Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Aspen
When I made it to the club, my mind was still reeling from what Rocky had told me merely an hour ago. Hunter wasn’t as fearless as he pretended to be, and I planned on using that to my advantage. All of the guys had put me through hell in different ways, but Hunter and Foster took the cake and deserved to suffer more than the other two. Sure, Myles has been a thorn in my fucking side for years, but somehow, that felt minuscule compared to what the cheater and virgin did. I snorted at the irony of them being complete opposites in nature. One was a degrading prick who refused to get his dick wet, while the other couldn’t keep it in his pants. Regardless, they’d all pay in some way or other.
After checking in at the front desk, I was directed to Talissa’s office once again. The last time I’d been here was hell to say the least, and I was afraid of what I might walk in on this time.
Knocking on the door, it swung open moments later. A rather large man stood in the doorway—the same one I’d seen last time. I vaguely remembered that his name was Carlos, and he didn’t speak much. Mostly just nodded, grunted, and glared.
“Oh, Aspen, please do come in,” Talissa’s voice rang out across the room. This time, she was seated behind her desk instead of on top of it.
Sidestepping the giant gang banger, I slipped into the room. Being around him seemed to put me at unease, forcing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. Subconsciously, my body didn’t trust him, so I didn’t either. A breath of relief whooshed out of me when he exited the room, leaving me and Talissa alone.
I crossed the room in a few long strides, halting once I reached her desk. Her gaze roamed over my outfit appreciatively, and a sense of warmth filled me at her approval. Why I even gave a shit about that was beyond me.
“You look gorgeous,” she praised, her smile lighting up the room. “Please, sit.”
I slipped into the chair nearest to me and directed my attention toward her. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. Within the last two months I’d been put through hell and wasn’t sure if this would stunt my healing process or help move it along faster. I suppose it could go either way.
Talissa reached into a drawer and retrieved a few packets that had been stapled together. Laying them out onto the desk, she turned them, so they were positioned before me, giving me easy access to look over them.
“I already highlighted where you’ll need to sign and date,” she explained, setting a pen down. “Basically, you’ll read over the rules and agree to them by signing, and everything else just states that we won’t be held liable if you’re harmed or contract any type of disease. Protection is up to our girls to enforce. You’re not allowed to turn down paying clients unless they force themselves on you, physically harm you, or are too intoxicated to form sentences.”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I nodded. That seemed fair enough. I’ve never done anything like this and knew that prostitution wasn’t even legal here, so I didn’t have anything to compare it to. Taking the pen between my fingers, I glanced down at the first page, skimming over it briefly. Realizing that it was the ‘rules and regulations’ page, I paused and re-read it more carefully.
Rule 1: Employee must have good hygiene, always wear makeup, keep hair styled, and is responsible for her own outfits.
Rule 2: Employee will not turn down paying customers unless they are a serious threat to them, or to themselves.
Rule 3: We are not held liable if our staff contracts any sort of disease while employed here, considering that it’s the employee’s responsibility to enforce protection and boundaries.
Rule 4: No phones are permitted on the floor due to guest confidentiality.
Rule 5: If you have to leave work before your scheduled shift is over, you must pay a $1000 fee to make up for the losses.
Rule 6: Drama will not be tolerated. Do not bring your boyfriend into the club and try to get along with the other workers.
Rule 7: If you borrow an outfit from us, it must be returned by the end of the night. Otherwise, you will have to pay for it.
Blowing out a breath, I signed at the bottom of the page and wrote down the date. Some of these rules were insane, but it could be worse. A few rules weren’t going to deter me from the money that was offered. It was way too good to pass up.
Flipping onto the next page, I skimmed it before signing at the bottom of that one too. When finished, I sat the pen down and leaned back in my seat. Talissa was scrolling on her phone—the newest model that Apple had to offer. Once realizing I was done, she placed it face-down on the wooden desk and collected the papers.
Pursing her lips, she went over the packet, ensuring I’d done what was required. As she did that, my mind wandered as I lost myself to my thoughts. Tonight was nerve-wracking to say the least, knowing I’d not only be dancing in front of strange men but had to allow them to touch me too. A grimace captured my features as I processed that, but internally reminded myself of all the money I’d potentially make, and that felt worth it.
“Everything looks good,” she finally said, slicing through my internal turmoil. “Did you bring your ID?”
I nodded, fishing my hand in the top of my dress and retrieving the small, rectangular card from my bra. The foster family I went to after the one housing Myles, got me one and Natalie helped me get it reinstated once it expired. That’s one good thing that came out of foster care. Placing the card on the table in front of her, she picked it up, skimming over it briefly.
“Let me just go make a copy of this and then we’ll get you all set up.” She smiled, rising to her feet.
Placing my hands in my lap, my fingers twitched. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. Then again, it wasn’t like it mattered. I’d never had very high morals to begin with. I just needed to keep reminding myself that this was for the best and that it was probably the only chance I had at getting back to Avery.
My gaze roamed around the office, taking in every intricate detail of the interior. A couch—the same couch Rocky had been screwing that girl on—sat against the back wall making me grimace from the memory. Heat flooded my veins followed by guilt. I knew I was overreacting. Rocky was my friend, nothing more. Shaking off the unwanted feelings, my eyes darted to a couple of photos hanging on the wall, protected by expensive glass frames. Three wilting flowers stood side by side, their petals dropping to the ground that housed them, making me wonder if this was an analogy of sorts.
Why are there three?
Snorting at my ridiculousness, I pulled my gaze from the photo. It was just a stupid picture. The mahogany desk I sat before was massive with a polish to it that indicated it must have cost a fortune.
Talissa returned, interrupting the small tour of the room I’d been giving myself. Maybe that was a good thing considering my mind was beginning to run away with me.
“You are all ready to go,” she chirped, handing me back my identification. “If you’ll just follow me, I can show you where to put your things, so they don’t get lost, and then we’ll go get you dressed.”
Dressed basically meant undressed here, or so I was gathering. Changed was a better term for it.
Rising to my feet, I clutched the card in the palm of my hand before following her out into the booming club. It was difficult not to stare at the girls passing by when they had their entire bodies on display; just because I was straight didn’t mean I didn’t notice how pretty they were.
“This way,” she urged, cutting right down a lengthy hallway. “This hall is dedicated for all staff,” she explained, halting in the middle of the hall and turning to face me with an elegance that didn’t quite make sense given what she did for a living. “Every day when you come in for work, you’ll stop here first and clock in.” She motioned to the three black machines mounted to the wall. They each contained a variety of buttons and even a place to swipe a card. “You don’t have a card yet, so I’ll clock you in. You’ll get one tomorrow. At the end of your shift when you clock out, you’ll type in the number of tips you made that day so we can avoid legal trouble.” She rolled her eyes like it was beneath her.
“I think I understand…”
“If you don’t just ask one of the girls. Most of them are friendly enough.”
Talissa wasted no time, zipping down the hall at a quick speed, leaving me to follow her once again. She didn’t seem that thrilled to be showing me around, but probably had no one else to do it for her today. I suppose owning your own establishment as big as this one would give anyone a big head.
Next, she ushered me inside a room. Lockers adorned all the walls as soon as we stepped inside with benches spaced out between them. We walked up to a locker, presumed to be available, where she typed in a combination and the door opened with a click.
“You can place your things in here. I’d go ahead and strip now, so you don’t have to come back to your locker,” she suggested in a monotonous tone.
“How secure are these lockers?” I asked warily, before carefully placing my items inside.
She released a derisive snort, like the comment was the funniest thing she’d heard in ages. “Secure enough. Even if there weren’t locks on the lockers, everyone here makes enough money not to steal from others. The punishment for stealing is enough to make anyone think twice about crossing me.” Her lips tilted into a sadistic smirk that had my heart thumping.
Punishment?
There was no way she was talking about getting the police involved considering how dirty this place was run and considering her strong distaste for the legal system.
Deciding not to pry too much on my first day, I slipped out of my clothes and stuffed them into the small cubby. The chilly air hit me from the air conditioner, forcing me to wrap my arms around myself in an attempt to keep warm. Talissa’s eyes roamed over my body in an assessing manner—much like they’d done when I’d come to ask for a job. Only this time, all I was wearing were a bra and panties, making me feel a hell of a lot more exposed.
“Don’t do that,” she ordered. “It makes you look scared, and they’ll eat you alive out there if they think you’re easy prey.” Blowing out a breath, I forced my arms to my sides. “Better. Now come.” She took off toward the back of the room and turned left, leaving me to hurry to catch up with her in the process.
My lips parted when I took in the glass shop toward the end of the walkway, no more lockers in sight aside from the ones we had just passed. A worker dressed in actual clothes stood behind a cash register, waiting for her next customer.
We strolled inside and the woman immediately perked up, happy to have something to do I presumed. My eyes darted around the room, noting all the expensive garments hanging from the racks and attached to mannequins. This place seemed to have everything. From panties, bras, holsters, stockings, even a variety of different smell-good products.
“This is Aspen,” Talissa began. “She starts working here today. Would you mind finding her something aesthetically pleasing?”
“Of, course, ma’am.” The woman tilted her head in a show of respect and moved from behind the counter, disappearing to go hunt down something for me to wear.
I shifted uncomfortably. “This is all nice and all, but…I can’t afford?—”
“It’s on me,” she interjected, taking me by surprise. “And before you ask why, don’t. Just be grateful.” She didn’t even bother looking at me as the words left her mouth, causing a crease to form between my eyebrows in confusion.
It didn’t take long for the woman to return, holding up a black and purple laced bra with a matching G-string. She placed them on the counter, and looked at us expectantly.
A thoughtful expression crossed Talissa’s features as she eyed the variety of products in front of the desk, before she finally picked up a bottle of body spray, deodorant, and some wipes, and then placed them on the counter too.
“Is this all?” She questioned, looking between me and the woman occupying my side.
“Ring it up,” she demanded in a tone full of authority.
The woman nodded and did as she was told, scanning each item, and placing them all into a bag beside her. Once she was finished, she glanced up from the task. “Two-twenty-eight.”
The air was knocked from my lungs, the price way more than I could have ever paid on my own.
“Put it on my tab,” Talissa instructed. “I’ll have it paid before midnight.” She reached forward, taking the bag in her hand and offering it to me. Hesitantly, my fingers wrapped around the plastic material of the handle, a million thoughts racing through my brain.
“Thank you.” I wanted to ask her why she did this for me but knew better than to push my luck.
We made our way back toward the lockers where she turned to me, halting any further movement. “Hurry and get dressed. Use the products I gave you and meet me right outside the door.” Before I could say anything further, she took off.
Sighing, I stared at the objects. Although I knew what they were, I’d never had luxuries like this. Ever. Laying the bag on the bench, I took out the garments and started tearing the tags from them before setting them aside and started undressing, dropping my own garments to the hard, cold floor. My nipples instantly hardened beneath the cool air, causing a shiver to track down my spine. Grabbing the new bra, I fastened it around me and then slid into the G-string, which was surprisingly a lot more comfortable than expected.
Stuffing the old garments back into the bag, I muttered a curse, remembering that I’d need to go back to my locker anyways, but had no idea what the combination was. Drifting over to my locker, I eyed the lock carefully, hoping to find some sign of what it could be. Unfortunately, all I got were numbers. Taking the lock in my hand, I lifted it, and relief slammed into me when I took note of the little sticker on the back with the combination imprinted within it. Hurriedly putting in the combination, it clicked open, the sound like heaven to my soul. I stuffed my things inside and pulled the door shut once more, securing my items within it.
When I made it outside, Talissa was waiting for me just like she said she’d be. Only, she was holding a box in her hands this time that hadn’t been there before.
“Take off your shoes,” she ordered.
I glanced down at my heels, a frown tugging at the corners of my mouth. Hesitantly, I obeyed and kicked them to the side. She opened the lid, revealing a pair of platform heels, in other words, stilettos. As gorgeous as they were, I wasn’t sure if I could walk in such high heels.
She gave me a slight nod, encouraging me to take them. I reached into the box, gently retrieving one of them, my gaze roaming over the sleek, black polish of the shoe. Placing it on the floor, I slipped my foot inside, not quite liking how arched it forced my foot. Fastening it, I repeated the motion with the second shoe.
“How do they feel?” she asked. “Do they fit?”
I nodded, taking one step, and then another, trying to get a feel for them. They fit perfectly.
“They used to be mine,” she stated. “They’re broke in, so you won’t be in a lot of foot pain, and they’ll stick to the stage well.”
Before I could thank her again, she was already taking my old shoes off the ground and stuffing them in the box. “These will be waiting for you in the office. We have to get you started.”
“How does this all work exactly? With being a hybrid, I mean.”
“You’ll dance in rotation. If you’re asked to do VIP, then that’s your priority. Since you are a hybrid, if anyone wants to fuck you in between sets then you let them. Always ask for the money up front and put it in your locker as soon as you get the opportunity as you won’t be able to carry it all on you for obvious reasons.”
I took a moment to process all of that information before nodding. It seemed easy enough. I’m sure I’d get the hang of letting strangers touch me eventually. It wasn’t like I was completely foreign to the concept.
“Great. Come on and I’ll show you where to do rotation.”
My fingers locked together as I followed her back the way we’d come initially, and she led me back into the main part of the club. Two stages were spaced out, with a dancer swinging from each pole. Both of them had their own crowd already, the guys shouting out crude words and throwing money like their lives depended on it.
We made our way over to the DJ, his head bobbing in tune with the beat as the sexual music flooded through the sound system. When he noticed Talissa, his posture tensed and he straightened his spine, causing my eyebrows to pinch with curiosity. Either she was that respected around here, or people were scared of her.
Talissa turned to me, disregarding the man giving her his full attention. “Have you had the time to come up with a stage name?” she asked.
Embarrassment slammed into me. That was the last thing on my mind given the recent events having taken place. Already, I wasn’t giving this job my all and it was because of that piece of shit lying in the hospital bed. I should have smothered the sorry bastard.
“I haven’t actually.”
If my lack of enthusiasm for this job bothered her, it didn’t show on her features. “I have a name that will suit you if you’re okay with me choosing?” She arched an eyebrow.
“You know best.”
Turning to the DJ, she stared at him for a long moment, the intensity of her gaze making him squirm. “Put Violet into the rotation,” she instructed. The man nodded at once and quickly wrote my name down on a piece of paper. Talissa then turned to me again. “The bedrooms are down that hall.” She pointed across the room below the VIP section. “I’ll be in my office if you need anything. In the meantime, walk around, talk to lonely guys, get a drink, whatever.” She waved a dismissive hand. “How much you make is up to you.”
“Thank you,” I murmured.
To say this was overwhelming would be an understatement. I wasn’t a social person in the slightest, but I also knew what this job entailed, so I needed to suck it up and do it. This was my ticket out of here. Fuck Redwood Academy. Fuck the Academy Of Rejects. And fuck the guys who made my life here hell. They would still pay, but afterwards, my ass was booking it out of Colorado and far away from all of this.
I made my way back to the center of the club, my gaze drifting toward the bar on instinct. Talissa said I could have a drink, and maybe it would help calm my nerves. Deciding that was my best course of action, my legs took me toward where the alcohol was, urging me to get lost in the calmness of the liquor. It would probably make me feel a little better about being pimped out.
Dropping into a stool, the cold leather immediately stuck to my bare ass, making me shift uncomfortably. The bartender turned to face me, surprise showing on his features.
“You’re new, I take it?” he questioned, moving to stand in front of me.
I huffed a laugh. “That obvious?”
He shook his head. “Not really, no. I just haven’t seen you around here before.”
The bartender was handsome with short brown hair and green eyes. He had an average build—much like Foster and Hunter in that regard. Sighing, I dropped my gaze. Why did those guys invade my mind so persistently?
Because they made you feel things no one has ever been capable of.
Sinking my teeth into my inner cheek, I focused my attention on the pain until copper filled my mouth. I was not going down that route. They were dead to me and could rot for all I cared.
I must have been so consumed by my own thoughts that when I looked up again, the bartender was staring at me expectantly.
“I’m sorry, what?”
He laughed, revealing a set of pearly white teeth and a chipped front tooth. “What can I get you to drink?”
“Oh, um…sex on the beach, please.”
He smirked and turned away from me to start preparing my beverage. He was cute but wasn’t what I was into.
You’re into psychos who take what they want.
My hands balled tightly into fists, my subconscious pissing me off. I wasn’t into them. It had always been…physical desire, curiosity, and my body betraying me of its own accord. Nothing more. They killed Raven, and they tried to kill me too. They raped me, they burned me, they did weird, unexplainable things to me that I still couldn’t comprehend fully. Like with the knife. Why would I want them? I didn’t even know them, aside from the fact that they were literally insane.
The bartender placed my drink in front of me and walked off. Sighing out in relief, I clutched the glass and took my first drink, the sweet liquid slithering down my throat. This was exactly what I needed.
When my drink was gone, some of my nerves had dissipated, leaving me with a much calmer feeling. It wasn’t enough to make me tipsy, but it did the trick.
Taking off toward the center of the club again, people danced all around me as I pushed my way through, trying to get to the other side. Just as I squeezed through the last of the dancers, my name was called through the microphone, making my heart jump into my stomach.
I’d always been a confident enough person, but this was completely out of my comfort zone. I’d never danced a day in my life and to be thrown out there like that without any prior training was nerve-wracking.
My hands shook as I made my way toward the left stage, my legs wobbling from the heels and how upright they made my feet; it was an odd way to walk.
Walking up the steps, a familiar song started blaring through the speakers.
“Buy You A Drank” by T. Pain. I snorted at that. This was an older song I grew up listening to, but it had a good beat, and I could make it work, so that’s all that mattered.
Hungry eyes tracked my every movement as I made my way toward the pole.
They’ll eat you alive if they think you’re easy prey.
Swallowing my discomfort, I loosened my joints and started swaying my hips to the beat, making sure one leg stayed in front of the other to create a seductive, confident walk. Reaching the pole, I grabbed onto it, and walked around it slowly, showing off all of my assets. When I was back where I started, I dropped into a crouch, spreading my legs outward and rolling my head back in a sexual manner before rising again.
More men joined the crowd, eyeing me appreciatively. The ages varied, ranging from old, to my age. Realistically, the older ones had the most money, so maybe I needed to pay special attention to them.
I wrapped one leg around the pole and then another, moving quickly to grip it with my hands. The pole spun with me, making it that much easier as I glided around and around until it slowed to a stop, and I was at the bottom. My back was now against the audience, so I made a show of bending over in front of them, grimacing at how degrading this felt, and then slowly rising while running my hands along my body before turning to face them again.
A younger guy stepped forward and threw a few ones, followed by an older guy who dropped a couple hundreds, and more followed suit as I continued to dance. The money flew around my feet as they kept throwing it and excitement coursed through me. Ones, fives, twenties, hundreds.
Dropping to all fours, I threw my head back, my hair flying with the movement and slapping me against the lower back. As I moved back onto my heels with my legs spread out like before, I hooked my finger into my G-string and moved in a snake-like motion, keeping my movements slow and sensual. Locking eyes with an older guy, I stared him down intently, my stomach twisting with unease, but I refused to let that show on my face. More money flew toward me instantly, right as the song came to
end an and I rose.
Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.