Wake Up Call

by Victora Ashley

  WAKE

  UP

  CALL

  VICTORIA ASHLEY

  Wake Up Call Copyright © 2013 Victoria Ashley.

  The moral rights of the author has been asserted. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a

  retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing from its publisher, nor be otherwise circular in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  ISBN-13: 978-1490906133

  ISBN-10: 1490906134

  For my mom, my family, my boyfriend, my friends and all of the faithful readers that have read this online. Thank you all. In addition, a special thank you to everyone that helped me in getting this book prepared. I couldn’t have done it without you.

  Chapter 1

  "No! Get off me."

  I woke to the sound of my mother screaming – her shrill cries ricocheted off the four walls of my dirty bedroom and flew straight into my heart. It was so loud that it pierced through my brain and instantly made it begin to throb.

  I yanked my favorite fleece blanket over my head as the tears started to roll down my pink, puffy cheeks.

  In the room adjacent to mine, I could hear the racket of my drunken parents fighting once again; it was always the same. All that I heard were screams. The sounds blurred until I was numb.

  I knew I couldn’t leave my bedroom or else I would end up experiencing the wrath of their anger so instead I sat with my head on my knees, helpless. I pulled the blanket around my shivering frame in the pathetic hope that it would somehow shield me from this miserable existence, although, I knew that it wouldn’t.

  "No! Leave her out of this," my mother cried. "It's not her fault!"

  I stifled a sob as I clapped my hands against my ears in a desperate attempt to drown out the noise, but I knew that I was being stupid. This agony would never leave me.

  The screams were closer now – insistent, outside my bedroom door. My heart pounded against my chest and I felt as if I could vomit at any moment.

  I jumped back and hit my head on the filthy cement wall of my private prison as my parents kicked my door open, stumbling inside as I poked my head out from under my blanket.

  My unstable father forced my mother onto the wooden floor until she was nearly unconscious, blood seeping from a multitude of open wounds that adorned her frail body.

  Then he turned to me and his eyes were so wild, and I screamed and cried, but in the hatred that inhabited his world, my screams were silent. He walked toward me with malice in his step, and I closed my eyes as I anticipated the searing pain that I had grown so accustomed to.

  "No, please!”

  I woke up dripping with sweat. I threw my hands over my face and exhaled in a pointless attempt to calm my racing mind. It had been over one year since I packed my suitcase, moving to Westville, Florida, and yet the nightmares still haunted me every night.

  I stepped into the grubby bathroom of my one bedroom apartment and stared into the smudged up mirror at my mascara-streaked face.

  After taking a long, hard look at the lost little girl with the big emerald eyes - lost in a mess of thick, sticky lashes - I pulled my tangled black hair out of my eyes and splashed a handful of icy water over my face. "Good morning to me, I guess," I mumbled to myself before heading back to my single bed.

  Running my fingers through my messy hair, I pulled my favorite fleece blanket over my lap. I looked at the small desk and glowered at my bright alarm clock. "Shit!" It was already ten o’clock at night - time to head out to work.

  I threw the blanket off my bare legs and jumped to my feet, mind racing. Scrambling to the bathroom, I kicked a pair of old jeans out of my way and turned on the steaming hot water. It sputtered out in drips of umber, causing me to squirm.

  I stripped out of my favorite black and gray T-shirt and panties and stepped into the stained shower. The steaming water hit my skin and rolled down my body as I tilted my head back and ran my fingers through my hair. I grabbed my old black sponge and scrubbed my sensitive skin roughly in the pathetic hope that it would be able to remove all of the pain that bloomed within me. The pleasure only lasted for a few minutes.

  I finished showering in a rush and stepped out before drying my body and wrapping my hair into a tight messy bun in hopes that it would make me look more mature.

  It didn’t matter anyway - in my sordid line of business, they liked the women to be young, loose and wild. I threw on a black mini skirt, silver tank top and my favorite silver heels and then grabbed my cell phone and called for a taxi.

  "1313 Remington Place. Make it quick, please."

  When the gaudy, yellow taxi pulled up outside my apartment, I jumped inside.

  The driver looked back at me with beady eyes and gripped the steering wheel, his gray hair falling over his aging face. "Ma’am?" he questioned, with a small smile.

  Taste Of Poison" I replied hastily. "Fast please. I'm running late."

  He swallowed hard and eyed me from the rear-view mirror, his expression uneasy, as I looked at him impatiently and slammed the door shut. "Yes, ma’am." Sadly, I was starting to get use to that reaction.

  We pulled up to ‘Taste of Poison’ and I tossed the man a ten-dollar bill through his open window before he drove away in a cloud of swirling exhaust.

  The neon sign flashed above me. ‘Exotic Dancers’ it read in a flamboyant pink text. It made my stomach churn and my eyes water.

  I placed my palm over my stomach and started to make my way toward the entrance of the building when suddenly I spotted a drunken man eyeing me – two black pebbles gazing at me with lust. It made me feel so dirty.

  "Come here," he slurred. "Damn you look so good." His straggly, blond hair fell over his hairy face as he rubbed a hand over his keg of a stomach.

  I took off in a sprint, but to my surprise, he was faster than I expected. He grabbed my arm and yanked me to a halt. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, silently praying that I would be okay.

  "Let go, you dick!" I screamed as I slapped his roaming hands away from my body. I turned around in my silver heels and ran to the door as quickly as possible, almost tripping over my own feet.

  I turned around. "Go screw yourself!" Then I swung open the door of the hazy bar and stepped inside, my heart pounding with adrenaline.

  The music instantly filled my ears as Trinity – a promiscuous stripper – stepped off the stage in her towering heels and gave the audience a tantalizing smile before disappearing behind the red velvet curtain.

  I watched as the crowd went wild. Men of all ages filled the crowded joint, making my stomach ache. I held my breath as I walked through them- their faces were so familiar.

  I knew that I had no choice though- the strip bar had been my last resort, but it paid the bills so I had to continue or else I knew that I wouldn’t survive. Every other job that I had applied to had turned me down, insufficient experience, no transportation, not enough qualification; it was all the same. It had come down to one decision in the end: work at the strip joint or stay out on the streets.

  I stopped to glance down at the black marble floor when I felt a heavy, plastic object hit my foot. A grimace ran over my face upon the realization that one of the men had thrown their draft beer at me. He laughed - baldhead shining in the subdued lighting - and reached for another beer from across the t
able. "Hell yeah! I love this place.”

  I shook my foot and held my tongue. I couldn’t afford to lose this job, and the owner, Mr. Kendal, took the customers very serious. Their satisfaction meant everything, according to him.

  I stormed into the dressing room and found an empty table in the corner, away from the other strippers. I didn’t like to talk to any of them - they were gaudy, cheap, and loose. I had kept my head down ever since I first started at the club, and that was how I liked it. I had no reason to try to make friends. I never had before and didn’t need to start now.

  “Hey. Let me borrow some lipstick. I forgot mine.”

  I looked up to see one of the other strippers leaning above me. Her red hair fell over her overly tanned face as she reached her arm over my shoulder, hovering it above my makeup. I stared at her in silence, my eyebrows raised, as she reached for my pink lipstick. Okay then.

  I cleared my throat and tilted my head as she opened the lid of the lipstick and rubbed it over her thin lips. Most of the other strippers shared their makeup and clothing with each other, but not me. ”You can just keep that.”

  The young stripper smiled and puckered her lips. “Thanks, gorgeous.” Then she kissed the air and ran her hands over her spandex mini skirt, trying to look flirty. “Are you new?”

  I blew out an exasperated breath and turned my head away. I didn't have the patience to deal with her questions. “No. I’ve been working here for about ten months now," I huffed, hoping that she would just go away.

  The girl smiled and laughed loudly. “My bad.” She held up the tube of lipstick and nodded her head before turning to walk away. “Thanks.”

  “Yup,” I muttered, as I watched her join another stripper, an older woman with short chestnut hair. They both looked back at me and smiled. I guess you're never too old to get naked for cash. It was oddly disturbing, making me shiver.

  I applied a layer of red lipstick to my full lips and then a thick layer of mascara before I scanned the closet and decided on my uniform for the night – I was going to be a sexy police officer, clad in black leather. I hated all of the costumes, but this was the only one that made me feel in control of what I was doing – a precious feeling, and certainly one that I wasn’t prepared to throw away.

  I threw the pink, fuzzy cuffs around the belt and looked around the brightly lit room, my stressful eyes scanning over the rows of lit mirrors. It hurt me to know that in just fifteen minutes, I would be out on that stage being eyed by a pack of perverted, sex-deprived animals. I was as low as I could get.

  ~•~

  "Avery. It's time," Mr. Kendal stated. "Good luck out there." He flashed his crooked smile as he motioned with his hands toward the exit. “Don’t just stand there, go.” He eyed me anxiously, while tapping his fingers on the wall behind him.

  I nodded my head, took a step toward the door, and waited for the announcement before I stepped out onto the heart-shaped stage. My own heart sank as I took in the sight around me with guarded eyes - it was even more crowded than it had been when I arrived.

  The music blared around me as I closed my eyes and swayed to the fast rhythm. I could feel the money flying at me as I reached for my cuffs and clasped them around my wrist, before wrapping my leg around the smooth pole. Every second out here felt like an eternity.

  I opened my eyes momentarily and caught the attention of a man standing by the bar, beer bottle in hand. A bolt of electricity surged through my body as he stared at me with curious eyes. He was gorgeous. He lifted his tattooed arm, tilting back his head as he took a long sip of his beer. He had those bad boy good looks with his jet-black hair, leather boots and V-neck t-shirt. It fascinated me and somehow had me curious.

  Suddenly the music stopped; however, I remained rooted to the spot, my gaze locked on him, as his calm eyes looked into mine. A collection of rude insults broke my reverie, causing panic to set in. I shook my head, looked out into the crowd, and sighed, remembering where I was. I felt ridiculous. Great job, Avery.

  I tilted my head to the right once more in an effort to get a proper look at the enigma who had been standing by the bar only seconds before, but he was gone - lost in a sea of faces. My face scrunched up in annoyance, as I headed backstage to change.

  Mr. Kendal licked his lips as his greedy eyes wandered over my flesh. "Here's your money - one hundred and twenty three dollars." He arched an eyebrow as he handed me the money. "Not bad for such a short song. We better start seeing more of you soon.” The serious look on his face said it all. He wasn't going to give me a choice if I wanted to keep my job. Three nights a week wasn't going to cut it anymore.

  I quickly grabbed the money from his outstretched hand and headed for the door as fast as I could on two, silver heels. I was about to leave when suddenly a huge, muscular bouncer grabbed my open hand. My heart pounded as I attempted to pull my arm away.

  "Are you going to be okay by yourself?" he questioned gruffly, flexing his huge chest, but not releasing the grip, he had on my hand.

  "Yeah, I'm fine," I replied trying to sound calm. "I have a ride coming."

  Finally, he released his grip on my arm, pulling a crumpled cigarette out of his shirt pocket. "Okay. Have a great night, ma’am." I nodded my head and turned away.

  I cautiously made my way outside in hopes that my friend, Caleb, would already be waiting, but to my surprise, he was nowhere in sight.

  I sighed, strolling over to the side of the brick building and pressing my body against it. I wasn't particularly worried about being outside by myself so late at night, but it still would’ve been nice if Caleb had been here on time. I grabbed my cell phone from out of my clutch bag and was just about to dial his number when I looked up to see his red BMW pulling up next to me. I felt relieved.

  He jumped out and walked over to me, brown suede shoes crunching on the soiled ground. "Get in,” he said bluntly, before turning on his heel and striding back to the car, eyes glued to his phone.

  I rolled my eyes. Caleb had always hated my job at Taste of Poison and he certainly wasn't afraid to hide it. He was twenty-five, nice looking, with thick blond hair, amber eyes and full lips. He was definitely attractive, but not for me.

  I clutched my bag to my chest and walked over to the passenger door, hopping inside. "Look, I'm fine. I can take care of myself," I said, running a hand through my tousled hair. Caleb continued to glare at me, his eyes narrowed as he continued to text on his phone as usual.

  I tried again. "Thanks for the ride," I stammered. "You're really helping me out. I'm barely getting by and I'm behind on all of my bills. All of the money I made tonight is already spent.”

  He glanced at me and nodded. "No problem," he replied. "Maybe you can save up enough money to get by and then get a new job. This is a shitty place for a woman like you." He looked me in the eye making me uncomfortable.

  "Yeah, well maybe I'm not better than this." I turned away and rested my head against the cool, glass window. I hated these talks with him. "I'm fine. It's not that bad," I lied.

  Caleb turned to look at me but didn’t utter a word, although I knew that he had a lot to say.

  The ride passed quickly, I sat in silence and closed my eyes, fighting the image of the strange man that filled my mind. I had dealt with others like him before but there was something different in his eyes. Something that made my stomach ache.

  We pulled up to my single apartment and Caleb turned off the engine. He reached over the seat, placing his hand on my arm. I jerked away in response.

  “What is with you, Avery? Your life isn’t half as bad as you think!”

  I turned to him and rolled my eyes. "You don't know anything about my life," I began. "You've known me for a total of ten months." I opened the door and jumped out. "Are you coming or what?"

  He looked at me and shook his head, strands of amber hair falling into his eyes. "Yeah, why not," he mumbled, before getting out of the car and slamming the door shut behind him.

  Caleb knew that the only part of m
e that I was willing to give him was my body – I had made that clear to him many times before, despite the efforts, he had made to get to know me. I hadn’t been able to trust a man ever since my father, and nobody was going to change that.

  We stepped into my single apartment and I instantly gripped onto his shirt and pulled him to me. The smell of his § cologne was intoxicating. It turned me on. I wrapped my arms around his neck, draping them around him like a curtain, and pulled his face to mine. My lips crushed against his as I reached for his tight pants and worked on the button while pushing him toward the old, dusty couch that sat in the middle of the floor. We both fell back onto it and I let the animal within me take control. It was the only way that I felt safe.

  One hour later and we were both tired. I knew that I needed to get rid of him as soon as I could before he started to assume that he would be staying the night. I gathered up his clothes, belt and shoes and tossed them to him roughly.

  He sighed in frustration and looked down at his full hands. "So, I take it I'm leaving now."

  I averted my gaze from his disappointed expression and bit my lip. I hated myself for being so cruel.

  "You know how this works," I reminded him. "I can't give you anything more and I've made that very clear."

  He looked at me and chewed his bottom lip. "I was hoping that I could make you change your mind, Avery." He glanced up from his overused phone with a scowl.

  I looked him in the eye coldly and shook my head, keeping my distance. "Well you haven't done that yet. So I'll see you later." I knew that he had feelings for me, but I knew that I would never be any good for him.

  “Fine,” he muttered. “I have places to be anyways.”

  He gave me one last, fleeting look before throwing his clothes on quickly and walking out my door, slamming it shut behind him. I jumped, closing my eyes, before running my hands through my hair.

  I walked into my cluttered bedroom and plopped down on the end of my small bed, fingering my fleece blanket. It was already two o'clock in the morning, but I knew that I wouldn’t be able to fall asleep for a long time. I didn’t want the nightmares to claim me. I rested my head against the smooth wall and closed my eyes, forcing back the tears.