CHAPTER TWO #2
By the time she was through, I looked like a different version of myself.
I blinked at my reflection. Could fake eyelashes weigh your eyelids down to the point they couldn’t open?
They felt awfully heavy. I didn’t have time to contemplate it, though.
Before I knew it, they were calling me to go onstage.
I was wearing a sparkly blue… outfit? That word was too generous, but I didn’t know what else to call it.
Eunice gave me a hug. “You’ll do great,” she said.
“Thanks.” My voice was shaky.
She bit her lip. “I can tell you’re nervous. You’re going to have to fake it, hon, or you’re not going to make it. Even with tits like those. They’ll just put you in the back room to blow guys all night.”
I must’ve looked horrified, because she smiled a little. “It’s a partially closed try-out. There are only the managerial staff and a few guys from… around town. So don’t worry. It’s not even a big deal.”
I took a deep breath and nodded. Some music came on, and I started spinning around the pole putting some of my dance moves in action. I kind of lost myself in the music somewhere along the way. I’d been choreographing a routine in my head and trying not to think of the men staring at my body.
When the music stopped, I swung down from the pole with a flourish, popped my hip, and smiled. The spotlight was so bright, I couldn’t even see who all was in the audience.
There was complete silence for a moment.
Then I heard talking. The talking turned angry, and before I knew it a couple of guys were fighting each other.
The spotlight dimmed, and I could finally see them.
They were big guys, cut, with lots of tattoos.
Then I realized they were wearing those leather vest thingys that guys from the Gray Bones MC wore.
I had no clue what that was about. I just stood on the stage awkwardly while they fought and the other guys watched them or me.
Suddenly, a guy who’d been sitting in the shadows stood up.
“Stop,” he said quietly. But his voice was so scary and held so much authority, the guys quit fighting immediately.
He walked towards the stage and looked up at me.
He was strangely good looking even though he’d shaved all his hair off his scalp and covered it in tattoos.
He had these crystal blue eyes that locked on mine.
He was so intense you could sort of feel energy coming off him.
He was huge. He had to be six foot seven or more, with big muscles, a sharp jaw, and a handsome face.
He could be anywhere from twenty-five to forty. I couldn’t really tell.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked me.
I shook my head.
“I’m Skeeter. I’m the prez of the Gray Bones. And you’re coming with me.”
My eyes widened in alarm. “What?”
“You’re my woman now.” With that, he reached up and put his big hands on my waist. He hoisted me down from the stage and started walking with me.
“But wait!” I said, frantically. “What about my mom?”
He stopped walking and stared down at me. “What about her?”
“That’s the reason I wanted this job. I need to take care of her.”
“I’ll send sweetbutts when we can’t go visit her ourselves.”
What the hell was happening? What was a sweetbutt?
And where was he taking me?
***
That had been five years ago. Skeeter had brought me back to the compound, explained they had a member’s only strip club that they allowed certain residents of Shitty Wilkins and the surrounding areas to join for a monthly fee.
That’s where I’d be dancing. He’d let me know that I was expected to dance in the VIP room, give lap dances, and suck off whoever he told me to.
But he’d told me I was never to fuck anyone but him.
I lived with him in his cabin on the compound.
Most of the other girls hated me, especially the sweetbutts.
I’d found out that was an MC term for women who would sleep with any of the MC guys at any time.
They’d all wanted to be Skeeter’s woman.
I was the only one who didn’t want to be his woman, but he’d told me he wouldn’t help my mom unless I did what he said.
So, I had. I wasn’t happy about it, but he’d made sure my mom was taken care of, and that had made me soften towards him.
He had groceries delivered to her each week, paid all her bills, and more.
The only thing he wouldn’t do was pay for a therapist to come out and visit her.
He said if he did that, she’d get better and then I’d try to leave him.
He wasn’t wrong.
I hated my life. But he’d done some nice things.
He’d realized I was smart and got me all the books and crafting supplies I could ever want.
I’d started making my own jewelry, but I wasn’t doing anything with it except giving it away to all the women around the MC.
I didn’t make any money, but at least they didn’t actively hate me anymore.
I sighed and laid back in bed. Skeeter had wanted to start a family, but I’d told him maybe when he quit fucking the sweetbutts, I might consider it. Until then he was wearing a condom. It was the one thing he let me get my way on.
Other than that, he pretty much owned me. I did what he said each night in the VIP room. I had sex with him almost every night, and he held me while he slept. He said he loved me, but I didn’t believe it. Not really.
I wasn’t sure he knew how to love.
And I’d figured out long ago that they had a super high rotation of sweetbutts around the club.
When the members got tired of them, they got sent to work the regular stage of the MC strip club, got them hooked on drugs, made a bunch of money off them having to perform sexual favors for the ‘members’ of the community, and then sold them into trafficking. It was horrific. I knew I was lucky.
Yes, my life sucked, too. But I didn’t want to do anything to piss Skeeter off too much. I’d seen him beat both men and women to death with his bare hands. I didn’t want him to start beating me, and I didn’t want to get trafficked. And my mom was taken care of. So, I did what I was told.
And If I ever got out of there, I’d figure out a way to get these women some help.