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 somethingextra. 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.
CHAPTER 3
STYXX
“Harvester, brother, you’ve kept these girls hidden from everyone when it comes to their performance, why?” Ghost demands, laughing from across the table.
“You’ll see why in a few, Ghost,” Harvester mutters as the DJ queues up a fast-paced pulsing jam that was giving me a headache.
