“I can’t wait to do, like, ten things at once,” Kandace said.
April slid across the seat. “Casinos, gambling, shows, and rich men to exploit. I’m feeling overwhelmed in all the right ways.”
Kandace stuck her head out the window. Lights and signs flashed at her from all sides—it was like driving through a carnival. She screamed at no one in particular and some pedestrians joined in like old friends.
She lost her train of thought when they pulled up to the Mandalay Bay hotel. The tall, golden, magnificent building was worshiped by swaying palm trees and showered in light.
“C’mon, Small Town. It looks better from the inside,” April said, laughing.
“I’m pretty impressed just standing here, thanks,” Kandace muttered.
“Okay, well, I’m checking us in. You can find me in the lobby,” April said. “C’mon. Walk your Gucci flats on in. You look like you belong here. If anyone asks you for an autograph, just scribble on whatever they give you and smile for a photo.”
Kandace had to walk quickly to keep up with April. “I’ll remember that. Except I don’t look like anyone famous.”
“You are famous. Just haven’t been discovered yet.”
“Every girl needs an April. What can I say? Hey, so what is your name? Your real name, I mean.”
“Pocahontas.”
“Smart ass,” Kandace said. “No, seriously.”
“I used to be Deidra Ryals. But hardly anyone calls me that anymore.”
“So, does that mean I used to be Kandace Santellan?”
Can I live with that?
“Autumn suits you. It’s a beautiful and colorful season of change, new beginnings. And it’s also delicate,” April said, parking her suitcase at the check in desk.
“Oh, stop. Now you’re getting poetic on me. I’m gonna cry.”
“May I help you?” the woman behind the front desk asked.
“I’ve got a reservation,” April said, setting her phone on the counter. The woman scanned April’s phone and clacked on her keyboard. She handed over room keys and gave a short highlight of amenities around the hotel.
“We have to reserve a cabana?” Kandace asked on walking away from the desk at April’s side.
“At this place, yes. Let’s leave our stuff in the room and walk the strip,” April said.
As they set foot on the sidewalk, streetlights made shadows on the congested pavement. Enraptured by the allure of palm trees and a warm, gentle wind, Kandace quickly fell in love. Consorts and hapless people in costume. Solicitors of all kinds. Lights and people from everywhere in the world Kandace had never visited.
“This place is huge. I’ve never imagined anything like this,” Kandace said, walking down the sidewalk in a moving mob, her gaze on the casinos and hotels. “Where’s the club?”
“Maybe a mile away.”
They wandered the strip for an hour and soaked in Vegas, taking selfies near touristy landmarks and made a competition of checking out as many hotel lobbies as possible. They had a fruitless debate about which one was the most luxurious.
They played quarter slots. April proved luckier. They were carded—but the men carding them paid closer attention to their physical features than their fake IDs.
Kandace learned blackjack. Roulette. Craps, which became her favorite because she didn’t have to do much—she just copied a shooter who kept on winning.
“Are you up?” April asked, arriving at Kandace’s side.
“I think so. How’d roulette finish out?”
“I thought I’d have to sell a trick to break even,” April said and laughed more than called for. She counted Kandace’s stack. “You’ve got a grand. How much did you start with?”
“Four hundred. Not to party poop but are we working tonight?”
April checked her watched and mumbled, “It’s after nine. We should go. Vic is expecting us.”
They cashed out, and Kandace had fun stuffing money in her new leather purse. “So, what’s different about Jaguar? Is it like The Palace?”
“A little, hang on. I’ll get us an Uber. We can sit out front,” April said, walking out of the casino and sitting on the stairs. “The skinny is, what we consider busy in St. Louis, they count as average. Management is paid on salary, not a tip out from dancers. In short, you’re on your own here.”
“No scheduled dances? Managers don’t tell you where to go?”
“None of that. You’re on your own to price your services and collect money from customers and keep it yourself. You gotta sweep your tips, too. Management stays out, unless there’s a problem.”
“Dang. That’s way different.”
“Here, nearly every dick has two or three grand to blow. Good dancers figure out which ones are going all in on a stripper and which ones are holding their cash for poker.”
Kandace felt tense in foot traffic. A new city. A big and busy city. And a new club and new system to learn.
She wondered if April had any E from home with her, but she didn’t want to ask out in public. Add to that she hadn’t seen a crowd like this since her last Steelers home game, and even that felt like less. “You’ve danced here a lot?”
“Three or four times, maybe. You just have to watch your time and really sell the private rooms, VIP rooms. Way more dudes with money than dancers. Stick to your rules, and you’ll be fine.”
“Okay. What rules?”
“Don’t let them touch at all unless you’re in a private room. Most girls just tease on the floor with a dance and invite to the VIP room if they like a guy and his Rolex.”
“Whoa. Really? Dancers don’t strip at all on stage?”
“The good ones don’t. Lap dances are only twenty bucks, so you can’t make a living on them unless you dance all night. Six hundred an hour in the private rooms, plus tips. VIP rooms are eight hundred an hour, but you typically split that. And you gotta figure you’re tipping out to the DJ, the host, and the bartender. Easy two hundred a night. Plus three hundred house fees. So you’re five hundred bucks in the red every night to start. It’s not cheap to dance in Vegas.”
“Man. That’s expensive. And a lot to learn.”
“Don’t worry about learning it all. Keep your top on and get into the VIP rooms or at least a private room. You’ll do fine. I’ve watched a guy lose one hundred grand on a hand of blackjack before. I’m waiting for a guy to tip me that much.”
Kandace laughed. “Seriously? One hundred thousand dollars on a card game! A dude would want more than a dance for that tip.”
April grinned. “Yeah. I could afford a nice hotel for him. A good hard fuck is so much more meaningful than a simple thank you. You know? Beat that, Hallmark.”
“You could totally write adult thank you cards.”
“I know. My job prospects after stripping will be daunting like space exploration. Maybe you and me can travel the world promoting swimwear or shoes.”
“Yeah. My nerd friend Markus said I should do pole dancing online.”
“Ha! Bet you said no.”
“Oh, yeah. Even if I was about to, I wasn’t telling him.”
April cackled. A white Honda pulled to the curb, and the girls got in.
Jaguar purveyed a trance-like aura with refracting pink lights, mirrors on most walls on the ceiling. The central area expanded two stories with poles rising to the glass stage above. Glass stages were low on the first floor and clear glass platforms and a catwalk above.
People were rowdy, and almost no one was seated. Dancers were getting into the beat up close with customers, cash stuffed into their strings or a mid-thigh strap.
“You’re right. Totally different,” Kandace said, scoping the place out. “Any chance you brought…”
“I know what you’re thinking and hell yes I did. We willtotally need them tonight.”
“This place is kinda trippy. Seriously busy.”
“Like I said. C’mon, let’s get ready. Time is money.”
April and Kandace went bac
kstage and shared a locker. Cash was required to pay for undergarments. No clothing. Prices weren’t outrageous, but Kandace knew she had nicer attire in her suitcase. She picked out a set she liked enough and paid for them with casino winnings.
“I forgot about lingerie. My bad. You gotta bring your own or buy from the club. Makeup and hair too,” April said, while slipping into her thong. “Staff will hit you up for cash if you make special requests, so be prepared. If you hit the stage, don’t expect to be alone, so the tips are split. You gotta pay extra if you want the stage all to yourself. With how you can command the pole, it might be worth it. This place will eat up what you can do. Just tip the DJ first and tell him your music.”
“What should I do first?”
“It’s stage or stalk the floor. It’s Vegas, so some girls get into role playing—animals, comic book characters. One chick does an Axl Rose routine and lip-syncs Welcome To The Jungle.”
“Okay. I’m ready,” Kandace said. “Does my makeup look okay?”
“You look candy ass fabulous,” April said, then checked out the busy backstage area. “It’s time.” She liberated a small bottle from her purse and tapped out two pills into Kandace’s waiting hands, two for herself, then put the bottle away and stowed her bag in the locker.
“C’mon. Let’s get some stage time. Make fantasies come true,” April said.
Kandace and April passed by dozens of dancers standing around talking on the path to a silver suited manager, holding a clipboard. He nodded as though they were expected. “Perfect timing,” he said.
“Autumn, this is Curt,” April said.
Curt smiled back. “Lovely. You’re on in ten.” He was long and lean, with a fitted white shirt and black tie, silver suit, and black pocket square. He had a slight lisp and his mouth contorted when he spoke. Buzz cut hair, mostly gray.
“How’d I get so lucky?” Kandace asked.
Curt’s lip curled. “Well, well. Aren’t you a desert flower?”
“She’s fine, Curt. Both of us in ten? Sweet,” April said. She tugged at Kandace’s elbow to follow her away from Curt and the stage entryway. In seconds, dancers passed through. Four dancers going onto stages number 2 and 3 were stepping down to greet patrons. Smaller platforms and tables were spread around, dancers bent over, shaking their assets.
Kandace watched from backstage. “How much touching is allowed here?”
“They gotta ask first, but that doesn’t always happen, so you’ve got to guard yourself. That’s why lots of dancers here hardly bother with lap dances.”
“How many stages?”
“Three main. Then tons of small ones, catwalk upstairs is fun. Most private rooms are on the second floor. VIP rooms too. Remember, get paid first. Management won’t do that for you here.”
“Shit, that’s big. I hope I love this place,” Kandace said.
“Oh, you will. Give it time. You’ll be hooked. Curt, who’s the DJ tonight?”
“Rob’s on main stage. Special requests?”
“Tell him to play Rihanna. I’ll hook him up after my set,” April said.
“Don’t forget about me,” Curt said and winked.
April hugged him and wrapped her leg across his torso and rode him sideways. “I’ll show you a good time, baby.”
“I prefer money,” he said, then he spoke into his sleeve, giving instructions for their set.
Rob’s voice boomed as he announced the Jag’s special guests, Autumn and April. Roc Me Out started and the girls didn’t need an invitation to prance out on the floor.
The crowd converged; all eyes were on them after their names were announced. Kandace took to her pole and spun from one hand, making it look easy. Her legs wrapped the golden rod and she climbed, posed as she spun upside down. April worked a hook and a spin, then got on her back on the floor, exciting the crowd.
Money fluttered in shifting lights. Spectators closed in on the stage.
Kandace beamed. She felt erotic. Free. She climbed high on her pole, nearly to the second floor and spun down, holding her form, her back to the pole, stretching out her legs.
At the onset of the third song, Kandace closed the distance, willing several fit customers to touch her merchandise. A guy had two Benjamins, and she let him slide those in her top, taking far longer than necessary. Kandace had no complaints. April stood center stage, her index finger beckoned for the younger dancer’s company.
Needed Me by Rihanna started and Kandace understood in seconds that April had a surprise planned. April turned around and accepted a tiny black item from a manager, who left as quick as he had arrived.
April held out the flogger as though a trophy, and approval was unanimous. Money rained.
April’s eyebrows twitched, studying Kandace up and down while she walked around her, on a path like a planet’s orbit.
Kandace stood, timid and unsure but also curious, as the growing crowd threw money and screamed. Lights shifted to a deep pink as April tied a black blindfold over Kandace’s eyes.
She stroked Kandace’s torso subtly from behind, bit her shoulder, then stripped her bra with her mouth. Like a cat carrying feathers in her lips, April kept the garment several beats, then tossed it aside with a jerk of her head. Then she stepped back and spanked her on the ass. Kandace flinched at the first strike.
The crack at her own flesh was shocking. It didn’t hurt, though. And the crowd was so loud, how could she tell April to stop? She was curious. Would she like this?
With each swing, the audience only got louder. April’s skin, breasts, were pressed to Kandace’s, her tongue meeting her neck, then headed south, flicking her nipples.
Kandace stopped hearing the crowd. She couldn’t feel the heat from the lights. April’s every little touch set aflame every nerve ending. It drove her muscles wild even more when April nibbled at her inner thighs. Then her tongue came. And she went for home. And she didn’t let up until Kandace shook vigorously and expressed her total satisfaction; shocking at first, with immense pleasure through to the finish in the form of tingles like electricity through her feet, her legs, her back.
April removed the blindfold and the girls waved to the crowd, blowing kisses to their new fans, exiting to the backstage.
April spun around. “We gotta sweep our tips before the next group.”
“Yeah. You’re past your time,” said a tall blonde dancer, standing next to Curt, a pissy look on her face.
“Sorry, Sasha,” April said, walking past. Brooms in hand, they returned to the stage and swept their money into a large black trash bag, then hauled it backstage.
A silver suit found them and paused to marvel. “Looks like you’ve cleaned up, Miss April,” he said. The manager was maybe sixty and bald. His suit draped loose, as though he’d lost a spare fifty pounds and skipped alterations.
“Nice to see you, Vic. This here is my girl, Autumn.”
Vic nodded and blandly smiled at Kandace. “Quite a show, ladies.”
“Thank you,” Kandace said.
April carried the bag of cash tips to an available seating area, falling into a pink folding chair and opening the bag. “We gotta count all this and turn it in for a receipt. Then we can get back to work.”
Kandace sat forward on a nylon folding chair, counting singles. “Okay, so was that all a show?”
“Uh. You mean do I like eating pussy?”
“Yeah. Something like that.”
“For this much money, I’ll eat anything. Alive or dead.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“Because you’ve known me like two days and you know me better than most.” April continued counting bills as fast as her hands allowed. “If you’re into it, don’t take offense. For me, it’s all about the show and making money.”
“Just asking. It’s not that I liked it… well, I did. I really liked it, I just don’t know that I’m into… I don’t know what I’m saying.”
“When you’re counting this much money at the start of the
night, it gets real easy to have a good time.”
April and Kandace sorted bills based on denomination on an empty counter top.
Dancers whistled at April and Kandace counting cash. A throng came in and celebrated a big take, one dancer bent over to shake her ass while hovering over a pile of crinkled dollars, slapping it to make it jiggle. Chatter was incessant.
A pink haired dancer said, “Becoming millionaires, one dollar at a time, bitches!”
Four dancers hollered back, counting money. Kandace laughed, watching them.
When all the bills were counted, April said, “Two thousand, two hundred seventeen dollars,” and slapped Kandace on the ass. “That’s what I call an opening act! C’mon. Let’s move.” She led the way to the corner area where a suit used a big digital money counter to verify the amount, then printed receipts.
“Shall we romp the floor?” Kandace asked.
18
Kandace had to pass a twenty to the DJ every time she asked for her music. Another twenty every time she asked a manager to get anything for her, even a bottle of water. And Curt also, every time she asked for another set on stage number two—the most open space in the club with a clear view of all three bars.
She danced until one in the morning, then sat backstage counting money for the seventh time that night. Another seven hundred thirty-four dollars.
Her last crowd had been her smallest of the night, but she felt like she had more stamina.
April emerged from the floor, cash stuffed in her bra, string, and both thighs had money seeping from the straps. “Mind helping me?”
“Sure. Why not. My last dance was less than a grand in tips.”
“Poor baby.”
“At last, I can say I’m not that anymore.”
“Got that right. You’re on your way,” April said, counting in no hurry.
“Crowds are intense. Good night for you?”
“Maybe four grand. Did you seriously put your ass on the second floor while on the pole?”
Kandace laughed a little. “Yeah. I just hung out there a little while.”
“That’s like, eighteen feet off the stage. I’ll bet that doesn’t happen every night.”
Goodbye, Good Girl Page 16