Fic: Scarlet Pleasures [3/10]
Title: Scarlet Pleasures
Author: Jo. R (driftingatdusk)
Rating: FR-15 overall, one FR-18 scene that will be labelled later on.
Category: Drama, Case-file, Romance (Abby/Gibbs), Abby/Tony Friendship, Ziva/Abby Friendship
Pairing: Gibbs/Abby
Spoilers: 'Forced Entry', 'Guilty Pleasure', up to and including the season seven finale.
Summary: Holly Snow makes a request for help that puts Gibbs and Abby at odds.
****
Part Three
****
It wasn't hard to get an audience with the managers of Scarlet Secret. As per her instructions from Holly, Abby mentioned during her telephone call that she was a former associate of the former DC madam as well as a former technical advisor with the Scarlet Secret website. She was treated to a burst of classic music as she was put on hold so they could look her record up on their system, gone for a few minutes while they read a file on Abby Gibbs that Abby Sciuto herself would have liked to read.
Whatever notes had been made in her file had worked in her favour and the woman she'd been speaking to came back on the line quickly, bubbling with interested enthusiasm.
Since she'd gone on assignment at Scarlet Secret as pretty much herself with the exception of her surname, she chose to waive the budget NCIS offered her and decided to attend the interview she'd arranged wearing her own clothes to try and make the whole situation a little more easy on herself.
The low slung black jeans hugged her slender hips and a strip of pale skin was on show between the waistband and the deep red, almost black corset top she teamed with them. Her black jacket was form-fitting, an impulse buy she'd made on her last shopping adventure with Ziva. The only exception to her usual outfit were the shoes on her feet - Abby had opted for the strappy heels she usually reserved for court instead of her thick soled boots.
She wore her hair straight and loose, the black tresses partially obscuring her face as she completed the obligatory turn for her two appointed advisors, Holly and Ziva.
"I still think you should wear a suit or a dress," Holly told her with an arched eyebrow, a faint glimmer of disapproval in her eyes. "You look too casual."
"She looks perfect," Ziva argued in Abby's defence. "You look very attractive, Abby."
"I agree she looks attractive but she doesn't give the impression these people are going to be looking for. Believe me, I know what they want to see and a party-girl going to spend a night at a club isn't exactly the look they're searching for in a girl." Holly's frown turned into a friendly smile when Abby looked at her. "You need to look expensive, Abby. I'm sure you know what I mean."
"Sure. You want me to look like an over-priced hooker." Abby shrugged a shoulder. "The tattoos would make it hard for me to pull that off, and even if I could, that's not what they're expecting. They've already met me, remember? If they don't buy I'm looking for a job, fine. I'm sure there are plenty of other women NCIS can entice them with if I don't fit the bill. I'm willing to give it a shot but not if I have to pretend to be someone I'm not. More than I already am," she added as an after-thought. She shrugged away the concerned glance Ziva threw in her direction and headed for the door of the conference room.
She'd barely stepped out of the room when she felt her face heat under the intense scrutiny of the men standing outside of it. The jolt of feminine pride she felt at the appreciation she could clearly see on Tony and McGee's faces disappeared at the noncommittal sweep Gibbs' eyes did of her body but Abby forced herself to ignore it, running a self-conscious hand through her hair as she moved passed them.
"I'll call when I'm done," she promised, not sure exactly which of them she was talking to. "You might want to choose someone else to try. Just in case."
"We won't need anyone else." Tony said it as he caught up with her, a warm hand pressing against the small of her back. Abby tried not to wish he was someone else and tilted her head to smile at him. "You look hot, Abby. You'll do great."
The confidence boost and the escort to the elevators were appreciated. Abby leaned in to brush his cheek with her lips as a gesture of thanks before darting inside the elevator, determined to leave and get the meeting over with before her nerves got the better of her.
She waved as the elevator doors began to close, the sight of her lipstick print on Tony's cheek making her smile even as the expression on Gibbs' face beyond him made her want to cry.
****
"Ms. Gibbs? Please take a seat." She fought a wince at the name but accepted the hand the blond woman offered her as the man who sat beside her leaned back and studied her "I'm Lucy Reynard, and this is my partner, Andre Mason. Thank you so much for coming to see us."
"Thank you for inviting me," Abby demurred with a shy smile. Lucy's handshake, she noted, was as firm as the nail extensions she wore were fake. "I know I'm probably not your usual... applicant."
"There is no usual in this business," Lucy informed her with a warm smile and a small laugh as she took the seat opposite Abby's own. "I'm sure you know from experience that not everyone wants or even like the same things."
"Absolutely. Life would be incredibly boring if they did." Abby returned Lucy's smile, trying to ignore the way Andre watched her with an open interest he made no attempt at disguising. "Still, Holly warned me I might not be what you're looking for so I appreciate you taking the time to see me."
"Holly's been out of the game for too long," Lucy murmured with a dismissive wave, lips turning downwards in an expression of distaste. Her dislike of her rival both did and didn't surprise Abby; she suspected there were quite a few women like Lucy who envied Holly's success although it was - as far as she knew - a thing of the past. "She liked her girls to appeal to a certain type of clientele. Here at Scarlet Secret, we know variety really is the spice of life. I'm sure you remember that from your time here with the company...?"
Remembering the blond woman who'd flirted outrageously with a client on the phone and the various profiles she'd looked up throughout and after the investigation, Abby was able to answer honestly. "It opened my eyes to a few things," she admitted with a smile. "When Holly mentioned Scarlet Secret had ventured out and had some contracts available, I thought I'd get in touch. I'm a little unsure as to how the contracts work, though. With Holly, there was never a set venue or a set client."
Lucy's face lit up with obvious pride. "That's where Scarlet Secret is an improved way of life for girls such as yourself. As part of your contract, you get the added benefit of a safe place to work as well as included security should you need it. Basically speaking, you take out a contract with us for a room and we take out a contract with you for your services."
"What services would you expect me to offer, exactly?" Abby tilted her head slightly and fought to keep her expression intrigued and not as apprehensive as she felt.
"The list of services our employees offer is mostly left up to them. We'd expect you to compile a list along with a guide price for each item offered and any extras you'd be willing to add. We like to think of ourselves as a matchmaking service more than anything else. Our girls and boys supply us with lists of what's available and our clients then get to review each list - menus, if you will and can choose a suitable partner for the evening or hour depending on your personal preferences."
"What happens then?" Abby wondered aloud. "How are the appointments actually made?"
"Well, that's down to our receptionists," Lucy explained, the smile still in place. "The receptionist on duty will check availability and book appointments with you. They'll then direct the client to the right room. A deposit is paid prior to the appointment and left at reception, the balance along with any gratuity paid afterwards - again to the receptionist."
It sounded professional, Abby noted. Very organised and, since there was no stated expectation that sex was a service all employees were expected to offer their clients, it almost sounded like it could be legal, too. She was willing to bed there'd be more than one version of the pricelist - the 'menu' - on hand, too; one for genuine clients and one for the authorities and those clients suspected of being undercover cops.
"What kind of fees and rates would we be looking at?" Abby asked in a calm voice that didn't betray the anxiety she felt. "I assume there's a set rate I'd pay you for the use of the room, then a percentage of what I earn would go to you, too...?""
She sounded like she knew what she was talking about and Lucy - and Andre - looked suitably impressed. Abby silently thanked Holly for her advice, and the expose website she'd looked up about the former Madam when their paths had first crossed.
"The rate for the room is standard, no matter how many hours you're actually in residence. Our busiest times are weekday evenings between six pm and one am, and all weekends. We'd expect you to work three of every four weekends as a minimum," Lucy explained with a friendly smile, almost as casually as if they were discussing the weather. "Our rental rates for your suite stand at $300 a month. Now, that might sound steep but it includes the security I mentioned, as well as all electricity, lighting, water and heating costs."
It not only sounded steep but it was also as much as Abby had paid in rent for her first apartment but she kept that thought to herself as Lucy continued.
"As for our administration fee, we'd expect to take between fifteen and twenty percent depending on your rates, of course. All tips and extras, you get to keep yourself."
A small pause filled the room and both Lucy and Andre looked at her - Lucy expectantly and Andre with interest. Her heart pounding in her chest, Abby hesitated for a second before forcing an accepting smile on her face. "If you'll have me, I'd love to join the Scarlet Secret team."
****
Housekeeping and fitting out the room with whatever supplies she thought she'd need was Abby's responsibility. She went back to NCIS Headquarters at the Navy Yard with her head spinning' the contracts had been signed and exchanged, a copy of which she clasped in her hands as the cab driver drove her to her destination. Lucy and Andre expected her list of services offered by no later than that evening, ready for her to start work the following evening at six pm prompt.
"It's very carefully worded," Agent Lewis Green said of the contract she'd signed as the legal department's representative assigned to the case. "Nowhere does it actually say anything illegal will be taking place on the premises."
"Lucy did two years of law school before dropping out," Holly explained from where she sat beside Abby at the conference room table, in the midst of suggesting how to word the list of services she was supposed to offer that wouldn't get her into too much trouble. "I guess some of what she learnt stuck even after she quit."
"Why did she give it up?" Ziva asked from Abby's other side, lending her silent support to the somewhat shell-shocked forensic specialist. "It would have been a respectable profession."
"Lawyers? Respectable?" Holly smiled, baring her teeth. "That would be where we differ in opinion."
"Lawyers and prostitutes both get paid to screw people," Abby interrupted with a shrug. "Whether either's respectable is a matter of opinion. No offence, Lewis." The legal expert shot her a grin that suggested he'd taken none. Abby arched an eyebrow when she noticed Ziva try and fail to keep from smirking. "What?"
Letting the smile spread across her lips, Ziva glanced over to the other side of the room where Gibbs, Tony and McGee were going over the blueprints for the Scarlet Secret building. "You sound like Gibbs," Ziva commented quietly. "Perhaps he is rubbing off on you, no?"
Abby held her tongue and almost succeeded in keeping her eyes from seeking out the man in question. He looked up at that moment, catching her gaze with his and holding it in a heated exchange Abby wished she understood.
An exchange that didn't go unnoticed.
"How are you at massage?" Holly asked in the momentary silence that ensued, drawing Abby's attention away from the man on the other side of the room. "A lot of clients won't actually want sex, you know. They'll want company and conversation, someone to listen to their woes and say they understand."
"I took a short course in massage a few years ago," Abby answered with a shrug, her face heating when she felt more than one pair of eyes settle on her at the admission. "I could probably remember enough to fill in an hour or so."
"Perfect." Holly gave her an approving smile. "That'll help pad out your list and make it look like you offer the full range..."
Her stomach churning, Abby let herself be swept away by the planning, telling herself there was only a small chance she'd be asked to meet with someone outside of the team of agents Gibbs and his team were handpicking for the assignment.
A small chance was like no chance at all... wasn't it?
****
Author: Jo. R (driftingatdusk)
Rating: FR-15 overall, one FR-18 scene that will be labelled later on.
Category: Drama, Case-file, Romance (Abby/Gibbs), Abby/Tony Friendship, Ziva/Abby Friendship
Pairing: Gibbs/Abby
Spoilers: 'Forced Entry', 'Guilty Pleasure', up to and including the season seven finale.
Summary: Holly Snow makes a request for help that puts Gibbs and Abby at odds.
****
Part Three
****
It wasn't hard to get an audience with the managers of Scarlet Secret. As per her instructions from Holly, Abby mentioned during her telephone call that she was a former associate of the former DC madam as well as a former technical advisor with the Scarlet Secret website. She was treated to a burst of classic music as she was put on hold so they could look her record up on their system, gone for a few minutes while they read a file on Abby Gibbs that Abby Sciuto herself would have liked to read.
Whatever notes had been made in her file had worked in her favour and the woman she'd been speaking to came back on the line quickly, bubbling with interested enthusiasm.
Since she'd gone on assignment at Scarlet Secret as pretty much herself with the exception of her surname, she chose to waive the budget NCIS offered her and decided to attend the interview she'd arranged wearing her own clothes to try and make the whole situation a little more easy on herself.
The low slung black jeans hugged her slender hips and a strip of pale skin was on show between the waistband and the deep red, almost black corset top she teamed with them. Her black jacket was form-fitting, an impulse buy she'd made on her last shopping adventure with Ziva. The only exception to her usual outfit were the shoes on her feet - Abby had opted for the strappy heels she usually reserved for court instead of her thick soled boots.
She wore her hair straight and loose, the black tresses partially obscuring her face as she completed the obligatory turn for her two appointed advisors, Holly and Ziva.
"I still think you should wear a suit or a dress," Holly told her with an arched eyebrow, a faint glimmer of disapproval in her eyes. "You look too casual."
"She looks perfect," Ziva argued in Abby's defence. "You look very attractive, Abby."
"I agree she looks attractive but she doesn't give the impression these people are going to be looking for. Believe me, I know what they want to see and a party-girl going to spend a night at a club isn't exactly the look they're searching for in a girl." Holly's frown turned into a friendly smile when Abby looked at her. "You need to look expensive, Abby. I'm sure you know what I mean."
"Sure. You want me to look like an over-priced hooker." Abby shrugged a shoulder. "The tattoos would make it hard for me to pull that off, and even if I could, that's not what they're expecting. They've already met me, remember? If they don't buy I'm looking for a job, fine. I'm sure there are plenty of other women NCIS can entice them with if I don't fit the bill. I'm willing to give it a shot but not if I have to pretend to be someone I'm not. More than I already am," she added as an after-thought. She shrugged away the concerned glance Ziva threw in her direction and headed for the door of the conference room.
She'd barely stepped out of the room when she felt her face heat under the intense scrutiny of the men standing outside of it. The jolt of feminine pride she felt at the appreciation she could clearly see on Tony and McGee's faces disappeared at the noncommittal sweep Gibbs' eyes did of her body but Abby forced herself to ignore it, running a self-conscious hand through her hair as she moved passed them.
"I'll call when I'm done," she promised, not sure exactly which of them she was talking to. "You might want to choose someone else to try. Just in case."
"We won't need anyone else." Tony said it as he caught up with her, a warm hand pressing against the small of her back. Abby tried not to wish he was someone else and tilted her head to smile at him. "You look hot, Abby. You'll do great."
The confidence boost and the escort to the elevators were appreciated. Abby leaned in to brush his cheek with her lips as a gesture of thanks before darting inside the elevator, determined to leave and get the meeting over with before her nerves got the better of her.
She waved as the elevator doors began to close, the sight of her lipstick print on Tony's cheek making her smile even as the expression on Gibbs' face beyond him made her want to cry.
****
"Ms. Gibbs? Please take a seat." She fought a wince at the name but accepted the hand the blond woman offered her as the man who sat beside her leaned back and studied her "I'm Lucy Reynard, and this is my partner, Andre Mason. Thank you so much for coming to see us."
"Thank you for inviting me," Abby demurred with a shy smile. Lucy's handshake, she noted, was as firm as the nail extensions she wore were fake. "I know I'm probably not your usual... applicant."
"There is no usual in this business," Lucy informed her with a warm smile and a small laugh as she took the seat opposite Abby's own. "I'm sure you know from experience that not everyone wants or even like the same things."
"Absolutely. Life would be incredibly boring if they did." Abby returned Lucy's smile, trying to ignore the way Andre watched her with an open interest he made no attempt at disguising. "Still, Holly warned me I might not be what you're looking for so I appreciate you taking the time to see me."
"Holly's been out of the game for too long," Lucy murmured with a dismissive wave, lips turning downwards in an expression of distaste. Her dislike of her rival both did and didn't surprise Abby; she suspected there were quite a few women like Lucy who envied Holly's success although it was - as far as she knew - a thing of the past. "She liked her girls to appeal to a certain type of clientele. Here at Scarlet Secret, we know variety really is the spice of life. I'm sure you remember that from your time here with the company...?"
Remembering the blond woman who'd flirted outrageously with a client on the phone and the various profiles she'd looked up throughout and after the investigation, Abby was able to answer honestly. "It opened my eyes to a few things," she admitted with a smile. "When Holly mentioned Scarlet Secret had ventured out and had some contracts available, I thought I'd get in touch. I'm a little unsure as to how the contracts work, though. With Holly, there was never a set venue or a set client."
Lucy's face lit up with obvious pride. "That's where Scarlet Secret is an improved way of life for girls such as yourself. As part of your contract, you get the added benefit of a safe place to work as well as included security should you need it. Basically speaking, you take out a contract with us for a room and we take out a contract with you for your services."
"What services would you expect me to offer, exactly?" Abby tilted her head slightly and fought to keep her expression intrigued and not as apprehensive as she felt.
"The list of services our employees offer is mostly left up to them. We'd expect you to compile a list along with a guide price for each item offered and any extras you'd be willing to add. We like to think of ourselves as a matchmaking service more than anything else. Our girls and boys supply us with lists of what's available and our clients then get to review each list - menus, if you will and can choose a suitable partner for the evening or hour depending on your personal preferences."
"What happens then?" Abby wondered aloud. "How are the appointments actually made?"
"Well, that's down to our receptionists," Lucy explained, the smile still in place. "The receptionist on duty will check availability and book appointments with you. They'll then direct the client to the right room. A deposit is paid prior to the appointment and left at reception, the balance along with any gratuity paid afterwards - again to the receptionist."
It sounded professional, Abby noted. Very organised and, since there was no stated expectation that sex was a service all employees were expected to offer their clients, it almost sounded like it could be legal, too. She was willing to bed there'd be more than one version of the pricelist - the 'menu' - on hand, too; one for genuine clients and one for the authorities and those clients suspected of being undercover cops.
"What kind of fees and rates would we be looking at?" Abby asked in a calm voice that didn't betray the anxiety she felt. "I assume there's a set rate I'd pay you for the use of the room, then a percentage of what I earn would go to you, too...?""
She sounded like she knew what she was talking about and Lucy - and Andre - looked suitably impressed. Abby silently thanked Holly for her advice, and the expose website she'd looked up about the former Madam when their paths had first crossed.
"The rate for the room is standard, no matter how many hours you're actually in residence. Our busiest times are weekday evenings between six pm and one am, and all weekends. We'd expect you to work three of every four weekends as a minimum," Lucy explained with a friendly smile, almost as casually as if they were discussing the weather. "Our rental rates for your suite stand at $300 a month. Now, that might sound steep but it includes the security I mentioned, as well as all electricity, lighting, water and heating costs."
It not only sounded steep but it was also as much as Abby had paid in rent for her first apartment but she kept that thought to herself as Lucy continued.
"As for our administration fee, we'd expect to take between fifteen and twenty percent depending on your rates, of course. All tips and extras, you get to keep yourself."
A small pause filled the room and both Lucy and Andre looked at her - Lucy expectantly and Andre with interest. Her heart pounding in her chest, Abby hesitated for a second before forcing an accepting smile on her face. "If you'll have me, I'd love to join the Scarlet Secret team."
****
Housekeeping and fitting out the room with whatever supplies she thought she'd need was Abby's responsibility. She went back to NCIS Headquarters at the Navy Yard with her head spinning' the contracts had been signed and exchanged, a copy of which she clasped in her hands as the cab driver drove her to her destination. Lucy and Andre expected her list of services offered by no later than that evening, ready for her to start work the following evening at six pm prompt.
"It's very carefully worded," Agent Lewis Green said of the contract she'd signed as the legal department's representative assigned to the case. "Nowhere does it actually say anything illegal will be taking place on the premises."
"Lucy did two years of law school before dropping out," Holly explained from where she sat beside Abby at the conference room table, in the midst of suggesting how to word the list of services she was supposed to offer that wouldn't get her into too much trouble. "I guess some of what she learnt stuck even after she quit."
"Why did she give it up?" Ziva asked from Abby's other side, lending her silent support to the somewhat shell-shocked forensic specialist. "It would have been a respectable profession."
"Lawyers? Respectable?" Holly smiled, baring her teeth. "That would be where we differ in opinion."
"Lawyers and prostitutes both get paid to screw people," Abby interrupted with a shrug. "Whether either's respectable is a matter of opinion. No offence, Lewis." The legal expert shot her a grin that suggested he'd taken none. Abby arched an eyebrow when she noticed Ziva try and fail to keep from smirking. "What?"
Letting the smile spread across her lips, Ziva glanced over to the other side of the room where Gibbs, Tony and McGee were going over the blueprints for the Scarlet Secret building. "You sound like Gibbs," Ziva commented quietly. "Perhaps he is rubbing off on you, no?"
Abby held her tongue and almost succeeded in keeping her eyes from seeking out the man in question. He looked up at that moment, catching her gaze with his and holding it in a heated exchange Abby wished she understood.
An exchange that didn't go unnoticed.
"How are you at massage?" Holly asked in the momentary silence that ensued, drawing Abby's attention away from the man on the other side of the room. "A lot of clients won't actually want sex, you know. They'll want company and conversation, someone to listen to their woes and say they understand."
"I took a short course in massage a few years ago," Abby answered with a shrug, her face heating when she felt more than one pair of eyes settle on her at the admission. "I could probably remember enough to fill in an hour or so."
"Perfect." Holly gave her an approving smile. "That'll help pad out your list and make it look like you offer the full range..."
Her stomach churning, Abby let herself be swept away by the planning, telling herself there was only a small chance she'd be asked to meet with someone outside of the team of agents Gibbs and his team were handpicking for the assignment.
A small chance was like no chance at all... wasn't it?
****