“Anna.” Laina nodded. She instantly regretted using that name. Her fake ID said Anita Woody, and although she supposed Anna might be short for Anita, the less chance someone might trace her back to Monty’s, the better. This was ridiculous. Who could keep all of her aliases straight? She entered the bathroom, cursing her ineptitude, and emerged twenty minutes later, hairless and just as embarrassed as ever.
But as she fell into the queue behind Nickie, Wesley’s assembly line of artists completed work on the first model, and Laina’s embarrassment morphed into pure awe. Wesley had transformed the woman into a peacock, her entire body coated in teal latex, then airbrushed with detailed feathers down the backs of her legs and subtle shading up her torso. Her previously Indian features were now an intricate series of ridges and lines to give her nose and cheekbones a beak-like appearance, while somehow enhancing her feminine characteristics. She was gorgeous and completely covered. A work of art. Laina had to remind herself the woman was naked under the thick layer of color.
“Once it dries, it feels like you’re wearing a wet suit,” Nickie said. “You’ll forget you’re naked. The latex is waterproof, but try not to spill alcohol on it. Not only will it remove the airbrushing, but it could also break down the latex if there’s friction involved.” She chuckled and winked.
Laina wondered how often “friction” happened in a club like this. From what Jason said, that was a major draw of the place. God, how did she get herself into these things.
She slid her attention back to Wesley, who’d transformed a man with sandy blond hair into a stunning interpretation of a cheetah. The meticulously drawn spots gathered along his sides and accented his already impressive physique. Laina had to stop from fanning herself.
Now she understood why the position required her to be on location more than three hours before opening. It took over two and a half to reach the front of the line. By that time, she stood among a herd of human animals—a bear, two tigers, several birds, rabbits, and gazelles, and wondered what was in store for her. What would Wesley transform her into?
In answer to her unasked question, he picked up the white spray gun and went to work. She closed her eyes as the cool spray tingled against her skin like a spritz of water, becoming heavier as it dried. Avoiding eye contact with Wesley, she held her arms out to her sides and stood with her feet shoulder-width apart. The paint caressed the outside of her leg, up her inner thigh, and over her most sensitive area.
Wesley seemed completely unaffected, almost bored. “Something got you here,” he said as he painted over the scar on her hip. “Dog bite?”
“Yeah.” If you counted a werewolf as a dog…
“Not a problem. I’ll cover it up, along with the tattoo.” He finished with the white and reached for the black airbrush. “The moment I saw your hair, I knew what I would make you.” Interesting. She’d dyed her normally mahogany hair jet black the night before in an effort to disguise herself. Along with using some shifter magic to change her green eyes to blue, she’d hoped it was enough to limit her exposure.
Wesley turned to his assistant. “Start darkening her spine. I want the stripes to come from a single strip of black and wrap around her body. White between the nipples.”
A tickle of spray passed over her butt crack, and her eyebrows shot into her hairline. Wesley laughed and lowered his voice. “I enjoy working with you newbies. I predict that three weeks from now, you’ll be spreading your cheeks so that Andre can get a better angle.”
“If you say so,” she said through a smirk.
“High pony. No hairpiece. She has enough as it is. Black apron, black tail, black stilettos,” Wesley practically barked the orders. The assistant took off toward a room in the back.
“We get to wear an apron?” Laina asked.
“Gotta have somewhere to put your tips,” he said through an impish grin. “With a body like yours, I predict you’ll make plenty.”
Her cheeks went hot again, now under a coat of paint that clung and stretched like a leather glove.
The assistant returned and started fussing with her hair as Andre feathered another layer of paint under her arm. By the time they were done, her shoulders were cramping, but she didn’t feel naked anymore. In fact, Nickie’s prediction proved true; the latex coated her flesh like a wet suit, hairline to ankle. A lacy, scrolled black mask was placed over her eyes, and an apron the size of a micro miniskirt was tied around her hips. Andre affixed a black tail to the base of her spine with costume glue.
“Wait a few minutes more to put on the shoes,” Wesley said. Laina took the black stilettos in hand and headed for the full-length mirror on the wall. But when she looked at her reflection, a human-shaped zebra stared back at her. A contoured, curvy-as-hell zebra.
“Hot!” the cheetah said with a wink.
“Wow,” Nickie added. “Wesley’s a genius.”
Wesley had made the blond bombshell into a doe, complete with dainty brown ears that poked from her chin-length hair.
“Thanks. It’s not as bad as I was expecting. It’s almost like…”
“Like you have a dirty secret.” Her new friend arched an eyebrow. “Like for just one night you can be someone else. You can be anyone.”
Exactly, Laina thought. Tonight, shewassomeone else. That was the plan. As Nickie and the rest of the models filtered through the door to the main part of the club, she dropped back and leaned against the lockers to put on her shoes. Once she’d double-checked that no one was watching, she unlocked her cubby and fished a tiny blue box from her purse. She dropped it into her apron. The box contained fairy magic, capable of attracting vermin from far and wide. An added enchantment made it invisible to humans when activated.
Laina closed the locker and squared her shoulders. It was time to do what she’d come to do.
ChapterTen
With a tray of canapés balanced on one hand, Laina entered the crowded ballroom of Hunt Club. The members, although dressed in normal attire, also wore masks, all depicting animals. A curvy dark-haired woman in a black wrap dress scanned her from head to toe through a mask of dragon scales. She flashed Laina a lecherous smile.
A balding, portly man by the name of Nate, who she learned was in charge, gathered them in the kitchen and explained that the patrons paid a sizable fee for tickets to the grand opening. Tonight only, appetizers and house drinks were included with admission. Laina wouldn’t be expected to take payment or make change for anything she served, but the guests were encouraged to tip her for her service. If the patrons asked for high-end wines or top-shelf liquors, they were available at the bar at an additional cost.
“Any other services you wish to provide are between you and your customer,” Nate said through a lewd grin. “But those activities need to occur in the private lounge areas. Don’t leave the floor without letting someone know.”
