Less than two hours later, Star was leaving the front door of her building, clutching the strap of her backpack tightly at her shoulder and looking around to make sure she wasn’t being followed.
She had a routine every time she left the apartment, and it consisted of waiting in the entrance behind the closed door to ensure the coast was clear before she slipped out into the streets. She made her way as quickly as she could towards Main Street.
She knew she was probably being overly cautious, but she had seen a lot of scary things and knew how depraved humanity could be. She saw how the homeless men loitered in the doorways of the derelict warehouses, and she knew they slept inside, forging little communities of their own. It frightened her, but she had done her best to ignore it. Now that she had made the decision to move, she felt so full of energy and positivity, it was almost as if she had already gone.
She turned a corner and saw the beginnings of Main Street up ahead and felt herself relax. She slowed her pace slightly and looked out over the tops of the buildings to where she knew the mountains were catching the glow of the setting sun. The roads were busy, and cars flew past her, blaring their horns and playing music loudly. It was a Friday, and she knew she was going to be in for one hell of a shift. However, she was feeling so positive she welcomed it. She was reveling in the idea of conversing with as many people as possible and hustling some serious cash.
The walk across town to Tanner’s had been something that had daunted her at first. She had resented not having a car when she first moved to town, but since she had settled and could long since afford it, she had made the decision to stick to using her feet. She spent so much time in the club and the rest of her days grabbing as much downtime as she could, it left her little room to hit the gym for exercise. It took her thirty-five minutes door to door and it kept her feeling pumped, her mind clear, and her heart racing in all the right ways. Some days, she would stick on her running shoes and race there, but that meant she would have to shower and get ready all over again once she arrived, and she usually found that as soon as she set foot inside the club, she was thrown straight into work, even if she was early.
She passed through Main Street and waved to one of the old ladies who sat outside the bistro. Star had never learned her name, but she was always there in the same place every day, and she had begun waving to her whenever she saw her two weeks after she started working at Tanner’s. The old lady was someone who was constant, someone who made the place feel more like home. Seeing her sitting there every evening was almost reassuring, and it made her happy that she had found somewhere that had community at its heart.
She wandered out of the other side of town and toward the highway. The sun was almost completely set, but the air was still warm, and it felt delightful on her bare skin. Her shorts were rolled up so they were just skimming her butt and her t-shirt was loose and flowing. After moving into the desert, she had learned the hard way about what you could and couldn’t wear in this environment, and she had spent many uncomfortable days walking to work and finding her way around town. It was all about loose and casual. She had thrown out almost all her trousers or anything heavy within the first few weeks, and had enjoyed gathering together a new wardrobe.
She saw the shining neon lights of the diner ahead and checked her watch. She still had half an hour before her shift. Still, she didn’t think she could face battling with the Friday night crowds in the diner for a cup of coffee and a pancake. She stifled a yawn and promised herself she would use the tiny kitchen at the club to make herself something, and then she would hit the tequila.
She didn’t particularly want to drink, but for a Friday night with at least nine hours stretching out ahead of her, she was going to need something to perk her up a little, or she would be dragging in no time.
The club rose out of the desert landscape dead ahead and she felt a warm sense of familiarity. Tanner’s had been somewhere she had really been grateful for when she had arrived in Slate Springs. She had never worked a job quite like it before, but she had found that she was a natural when it came to shaking her hips and flattering men. She still remembered her first shift and how terrified she had been. However, after her first dance, the first time she had commanded the stage, she realized how empowering it was to hold that much attention over an entire room. All eyes had been on her, and every man in there had wanted her. She had felt like the most powerful force out there in the desert that night, and it was addictive. Now she felt such a rush whenever she saw the stage, she couldn’t wait for it to happen again and again. It was always her most favorite part of the day, and something she would thrive on for years to come, if not for an entire lifetime.
She checked out the parking lot as she got closer and could see there was already a fair amount of trucks lining up out the back, with a smattering of cars out front.
“Yikes,” she breathed. “And it’s not even nine…”
She hitched her backpack up higher onto her shoulder and braced herself before she continued walking. It was going to be one hell of a night, and she couldn’t wait to get in the middle of it.
“I swear, the entire crowd tonight is just horny truckers.” Renee rolled her eyes as she chewed gum and flicked mascara across her long, thick eyelashes.
They both were sitting in the dressing room, and Star was painting her nails a hot pink while Renee put the final touches to her own look before she hit the stage.
Star laughed and said with a wink, “Isn’t that the case every night?” She blew on the edge of her nails to get them dry.
“I’m sick of this goddam job.” Renee pouted as she kicked her feet out and slipped them into a pair of stilettos with a three-inch heel. “I’m tired of being a piece of meat.”
“You’re looking at it all wrong,” Star said with authority as she pulled the little brush out of the pot of polish and began to paint her other hand. “They’re the pieces of meat. The dumbasses we’re exploiting, not the other way around.” She raised her eyebrows and watched as Renee’s face cracked into a smile.
“I know you’re right,” she agreed. “I used to have the same attitude, but the more months that pass by, I just find myself feeling done.” “You can’t leave me,” Star said, pouting. “Ever since I first started here, you’ve been the only one I could count on to kick my ass and make sure I’m always giving one hundred percent.”
“That’s because I give a shit about you and the other girls.” Renee’s tone was almost motherly. “I remember what it was like starting out, I was scared, but then I realized how much money I could make, and I quickly changed my thought process.”
“So, change it again now,” Star said with a little bit of exasperation.
“Maybe,” Renee said with a shrugged. “Or maybe it’s time to hang up the pantyhose and be a real adult.”
She winked at Star before they both burst into laughter.
“Who else is working tonight?” Star asked as she twisted the little bottle of nail polish back closed and leaned back against the wall. The whole of the dressing room was an explosion of colorful clothes and underwear. It was almost looking out across a rainbow.
“Candy was on day shift,” Renee said. “Jill’s working bar, and I do believe we may have a new girl starting later tonight.” She raised her eyebrows and Star’s eyes widened.
“Really? I haven’t heard anything about it.”
“Neither had I until I came in tonight,” Renee said. “Jill said she heard one of the bikers talking about new blood. What else could they mean? I don’t like being kept in the dark.”
“Me neither,” Star said as she picked up a brush and started to comb through her long, thick hair. “But who knows? I guess with them it could mean anything.”
“Maybe Jill got it wrong,” Renee shrugged. “Maybe it was all just Chinese whispers.”
“Maybe,” Star agreed as she found herself staring into space.
Every time a new girl started at Tanner’s, the existing girls all became a little nervous. Not that they were ever anything but kind and welcoming, it just always brought with it a sense of fear, as if one of their days were numbered.
Star couldn’t help but worry, as in this case maybe it was Renee. If she had been telling other people around the club she was starting to feel unhappy, and the bikers were bound to find out at some point and take action to help her along right out the door.
“Well, I better get out there.” Renee sighed as she rose to her feet and plucked the wad of gum from her mouth before she threw it into the garbage. “Wish me luck!”
“Good luck.” Star smiled warmly. “Not that you need it.”
Renee winked at her before she adjusted her boobs in her bra and slipped out of the door into the hallway. Star looked around once she was alone and felt a deep affinity to her surroundings. She could understand where Renee was coming from, but at the same time she loved what she did, and she knew she was lucky to have such a sweet deal.
The Forsaken Riders, the bike gang who owned the club, were decent and solid. They were the kind of men who had honor and were always true to their word. When Star had been travelling across the country, she had heard many terrible tales from girls in similar lines of work who were employed by really nasty guys; the kind of men who would beat them up if they called in sick, or took their hard-earned money, then giving them a swift slap if they dared to ask why.
Star never had any trouble in Slate Springs. She hated her apartment, and the dodgy side of town it was on, but apart from that, she felt pretty settled and lucky to have found such a welcoming place. She often marveled at how much of a little family seemed to thrive within the walls of the strip club, and there had never been a time while she had been at work when she had felt genuinely unsafe.
She looked at herself in the mirror and cocked her head to one side as she studied her outfit. She looked cute in a pink bikini to match her pink nails, and her shoes were almost as high as skyscrapers, making her legs look even longer.
“Right.” She smiled to herself as she began to psyche herself up. “Let’s get out there and earn some money.”
She winked at her own reflection and turned on her heel before heading for the same door Renee had just disappeared through.
As soon as she stepped into the darkened hallway, she could feel the vibrations through the floor of the heavy thumping music. Walking to the set of swinging doors that led to the main body of the club, her heart began to race and she felt both alive and nervous.
Even after all the months she had worked there, she still thrived off that feeling. The one that told her she was in control and she held the power. She was about to walk through those doors a star, and be coveted by every man in the place. It was a great feeling, and one that never seemed to get old.
She pushed the doors open and stepped into the dark, hot swarm of music, smoke and bodies. The club was packed and filled to bursting, the bright spotlights and heavy smoke making it almost impossible to see even two feet in front of her.
Star flipped her hair over her shoulder and smiled sweetly, as she weaved her way through the crowd and headed towards the bar. She liked to begin her night on neutral ground, and the bar always seemed like the ideal place to hook a customer who needed a little attention, or a good conversation. If Star was lucky, she would probably get a drink bought for her as well.
The mist in front of her cleared and she could see the backlights illuminating the length of the bar and Jill working away tirelessly behind it. Star picked up her pace so that she could get to her sooner and as she reached it she slapped her hands down playfully on the top of the counter.
“Good evening.” She grinned as Jill looked up, then laughed.
“Hey,” Jill smiled. “When did you get in?”
“About a half hour ago,” Star called back. “I’m not on stage until midnight, though, so I thought I’d come down here and see what was going on.”
“Good.” Jill grinned. “Maybe you can distract some of these assholes.” She said this in a whisper and behind her hand so the men loitering around the bar couldn’t hear her or if they lip-read, see.
“Oh really?” Star asked with a frown. “That bad?”
“Terrible,” Jill mouthed. “Full of fire and aggression.”
“Urgh.” Star pouted as she looked around at the sets of eyes watching her.
“But now you’re here,” Jill said, still grinning. “You’re the calming influence. You’re the one who’ll bring them to their knees.”
“Well, in theory.” Star laughed. “Let’s see if that works in practice.”
“As if it wouldn’t.” Jill laughed as she brushed off Star’s comment, and Star had to admit, she knew she was just being modest. She had a power that no man in there would dare mess with.
She turned around and leaned back against the bar before she began to twirl a long strand of hair around her finger, and began the short wait for someone to approach her. At the front of the room and on the stage, Renee was gathering one hell of a crowd, and Star couldn’t help but cheer her on.
She had only been waiting there for a matter of moments when she saw the main doors to the club swing open and the familiar gate of Bull marched through and into the room. She held her breath for a moment as she tried to gauge what kind of a mood he was in from the way he was walking, and could tell instantly he was agitated.
His wide, muscular shoulders were hunched, and his fists were clenched. He looked as if he were tense and ready to pounce into action.
Bull was the current head of The Forsaken Riders. He was a big, badass mean biker, with nerves of steel and a body to match. He hadn’t been around the club much in the past couple of months, and Star had wondered where he had been hiding, but now he was back and he looked like he meant business.
“Hi,” Star smiled as he approached the bar and crossed his huge arms over his chest.
Bull nodded down at her, but didn’t smile. That’s when Star knew that something really was up.
“Some of the other boys are coming in,” Bull said sternly as he eyeballed Star and then Jill behind the counter. “I want this place as empty as possible within an hour’s time.”
Star and Jill looked at each other with wide eyes and an expression which could only mean that neither of them knew if he was joking or not.
“I’m being serious,” he said again.
His face was flat and angry, and the girls both nodded nervously.
“Stop all the dances,” Bull said as he raised a hand and pointed at Renee. “Who was taking over afterwards?”
Star raised her hand. “Well, I was.”
“Not anymore. Just for tonight, we’re closing up.”
He looked at them both sternly to check that they had understood and they both nodded with their mouths sagging open slightly with shock. In the whole time that Star had worked at Tanner’s, she had never known them to close like that.
“Closing up?” she asked bravely.
“Yes,” Bull confirmed. “Emergency meeting. We don’t want the place so overrun we can’t keep track of everything and everyone who’s in here.”
“But—” Jill began but quickly stopped whatever she was going to ask.
“Just stop the dances, take a while serving the drinks, and stay off the floor.” He looked at Star when he said that. “The truckers will all get bored and head to The Bullet, and the youngsters playing tourist won’t know any different. This is all just a novelty for them anyway.”
Star nodded her head.
“You’ve got an hour to get this place at half the capacity it is now,” Bull said again, and this time he had a little grin of amusement as he raised his eyebrows. “No pressure.”
He turned and looked back over his shoulder before he disappeared into the crowd, and Star and Jill looked at each other as if they couldn’t believe what they had just heard.
“Emergency meeting?” Star said.
Jill shrugged and slipped a stick of gum into her mouth before she started to chew.
“I’m not questioning it,” she said, laughing. “All I want is to get off early.”
Star shrugged too. She hadn’t predicted such an easy shift, but she wasn’t about to start digging around for answers. If there was one thing she had learned from working with a group of outlaws, it was sometimes it was much better to be kept in the dark.