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Every single dancer who worked in our strip club was vetted personally by us. Duncan did the initial interviews and then Jase and I got potential new employees to dance for us at a private audition. We did not ask them to strip; we just wanted to see them dance, make sure they could work a pole, since they’d all eventually dance on the main stage.
It was important to us that the men and women who bared their bodies for money at our club were mentally in a good place to do so. We did not accept anyone who abused alcohol or drugs. We provided a safe working environment for them and made sure they were not uncomfortable doing their jobs.
Because that was exactly what it was: employment. A job like any other. A job that paid very well; we offered a generous hourly rate, complete health insurance, free childcare with the on-site nursery if they needed it, and they were allowed to keep all tips they made.
In return, we expected them to show up for their shifts on time and treat everyone with respect. Patrons of the club paid a premium to be there, so none of the clientele was sleazy or grabby. They weren’t allowed to touch the dancers without their permission, and security was always around to enforce that rule.
I tried to concentrate on my emails, but the stack of folders kept luring me. I was always interested to see the people who wanted to dance at our club. We aimed to have a wide variety to suit all tastes; short, tall, slim, curvy. Different ethnicities. Some ladies were top heavy, some weren’t. Some men had hairless chests, some didn’t. But they all had a few things in common: an excellent work ethic, and the ability to dance.
My fingers walked themselves across the desk until they reached the applications, and then I pulled them to me. Flicking through each one in turn, I glanced at the paperwork inside and then studied each photograph carefully. Duncan took two photographs of each potential employee: a head shot, and a full body shot.
I stopped when I got to one folder in particular. The woman was exquisite. There was no other word for her. Dark hair framed her heart-shaped face in tight curls like a halo. Her olive skin looked flawless; her cheekbones high. She could have easily made a living as a model at five ten. But what I found captivating were her eyes. They were the palest blue I’d ever seen, but incredibly mesmerizing.
“Looking for a hot date?”
I glanced up at the doorway that separated Jase’s office from mine to find my best friend standing in it. “Guess what you and I are doing tonight after dinner?”
He stared at the pile of folders in front of me. “Sifting through applications for new dancers at Meteor?”
“Give the man a cigar.”
“Any good ones in there?”
“Yep, quite a few. Duncan said we need to pick eight to ten.”
He let out a low whistle. “He did mention business seemed to be increasing during the weeknights. Listen, I’ve got to run to this inspection at the new place.” We’d recently purchased a new loft on the West Side that we planned to renovate and flip for a tidy profit. “You want to come?”
I shook my head. “I’m drowning in emails that need my attention. I’ll see you at home?”
“Won’t be too late.” He disappeared from view and I stared into his empty office for a few moments before being drawn back to the pile of folders.
When I flipped the last file open, my eyebrows nearly jumped off my head. Picking up my phone, I dialed Duncan’s number.
He answered with a laugh. “Hi, Emilia. Let me guess, you’ve just opened the last file.”
“Are you joking? He applied again?”
The file belonged to a man named Brodie Pierce. He was a well-known model who was part of a male revue in Las Vegas and had been stripping for a couple of years. He’d applied several times before to work at Meteor, but Jase and I had agreed he wasn’t suitable for our club, so we’d declined to allow him to audition for us.
Apparently, he wasn’t giving up until we changed our minds.
“I know. I didn’t think he’d try again, given he’s in Vegas, but he turned up here when we put out the call.”
“What is this, the fourth time he’s applied?”
“Fifth.”
I sighed loudly. “Maybe we should let him audition so we can turn him down and get rid of him once and for all.” If a dancer got to the audition stage and we declined to hire them, they were not permitted to apply again. They had one chance to impress us and that was it.
“It might be the only way to get rid of him. And hey, you never know. He might just blow you away.”
I snorted. “I highly doubt that.” We’d watched some of his performances online, and he was a show pony who clearly believed he was the best thing that’d ever happened to stripping. There was a difference between being confident and being cocky, and he crossed the line so far you could no longer see it. His arrogance wouldn’t go over well with our club members.
“Okay, let me talk to Jase about it. You want in on the audition if we decide to go ahead with it?”
“Oh, please. I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
After a couple of hours, I left the office and headed home. Changing into more comfortable clothing, I perused the folder full of take-out and restaurant menus we kept on hand, and after settling on something I placed the order for delivery.
