When I was hired, I wondered how long it would take before Gio would come for me, but as time went on, I learned that Gio is more of a silent owner and trusts his club manager to handle all the day to day business transactions.

The high end Gentlemen's Club is definitely the nicest one I've worked at. After exploring, the shady world of strip clubs, over the last few years, I've learned the major differences are both the upkeep of the venue and the clientele.

Strip clubs tend to have more loud, rowdy patrons, compared to Gentlemen's clubs. Sometimes the crowds in here are louder than usual, if there's birthday or bachelor party but it's not over the top. The lighting in strip clubs is also darker versus the low, dim lighting, of the gentlemen's club.

Our shifts require us to work as servers one day a week and whatever else set days you have, as a performer. We do a couple of group numbers as well.

Our average work week schedule is 3-4 days. But there are a few girls that do work every day, who are saving up money for their personal goals; from vacations, buying a house, paying off school debt, etc. I tend to stick to the three days; Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays because of Lucy and the twins.

My bumpy start with the Club manager, stemmed from my ignorance to an unspoken understanding, that the girls will do more than what our policy states. 

For example, there's no touching permitted, during lap dances as per policy...but some clients will pay big money to do so, as long as the girl is willing, of course.

I wasn't. 

I've also had a few issues with a few of the girls. Most are nice and friendly, but there were a few who aren't big on newcomers.

"Look who finally decided to grace us, with her presence."

I ground my teeth as I walk into the large, shared dressing room. We each have our individual makeup stations with partitions and lockers.

"Scar, you're up first, so hurry up and don't mess up the rotation, again." Ginger taunts. I don't even know if Ginger is her stage name or her actual name, but she's had it out for me since I started.

I'm told I didn't set a good first impression, the first time I danced. I smile, remembering how the crowd was deathly silent at first, probably too shocked at what was happening with the song I chose.

Some of the girls found the humor in it and gave me high fives afterwards, while Ginger and her clique...not so much.

"She's crazy, look at her. Smiling at herself like a lunatic." Ginger says, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I ignore her as usual but then one of the girls, Cinnamon, speaks up.

"Shut the hell up, Ginger. Green is not your color." Cinnamon tells her.

Ginger looks down at her outfit. "I'm not wearing green, stupid."

Cinnamon laughs, muttering, "Dumb bitch" as she continues getting dressed. She looks over at me and winks. I met Cinnamon in an aerobic dance class, I was taking the first couple of months, in Miami. She was the one who referred me to the job

Truth is, I had actually followed her, while I was staking out the club after I learned it was owned by Gio. I signed up for the dance class to befriend her. Eventually, she told me about where she worked and suggested I audition, when there was an opening.

"Raven! Hurry, mija, you're up soon. Where's your song list for tonight?" Eva, the house mom, rushes towards me. She snaps on my skirt from the back as I'm busy digging through my bag for the piece of paper she needs.

I thank her, handing her the paper and finish getting ready.

******

"Nice show, girl!" Another dancer tells me as I make my way back to the dressing room. I smile and thank her as I collapse onto my chair, my feet are killing me. 

Whoever invented heels needs to be tortured. And whoever thinks dancers have it easy are damn idiots. The first week I worked, I was sore as hell and bruised like crazy from the pole.

"Raven! That was hot, girl. You gotta teach me that move you did, at the end." Letty, another dancer, sits on the chair next to me. Her stage name is Dulce which she told me means sweet in Spanish. She's super friendly and bubbly and has taken it upon herself to teach me Spanish, since it's spoken a lot in Miami.

"Sure, as long as you share the recipe for that...polo con arroz?" Unsure I pronounced the name of the food, she shared with me, last week.

She giggles, "Arroz con pollo" she enunciates it, for me to repeat. (Chicken with rice)

Ginger walks in the room, giving us a scathing look. "You're in America talk English!" I shake my head, sighing internally, at the irony that she doesn't speak English well, herself.

"Pinche pendeja." Letty mutters. (Fucking asshole)

"What did you call me?" Ginger storms up to Letty. Cinnamon and I get in between Letty and Ginger, keeping them apart.

"Raven!" Our heads snap towards the door. The head of security, Roman, is standing in the doorway. "Boss wants to see you."

"Okay, let me just get changed." I tell him.

"No. Now." His tone serious.

Great.

"It was nice knowing you, Scar." Ginger sneers as I walk out of the room.

Roman doesn't say much as I follow him down the long hallway, leading to the Club manager's office. Another dancer, named Baby hurries out of the office, her face tear stained. I have an unsettling feeling come over me.

Roman knocks on the door before opening it, "Raven's here."

Roman steps to the side for me to walk through the door. He arches his eyebrow when I don't move.

"Pues, donde esta?" Rio's irritated voice, comes from within the room. (Well, where is she?)

Roman jerks his head towards the office. Sighing, I step in, wondering if Ginger is finally getting her way and I'm getting fired. I don't know what else I would do, besides actually working at a strip club, losing whatever's left of my dignity.

"Raven, are you listening?" Rio's voice cuts in, through my thoughts.

"I'm sorry, what?"

He leans back in his chair. Annoyance flickers across his face. "I want you to start taking over the group numbers, starting next week."

"What? Why?" I ask alarmed. "That's Ginger's job." This is not good.

"It was her job, but she's been underperforming recently. And I want to see how it goes having you at the forefront. You'll still do your solo pieces as well." He informs me. "You're building a steady clientele and you're getting requested, even on your days off."

"I may have you start working on Saturdays as well. As they tend to bring in the larger crowds."

"No, I can't add another day. I have obligations outside of here. I told you that when you hired me."

His dark eyes look back at me, clearly unhappy at my resistance. He tucks in his bottom lip and rubs the light stubble on his chin. "Then we'll have you work, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays."

He waits for my response. I nod my head, "Okay."

"One more thing...with the recent acquisition of the club, the new owner is keen on legitimizing some of the club's extra curricular events and income sources."

"New owner?" I question, my heart starting to race. "Giovanni Dante, doesn't own the club anymore?" 

"No. The club was bought out a couple of months ago, by a business tycoon who's been buying several clubs, casinos and hotels, in the area and in Europe. According to what I've found out, he's known for buying out struggling businesses and flips them, so to speak and sometimes sells or deconstructs them." He explains.

"The club is struggling?"

"Was struggling. Last year was a slump year and the economy and job market didn't help either, but it's been picking up just before he bought it out from under Giovanni. I've met with the new owner and he seems pleased we've been increasing our cash flow steadily, however, he expressed his desire to keep the business clean."

He stands, walking around the front of the desk and leans up against it, his hands in his pockets. "The feds are cracking down on local businesses laundering money, running drug trafficking or sex trafficking operations behind closed doors."

I'm not sure I like where this is headed. "I...I don't want to do anything illegal."

He folds his arms and gives me a questioning look,"What makes you think I want you to do something illegal?"

I keep my mouth closed but move my shoulders, in a small shrug.

His eyes narrow a little as he assesses me. "A few of the girls work extra shifts, the nights they are scheduled here. We have some of our VIP's participate in high stakes poker games...the games themselves provide an opportunity for other business transactions to take place. 

I will need you to work, extra shifts, the next few weeks. Our clients are aware that these separate business transactions, will be ceasing with the feds sniffing around but we have several negotiations that need to be resolved before we end them."

"How late do these private parties go till?" I ask.

"Usually until 3 sometimes 4"

A few weeks won't be too bad, I guess. But I also don't want to be distracted now that I'm getting close to make a move on Gio but I wasn't anticipating the club to have been bought out.

"Let me know by Monday when you come in." Rio walks back around his desk to sit.

"Tell Ginger I need to see her."

I involuntarily groan.

"Or you can tell her that you're taking over, yourself." He says matter of factly.

"I'll send her back." I mutter quickly. Dreading even having to talk to her for a second.

I hear her laughing loudly as I approach the dressing room and brace myself for her usual onslaught of insults.

"Do you need help cleaning out your locker, Scar?" She asks, laughing when I walk in. She claps her hands, attempting to gain attention from the other girls. "Ladies, ladies, let's all help Scar clean out her locker, shall we?" Her suckups, chortle and snigger while the other girls just watch the interaction.

"Rio wants to see you, Ginger." 

"Yeah, right." She states.

I pullout a makeup remover wipe from my bag and start cleaning my face off. Ginger stands behind me, looking at me through the reflection of the mirror.

"No matter how much makeup you put on, it won't help. You can't fix ugly." She smirks.

"You think I'm ugly?" I ask staring back at her, through the mirror.

"Today was your worst look yet." She smiles.

I pull the red wig off that I have on. "Interesting...I was trying to look like you, today."

Some of the girls laugh while her friends gasp. Ginger turns me, to face her and I stop her from slapping me, gripping her wrist tightly. 

"Ginger! Rio's been waiting for you. Get your ass in his office, now!" Roman yells. I shove her back, away from me and she scurries out of the room. 

"Dude! Why didn't you beat her ass!?" Letty asks me as she skips over to me. "I know you have this badass side of you, you're keeping locked away."

"What makes you say that?"

She shrugs, "No se, pero, you have this look sometimes... like I can see you want to mess her up but for whatever reason you let her talk shit."

"Anyways, are you going to be doing the extra shifts, too?" She asks me as she spins around on the chair.

I shrug. "I told Rio I'd let him know by Monday." I finish taking off the rest of my make up off and change into my joggers. I change out of my top, pulling on a sports bra, followed by a tank top and pull my light zip up jacket on.

"I like your tattoos. I keep wanting to get one, but I'm too chicken. Needles scare the shit out of me." Letty tells me as she watches me.

"It's not that bad." Cinnamon tells her as she buttons up her jeans. "But some areas hurt worse than others. Like this one," She lifts her foot on the arm of the chair Letty is sitting on and shows her the tattoo of a rose on the top of her foot. "This one hurt like a bitch."

Baby, the girl who had come out of Rio's office crying, chimes in, "I only ever got one, but my dad, brother and Uncles are covered in them." She shows us a small thick black cross on her forearm.

"How many do you have, Raven?" Letty asks me.

"Ten."

"Ten!" She exclaims, starts pulling at my clothes. "Where? I only saw four."

I laugh. "Another time, I gotta get home." At that moment, we hear a door slam, followed by loud screeching, coming from the hallway.

Here we go. 

I was hoping I was out of here before she came back. I sigh, setting down my helmet, bag and keys, on the small table of the station, I sit at.

"You fucking bitch!" Ginger runs straight for me.

Letty tries to get in her way, but Ginger grabs her by the hair and yanks her to the side, out of her way. 

"Ginger, knock it off. Rio is the one who made the choice and you know it! " Cinnamon stands, apparently aware of the change, too. She's slightly taller than Ginger, but Ginger is on a warpath and shoves her away, catching Cinnamon off guard and she falls over a chair, coming down hard on her shoulder.

I wait until she throws a punch I know is coming and duck, sweeping her leg, causing her to fall. She yells out in anger as she stands back up quickly and comes at me, again.

"Your fucking Rio!" She screams at me. The other girls gasps or clicks their tongues. Ginger tries to grab at me again, but I move out and push her away.

"I'm not sleeping with Rio." I defend.

"Stop lying, you whore! I know you are because he gave me the position after I slept with him, you bitch!" More surprised gasps come from the girls.

Her hands formed into claws as she reaches for my throat, but I shove her away. She picks up a curling iron, ripping it away from the wall outlet and starts swinging at me. Some of the girls start screaming at her to stop.

I grab a towel on a chair and use it to protect myself when she brings it down. I wrap the towel around it and twist it out of her hands, throwing it on the ground. She attempts to punch me but I block her, grabbing her wrist, twisting it around her back, pushing her away, again.

"I don't want to hurt you, Ginger."

She laughs maniacally. "Like you could."

"Kick her ass, Raven!" Letty encourages me.

Ginger goes for the the typical girl fight move and grabs my hair, pulling me towards her and attempts to knee me, in the face. 

I've had enough.

I punch her twice in the stomach before I grab her arm and flip her on the ground. I pin her down as I pull my switchblade out of my pocket. Her eyes widen as she hears it flip open. The room falls silent.

"Don't ever come at me again, or I will gut you like a fish." I warn her. "Do you understand?"

She nods, her eyes filling with tears. I press the knife to her throat. "Say it!" I hiss.

"I understand."

I look down at her for a moment longer and then push myself off of her. I close the knife, putting it back in my pocket. I smooth down my now messy hair.

Some of the girls part for me to get to my station. I look over at Letty and Cinnamon.

"You guys okay?"

They both look at me with wide eyes and nod. I pick up my things and walk out of the quiet room, without looking back.