“After my cut, of course, but yeah, you would do good. Here's my card. Give me a call.”
He tossed a business card on the table along with another hundred dollar bill. I tried to think of something to say, but he turned around and walked out of the club. After I picked up the card and the money, I made my way to my apartment a few blocks over. As I walked, I really thought about his offer.
Did taking my clothes off for money make me a slut? Or was I just being smart? If I danced and made the kind of money he was talking about, I could quit after six months or a year and have enough money to invest in a business of my own. With Josh out of my life for good, I had to take care of myself.
By the time I got home, I'd made up my mind. The next day, I stopped by the club. Benji told me to get up on stage to show my stuff. I was nervous as hell at first, but I concentrated on the music and just let my body do all the work. My mind was a million miles away, which was fine with me. The customers only wanted one thing from me.
* * *
After my first week, I was the highest paid dancer at the club. I could reach diamond level and make more money if I slept with Benji, but I refused. He said I was hot enough to get away with just oral. I laughed him off instead. We were both making good money. He didn’t want to fuck that up and have me move to another club.
On my eighth night dancing, Josh showed up at the club out of nowhere. I saw him from the stage as I gyrated in time with the music. He looked around, not noticing me with my red wig. I cut my dance short and got off the stage through the back. By the time I got back to the floor, I lost track of him. Then he yelled out my name.
Ken, one of the big, black bouncers, pounced on him almost immediately. With a sigh, I walked toward them, hoping to defuse the situation. Before I got there, Josh pulled back his arm. He wasn’t a weakling, but Ken was ready for him and blocked the punch. A moment later, he had Josh’s hands behind his back. I watched as he led him to the entrance of the club.
What the fuck was all that about? I thought, wondering what I should do.
“Hey, Trixie, come on over here,” an old whale yelled, making my decision for me.
I put on a fake smile as I sat on the old pervert’s lap. Josh had to learn I wouldn’t wait around for him forever. We knew the truth about our parents. Showing up at the club while I was working wasn’t the way to win me back into his life. I pushed thoughts of him out of my mind as I stroked the obviously dyed hair of the man in his fifties. Fuck Josh, I thought and got to work.
* * *
At fifty-eight years of age, Trevor the whale took good care of himself. Even better, he was rich as fuck. The first time he paid for my time in the VIP room in back, he asked me to sit on his lap and talk with him. Obviously lonely, I played gave him what he wanted, happy he didn’t want to shoot a wad in his pants while grinding against me.
A week after Josh had shown up at the club, I still hadn’t heard from him, which was fine with me. Trevor gave me more money each time he showed up, which was nightly. Every time he asked me to do a little more – like flash him my pussy – but I was okay with it. The money, which I desperately needed, was nice. Then he flat out asked me.
“I’ll give you a grand if you come to my hotel room for the night.”
His cold, hazel eyes stared into mine. I took a deep breath, my bare breasts rising and falling.
“I'm not sure if I can tonight. My brother wants to meet with me,” I lied, wanting to distance myself from him.
“You can’t use a grand?”
“Trevor...” I said in a whiny voice.
“Two thousand,” he said.
“To sit on your lap?”
“No, we're going to need to do a little more that that.”
He winked. Suddenly, I felt like the frog tricked into a pot of boiling water, the heat gradually increased night after night.
“I can't right now, but maybe this weekend. Okay?”
His expression changed instantly. Anger flashed in his eyes.
“You realize how much money I’ve given you so far, right?”
“To sit on your lap topless and talk.”
“Don’t be naïve, girl,” he said, pushing me off his lap.
“Trevor…”
“Fuck off, whore,” he slurred.
I backed out of the room. He wandered off to the floor of the club. Instead of following him, I headed back to the dressing room. After getting my phone, I closed my locker back up and called up Josh’s contact information. I stared at his photo on the screen a moment, emotions overwhelming me. With a deep breath, I pressed send and waited for him to answer.
“Ash?” he asked the moment he picked up.
“Yeah, it’s me,” I said softly.
“What the fuck is going on? When I heard you were dancing down in New Orleans, I didn’t believe it.”
“I’m sorry, Josh. Can you come see me?”
“Right now?”
“Please? I need to talk to you.”
“About the dancing? Are you on drugs or something?”
I sighed. “Not now, okay? It’s not bad. We just need to talk. In person.”
“Text me where you’re staying.”
“Okay. I have a small apartment. It’s not much, but…”
“It’ll be fine,” he said, reassuring me.
“Talk to you soon. I have to go.”
I hung up before he could say anything. After getting dressed in my street clothes, I left through the back door, not wanting to deal with Trevor, Benji or any of the other assholes at the club. Josh hadn’t said when he would arrive, but I wanted to relax and think about what I would tell him when he showed up. How can I tell him I love him and always have loved him?
Eight
Josh
As soon as Ashley sent me a text message with her location, I went downstairs to fetch my Mercedes. After seeing her dancing topless in the club, something had opened up in my mind.
Instead of reaching out to her, I had secured some high-grade pot and thought about my situation while holed up in a hotel for the last week. Hearing from her again put a smile on my face.
While I waited on the valet to bring my car around, a man in a black trench walked up and stopped in front of me. He stared into my eyes, causing me to take a step backward. I sized him up, knowing I could take him if needed.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
“You need to let her be,” he said.
I tilted my head to the side. “Excuse me?”
“Your sister. Stay away from her, or you might find you have no access to your money.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Look, I’m just the messenger. Don’t shoot me.”
Before I could say anything else, he walked away. I watched him for a moment. When my car arrived, I got in and headed to see Ashley. The strange man slipped from my mind as I thought about seeing her again. She’s not my sister, I thought as I drove. Does that change anything? Can I fight my feelings for her any longer?
When I arrived at the sketchy apartment building, I parked and took a moment to catch my breath and check it out. Did someone really just threaten to take my money away? The thought popped up again, but I pushed it down as I got out of the car and headed across the street. Inside, it looked even worse. What a fucking dump! I have to get her out of here.
I found her door on the second floor and knocked. She opened it right away. Our eyes met briefly before she looked away, nodding her head for me to come in. I stepped through the doorway and looked around the apartment. It was clean, but obviously old and not taken care of very well. She shut the door and turned to me.
“How much you paying for this place?” I asked.
“Not a lot. I'm saving money to open a clothing store.”
“Retail is a hard business.”
“I know, Josh. I’m not like most of the women you date.”
“Hey, I didn’t come here to fight with you, okay?”
“Why did you com
e?”
“You asked me to come.”
“That’s all it takes, huh?”
“Look, I’m worried about you.”
“Whatever. I’m fine. Have a seat.”
She sat down on the edge of her mattress in the one-room efficiency apartment. I took a seat next to her. The bed squeaked as if it was about to fall apart. I shifted uncomfortably. Suddenly, she reached out her hand and placed it on my left thigh. We made eye contact again, neither of us looking away.
“I've missed you,” I said.
Without a word, she leaned forward and kissed me on the lips. After the initial shock wore off, I kissed her back, sliding my tongue into her mouth. Our hands roamed at the same time as all the sexual tension that had been building up between us came rushing out all at once. She moaned, which turned me on even more. Blood rushed to my cock. I pulled back.
“This isn't right,” I said, standing up.
“Why not? We both want it.”
“I know, but...”
“But what?”
She stood up and put her arms around me. Her body pressed against mine.
“Look, I don't know how to put this, but I told mom and dad about what you found out.”
“You mean Mr. and Mrs. Knight.”
“Stop, Ash. I don't want to fight with you about this.”
“Good. Let me suck your cock.”
“What?” I stepped back. “Stop talking like that.”
“I'm not some whore.”
“I know. It's just...”
“What, Joshie?”
“They're going to take my money if I'm even talking to you let alone get into a relationship with you.”
She shook her head back and forth, frowning. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Are you going to be okay? You should quit dancing. It’s not safe.”
“Typical Josh,” she snorted.
“I only came so I could check on you.”
“I don't need you to fucking check on me. I'm doing fine,” she screamed.
I opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. “I'm going now. Bye.”
As I walked back outside to my Mercedes, all I could think about was her saying she wanted to suck my cock. Just the words coming from her mouth turned me on. With the mysterious stranger telling me to back off, I’d taken a risk just coming to visit her briefly. I couldn’t take a chance someone saw me staying at her place overnight.
Back in my car, I headed toward the nearest bar. I needed a drink. Badly. My thoughts turned to Ashley almost immediately. Her hair. Those breasts I’d never seen before but yearned for. Drinking wasn’t the smartest idea, but I could call a cab If I got too wasted. I had to do something to get her out of my mind. Liquor would help numb my brain.
Nine
Ashley
When I left my apartment for work, I looked for Josh. His fancy car was nowhere in sight, so I walked the few blocks to the Galleon Gentleman's Club. Once I arrived, I went in the back entrance in my street clothes. As soon as I was in the building, I could feel the bass. The place also had a smell, a combination of odors and aromas of the type that appeared in nightmares.
In the dressing room, I realized something was up. None of the other dancers gave me shit or talked to me directly, but I heard them laughing and saw them pointing. I tried to push them and Josh out of my mind so that I could concentrate on making some money. My life wasn't the greatest, but after another few months, I'd have enough to open my first clothing store.
Despite what Josh thought of me, I wasn't an idiot. I had found one that was already selling well. The owner, who had paid me for a few too many dances, was getting a divorce and declaring bankruptcy. If I timed everything just right, I'd be able to buy it at a steal and stop dancing. The goal felt very achievable, even without the help of my adoptive parents or Josh.
After I had on my cheerleader outfit, I went to the bar to get a drink. Most of the time I tried to stay sober so that I could make more money, but I really wanted to relax and forget myself. Two shots of tequila and half a Valium would give me the state of mind I needed to get through the night. I didn't want to fight anymore. My destiny was my own.
The night went by rather quickly, but I brought in more than five hundred dollars, even after Benji took his cut. While not the most money I'd ever made, for the mood I was in it wasn't a bad haul. When the last customer left the club, I went back to the dressing room with all the other dancers. They were still acting odd, but I brushed it off.
Most of the others stayed topless even when we were away from our customers, but I always got dressed as soon as possible. I didn't like to think I was better than the other women, but I was in more ways than one. This particular night, I lost track of time as I took off my makeup and tried to relax. Before I knew it, all the other dancers were gone.
Benji poked his head in. “I want to see you in my office.”
“Okay. Why?”
“You'll find out.”
He smiled and winked in a way that made my stomach queasy, but I forced a smile. As my boss, I had to make sure I was on good terms with him. Had a customer complained? Was another dancer talking shit about me again? As I grabbed my purse and headed down the narrow puke green hall toward his office, I was sure it was that bitch Becky.
“What's up?” I said, poking my head into his office as I leaned in the doorway.
“Come in. Close the door. Have a seat.”
I felt uneasy in that moment, but I took a deep breath and told myself I was being paranoid. Benji would never try anything with me because he knew I would quit and he'd stop making a shit ton of money. He had a lot of other girls, but we both knew I was special.
I closed the door and sat down on the plain folding chair in front of his cold, metal desk. A laptop faced him. He looked up from the screen and smiled at me.
“How you doing, Ashley? You're looking fine.”
“I'm doing fine,” I said, slowly, trying to figure out what he was really saying.
“You looking good too. We need to talk. You've been here a while, and you haven't paid your dues yet.”
“Do you know how many pervy old fucks have shot their load on me in the last week alone?” I asked.
“Settle down. Don't get so excited. I think you know what I'm talking about. You want to become a diamond level entertainer, don't you?”
“No, Benji, I don't. I know what it takes, and that’s not for me.”
He leaned forward, his elbows on the desk, and smiled, the gold front tooth seeming so out of place in his mouth.
“You need to pass your special examination with me and you'll get an extra one percent every night.”
“You're kidding right?” I snorted.
He shook his head back and forth.
“No, I'm not.”
“You said you weren't going to pressure me. That the diamond club is voluntary.”
“It is, it is, but I'm saying it's about time you decided to take it to the next level. You can make more money.”
“I can make more money if I head out on my own...”
“Doing porn or turning tricks?” He laughed.
“No, I meant dancing at better clubs.”
His face changed almost instantly. “Listen, bitch. This is how it's going to go down...”
He stood and pointed a finger at me, wagging it up and down. “You’re a no good whore, and you need to be taught a lesson.”
I got to my feet and backed toward the door. Before I could get there, he reached out and grabbed my arm. I struggled to pull away, but he tightened his grip.
“What the fuck?” I yelled. “Stop!”
A wicked smile spread across his greasy, pockmarked face. “Stop? We’re just getting started.”
Ten
Josh
As I watched the men coming and going from the strip club in my car across the street, I kept thinking that the cops were going to show up and give me trouble. She’s going to end up ruining my life, I th
ought as I waited for Ashley in the parking lot. I had to make her understand I was close to making enough money to support myself for the rest of my life.
Three in the morning, when the club closed, eventually rolled around. Most of the cars in the parking lot had left as I got out of mine. I took a deep breath while walking to the front entrance. Ever since we were children, Ash and I could sense when the other was in trouble, and my gut ached – not a good sign.
When I walked in the club, the hefty guy who had thrown me out before smiled as he lumbered toward me. I reached back and hit him with a strong right without a second thought. He fell to the floor as I turned and headed for the stage. He shouted at me, but I kept going. I made it to the back of the club and headed down a dark hallway.
I passed three open doors, all of the rooms empty. At the end of the hall, I came to a closed one. I turned the handle. Fucking locked, I thought as I stepped back. Here goes nothing. I charged toward the door, slamming into it with my shoulder. The flimsy frame burst and the door swung open. Inside, a fat, balding man with his hand around Ashley turned to me.
“What the fuck?” he asked.
“I could ask the same thing,” I said, walking in. “Ashley, let’s go.” I held out my hand.
She tried to move to me, but he held her tighter, stopping her.
“Dude, I don't know who you think you are, but security is going to be here any minute now, and they're going to fuck your shit up. You know that, right?”
I pulled out a stack of hundred dollar bills and tossed it on the desk without looking down or wincing at all. Twenty grand meant absolutely nothing to me, and it showed. The expression on the guy's face changed instantly. A moment later, the gorilla-sized bouncer barged in and put his hand on my shoulder. I spun around, ready to hit him if necessary.
“Hold on,” the club owner said. “Leave him be. They were just leaving. He bought her freedom.”
Ash was still in shock herself when I grabbed her hand and led her out of the office and back down the hallway toward the front of the club. The image of her going down the same hallway on a nightly basis and stripping on the stage crossed my mind, but I found myself rationalizing her behavior.
CUZ: Billionaire Stepbrother Romance Page 4