by Wilde, Rhea
“We should probably discuss this somewhere else.”
“Oh. Right.”
I walked with Luther out of Paradise and headed back to the main floor of the club. I leaned up against the bar and looked at all of the money in my hand. It was seven grand, just like he promised. The bartender placed a drink in front of Luther and he took a moment to enjoy it after his rigorous experience with Jade.
“That was a test,” I said to him.
“What?”
“You were testing me. You didn’t pay me just to watch. There was something else you wanted to see.”
He smiled then took another sip of his drink.
“You’re very perceptive,” he said to me. “But you’re asking the wrong question. The test was obvious. But what exactly am I testing?”
I looked at the ground and thought about it. Nothing immediately sprang to mind. I found myself unable to come up with an answer. None of it made sense. When I looked back up at him, he was staring back at me, waiting for my response.
“What do you want?” I asked him.
“Honestly? I want to take you out. What do you say, Harley? Go out with me on a date.”
“What? I’m not a hooker.”
“You’re only a hooker if I pay you for sex. That money is for your services here in Platinum. I’m asking to take you out. Whatever happens after that is up to you. I won’t give you a single dollar outside of this club.”
It had come so suddenly. He went from handing me a wad of bills to asking me out on a date. It wasn’t an offer I could easily turn down. There was no denying that I was drawn to him in some way. And when I realized that I had a bit of an attraction to him, it finally hit me. I was able to regain my focus and my original objective.
You’re not a stripper. You’re a reporter. You’re here for a story.
An opportunity had once again presented itself. I had targeted a man named Landon Schrader. Maybe Luther was actually the one who had all of the answers I was looking for. A date would give me the perfect opportunity to see if I had a lead.
“Okay,” I told him. “One date. No promises. No guarantees. If you’re so intent on taking me out, I suppose I could oblige.”
“Thank you, Harley. How does Saturday night sound?”
“I suppose I could fit you into my schedule,” I winked at him.
“Then I’ll meet you here Saturday night. I’ll pick you up and take you somewhere nice. Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll have a good time.”
“The pressure’s not on me, Luther.”
Luther winked at me then took a sip of his drink.
“Remember, Harley. You only dance for me. So take the rest of the night off.”
Before I could respond, he turned around and made his way back to his spot in the VIP section.
“That’s a lot of money.”
I whipped my head around as I heard the voice. Sage was standing right next to me with a big smile on her face.
“You seem to be doing pretty well,” she smiled at me.
“Yeah,” I said, remembering how much money I was holding. “I think I’m done for the night.”
“You’ve had a good night. Might as well enjoy the rest of it.”
I smiled at her and headed back to my locker. I changed back into my street clothes and thought about everything that just happened. I didn’t have a concrete idea but I was on the right track. Luther was pointing me in the right direction. Now all I had to do was keep digging.
Chapter 10
It wasn’t a regular thing for me to stop by the office before I got my assignment done. There was no need for me to lock myself into a cubicle when there was a story out there for me to find.
As I sat there in my boss’s office, I wondered exactly why he had called me in. He didn’t waste any time with me and cut right to the chase.
“I talked to Jennifer in Features,” he said to me, an unlit cigarette dangling at the corner of his mouth. “She said that you were looking into Landon Schrader.”
“Yes, that’s right, boss,” I said to him. “I wasn’t looking into just him but that was the general idea.”
“Jennifer didn’t tell you, did she?”
“Tell me what?”
Mr. Kelsey held his lighter up to his mouth and lit the cigarette. He inhaled a long and slow puff. I was confused as to what he was going to say to me. I thought Jennifer had given me all of the details.
“She dropped the story because I told her to,” he said.
“What?”
“Landon Schrader is a powerful man. I didn’t need someone like Jennifer snooping around. Whatever it is she might find… Schrader’s got enough money to shut us down if we mention anything… unsavory about him.”
“Wait a minute,” I said. “You told her not to report on him? But if there’s something here, we’re obligated to—”
“Hold on, Victoria. I told Jennifer to drop the story. I’m not telling you to.”
“Then what are you telling me?”
“I’m letting you do this story because I know that I can trust you. I know that whatever you might find, if there’s anything at all, it’s going to be factual and accurate.”
“That goes without saying.”
“I just wanted to tell you to be real careful with this.”
“Boss, you know that I’m not careless with what I write. If there’s something for me to find, I’m going to have all the evidence in the world to back it up. I don’t write about gossip or innuendo.”
Mr. Kelsey smiled at me, his brow still furrowed as he took another long puff of his cigarette. I didn’t understand why he needed to reiterate how important this was. It was always necessary for me to tread on dangerous ground.
“Boss, do you know anything about Landon Schrader? This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with someone who’s high-profile. Why would you call me into your office now?”
“No, I don’t know anything about the guy, Victoria. For all I know, he could be the nicest fella in the world. That’s not the point though. What I do know is that Jennifer met some resistance when she was trying to get in touch with him. All of your other subjects, they’re not like this. Money is the key to solving all kinds of problems that the media might pose. If he has a problem, he has everything he needs to launch a campaign against The High Standard. We could lose our credibility even if you’re telling the truth.”
“Boss—”
“I’m not telling you to stop, Victoria. I already said that. But whomever it is you’re dealing with, whether it’s Schrader or any of his associates… Just remember to be careful. A man with a lot of money can buy a lot of power. Make sure you know exactly what you’re going to say about him or anybody else you write about.”
Despite the serious tone of the conversation, he wasn’t telling me anything that I didn’t already know. I was taking every precaution I could. There was no telling what I would find if I dug any deeper at Platinum.
“So how’s it coming along?” he asked me. “I might as well ask you while you’re here. I figure you’re making more progress than Jennifer.”
“I have an idea.”
“An idea?”
“Well, more than an idea. I have some sources and I just need to figure out what exactly my angle is.”
“Are we still talking about Schrader here, Victoria?”
“Schrader and maybe some of his associates. A man with that much money who’s trying to remain out of the public eye… There has to be something interesting behind all of it.”
“You’ve got a good eye, Victoria. That’s why I trust you.”
“Thanks, boss. Can I go now?”
“Yeah, yeah. Get to work. And make sure you have that piece in by the end of the month.”
“Of course.”
I left Mr. Kelsey’s office with a bit more focus than I already had. Hearing that he wanted me to be cautious about reporting on Landon Schrader only made me curious to find out if there was anything worth writing about. I left the office of Th
e High Standard and hopped into my car when I suddenly got another phone call.
“Now who is it…”
I looked at the phone number. It didn’t look familiar but I answered it anyway.
“Hello?”
“Harley.”
“Um, who is this?”
“Hello, Harley. This is Sage.”
“Oh, hi, Sage. Um, how did you—”
“Your number is in your profile. The same profile that’s on the computer when you check-in.”
“Oh, right,” I suddenly remembered. “What can I do for you?”
“You’re not busy at the moment, are you?”
“Um, not particularly no. Why?”
“Is there any chance you can stop by the club? There’s something I’d like you to see.”
“Sure. I can stop by for a bit.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not asking you to work or anything. But I might need you for some time.”
“Hey, it’s not a problem. I can be right there in just a little bit.”
“Great. I’ll see you then.”
I hung the phone up, curious as to what Sage had in store for me. There was no way I could refuse her offer though. I was still searching for some kind of story to write about. Anything she could show me would just give me more material to work with. I headed toward Platinum as quickly as I could, my mind racing with the possibilities of what she had planned. Maybe she would tell me all about what she whispered into my ear only a few days ago.
* * *
When I got to Platinum, it was still the middle of the day, so there wasn’t much of a crowd. I made my way inside and Sage was waiting at her familiar spot near the bar, chatting it up with the bartender. She was dressed in a black skirt and a tiny white t-shirt that was strained against her breasts. There were some other women working but there was only a small crowd of men for them to deal with.
“Harley!” she smiled at me with enthusiasm. “I’m so glad you could make it.”
“Hi, Sage. What’s this all about?”
“Since you’ve got some time to spare, I was wondering if you wanted to get some practice in.”
“Practice?”
“On the pole.”
“Oh, no!” I exclaimed. “No, no, no. I’m not interested in working the pole. Not right now.”
“Harley? What’s wrong? Why are you being so bashful?”
“I… I can’t work the pole. Dancing on stage in front of all of those men… It’s…”
“It’s what? You’re a stripper, Harley. You don’t have to pole dance but it’s kind of expected of you.”
“I just…”
I was searching for any excuse not to do it. I wasn’t a stripper. I wasn’t that kind of girl. Hell, I had trouble taking my clothes off in front my boyfriends when the lights were on. I didn’t want to imagine what I looked like completely naked and trying to move to the beat of the music in front of a bunch of complete strangers.
“I don’t want to embarrass myself,” I said. “There are plenty of other good-looking women in the club. I don’t want to take their spot away.”
“What are you talking about? There are plenty of spots available. That’s why there are three poles.”
“Yeah but I’ll probably just look really awkward. I don’t—”
“That’s why you’re here. To practice. There isn’t anybody her to see you make a fool of yourself. Nobody cares if you’re barely starting out. Come on…”
Sage smiled at me, continuing to try and urge me to do it. I looked over at the woman near the front of the club who was dancing for all of the men. She looked graceful as she held onto the pole. She was able to display her nude body in a way that accentuated all of her good features. But more than that, I noticed the small group of men that were staring at her. I remembered what Luther said about women who dance on a pole. He said that they have all the power in the world when they’re on stage. They’re nude and completely vulnerable. Everybody can see everything. But they’re still in control. And it was that control that made me curious. I wanted to see if even someone like me could possess that kind of ability.
“Okay,” I sighed. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try.”
“Great!” Sage squealed. “That’s all you really need. Just give it a try. If it’s not your thing then it’s not your thing. But who knows what you’ll feel when you’re up there on the pole.”
“I’m not really dressed…”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll go real slow. What you’re wearing is just fine. There’s no need for you to win a gold medal. You’re just going through the basics.”
I was wearing a pair of spandex and an old college sweater. Mr. Kelsey called me into the office and I hadn’t planned on actually making a trip to Platinum, let alone dancing on stage. Even if Sage was the only one watching, I still felt self-conscious about everything.
“Just watch for a moment,” Sage said to me as she stepped up onto the stage. “The first thing you want to do is hold onto the pole. Get a feel for it. Get comfortable around it.”
“Right.”
I wish I had my recorder so I could get all of this down. I don’t think I’m going to remember any of this…
I watched as Sage gripped the pole and slowly started to walk around the stage. Even just walking around the pole, she managed to do it with a kind of elegance that I couldn’t explain. I had no idea how I was going to pull this off myself. Sage I could understand. Not only was she beautiful but she had a look that was different from everybody else. I couldn’t mimic that kind of confidence.
“The pole is stationary,” she explained. “It’s not going to move from its spot. Even with all of the wear and tear from getting twirled and spun upon, even if you were three times your size, it’s not going anywhere. Always make sure that you’re in contact with the pole. You don’t have to hold it. Use your back, your legs, your arms, even your head.”
Sage put her back up against the pole and leaned hard into it. She then turned around and braced herself against it with her shoulder. I watched her bend over to give me a different view of her body. She turned back around and bent her body backward, the top of her head resting against the pole. She spread her legs as she bent herself in the opposite direction. She grabbed the pole once again to show me all of the different positions she could bend her body.
“I wouldn’t be able to do that usually,” she said. “The pole is there to keep my balance. That’s all you need to know about the basics.”
“That’s it?”
“I know that you might have some other image in your head about what it takes to be a pole dancer. But it’s not about having fancy moves or doing acrobatics. Like I said, you’re not getting judged on a scorecard. All you’re trying to do is show these men how sexy you can be. You’re already sexy, Harley. The pole is there just to help.”
“You make it sound easier than it looks.”
“That’s because it is. It’s… It’s hard to explain. I can’t tell you exactly what to do. Being up here is all about showing men what they want. But that’s the thing. Men don’t know what they want until you show it to them. Even if a man thinks some other girl is better looking than you, you have to show him that you’re more attractive than her. You’re hot. You’re sexy. Use the pole to show that off. Here…”
Sage slowly worked her way off the stage. She held her hand out to the pole as if to make way for me.
“Give it a try,” she smiled at me.
“I’m still not sure about…”
“Just try it, Harley. Nobody’s watching. Besides, we all had a first time. It only gets better from there.”
There was a part of me that actually wanted to get up on stage but I still needed to hear more encouragement from Sage. I nodded to her then slowly started to walk up on stage before she stopped me.
“Ah, your sweater, Harley.”
“What about it?”
“You’re not going to dance in that thing, are you?”
>
“Well…”
“Take it off. What are you wearing underneath it?”
“Just my bra,” I said, embarrassed that I had just thrown it on when I headed into the office.
“Perfect! You’re going to be wearing even less when you perform.”
I nodded then reluctantly peeled my sweater off. I tried not to look at any of the mirrors as I was now standing on the stage in nothing but a support bra and spandex. I did just as Sage told me to do. I grabbed the pole and held it.
“That’s it,” she encouraged me. “Get a feel for it. Move around on stage. Nobody’s watching you right now. Just try and get used to it.”
I followed all of her instructions. With the pole in one hand, I slowly started to walk around the stage. I looked down at all of the empty seats in front of me. I started to giggle as I imagined a bunch of men shaking their heads at me, wondering what the hell I was doing just like I was.
“All right, now you’ve got a feel for the stage. Try to do something else.”
“Like what?”
“You saw what I did. Pretend it’s like a wall. Or a man.”
“A man?”
“You’ve danced with a man before, haven’t you, Harley? I mean, like a regular dance. At a club or somewhere similar.”
“Well, yeah—”
“Treat that pole like it’s a man. What do you do? You grind up on him. Get real close to him. This is a prelude to sex. Don’t be shy. He likes you. He wants you. He’s there to take care of you.”
I tried my best not to laugh at Sage’s suggestion. I looked at the pole and got up close to it. It still looked the same as it always did. I was trying to do what she wanted me to do. I started moving my body but I only moved in an awkward rhythm. This wasn’t a man. It was still just a solid, lifeless pole.
“Stop,” she said.
I stopped dancing then looked over at her.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I didn’t mean stop dancing, Harley. I meant stop thinking.”
“Stop thinking?”
“Stop worrying about technique. Listen to the music that’s playing. Do you think that girl on the other pole is trying to land all of her moves right? Do you think she’s worried about what anybody else is thinking? She’s simply moving her body to the music. You can do the same thing.”