What Lola Wants (London Dolls Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

honey.”
    Louisa smiled at beautiful yet odd Polly and called in the theft. Not that she expected anything to happen. Police didn’t have time to focus on a gentle stalker who lavished her with gifts and gave her the creeps. But they put on the pretense of caring, made the report, and advised her to check with the bank to make sure it wasn’t a mistake. If, indeed, the money had been stolen, she was to cancel the savings account to prevent further damage and keep them updated.
    She sighed, hung up, and dialed information. They connected her to her bank, but some automated opening-hours message played so she ended the call and passed the phone back to the Doll. “Thanks.” She’d try again in the morning.
    “Anytime. Enjoy the show.” Polly slipped two pink cards her way. “Have a couple of drinks on me, and you’ll soon forget that ex of yours.”
    She glanced at the tickets, each valid for one cocktail. “Thank you, that’s very kind.” Louisa peeled off her coat. “These drinks will go a long way toward shaking off the day’s crapiness.” She turned to Dennis. “We can stay for a drink, can’t we? And some of the show?”
    “Sure.” His mouth kicked up at the corners. He handed her garment to Polly and ushered Lola up the grand staircase.
    “I’m quite curious to see these dancers.” Standing tall, she tilted her chin high and ascended while trailing her index finger along the smooth metallic railing.
    Dim lighting greeted her at the peak. Crimson velvet-draped round tables topped with storm candles filled the space between a bar and the stage. Red damask wallpaper and gold lights gave the space movie star glamour rather than cheap, stripper-joint ambiance.
    The Doll House bustled with laughing and chattering drinkers. A party of bachelorettes knocked back shots and danced around their bridal-veil-clad queen, and a bunch of executives wearing plastic birthday hats watched and cheered them on. Women, dressed in their finest admired each other’s outfits, and twenty-somethings in jeans and tees browsed the program for the evening’s performance.
    She wanted to sit up front and order cocktails from the laminated, pictorial menus—strong drinks with ice and a straw—then finish every one of them before crawling into Dennis’s bed. Yeah, that’d improve her night. Not so much in the morning when his fiancée turned up, though. Ouch. Perhaps not. A fiancé thief she was not.
    “ I’ll have one drink.”
    Spotlights crossed the stage curtains, and excitement bubbled in Louisa, fading her worries. It’d been a long time since she’d been on this side of the curtains before a show.
    The anticipation thrilled her.
    Deep, sensual jazz notes bounced around the room, and the audience hushed to rapt silence.
    “Just one?”
    “Yes, and make it quick and strong.” She thrust the coupons at him. “Use these.”
    “In that case, do you want a Pink Doll?” Hints of green shimmered through his oceanic stare.
    She snickered. “Erm, okay.”
    “What?”
    “Since when did your kind of drink have ‘doll’ and ‘pink’ in its name?” she prodded, unable to contain a chuckle.
    “It’s popular around here.” He shrugged then ordered two draft lagers instead.
    “Damn, I wish I’d kept my mouth shut. A Pink Doll sounds more appealing than a pint.”
    The barmaid wore a similar outfit to Pocket Polly’s. “I’m not pouring two pints, that’s too boring. Two Pink Dolls it is.” She mixed and poured the concoctions while swinging her hips to the rhythm, pivoting then bending to retrieve napkins from a lower shelf, she flashed red and white stockings and frilly undies. Nice pink knickers .
    Dennis cleared his throat and turned his attention to Lola. “How much did the bastard steal?”
    “Almost fifty thousand.”
    “Seriously?”
    “Yup.”
    “I can spot you some cash, pay me back whenever.”
    “Thank you, but I have enough on me so I should be good. Hopefully, he only got hold of my savings,