The Reluctant Psychic Ch. 04

The manager's office was a little room crammed with junk. The only clear spot in his office was the middle of his desk. Fishing a bit in the oily waters of his mind I learned it was because he would screw the dancers while they were bent over the desk, and he hated picking things up off the floor.

As I walked into the office, the girl's tried to follow me in, but I shut the door on them. I could hear them both accusing the other of ruining their chances. When they stopped shouting at each other I found it was because Joanne was heading down the hall. I could feel their loathing through the door, but I didn't let it stop me from opening it just as Joanne was about to knock.

The weasel had poured me a drink and was trying to offer it to me. Instead, I threw him out and ushered Joanne in. She was wearing a green wrap over a lavender bikini and seemed much less confident than she had on stage. Her heart really sank when she saw that my fly was open from earlier. I jerked my zipper up and thought furiously.

I felt another pang of remorse and wondered why. This wasn't the first time I had been with a stripper. Since I'd started dwelling in the underworld I'd also been with prostitutes and girls looking for sugar daddies. While some of them were merely greedy, others had felt trapped just as Joanne did. So why hadn't it bothered me before? Why was Joanne special?

I searched her mind but couldn't find anything that unusual about her. She was smarter than most, but was born on the wrong side of the tracks. Her brother and father had both been criminals before they were killed and their specter had haunted every job application she had submitted since. So at sixteen she became a stripper and had already been in the job for two years. I had seen it all before dozens of times, but somehow this time the girl had a chance. Or maybe I was the one who had a chance.

I went over to the phone and started looking through my stash of business cards until I found the one for the limousine service I had used to ferry me around the cleaner parts of the city. The man on the other end was incredulous when I told him where I wanted to be picked up, but when he realized who I was he was suddenly very gracious.

Joanne was looking at me dubiously as I finished the call. I walked over to her and watched her flinch. She clearly thought the worst before I began putting calming thoughts into her head. "Go get your stuff, you're done for the night."

* * *

It took me a while to unhook from the manager and the other strippers at the club. By now word had passed that I was the new owner and they were all looking for a promotion or a bonus. Finally I told them all to get back to work or they were fired. That cleared enough space for me to see Joanne leaving out through the back door.

Something odd happened to me as I was about to reach out with my mind to stop her: I felt a stab of guilt. I quickly quashed the thought of forcing her to stop and instead found myself running to catch up with her. She was moving rather quickly and I finally called out for her to stop.

When I caught up she said, "I thought you said I had the rest of the night off."

"Yes, but I'd like it if you would have dinner with me."

"I don't date people from work," she said. I saw flashes in her mind of offers from the previous owner, the manager, the other strippers, and of course the clients.

"Would you rather I fired you before I take you out?"

"Are you looking for a sexual harassment lawsuit? Just because I take off my clothes for a living doesn't mean I forfeit my right to a safe work environment." I looked at her in amazement as she spoke. I had been threatened with harassment lawsuits before, it goes with the territory, but this girl really meant it. As I read her thoughts I realized she would sue me, but not for the money, for the chance to earn a living. I also realized that she had actually studied sexual harassment laws.

"Joanne, I'm not looking to take advantage of you. All I'm asking is for you to join me for dinner. We'll go to a very public place and you can leave whenever you like." I don't know why I said it, but I added, "Think of me as your second chance."

Joanne considered my question as the long white limousine pulled up in front of the club. The driver got out and hurried to open the door. I believe it was the chance to ride in a limo that convinced her to take a chance. I watched Joanne climb into the back of the limo, and took a quick look around before following her in.

A few of the regulars were loitering around in front, and I could feel the weasely club manager watching me from the dark alley beside the club. He would soon be calling the previous owners to discuss the situation.

* * *

The ride in the limo was not as comfortable as I would have liked. Joanne clearly did not trust my intentions and sat as far from me as possible. With a few quick mental commands I could have had her sitting on my lap mewling like a kitten, but I decided I wanted her honestly and not because of my powers. The thought made me smile, at least until my seemingly misplaced smile caused a mild panic in Joanne.

So I waited in awkward silence until we arrived back at my hotel. Before she could look out the window and see a hotel instead of a restaurant, I said, "Before you panic, this is my hotel. But they have a very good restaurant that is very well lit. Actually they have a couple of places to eat, and I'll let you choose which one."

Joanne was clearly still nervous, and as I looked at her dressed in her jeans and baggy sweatshirt, I realized she would probably be more comfortable at a less elegant establishment than those featured at the hotel. Then I remembered that they had a couple of boutique shops off the hotel lobby.

"I'm not sure what they call it, but there is a lounge in the lobby that serves light meals, would be more casual and everyone who walked in would see us eating. There is another restaurant off the lobby that is a bit more upscale, I believe they serve traditional English foods. Then there is the French place on the top floor. But I doubt you would want that since it has more of a romantic feel, and you aren't quite dressed appropriately. So the choice is yours, Joanne."

Joanne looked at me and I watched her mental gears spin. I didn't read her thoughts, since I realized long ago that when I did I tended to interfere in the process. But I did notice how much thought was going on behind her placid exterior.

"The French place sounds fine, I just hope I don't embarrass you too much," Joanne said. I didn't know if she was trying to wiggle out of dining with me, or trying to get me to wiggle out. Either way I would be delighted to play her game.

I looked over at her as she cast down her eyes and said, "Joanne, if you are going to dine with me, you will have to stop being afraid of me. Please give me a chance."

She looked at me for a moment, nodded and said, "Okay. But stop calling me Joanne, it makes me feel like a stripper. My real name's Bambi."

* * *

I got out of the limo when the door was opened and offered Bambi my hand. She looked at it as if it might bite her, but took it anyway. She even held my arm as I walked to the front door of the hotel. The doorman already had it opened and was in the process of greeting me when he noticed the sort of girl who was on my arm. Even under the baggy sweatshirt her large implants attracted attention.

Bambi noticed the attention and was on the verge of panic again. She clearly wasn't comfortable in such well-to-do circumstances. A quick mental push from me however, and the doorman stopped noticing her breasts. I was a bit surprised to find that he was just as dumbstruck, but now it was from seeing her face framed by the cascade of auburn hair.

I looked back at Bambi and realized for the first time that she really did have a beautiful face. Her nose was long and straight, her cheekbones high and graceful. Her mouth was a little small, but made her seem all the more innocent and sweet.

I was so pleased that I gave the doorman a twenty pound tip. I was smiling as I walked across the lobby with Bambi on my arm. I noticed the hotel manager loitering in the lobby and nodded him over. Since I had been occupying the penthouse for the better part of a month, he was very quick to respond.

Before he got out more than "Good Evening, Mister..." I interrupted him. "This is my friend Bambi, who just flew in from out of town. Her flight was delayed and they lost her luggage. Could you call upstairs to the restaurant and see if they will honor my reservations a few hours late. Also she will need a dress, so if you could see that the boutique is available? Oh, and she might want to freshen up in the salon, if it is still open."

The hotel manager knew I had no reservations, and suspected that my friend was not from out of town. But service wouldn't be service without accepting little lies with aplomb. I also realized that he would be calling a number of people back to work to make sure the salon and boutiques were indeed open. "Of course, sir. Will there be anything else?"

"No that'll be all. Oh, and put the dress and whatever else she needs on my bill." The manager raised his eyebrow a fraction of an inch at my last statement and I nodded, saying I accepted the cost of greasing the wheels. "Bambi, go ahead with this gentleman, I'll wait for you in the bar upstairs."

* * *

It is always a joy to see a master at work, and the hotel manager was one of the best. With a few quick gestures he had people darting off in a dozen different directions. The manager was better able to disguise his interest in her breasts than the doorman, but I could see it was distracting everyone. So I decided to follow along on the makeover tour and see that things went smoothly.

Just as I had done with the door man at the Fox's Den, I hid myself from view. Bambi and the hotel manager were sure I had left for the elevator but it headed upwards empty, which left me standing not more than a dozen feet from them.

Bambi turned to the manager and said, "That man can't be serious! Are you in on this?"

"I assure you, Madame, I am not in on anything. But you seem very agitated. Perhaps you would like to have a drink at the bar before getting a new dress for dinner?"

I chuckled in amusement. The old dog certainly knew his tricks. By the time Bambi had a couple of drinks, the boutique would be reopened and the salon ready for a quick makeover. I stayed out of hearing range mostly to increase my own the suspense. A part of me desperately wanted to know what Bambi learned about me from the hotel manager, but another part decided to let her have her privacy. He left her in the bartender's capable hands with a few quick words and hurried off.

I worked the disappearing boob trick on just about every man or woman who walked near Bambi, starting with the bartender. She seemed to genuinely enjoy making eye contact with people instead of being seen as a pair of breasts, and I could feel her wondering if that was because it was such a ritzy place.

Bambi seemed much more relaxed and was chatting freely with the bartender when the manager returned. He suggested that they stop at the salon first. Again the manager dropped Bambi off, this time with the beautician. He made a hand gesture to the woman that seemed to signal that she should stall for time. I glanced around and saw that the boutique was still closed for the night.

Soon the hotel manager was off again. I decided he would definitely get a large tip, maybe a car. Yes, a nice Rolls Royce would suit him. A Rolls and a twenty year old blonde.

I watched long enough to make sure that Bambi was in good hands and that the boutique had been reopened. I couldn't use disguise Bambi's breasts from the woman at the boutique, but I made sure she was sympathetic before I left.

* * *

As I sat in the bar nursing my fourth drink, I regretted leaving Bambi alone downstairs. It wasn't that I thought she wasn't in capable hands, it was just that I couldn't handle the waiting. The first two dozen times I felt someone get off the elevator I looked towards the door expecting to see her. I hadn't felt that much anticipation before a date since... Well, since my first date with Anna. But I have learned a lot since then.

I was concentrating so much on my drink and not noticing those around me that I was startled when the bartender said, "The lady at the end of the bar sent you this drink." I looked in the direction he indicated and was amazed at who I saw smiling in my direction: Bambi.

I took in the new Bambi as I walked towards her end of the bar. She had on a sleek black dress that hugged her curves in an elegant and yet seductive manner. Her long red hair hung down her back in gentle waves and was held in place by a black band of cloth. Her makeup was much more subtle and sophisticated than the artless cosmetics she wore for stripping. As my eyes traveled down towards her most pronounced assets, I saw that she was wearing a gorgeous silver and diamond necklace.

She caught me staring and said, "Richard said I could borrow the necklace for the evening. Actually he said that if it pleased you, he would put it on your bill." It took me a moment to recall that Richard was the hotel manager's name.

"No Bambi, if it pleases you he can put it on my bill. Or if you would rather, you can return the necklace and keep the money that I would have paid."

Bambi gasped, "You are making a fool of me! He said the necklace cost over a hundred thousand pounds."

"You don't have to believe me. You can consider this evening a dream and go back to your old life in the morning. But for now, whatever you want I will give you."

* * *

The maitre d' soon found me and escorted us to a table. I don't remember what we ate, or even if I ordered the food or she did. I do remember watching with joy as Bambi was introduced to gourmet dining. The ceremony of the dining experience captured her attention as much as the food itself, which is probably why I can't remember what we ate.

I listened to her tell me about her life, all the things that I had already learned from reading her mind but told as she thought they should be. She told me that she really wanted to be a barrister, but that she had no money for an education. She also explained that no one would hire someone with her background for more than sweeping up a shop. It seems she had been arrested a few times for solicitation among other things, a product of being a beautiful girl in a bad part of town. It broke my heart when I realized I was likely to be the only man who actually believed her when she said she was innocent.

There were a lot of things that Bambi didn't tell me at the time, but were so close to the surface of her thoughts that I couldn't help but hear. Her mother locked her out for being a "whore" when she was sixteen. When she turned to her friend's she found their mother's were turned against her as well. In desperation she applied to the Fox's Den. The manager overlooked her underage status and quickly had her working on stage. At first he didn't make her have sex with him because he was afraid of getting caught with a minor, later it was because she pulled in too much money dancing to risk ruining it.

When Bambi asked me about my life I evaded her questions. She didn't press, but I could tell she wanted to know. As we were having desert she asked, "What do you do that you have all this money?"

A slew of lies played through my mind, but I decided to take a chance on being honest. Well at least somewhat honest, "I win my money in poker games against drug dealers, arms dealers and other criminals. I also take the money from millionaire playboys who like to live dangerously playing in underground games. That is also how I came to own the Fox's Den."

"You must be a dangerous man to play in those kind of games," she said with the tone that implied she thought I was joking, but was afraid I was serious.

I looked across the table at Bambi and considered how to answer. The truth was and is that I am a dangerous man, especially to those closest to me. Here I was sitting across from a lovely young woman, and I was drawing her in ever closer. She was already close enough to¬¬*

I snatched back the tendrils of power that had been slipping into her mind unnoticed by either of us. Bambi suddenly went pale as a primal part of her mind realized she had been in mortal peril. I could see her begin to shake in fear.

"I am a dangerous man, but I keep my word, since it is all that I have left of value." I could see the incredulous look on Bambi's face. I could understand her incredulity, because only the insanely wealthy can truly understand that Rosebud could have been a sled.

I placed one of my private cards in front of her and continued, "Call this number and tell Betsy, my secretary, who you are. If you really want to study law, admission, tuition and a generous stipend will be arranged wherever you wish to go, here or abroad. Or she will arrange for a sizable amount of money to be placed in an account for you to do with what you want. This is a second chance, what you do with it is up to you."

Walking away from the table and the shell-shocked woman was one of the hardest things I have ever done. As I left the restaurant I told the maitre d' to inform the hotel manager that Bambi was to be given a room for the night, breakfast and a limo ride home in the morning.

* * *

I interrupted Bambi's phone call to make one of my own. "Hello, is this the police? There has been an accident on Route 5 between Hill Avenue and the Main Street Exit." I hung up the phone before the operator could interrogate me further. Bambi looked over at me to see if I was crazy.

"Stop the car!" I shouted, even as I reached out with my mind to force her foot to move to the brake. The pedal was mashed to the floor a split second after the tail lights of the car in front of us failed to light. Bambi looked to the left to dodge around him, but we were neatly boxed in.

I finally realized that the impending danger I had been feeling was an insurance scam, and we were only targeted because of my expensive car. I was so angry that I caused the car ahead of us to swerve to the left, and made his buddy to fail to brake hard enough to avoid him. While I was doing this Bambi brought the BMW to a quick and quite safe stop on the side of the road.

The cars of the other two men weren't badly damaged, and the men inside were more frustrated than hurt. I climbed out of the car while Bambi was asking me what was going on. I paid her little heed since I became aware that the men were about to flee the scene. When they saw me coming they redoubled their efforts. But although their cars were only slightly damaged, they were well wedged together. I was also busy thwarting their efforts.

Bambi caught up to me and wrapped her arms around me, asking again what was going on and how I knew to call the police. As if on cue I heard the sirens of the police cruisers as they came to investigate my earlier phone call.

* * *

"Officer, it is a clear case of what they call a swoop and squat. But fortunately for me, Bambi is a marvelous driver and spotted the ploy immediately. You will probably find the tail lights of the front car have been tampered with. Now if you'll excuse us, I have important business to attend to."

"Hold on there, buddy. You aren't leaving until I have a complete statement from you, your driver and anyone else who might have seen anything. We'll start with your name."

I was already frustrated with the delay those damn fools had caused and was on the verge of loosing my temper with the Sergeant. I heard a surprising calm Anna say, "Don't take it out on Sergeant Mackenzie, or his young wife and twin daughters. If you act rashly there is no telling how much damage you will do to his mind." I stopped cold.