pauline with her hands over her head to one of the brass rings on a post, her toes barely brushing the stage. Pauline could twist her naked body to face the post or the crowd, but she couldn't lower her arms or protect herself. She tested the brass ring by letting it support her entire weight. It held, and she scrambled on her tiptoes to remove the strain on her shoulders and arms.

"Bring him out," commanded Johnny. Pauline twisted around so that she could see who it was that was being brought out. From the hidden door, two men carried cop Michael Reid by the arms. It was questionable whether he could walk on his own. His body had been beaten, with bruising along his ribs, his shoulders, and his face. Once he was affixed to his own post, the thugs pulled what remained of his clothing off, leaving him as naked as Pauline.

"Now for the last surprise," said Johnny.

Johnny took out his a Colt M1911A handgun and retrieved his sharp Ridge Runner metallic gold folding stiletto knife from the tabletop. He balanced the Colt in his left hand, and held the gold-bladed Ridge Runner in his right hand under Pauline's neck.

"Come out, Mr. Reid" he called loudly. "Don't you want to see what happens to your brother and your assistant?"

The hidden door opened slowly. Gabriel, still dressed as the Lone Ranger, peeked out of the passageway, two silver single action revolvers in his hands. He kept the goons at bay as he walked across the ballroom toward Johnny Rubies.

"Drop the weapons, Johnny. It's all over," Gabriel said.

Johnny laughed. "You're in my house! I have fifty guns ready to cut you down. I have a knife at your girlfriend's throat. I think you should drop your guns, Mr. Reid."

"It's over," Gabriel said. "As soon as I found my brother, I called for backup. Now, let's talk. It's not too late for you or your friends here. Take your toad sticker away from the lady's neck or no deal."