Chapter Two #2
Lily is in the changing room when I come in, staring at her reflection. She is topless, wearing just a pair of denim shorts.
“Hey, break anything else tonight?”
I blow out a breath so hard my lips vibrate, then walk over and sit at the dressing table next to her. She’s been nice to me from day one. I would have been really upset if she had lost her job over Stella.
“Beside the champagne bottle, no. I think I’m getting better.”
She snorts a laugh and picks up some wet wipes to remove her makeup. The girls need to put on a lot of heavy makeup to wear under the lights. She is prettier as she removes it, and peels off her false eyelashes.
“Karin saw Ellie talking to you earlier,” she looks at my reflection in the mirror beside hers.
“She was telling me that just because Stella is gone, doesn’t mean her slot is open.”
“That sucks.”
“It’s okay, I mean, I understand why. She says it’s about making sure they don’t break any laws.”
That gets a real laugh out of her. She tosses her wipes into the trash can and stands to reach for her bra. I force myself not to turn away. Although seeing naked women in a setting like this isn’t so bad.
“What’s so funny?”
“You know who owns this place, right?”
“Beast?”
“And you’ve noticed what he wears?”
“Of course I have, I’m not blind. I know they’re bikers.”
“One percenter.”
“Like Sons of Anarchy?”
She laughs again. “Yeah, like that. Only real life. Don’t worry,” she takes out her earrings and drops them into a tray on the table, it’s just costume jewelry, so not worth anything.
“There has never been any trouble here. But don’t be under any illusions about these men.
They’re criminals, they do bad things. This place,” she leans closer.
“Either washes their dirty money, or it’s one of the businesses they have that are clean, where their criminal dealings don’t get involved. I’ve never figured out which.”
Wow, that’s interesting. I’ve worked in some shady places owned by unsavory people. This is nothing like any of those places.
“Like I said, they look after the dancers, the clientele is decent and if they’re not, they get thrown out. And they pay really well. Which is why,” she pauses to pull on her T-shirt. “I was an idiot for jumping into that fight. Beast doesn’t tolerate violence.”
“You were defending Ellie.”
“I’m lucky they saw it that way. Plus, Stella is a bitch.”
I have nothing to say about that. I didn’t know her well enough, and she never made the effort to try with me.
“What are you up to tonight? Heading home?” she asks.
“I was going to go grab something to eat first, it’s kinda hectic at my place, I prefer to wait till most of them have passed out.”
“It’s a little late, are you going with anyone?”
My throat gets tight. Her concern surprises me. People don’t generally ask me questions like that, or care if I’m safe. No one needs to know my situation, so I wave her off and say one of my roommates works at the local twenty-four hour diner.
“Are you sure?” Lily asks, the look on her face saying she doesn’t fully believe me.
“Scout's honor.”
“Okay, well, be careful. And don’t get too disheartened about dancing.
I’ve seen you practicing on that pole, you’re really good, Charley.
When you’re ready, you’re going to drive them insane.
And when that happens,” she laughs and rubs her thumb and two fingers together, indicating that involves a lot of cash.
“Have a good night, and I’ll see you tomorrow. ”
She opens the door to find Walker waiting. He is one of the security guards, and he sees everyone out to their cars, even though it's all behind a high chain fence so people can’t get in. He pops his head in and sees me.
“You heading out soon, Charley?”
“Two minutes,” I tell him, jumping up to get my street clothes out of my locker. I did want to get in the shower, but I’ve spent too long talking to Lily. Although I have learned something I didn’t know when I walked in here looking for a job.
Beast doesn’t look like a criminal. I mean, he wears the leather vest and has tattoos, but he’s kind of gentle, he talks softly, which makes his name really odd. Unless when he is away from here, he turns into some kind of beast.
Wonder what the other guy is called? It doesn’t matter, that’s not why I’m here, even if he is absolutely gorgeous, the kind of good looking you don’t expect to meet in real life.
A knock at the door jolts me out of my thoughts, and I quickly throw my uniform into the bag and drag on my leggings and T-shirt.
Walker sees me out to the beat-up old car I bought on my travels a few states ago.
It looks terrible and one of the rear windows has a bag taped over it to keep the wind and rain out but it gets me from A to B.
Walker eyes it and waits until the engine turns over after a few tries of the key, then waves.
The gates are automatic, so he goes back inside.
My stomach growls, but I’m tired, and it’s late, and until I get that advance, I have to be careful with money. Decision made, I head towards home. If I can call a tiny room in an old four story house with the kind of people you wouldn’t want to find yourself alone with, your home.
A few more months. That is all it’s going to take. If I can convince Ellie to believe in me and not flake the first time I have to walk on a stage and strip.