He nodded, trying to gain control. “I’m afraid, with no way out.” He looked at her, his eyes turning serious. “You need to be careful, Lola. Alice hates your kind for some reason and will stop at nothing to get rid of all of you.”
Jill knew exactly why Alice hated her kind. Hell, Alice hated her the most and the feeling was more than mutual. “Have you been in their so called halfway house?”
A haunted look shadowed his eyes. “Yes, and do whatever you can to stay out of there. It’s a nightmare.”
“What do you mean?” Jill pushed. “Are they being mistreated?”
When he didn’t answer, Jill straightened up, trying her best to keep her anger at bay.
“Just stay away from there,” he warned. “I did my best to stop it, but I’m only one person and this is way bigger than me. She has hired a bunch of…well, I don’t know who they are, but they are a cruel looking bunch who does her dirty work.”
“I have friends in there,” Jill lied, but then again, she realized she may not be lying at all.
George looked at her with pity. “I’m sorry.” He sighed, “Really I am.”
Glancing at Damon and turning to take a peek a Duncan, Jill made a decision that probably wasn’t hers to make. Her eyes went back to Damon and he narrowed his eyes at her as if he knew exactly what she was about to do.
“Jill?” Slade’s voice filled her ear. “What are you doing?”
Ignoring his voice and Damon’s stare, Jill looked back at George. She better not be wrong on this, but so far, she had been dead on. “What happens if the Mayor and his fiancée go down? Do you take over as Mayor?”
His eye flashed to hers. “Yes, but−”
“Listen, I may know someone who can help you, but you have to help them.” Jill tried to read his reaction, but couldn’t. “Would you be willing, even knowing the risks? Do you really want to make a difference or is that just you talking through your Jack and Coke?”
“Son of a bitch!” Sloan shouted in her ear. “Jill, stand down. You do not have authority…”
Jill acted like she was fixing her hair, but pulled the small hearing device out of her ear. Glancing at Damon, who she could see better than Duncan, he leaned back in his chair rubbing his ear clearly indicating that Sloan was telling him to warn her to put it back in so he could bitch her out more. She opted not to do that. This time, Jill took a big swig of her drink; she was going to need it.
“There is no one who can help me,” George said, but held a glimmer of hope in his gaze.
“Actually, you’re wrong, but it’s your call.” Jill shrugged as if she couldn’t care less what he did. “I think it would be wonderful if someone actually stepped up against the Mayor and his fiancée, but unfortunately, proof is what they need and can’t get, but you can.”
He sat back in his chair, staring into the distance. Jill allowed him to soak it in. Hailey walked over at that moment. “Mr. Groper, is there something wrong?” She cast Jill a dark look. “I can get you another girl if you’d rather. Lola is new.”
George snapped out of his daze. “No, she’s absolutely fine. Thank you.”
“Oh, okay.” Hailey smiled first at George and then at Jill. “Just wanted to make sure my best customer was being treated fairly.”
Once she walked away, George turned to Jill. “You’re not really a stripper, are you?”
Knowing that even though she took out her earpiece and couldn’t hear anyone, they could all hear her. “No, I’m not.” She looked him in the eye. “But I do know someone who can help you.”
“Give me a lap dance.” He scooted away from the table.
Okay, now that confused her. “Ah…what?”
“In my right suit pocket is my card.” He fanned his suit jacket out, plastering a fake smile across his lips. “I think my cell is tapped, but if you call about decorating my house, I’ll know it’s you and the bastards listening will ignore the call.”
Jill finished off her drink and then grabbed his, finishing his off, numb now to the burn. Standing, she walked toward him, straddling his legs. She began to move her body, touching him. Her hand slipped into his pocket feeling cards, taking one, she pulled her hand out, but crumbled the card as small as she could to hide it in her hand; she had nowhere else to put it. Glancing sideways, she saw Duncan head her way, and brought the card up to George’s shoulder, waiting for him to pass, knowing what he was doing. He stumbled right when he got to them, running into the chair. Their hands touched and the card disappeared from hers.
“Hey!” She tried to right herself. George’s hand kept her steady. “Watch it.”
“I’m sorry,” Duncan replied drunkenly, but kept on heading toward the men’s restroom.
Jill continued her dance. Leaning down close to George’s ear, she sighed, “You really need to stay out of places like this when you become Mayor.”
“Can I really trust you?” he whispered back as she started to pull away.
“About as much as I trust you.” She smiled down at him. “Trust goes both ways.”