Brook

The spotlight shines in my eyes as I take the stage for the last time tonight. The crowd isn’t bad at all. Lots of heavy tippers out there, and if I’m lucky, they’ll be tipsy enough to toss more money my way. I don’t go to the pole at first. Instead, I dance to the beat, swinging my hips and gliding my hands across my body. Wearing a silver corset and thong, it doesn’t take long for me to show the crowd what they are paying for: Silver. My costumes, the bright platinum blonde hair I pay for weekly to cover my naturally dirty blonde—it’s all the for the act. And it pays off. Every. Night.

The club I work at is in a college town, and we get more partygoers and bachelor parties than we can keep up with. Piles upon piles of bills are laid out on the stage as I let my hair loose and throw my top to the floor. More hoots and hollers sound out as my breasts bounce free, and I bring my leg around the pole to do a backward bend that no doubt shows off the outline of my pussy. The thong presses along my seam, and knowing they can almost see my most sacred parts gives me a thrill that can’t be matched. I crave the feeling of being wanted. And I don’t give a fuck if stripping is how I get that. As a perk, I make more money in one night than I would a whole month waiting tables.

“Give it up for Silver!” The crowd roars as I come down from the pole and saunter toward the back while my earnings are raked up by the staff. We’re never allowed to grab any of the money thrown onto the stage. Big no no.  

“You killed it tonight!” Ginger smiles at me as I walk into the dressing room.

“Thanks.” I shoot her a smile. “You going on after Gabby?”

She nods in confirmation as she continues to apply her makeup. I glance up at the screen on the wall and watch as Gabby takes the stage. Adrian, the owner, believes we should watch one another while getting ready. It’s a way to give tips on how to improve and helps the sets flow smoothly.

“Oh, hey, before I forget, Adrian wanted you to go back to his office before you leave tonight,” she tells me.

“Did he say why?”

She shakes her head and shrugs. Suppose I’ll find out later.

“Wish me luck,” Ginger says as she stands and moves toward the stage entrance. I didn’t even realize her set was about to start.

“Luck!” I call out, then pull on a robe to cover myself.

“Holy shit! Those bikers are hot as hell.” Ruby’s words instantly douse me in a cold sweat as she walks into the dressing room. She plops down in front of the seat Ginger just vacated, adjusting her bright red wig.

“Bikers?” I ask, turning toward her, then glancing back toward the stage entrance. The urge to bolt out the back door is there, but I try to rationalize. They couldn’t find me. I’m untraceable. Plus, I didn’t see any out there when I was dancing, and this isn’t the kind of place that attracts the biker crowd. This is a town full of frat houses and kids whose parents have more money than God. That money gets tossed onto the stage in buckets every time one of the many sports teams wins a game. The football players I have come to find are the biggest tippers, and the heaviest drinkers.

“Yeah, leather vests and all.” She swoons, and I sigh. If she only knew.

“Did you see where they were from?” I chance the question, trying not to sound alarmed and forcing my heart rate to slow. The pounding swells up to my ears as it drowns out her voice in my inward panic.

Deep breath.

I force one in, then out, grasping at her words to bring me back to the here and now, and most importantly, her answer—the one confirming I’m just overreacting.

“Obviously not from around here. The only bikers I’ve seen are the fat weekend riders.” She sticks her finger in her mouth in disgust, and I try to feign a smile. “I was behind one the other day, and I swear, if his pants were down any lower, they would have caught on his back tire. Yuck!”

I laugh, trying not to be visible with the deep breath I let out, knowing who she’s talking about. I’ve seen him around town. The town isn’t ridiculously huge, so you’re bound to run into the same people from time to time. I shake off the lingering feeling of dread and go to my locker to put my clothes on.

“Well, I need to see the boss before I take off. I will catch you girls later,” I say, pulling my t-shirt over my naked breasts. I don’t bother with a bra. I’m only going straight home, and my jacket is going on next.

“Don’t forget your haul. You did good tonight, kid!” Ruby yells, making me cringe. At twenty, I still hate being called that.

“Goodnight!” I call out, stopping by the door where my envelope for the night sits waiting for me. Taking the thick package, I stuff it into the inside pocket of my jacket and start toward Adrian’s office.

As I approach the closed door, I take in my surroundings. Something feels off about having to come meet with him. If he needs something, he usually comes to the dressing room and talks to us. But he’s also been a great boss and I’ve never gotten creeper vibes from him. In fact, none of the girls have anything but good things to say about him.

I take in a deep breath and tap my closed fist on the door.

“Come in!” his voice booms from the other side almost immediately.

Turning the knob, I open the door and step inside to find him behind his desk looking my way. He’s a handsome man. Fit with a light peppering of gray in his dark, cropped cut and slight beard. He’s very appealing, but also off limits, and I’d rather not be that girl.

“You wanted to see me?”

“Yeah. Come on in, Silver.” He stands, flicking his gaze past me. “I’ll give you two a moment,” he says to the other end of the office. I don’t get the chance to ask who the other person is or even look their way before Adrian is gone, but when the voice in the dark speaks, I damn near drop to my knees.

“Found you, ya little shit.”