God, oh God. The drinks kept flowing, and the fruity cocktails in hand were almost as good as the pay. Some of the girls had trouble with a few too many. They got thinking the guys liked them instead of what they represented, or that they could impress a man beyond what they could do in bed.

But Ruby? The more she drank, the less shits she gave. Sure, sometimes she spent too much attention on the other girls, but it hardly hurt business.

That’s why she was leaning on the piano just so, so her far from modest dress pushed her breasts into full view of any passersby, while Antoinette played away for that damned baronet. What was his name? John? James? Something stupid. He’d begun the night by chatting Ruby up, but she’d already been well into her cups by that point. Her gaze had kept on straying to her latest starlet, who was smiling yet avoiding making eye contact with anyone but the baronet at the same time.

“So, she strums and you sing?” the baronet ventured, snapping his fingers to get Ruby’s eyes back on him.

“If Queen Antoinette so commands it,” Ruby laughed, carefully tipping her glass to avoid smearing her lipstick.

“She’s wild this time of night, trust me,” Antoinette laughed, eyes back on the piano music.

Antoinette would know.

Ruby laughed again. Gagged a bit. Tossed back the rest of her martini, and popped the olive in her mouth with her eyes rolling back in self-indulgent relish. God, sometimes she still smelled fish creeping up on her, she swore. Little did she know …