Chapter 2
HOPE
“Promise, I swear if you don’t stop running around like you’re two and not fifteen, I’m going to throttle you,” I snap, glaring at my little sister while also unloading the trunk of the car.
I don’t have time for all this moving, but it’s a must, thanks to the previous landlord at our other place allowing the building to be condemned.
Asshole. Thankfully, we didn’t have much, and so it’s not like there was much to move, but I still have to go by the U-Haul building, pick up the moving truck, and go back to get the rest of everything.
Talk about moving heavy furniture with only the two of us doing it.
It’s a good thing it’ll only be two beds, some dressers, a couch, table .
. . okay, so it’s more than a few things.
Still, it wasn’t overly much. We didn’t need a lot.
We never have. It’s simply easier because if you have more than you need, it’s more someone can take away from you.
It’s a lesson I learned all too early in life.
Being as I’m now twenty-five and raising a fifteen-year-old, that’s speaking volumes.
Promise is barely fifteen. Her birthday was two weeks ago, and we were dealing with the building being condemned and staying in a motel because it was cheaper.
I’m lucky that we’ll be able to get into the apartment and get our stuff out, with it being the way it is, but I had to find a place first before I could get everything out.
I was tempted to let it all go, only I’ve worked too hard to get the things we do own to let it go.
“I’m not running around like I’m two, geez, Hopey, can’t a girl just have some fun?” Promise shouts from across the house, still twirling around.
Fun? Yeah, I don’t know what the word means.
“I didn’t say you couldn’t have fun, but I am trying to finish unloading so we can go get the truck, get the rest of the stuff, and get back here in time for me to go to work tonight.”
I was starting at the new club tonight dancing.
Growing up, I knew I’d never make it with my body on stage for a ballet company, but I did use my dancing skills to do something I enjoyed and was good at.
I taught dance up in Tyler a few days a week and danced at night.
Up until I was hired for this one, I worked at Hellfire Dancers, which was owned by the same people.
That is, until they transferred ownership.
It wasn’t a bad place to work, but Jacksonville was closer on the commute for me.
“Right.” Promise stops dancing around and nods, still smiling as she looks around the house. “I can’t believe you were able to get this place. It’s nice. But can we afford it?”
“I’ve got this, babe, don’t you worry.”
The house was about five hundred more than we paid in rent for the apartment, but I wanted my sister in a nicer part of town, and not worrying about getting attacked if she went outside after dark to take the trash out.
Not that she’d been allowed to do this. I didn’t like leaving her home alone at night, but to pay the bills, that’s what I had to do.
“Are you sure?” she asks, worrying her bottom lip.
“Yeah, I’m sure.” I nod. “We’re gonna be okay.”
With the new job starting tonight, I can hope and pray I’m right. I don’t want to disappoint my sister. Letting her down would be the worst thing I could possibly do. She means the world to me. Has since she was born.
Our mom and dad had me early on, lost two babies between, and then, after trying, had Promise.
Then, when I was nineteen, they were killed in a freak car accident.
My uncle wanted custody of my sister, but I refused to give up the fight and was granted guardianship of her.
It was also in my parents’ will, which they’d had redone after I was eighteen.
They left their life insurance policy to me to take care of her, but I placed all of it into a savings account for my sister to have for college when she’s old enough.
My uncle hadn’t been happy about any of this. He wanted all of it, but couldn’t go against the courts. This doesn’t mean he doesn’t try to claim me to be unfit at times. He’s tried over the years, unsuccessfully every time he tries.
“Come on, let’s go get this done, and I’ll order pizza before I have to head to work tonight,” I say in an attempt to get my sister’s mind off everything.
Promise doesn’t need to worry about all the things that I do.
I want her to be a kid and not have to think about what’s happening next or if we’re going to be able to afford rent and so on.
“Can we do pineapple and jalapenos?”
Gross.
Smiling, I agree. “Sure, we’ll do it however you want.”
Promise laughs and shakes her head. “Let’s do half cheese as well.”
“Sounds good to me.” I beam a smile at my little sister and jerk my chin toward the car. “Now, come on. Let’s get this done. I might have just enough time to get the TV set up for you for tonight. Internet won’t be on until Monday, but we’ve got DVDs to pick from.”
Promise being old school, loved watching DVDs as much as possible.
Her favorite thing to do is find old movies that used to be solely on VHS like the OG Mad Max movies.
We also own every John Wayne movie there is to be found on both VHS and DVD, though we don’t have a VHS player.
The one we had broke, and there’s been no time to find a new one.
By the time we finished getting everything unloaded, returned the truck, and got the pizza, I was exhausted and not looking forward to opening night at Keeper’s Temptation.
I quickly scarfed down two slices of pizza, the last thing I wanted was to look bloated on stage, so two it was. I could have easily eaten two more with how good it was. I didn’t have time to watch a movie with Promise as I wanted to, but I made sure she was set up, then showered.
Now, I was heading to my place of work, music blaring, windows down.
It’s the only way to get me hyped up to dance.
With it being opening night, the club was going to be packed.
I’ve gone in every day to rehearse and make sure I was ready for tonight.
The manager, a member of the club named Harvester, took the time to watch each dancer’s rehearsal before deciding his lineup for the performance.
No one else had been allowed to watch, not even the DJ who put the music on.
Before long, I pull into the parking lot and park along the side meant only for the staff.
I roll my window up, turn my car off, and shove my keys in my gym bag, which has everything I need.
We have stations in the dressing rooms, but I had a change of clothes and whatnot.
You never know if you need something extra.
With the strap in hand, I get out of my car, pressing the lock button as I go.
My car was nothing fancy, meaning I didn’t have all the gizmos and gadgets cars nowadays had, and I was okay with it.
I didn’t mind so long as it ran and didn’t give me any problems. I did my own oil changes and maintenance myself.
I was good at it. My dad always said it was a good thing to be able to work on your own stuff.
You didn’t have to know everything, just the basics, but he taught me more than that.
He owned his own shop out in Elkhart, working on vintage cars mostly. He made a name for himself with it.
I walk up to the back door as it opens, and one of the bouncers is there holding it open. One thing I like about working for the Satan Keepers MC is that they don’t skimp on security. They didn’t at the other place, and they’re not here.
“Hey, Hope,” Gizmo says, grinning at me. “You ready for tonight?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I tell him, smiling back. I knew from the vest he wore that he was a prospect for the club, but he was also a bouncer here, along with a few other guys. They rotated in and out between here and Keeper’s Pub.
I step past Gizmo into the building and pull my sunglasses off, allowing my eyes to adjust to the darkness as I make my way down the hall to the dressing room.
I already see Abbie a.k.a. Diamond, Sugar a.k.a.
Imani, Gia a.k.a. Trixie, and Perla a.k.a.
Candy. None of the girls went by their real names while on stage.
I knew Abbie and Imani since we’ve worked together before.
Gia and Perla were both new but sweet. The five of us have gotten to spend time during rehearsals.
We worked together to come up with some great dances, so they’re not all the same thing.
Who wants to watch the redundancy? I know I wouldn’t.
“You’re cutting it close getting here on time,” Perla notes as I move to my station. We’re the only ones allowed in this room. There was another dressing room for the rest of the dancers who work here. The five of us, though, were the top dancers.
I personally didn’t like the fact that we were isolated from the other dancers, but I also understood it as well. Some girls could be downright petty when they didn’t get their way. Salty bitches is more like it.
“I had to make sure Promise was settled in for the night before leaving.”
“Did you get everything moved?” Abbie asks.
“Yeah, we’re all moved thankfully.”
“You should have let us help you,” Imani snaps, hands on her jewel-clad hips. “We would have come and helped.”
“I know you would’ve. We had it, though.” Barely. It was a struggle to get it done. Especially with the heavy stuff, we still did it all the same. “We’ll have to do dinner at my place on Sunday,” I offer.
Sundays were the one day we all had off together.
I had Sundays and Mondays off. The rest of the week, they had a day off, and Saturday, we all worked.
It’s how Harvester worked our schedule, making sure we were good with it.
Saturdays are always great nights for tips.
Fridays too, but it’s nothing like Saturdays.
Granted, any night is good for tips. At the other club, I never left with less than seven hundred in my pocket, and that wasn’t even part of the club’s take. They made their money on drinks, food, and lap dances. Not to mention door fees.
I knew here would be the same, only a bit different. The fees to get in were higher. None of us five was doing lap dances. It was a rule Harvester put in place. We were his prizes to be looked at, but no touching.
“We should definitely do dinner at your place on Sunday,” Abbie declares, nodding. “Besides, Promise, last time I saw her wanted me to give her hair a new do.”
Of course, my little sister asked Abbie to give her a new hairstyle. She was good at it. The woman should have become a hair stylist, but it’s just something she does on the side. Mostly only for those who don’t make her want to stab you with a pair of shears.
“We’ll talk,” I tell her and grin at the others. “Guess we better finish getting ready. We’re in for a long night.”
“You got that right, Temptation.” Gia laughs and gives me a wink as I groan.
Harvester dubbed me that upon seeing me dance to one of the songs I picked for opening night. He said, ‘If you’re gonna dance like that, darlin’, you’re temptation in and of itself. You’ll dance to that song once, and they’ll all want to fuck you.’
So, Temptation was my stripper name. A lot better than what it used to be, Foxy, because of my strawberry blond hair.
It was natural. Pair that with my green eyes, and it’s a wonder I can hold a tan.
Thankfully, I do, which works for tonight because I have a sun-kissed tan, no tan lines, thanks to a spot on the lake I manage to go to where no one sees, and lie out for the sun to touch my skin with no clothes to leave any lines.
The five of us talk and laugh while finishing getting ready. When I’m oiled up, shoes in place, first outfit of the night on, I’m ready to roll. Sucking in a breath, I release it heavily, bracing myself to get out there and do what I do best.