I dumped my money into my lock box and shoved it into my bag, then my locker. After grabbing my next outfit, I slammed the door and locked it as well. Couldn’t trust anybody these days. Before I bought my box and a padlock for my locker, I had been ripped off a couple times.
I pulled on my black high waisted latex thong, the one with the elastic ribbons across my ass, down the sides and along thefront. It showed almost all the goods, just the way the men liked it. I’d learned to shop with an eye for quick costume changes. Time was money so the faster I could change, the better. Pulling on the top took a little more work, but I got it in place. I loved tops with zippers down the front. My customers knew, the more they paid, the lower the zipper would go. I pulled on the long black gloves, checked my make-up and headed back upstairs, hoping I could avoid Mike.
I scanned the crowd and when I saw two twenties being waved at me, sashayed my way over to the big guy with the cash and after shoving it down my tall boots, ran my hands up and down his legs while crouching in front of him.
The music changed to a steady thumping beat, and I got to work. Standing, I turned so my back was toward him and rubbed my ass across his chest as I swiveled my hips. When I felt his hot breath across my mostly bare cheeks, I stood and spun to face him. Forty bucks was a pretty good amount, so I made sure he enjoyed himself as I lightly ground on his hard cock. I grasped his shoulders and pulled the zipper lower on my top, so he’d get a good show. I had worked up a bit of a sweat when the song came to its conclusion. After smiling and throwing the man an exaggerated wink, I moved on.
I continued to give out lap dances, signed some postcards, and avoided the table with Mike and all his cronies. When it was getting close to my next stage appearance, I headed toward the stairs. Mike stepped out of the hallway, grabbed my arm, and yanked me into the dimly lit hallway.
“You and me slut, we have a date when your shift is done. And this time, you’ll put out, or I’ll have your ass thrown in jail.” The stench of beer washed over me as he spouted off.
My jaw dropped in shock. Was this asshole for real? “Are you crazy? I’m not fucking you!” I glared up at his smirking face.“Your bitch of a wife and her friends hit me first. I was defending myself.”
“Do you really think anyone would believe you over three upstanding members of the community? Ones who’ll have the best lawyers that money can buy who will go up against a wet-behind-the-ears public defender? Or one so close to retirement they won’t give a fuck about you? Because that’s who you’d get stuck with.”
It stung, but I knew the asshole wasn’t wrong. My chest tightened in panic. I couldn’t go to jail over one small punch…could I?
When he grabbed my hand and rubbed it against the obvious bulge in his pants, I fought my immediate need to kick him in the nuts. I knew assaulting a customer was a sure way to incur bossman’s wrath. He didn’t care if we got molested as long as the customers were happy and spending money.
“I’ll give you till the end of the night to decide. But if the answer is no, you’ll be rotting in a jail cell by morning. I’ll be waiting for your answer.” He whistled as he walked away, sure that he’d gotten his way.
Trying to stave off my panic, I rushed down the stairs and threw myself into getting ready for my next dance. I recoiled away from the hand on my shoulder.
“Woah, girl. It’s just me,” Elisha said. “What’s going on with you tonight?”
Before I knew it, I’d blurted out the entire story to the shocked woman. “I don’t know what the fuck to do,” I concluded in a rush.
“That piece of shit!” Elisha paced the small space, then ran a hand down her face and let out an enormous sigh. “You gotta do it,” she deadpanned.
“What?” my voice squeaked out.
“I’ve seen it before. Those rich pricks always get their way, one way or the other. He’s been watching you for months, just waiting for his chance and you handed it to him on a silver platter when you hit his wife.” She turned and grasped my shoulders, staring me dead in my eyes. “He wasn’t lying. If you don’t do it, you’re going to jail, girl. The rich always win in court.”
There was a clatter on the stairs before Mindy, another stripper, joined us. “What the fuck’s the holdup? Boss man’s getting antsy.”
“Get out there before his head explodes,” Elisha said. “I’ll ply Mike with drinks. Maybe we can get him drunk enough that he passes out. Could buy you another night to think about it.”
I ran up the stairs as Elisha yelled after me. My stomach soured at the thought of having to actually go through with Mike’s proposition.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! Was it really a fate worse than death? I mean, it wasn’t as if I was some simpering virgin.
For the rest of the night, my brain played over worst-case scenarios as I danced and gave lap dances. My heart just wasn’t in it. I almost felt bad for the customers that were getting subpar service. Sadly, Elisha’s plan of getting Mike too intoxicated to perform did not pan out. The man was hardly touching his drinks. Fucker.
The conclusion I’d come to had me wanting to vomit. I had to do it. Even if I only got six months’ jail time, I’d lose my jobs, my home, and basically everything I had left. Once released from jail, I would have no way to pay my debts. Mike, the bastard had me over a barrel and what was worse; he knew it. His smug smiles had been driving me crazy all night.
At the end of my shift, I slowly got changed back into my street clothes before wearily making my way up the stairs. Could my life get any more fucked up?
Mike waited in his stupid fancy SUV at the end of the alley. I reluctantly opened the door and got inside. The leather seat was cold against my naked legs. “Where are we going?”
“Impatient for this dick, are you?” I had to swallow back a snort at his audacity. “Don’t worry, it’s not far.”
I turned my head to the side and watched as we flew through the streets. Sitting in silence seemed like the best plan. When I noticed we were leaving town, I panicked.
“Mike, where are we going?” I repeated.
“Chill. We’re almost there.”
My nerves continued to ramp up the further out of town we got. When Mike pulled into a drive and his headlights shone over a small barn, I knew he’d done this before. How the fuck else would he find some place so out of the way?