Drink Now, Pay Later

As Lois Lane reached for the drink the bartender grabbed her wrist...and before the reporter could blink, the stamp came down, marking a little black circle.

"When you leave, they'll check your stamps and you pay your tab," the bartender said, and Lois smiled and nodded, oddly relieved. The picked up the cloudy grey cocktail an sipped. Like the one she had earlier, this was slimy, salty, slightly bitter...yet the flavor was hauntingly familiar, and the reporter had to stop herself from emptying the glass.

Okay, Lane, Lois thought to herself as she surveyed the crowd. If I were a demon with a magical grimoire and some missing women who were being held captive for some ritual, where would I be?

Her gaze swept the second level. In the middle, naked women were moving furniture and talking to customers, clearing the space for some kind of show. Around the edges, couples disappeared through doors into private rooms. Some people were simply fucking, and Lois largely ignored them—men and women indulging in the spectacle of public sex weren't really hiding anything. The real socializing was going on upstairs. This was the level for people that wanted sex.

Lois took another sip of her drink when she felt a tap at her wrist. She turned to see the bartender smile at her. The reporter **** herself to look at the dark eyes instead of the small, pert breasts with their puffy pink nipples, or the bare shoulders. The dark hair spilled back from a broad, high forehead like a mane, and the generous mouth was twisted in a Mona Lisa grin, oddly knowing.

"Hey. You here with anybody?" The bartender asked.

"No. Just...taking in the ambiance," Lois said, and lifted her half-finished drink. "Trying to relax."

The bartender tilted her head slightly. "I'm Angelica. My shift ends in a few minutes, if you'd like some company."

Lois Lane blinked, but **** a smile. If she could get Angelica talking, she might make some progress in this investigation.

"Somewhere private we could talk?" Lois said, leaning forward and arching her back to emphasize her small breasts. "Get to know each other better, I mean?"

"Absolutely," Angelica said, and there seemed to be a twinkle in her eye. "I'd like that. Finish your drink, and we'll go."

The naked reporter knocked back what was left of the cocktail, and hoped that Boston Brand and Black Alice were having some luck upstairs.