Elise Read online

  "I'm as happy as I can be. Jim was the one love of my life. I'll never love another man the way I loved him."

  "Have you ever thought of walking away from it all? Of giving it up?"

  "No. Sam and I-we stay together. It's a good business arrangement, and it's the way it has to be for both of us." She paused, realizing how long they'd been talking. "Now, enough about me. You go put that corset on with the padding so we can see how it looks. We've still got a lot of work to do on you before you can go downstairs."

  "You really need to do that much more to me?"

  "You'll see."

  Elise smiled as she held up the underthings. "And you really think this will help?"

  "I know it will. A lot of girls use this trick all the time. Go ahead. Give it a try. I think you'll be surprised."

  "I'll be back in a minute."

  She disappeared behind the screen again to make the necessary adjustments. When she emerged and caught a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror across the room, she stopped and stared in complete awe at her own reflection. She had never known she could look so voluptuous.

  "I see what you mean-it really does work, doesn't it?"

  "Beautifully. Now you look the way the men want you to look. The dress fits you much better with a little help."

  Elise studied her mirror image with a critical eye. Her waist was tiny. Her breasts looked full and round and were all but falling out the top of the gown, thanks to the constricting corset. She knew it was all an optical illusion, but the men wouldn't care.

  "What do we need to do next?"

  "You don't want anyone to recognize you, do you?"

  "No, that would ruin everything."

  "Then I think you might want to wear a wig, too. If you're going to be in disguise, you may as well go all the way. I've got a blond one you can try. Sit down on the bed, and I'll help you with it." She went to her small closet to get the wig.

  Within minutes, she had helped Elise put the wig on over her own dark tresses. It wasn't easy, for Elise's hair was thick and healthy, but they finally managed to get the pale wig adjusted just right.

  "Take a look at yourself now and see what you think," Femada suggested.

  Elise stood up, smoothing the skirts of the red gown as she did so, and then went to stand before the mirror again. She deliberately kept her gaze downcast until she was ready to see what kind of transformation had taken place. When she looked up, she gasped out loud. She didn't recognize the woman staring back at her. If she hadn't known she was looking at herself, she would have had no idea of her identity.

  "Oh, my," she breathed.

  The woman standing before her in the mirror was vibrant looking, from her bright red gown to the mass of pale curls that tumbled artfully down her back. She had been transformed. She looked absolutely nothing like herself.

  "And we still need to put some makeup on you. You're awfully pale."

  A knock sounded at the door just then, and Femada went to answer it. A lovely young woman Elise had never seen before stood there. She was tall, with raven hair and dark eyes. She was dressed in a dance hall outfit that fit her perfectly and showed off to their full advantage her womanly assets. Elise had no doubt that this girl was one of the mens favorites.

  "Kate, come in. I want you to meet our new girl, Elise."

  "I heard about you from Suzie," Kate said to Elise as she entered the room and eyed her with interest. "Say-isn't that Jenny's favorite dress?"

  "She gave it to Elise to wear. Now all we have to do is help her with some rouge and lipstick, and she'll be all ready to go to work with the rest of us."

  Kate stared at Elise long and hard. "Why are you doing this? You don't have to be here."

  "I saw how Suzie was treated in one of the stores in town and it made me angry. I want to learn what it's like to work here, and then I want to let the public know."

  "The public doesn't care about us."

  "Then I want to make them care," Elise stated firmly.

  "Good luck." Her comment was jaded.

  "With the help I'm getting from Femada and the other girls, I hope I won't need any."

  "Just remember, Kate," Femada put in, "tonight, when Elise is working the saloon with us, we all need to keep an eye on her. We don't want any of the cowboys getting any wild ideas about bedding her. She serves drinks only."

  Elise blushed again at her blunt statement.

  "All right. We'll try to keep her out of trouble."

  "Now, since you're here, why don't you help me make her up? You're good at it. We need to give her some rouge and some bright lips and maybe a beauty mark on her cheek. What do you think?"

  "I think that would be perfect! I'll go get some of my makeup and be right back," Kate offered.

  "Sit down on the bed. That way we can both work on you at the same time," Fernada instructed Elise.

  She did as she was told and waited a bit anxiously as the older woman began to paint her face. Kate was back in no time with additional cosmetics, and they both set to work on her.

  "What do you think?" Femada said to Kate as she stepped back to observe their handiwork long minutes later.

  Kate studied Elise critically for a moment, making her feel like a schoolgirl again.

  "I think me and the other girls are going to have some tough competition tonight. As different as you look, I don't think your own mother would know you."

  "Good," Elise said firmly. "I don't want anyone to know who I am. As far as our customers are concerned, I am just one of the girls. I guess I'd better use a different name while I'm here, too." She paused thoughtfully. "I knowcall me Sugar."

  "All right, Sugar," the older woman said with a grin, "what do you think about the new you?"

  Elise rose from the bed and turned to look at her reflection in the mirror one last time. She stared in thrilled disbelief at her image.

  The makeup they'd used had heightened the color in her cheeks and brought out the green of her eyes. Fernada had painted her lips a bright red, and though it made her a bit self-conscious, the color did match the gown perfectly. She looked sensual and knowing-a far cry from the truth of her real personality.

  "Well?" Kate prodded.

  "You're miracle workers," she told them, her tone soft in wonder. "I wonder if Gabe and Andy will recognize me."

  "Who are Gabe and Andy?"

  "Gabe is my boss, and Andy works at the paper. They said they might come around tonight to keep an eye on me."

  "It'll be fun to see their reactions, won't it?" Kate asked.

  "Yes, it will." And Elise meant it. She was looking forward to seeing if Gabe even recognized her.

  A knock at the door drew their attention.

  "Fernada-it's me, Suzie."

  "Come on in. We got someone here for you to see. Come in and meet Sugar."

  Suzie came into the room and stopped just inside the door. "Is that really you?"

  "What do you think?"

  "I think you're going to have every customer in the place panting after you!"

  Elise smiled, but she wasn't quite sure if that was something to be proud of or not. "When do we get started?" She looked to Femada for guidance.

  "Right now, if you think you're ready?"

  "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

  "Good. The boys should be showing up any time. Since it's payday, they're going to be doing some free spending."

  "And we want to help them all we can with spending their money," Kate put in, smiling at the thought.

  Elise drew a deep, steadying breath as she readied herself to face the coming evening.

  "Nervous?" Fernada asked knowingly. She could just imagine the thoughts that were going through Elise's mind right now, and she wanted to calm her if she could.

  "A little."

  "We'll stay close to you, so you won't be alone, and Dan and Sam will be there, too."

  "Thanks. I appreciate it." She gave all three women a warm smile. "Let's go, then. We shouldn't keep our c
ustomers waiting."

  Femada quickly filled her in on what her duties would be. "If any of the boys start pressuring you for more than just drinks, you tell them to see me. The only thing you're serving up is liquor." She looked at her knowingly as she asked, "You are still a virgin, aren't you, Elise?"

  Elise was glad that the heavy rouge she wore hid her blush. "Yes, I am."

  "That's what I thought. You just stay where we can keep an eye on you. We want to make sure you stay that way. Let's go to work, shall we, ladies?"

  Elise followed Fernada down the hall toward the open staircase that led to the saloon. The saloon was one big open room. The bar ran the entire width of the back wall. Hanging over the bar was a large, framed oil portrait of a scantily clad female reclining on a sofa. An area was kept clear for dancing, with tables set up all around, and there were a few men already gathered there, caught up in a highstakes game of poker. Dan, the bartender, was busy waiting on the cowboys and miners who had worked hard all month and were all set to enjoy some good times.

  As they started down the steps, Elise looked around to see if she recognized anyone. She saw no sign of Gabe or Andy and was glad. She needed a few minutes to get used to her new personality.

  One thing Elise was really happy about was that George wasn't there. Her grandmother had mentioned that she might ask him to check up on her, and Elise wasn't sure she wanted George to see her this way. She cast a surreptitious glance down at her bosom, so artfully displayed for all to see, and fought to keep from blushing in embarrassment. Her nervousness about the evening grew, but there was no way she could let it show. She just hoped that she had convinced her grandmother that everything would go just fine and that there was no reason for her or George to worry. Now she had to make sure that everything did go as planned.

  As she reached the bottom step, Elise reminded herself that she was working on a story, and she had to be professional. Elise told herself to be calm, that she would be able to take care of herself here at the High Time, that she didn't need Gabe or Andy or George around watching out for her. It wasn't as if she was dealing with a desperate Preacher Farnsworth. At the saloon, she would constantly be surrounded by people. All she had to do was talk to the customers and bring them drinks. It was going to be very simple.

  Standing a bit straighter, she gave a haughty lift of her chin. She was as ready as she would ever be for the night to come.

  "Hey, Art! Oooo-eeee! Look who's comin' down the steps!" a cowboy named Buddy called out loudly when he caught sight of the women. He was sitting at a table near the bar with one of his friends, and his gaze was riveted on the females.

  "Well, if this don't beat all! Evening, ladies! I know Miss Fernada, Suzie, and Kate, but who's the new girl?" Art asked, eyeing the newcomer with open, hungry interest. Red was his favorite color, and he thought she looked damned good in the red satin dress.

  "Evening, Art and Buddy, it's good to see you boys again," Fernada greeted them smoothly as she started toward their table. "I want you to meet my new girl, Sugar. Sugar, this is Art and this is Buddy. They're two favorites of mine. You be good to them."

  "I will. It's nice to meet you boys," Elise said. She was very aware that the two men's avid gazes were locked on her bosom as she followed Fernada to stand by them. She wondered if the two would be able to remember what her face looked like, if they were asked to describe her later. Right now, judging by their expressions, she doubted it. The thought bothered her. She wasn't really working at the saloon. She didn't have to stay there forever. She could leave whenever she was ready. But she wondered how it would affect the other girls who worked there, knowing that the men only thought of them as bodies, and not as people.

  "Hello there, honey," Buddy said, finally lifting his gaze to look at her. "How long you been working here? I ain't seen you before, and I'm pretty much a regular at the High Time."

  "This is my very first night," Elise answered, managing to give the man a smile. "And you're going to be my first customer."

  Elise realized suddenly that Clint was a dream of a man compared to these two. Buddy was practically drooling as he stared at her. His teeth were blackened, he was missing several, and he had a scraggly growth of beard. Still, somehow, she kept smiling, but even as she did, she wondered how the other girls managed.

  Buddy immediately perked up when he found he was to be her first. He reached out and started to pull Elise into his arms and onto his lap.

  "Oh, no. Buddy, you're not going to be that kind of customer for her," Fernada said in a threatening tone, stopping him. "Sugar here will do her best to satisfy you-but only your thirst. She'll serve you whatever you want, as long as it's liquor."

  "Ali, Fernada, she's one hot-looking woman. What the hell's she doing working here if she ain't putting out?" He was crude.

  "Those are my rules," the older woman dictated, giving him her famous cold-eyed glare. A look like that from Fernada had been known to cow many a man. "Follow them or leave."

  "You know I ain't goin' nowhere else, darlin'," Buddy said, quickly softening before her condemnation. "I just wanted to have me some fun with her, that's all."

  "We can still have fun," Elise offered, getting more into her role. "What would you like-to drink?" She deliberately made her innocent question sound seductive.

  Buddy's eyes glowed as he grumbled, "What I'd like and what I'm going to get are two different things."

  "I know." She winked at him and gave a throaty laugh.

  "I'll settle for another bourbon, since I can't have what I really want."

  "Now, Buddy, don't go pouting on me," Fernada said, patting him on the shoulder. "Sugar is here to show you a good time, but if you want more than a few drinks tonight, you'll have to talk to one of my other girls."

  "I don't suppose Kate's too hard on the eyes," he groused, glancing toward where Kate was talking to some of the other customers.

  "Suzie's working tonight, too, and so is Jenny," she told Buddy and Art as she moved off to take care of business. "So you two enjoy yourselves."

  "We will, don't worry," they answered, turning to watch the new girl as she walked back to the table with Buddy's drink.

  "Here you go," Elise said.

  As she leaned over to put the glass of whiskey in front of him, Buddy reached up and stuffed a dollar bill down the bodice of her gown. His fingers brushed the side of her breast as he did it. Elise was shocked by that intimate contact, but managed not to reveal her emotions.

  "Thanks," she told him, giving him what she hoped was a pleasant smile. In truth, she wanted to slap him for his boldness, but she controlled herself for the sake of her story.

  "My pleasure, believe me," he answered, leering at her.

  She drew away from Buddy to wait on Art. "What about you? Can I take care of you, too?"

  "Oh, Sugar, you can take care of me any day!" He laughed loudly at his own humor. "But I guess I'll just have another whiskey."

  "I'll be right back."

  "I'll be waiting."

  Dan had been watching from the bar, and he was aware of everything that was going on.

  "Buddy and Art are basically harmless," he cautioned Elise. "They're only out for a little fun. They don't get mean. Some of the boys won't take no for an answer, so you have to watch out for them, but you don't have to worry about that with those two."

  "Thanks, that's good to know. This is going to take some practice and some getting used to," she told him with a grin.

  "I don't think you need any practice at all. You've got every man in the place watching you. You should see how their heads turn when you walk by. You're going to be fine. Now, here's the drink you wanted. It's always best not to keep the customer waiting too long."

  "Thanks, Dan."

  He gave her a smile and a reassuring nod as she hurried off to wait on Art.

  Art was ready for her when she reached his side. As she placed his glass before him, he put his money down her bodice, too. Elise was embarrassed, but did
n't protest. She flashed both men a wide, flirtatious smile before turning away to wait on some of the other men who'd come in.

  It was then that she saw Gabe. He was standing just inside the swinging doors, and his gaze was riveted on her. She gave him an arch smile as she continued to wait on the men who were seated at the tables.

  Trace had entered the High Time and had stood there, looking around for Elise. It had taken him a moment to finally recognize her in the wig and red dress. He'd stared at her in disbelief, trying to reconcile the blond-haired, lush-figured woman with the Elise he knew. Elise was elegant and intelligent, while this blonde looked like she knew exactly what she was doing as she flaunted herself before the rowdy men. It had seemed impossible that she could be the same woman. But she was.

  Trace had started forward to speak with her, but had stopped abruptly when he saw Art stuff his money down her cleavage. His first reaction had been to grab Elise and drag her out of there to safety before he throttled the other man for daring to touch her that way, but somehow he'd fought the impulse down. He'd stayed where he was, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, his expression deliberately impassive. Trace had reminded himself that she was working on a story. It hadn't been easy, but he'd done it.

  "Hi, Big Guy," Kate said as she approached him. She had not seen him before and wondered what he was doing in the High Time Saloon. He wasn't one of their ordinary customers.

  "Evening, ma'am," Trace said. It took an effort, but he remained in character.

  "What can I do for you tonight?"

  "I think I'll have a drink at the bar."

  "If you want or need anything else, you let me know. My name's Kate."

  "I'll remember, and thank you, ma'am." Trace headed to the bar. He needed that drink. He had the feeling it was going to be a very long night.

  Elise was relieved when Gabe didn't cause a scene. She finally freed herself from the other customers and went to speak with him at the bar.

  "Buy me a drink, mister?" she asked as she came to stand next to him. She turned her back to the bar and faced the room as she looked up at Gabe over her shoulder.

  "What would you like, miss?"