Winning Texas (33 page)

CHAPTER 35

Zogu steered the borrowed van into the parking lot at the Texas Girls Club off the Gulf Freeway. He hadn
’
t been there since the
Houston Times
reporter was found dead behind the club two weeks ago. The police had called it murder and he
’
d wondered about what really happened, knowing that his boss, Kyle Krause, hated the news media almost as much as he feared the local cops. Would Krause really have the nerve to kill a reporter? Zogu didn
’
t think so, though he could easily visualize Juliana Souza bashing in someone
’
s head without a second thought.

It was Juliana the girls had to win over today, and Zogu was jittery about what might happen. Beside him in his brother-in-law
’
s beat-up van was Genta, calm and lovely as usual, with their nine Albanian girls: Leka, Ardita, Edona, Afrodita, Elvana, Rita, Mimoza, Vera and Bora. A couple of weeks ago, they
’
d been nothing more than a crew of unruly girls to him. Now despite his resolve to stay aloof, he knew them all by their names, their looks, their favorite foods and their capacity for making trouble. Elvana and Afrodita, for instance, were the risk takers he
’
d really had to watch. They
’
d sneaked out to a bar one night last week, met two truckers and spent the night with them in a nearby motel before straggling back shamefaced the next day. Since then, he
’
d put them in different rooms and monitored their movements more stringently. Vera and Bora were the youngest, just eighteen, and they seemed the most homesick for their families back in Albania. Mimoza was the prettiest, slender with Barbie-doll proportions and big blue eyes. Rita had a fiery temper, knew more swear words in Albanian than most sailors and quarreled frequently with her more attractive cousin, Ardita. Leka was still his favorite. She was the smartest with the most assertive personality. She was the leader they all wanted to follow.

He
’
d visited their motel rooms every day with groceries and other supplies and marveled at the incredible progress Genta was making in rehabilitating them. Under her exacting tutelage, they
’
d metamorphosed from loud and messy to polite and orderly
–
well, most of the time. His wife worked miracles through the sheer force of her will. The girls were afraid of disappointing her and igniting her sudden, lightning-blast temper. Zogu could relate; he felt the same way. Right now she was looking at him inquiringly.

“
Let me speak to the girls for a moment before we go inside the club,
”
she said in a low voice.

Zogu parked in front of the club and turned off the van
’
s ignition. It was nearly 2 p.m., two hours before the club officially opened for customers. Krause and Juliana had scheduled this time to see each girl dance before deciding where to place them. It was essentially an audition. He couldn
’
t begin to guess what might happen if any of the girls failed to measure up. What would become of them? Would Krause keep his bargain to find a place for all of them? Above all, would he pay Zogu what he
’
d promised? Since it was the first time he
’
d brought over girls from Albania, he wasn
’
t sure what was supposed to happen next. He knew that in the past, Krause had gotten dancers through the Russian Mafia. But he felt that if he asked too many questions about those shadowy deals, he
’
d risk Krause
’
s anger.

Genta had finished her coffee and he could see her preparing to speak. She half-turned and blew the little whistle she wore around her slender neck while she was training them. The girls filled three rows of seats behind her. They
’
d been talking and laughing among themselves, but they immediately became quiet. She spoke English mixed with Albanian, since she
’
d discovered that most of the girls remembered bits of English from elementary and high school days. Leka, the star student, had worked for two years as a maid at a tourist hotel in Tirana. She was nearly fluent in English.

“
Girls, we have worked hard for two weeks in anticipation of this day. This is the time for you to look your best
–
and to dance your best,
”
she said.
“
Your hair and makeup are perfect, your clothes are nice and we have practiced our dance steps enough that you should know them well.
”

She paused, fixing her magnetic gaze on each of them in turn. As usual, Zogu could see that they were spellbound
–
and so was he. What a woman she was!

“
Please remember that you are dancers, an honorable trade. You can perform with grace and show your beautiful bodies without losing your dignity,
”
she said.
“
You must always act mysterious and a bit out of reach. Men will value you more and give you bigger tips if you hold yourselves apart from them.
”

The girls nodded sagely, taking in Genta
’
s message of empowerment. Zogu was proud of his wife and her wisdom, but also baffled. Would her advice work in a strip club where things could get down and dirty awfully fast? Could the girls refuse the salacious imperatives of the VIP room? It was all too confusing. He found himself hoping that Genta
’
s words would help keep the girls hopeful and unsullied. He didn
’
t like the thought of them being pawed by drunken refinery workers and pot-bellied old men. But he
’
d worked in the strip clubs too long to ignore their reality. What were they here for, anyway?

The girls cheered and spilled out of the van, carrying their makeup cases containing an abundance of mysterious female paraphernalia. Zogu rang the doorbell and nodded to Bobo Simmons, the club
’
s sleazy bouncer. He hated the tattooed, ill-tempered giant with a passion he reserved for the worst of Texas rednecks. He glared at Bobo for leering at Genta and the girls before he directed them to dressing rooms behind the stage. Zogu
’
s dirty look didn
’
t seem to faze the bouncer. He just led Zogu to the table where Krause and Juliana waited.

In contrast with the curt behavior Zogu recalled from their previous meeting, Krause rose and shook his hand. Juliana threw a half-smile in his direction before motioning for him to sit down at their table.

“
Time to see if this little investment pays off,
”
Krause said.
“
Hope the girls are up to the challenge.
”

“
My wife Genta has worked very hard with the girls,
”
Zogu said.
“
They are all blondes now and looking good. They know dance steps and many English words.
”

“
Bring them out as a group and let
’
s look at them all together first,
”
Juliana said. Though she was a shade friendlier, Zogu resented that she directed everything at him as an order and never said please.

“
Of course,
”
Zogu said. He tipped his head and walked backstage.

Genta had picked out all of the music, so he would tell the deejay what to play for each girl
’
s performance. Zogu watched with pride as they paraded onstage in a group, smiling and waving. Genta and her two friends had helped the girls select cheap but attractive clothes to show to advantage their physical attributes. Mostly, they were decked out in short black skirts, flattering tops that revealed some d
é
colletage, and sexy black heels. Each girl took a turn strolling down the runway, pausing, smiling and turning around, displaying a rear view before disappearing offstage. Zogu could see Genta directing things on the sidelines.

It reminded Zogu of the carefully scripted beauty contests his wife enjoyed on TV, like the Miss America pageant. What would these girls have to do next? Twirl fire batons, model bathing suits or convince a host that they really wanted to save the world? The girls were trying so hard, he realized with a pang of admiration mixed with guilt. But at least it appeared to be paying off. Krause and Juliana looked impressed.

“
Your wife should work as a beauty pageant consultant,
”
Juliana said.
“
These girls look so much better than when I first saw them.
”

Now it was time for each girl to strut and dance on the runway, as she
’
d do at whatever place she
’
d be assigned to work. Genta had decided that Zogu
’
s favorite, Leka, would go first because her natural confidence would give the other girls courage.

The deejay shouted her name into the microphone, his reedy voice resounding through the room. Leka thrust herself into the spotlight and Zogu was thrilled at her transformation. Gone was the girl he
’
d despaired over with the muddy complexion, unibrow and wobbly thighs. Her honey-blond hair fell in soft curls below her neck, her artfully embellished brown eyes looked enormous and her legs were long and toned. Genta had been especially impressed with Leka
’
s self-discipline. She
’
d dieted conscientiously and excelled at tedious boot-camp exercises like planks and squats. She looked like she
’
d lost ten pounds and gained muscle in all the right places.

She danced un-self-consciously and smoothly, stripping down to a black girdle-like garment and shedding her black bra at the end. Her performance came across as provocative, but somehow escaped looking sleazy. The other girls, taking it in anxiously from the wings, applauded with gusto. Leka dipped her head modestly before bounding offstage with her winsome smile.

One after another, the other girls danced and stripped with varying degrees of proficiency and style. Throughout their abbreviated appearances, Zogu tried to decipher the reactions of Juliana and Krause. Juliana scribbled a continuous stream of notes and Krause conferred with her in whispers. By the end, they both looked slightly glazed, but had given a decent amount of attention to each girl
’
s performance.

Finally, to Zogu
’
s relief, the music ended and the stage was empty. Krause asked Zogu to bring the girls out again for a last look. Genta appeared with the group and he proudly introduced her. The girls arranged themselves around the stage and smiled hopefully. He could see Bobo loitering at the side of the room to leer at their legs.

“
So this is the woman who runs the Albanian charm school,
”
Juliana said to Genta in the snarky tone Zogu hated.

“
All of these girls have given their best to please you,
”
Genta said. She waited for Juliana to speak.

“
Here
’
s what we
’
ve decided,
”
Juliana said. She pointed to Leka, Mimoza and Afrodita.
“
These girls will dance at this club six days a week. They can stay in a room of the apartment we own near here.
”

She motioned to Elvana, Ardita, Rita, Edona, Bora and Vera.

“
These six will go to our ranch in the Hill Country and work for a year or so,
”
she said.
“
Then they
’
ll be free to try out again for our clubs or do whatever they want.
”

The room suddenly went silent. Zogu looked at Genta for guidance, but couldn
’
t glean anything from her expression. In their negotiations, Krause and Juliana had never mentioned the ranch. Genta pursed her lips and nodded, a signal for Zogu to speak. He saw the girls glance at each other with unspoken but urgent questions.

“
Shouldn
’
t the girls all stay together?
”
Zogu said.
“
They need each other to get used to a different country and a new life.
”

“
There
’
s no place for all of these girls at our clubs yet,
”
Juliana said.
“
Their dancing and their looks are not top of the line, but they will get their chance later.
”

“
What would they do at your ranch?
”
Genta asked.
“
They
’
re city girls, not used to farm work.
”