Desperate, but Not Hopeless

It’s a big night down at the bar, Millie rushes through the back doors, drops her bag by the staff room door and immediately goes to the bar.

MILLIE: Sorry I’m late. I had a-

DEREK: Save it Millie, I don’t need you out here tonight-

MILLIE: What?

DEREK: Smiling widely.Cindy can’t work and we don’t have a replacement. Her costume should fit you though.

MILLIE: Looking confused. What?

DEREK: With his back to Millie, he continues to thrust drinks at waiting customers. I need to you to take her place on stage.

MILLIE: Shaking her head That’s not my job.

Holding her hands up, she backs away from Derek.

DEREK: Pulling another pint, he looks back over his shoulder at Millie. I’ll pay you double time.

MILLIE: I don’t care what you pay me; I’m not walking on stage half naked, parading myself like some slut!

DEREK: It’s one night Mille; I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate.

MILLIE: Biting her lip, she looks away from Derek’s gaze, ignoring the howling of customers shouting their orders. Derek-

DEREK: Triple time, but that’s my final offer.

He looks at her with pleading eyes before pulling out another glass from under the bar and filling it.

I came here to work my usual bar shift, not to dance some sleazy dance in hopes to earn tips.

MILLIE: Sighing, Fine.

DEREK: Right your costumes in the back, all you have to do is a little dance around the poll, and try not to be too shy Millie.

MILLIE: But I’ve never-

DEREK: Taking some money from a customer, ringing it through the cash register.You better get ready, you’re on in twenty.

Millie storms off into the back where all the other girls “pretty-fly” themselves, but not before sticking her middle finger up at Derek behind his back.

How did I ever get into this mess? Working three round the clock jobs to pay for my share of things. Sometimes it just seems too much effort and not enough in return.

She walks over to the small table with a lit up mirror, Millie scrawled across on a piece of paper stuck on it, Millie reluctantly makes her way over to the space, sitting down on the chair provided.

MILLIE: Mumbling to her self as she takes in her reflection. This is fucking ridiculous.

Millie looks over at the “costume” hanging on the clothes rail beside her. Scrunching her nose up in disgust, she takes the hanger and examines the clothes more closely.

It could be worse

Millie glides her hand over the two-piece set, black and red laced booty shorts and a matching bra.

Could have been a thong and no top at all, or nipple tassels.

One of the regulars who have worked in the club before many times, known as Claire, walks up to Millie, a smile gracing her porcelain features.

CLAIRE: Millie right? Derek sent me here to do your makeup and make sure you’re ready.

I’ve worked here for how long? And she only just remembers my name?

MILLIE: With a fake smile. Yeah that’s me.

CLAIRE: Okay great. Clapping her hands together. You go and get changed, and I’ll be ready with your makeup.

MILLIE: Nodding her head, she stands up, grabbing the two-piece in her hands. Okay.

Why did I agree to this again? I don’t even know how to do “a little dance” never mind keeping the crowd entertained.

Millie walks through to the changing area. Shrugging her jacket off and pulling her top over her head, she begins to undress.

Millie steps out of the changing area moments later, pulling her shorts down slightly as she tries to cover more of her thighs without pulling them to far down. She fumbles around with red and black-laced bra, trying to make it a little more comfortable, having no luck she starts walking back to her station.

CLAIRE: Beaming at Millie.Finally! I thought you would have to go out on stage naked at the pace you were going.

She giggles. She points out the chair to Millie, gesturing for her to sit down.

MILLIE: Sorry, this isn’t exactly my usual…attire.

Gulping nervously she sits down on the seat, pulling at her shorts again that barely cover her ass.

CLAIRE: Waving her hand dismissively. Oh you’ll get used to it hunny! Before you know it you’ll be strutting around on stage, having everyone eating out of you hand. You’ll love being the centre of attention.

MILLIE: No, no! This is a one-time thing that I stupidly agreed to do.

Claire grabs a brush off the side, she begins to stroke it through Millie’s hair, a small frown appearing on her face that Millie manages to notice, thankfully through the mirror.

CLAIRE: Oh right, well you might have fun out there.

Her voice chirps up slightly, the frown she held moments before pushed aside with a new happy beaming smiling replacing it.

MILLIE: Mumbling to herself. I doubt it.

CLAIRE: What?

MILLIE: Fake smiling. Nothing.

Claire nods her head and dismisses the matter. Putting down the brush she looks at Millie through the mirror, thinking of possible makeup colour’s before she covers Millie’s face. Millie sits with a blank stare on her face.

The set only barely lasts twenty minuets or so anyway, it’s not like anyone will recognize me, none of my friends step towards that side of the bar, so if any of them happened to walk in, it’s not like they’d see me. Why was I doing this? Could I not manage a simple “No Derek”? Not to mentions this is possibly going to be a later night than normal, hell when I do manage to get to some sleep my mind will probably be a withering wreck after this, and before I know its time for job number three.

Triple pay does sound good though, the thought of not having to work so many shifts in a week was inviting, but then again, I could work the same amount and buy my car back.

CLAIRE: Standing back from Millie with a satisfied smile on her face. There! You’re ready for them honey!

MILLIE: Looking back at Claire through the mirror, then focusing back to her reflection, her eyes grow the size of dinner plates. She mumbles awkwardly. Thanks.

Millie’s hair is twisted in light curls, hanging loosely on her shoulders. Her makeup is slightly heavy, consisting of red, black and grey eye shadow, thickly rimmed black eyeliner and blood red coloured lipstick to match her attire.

CLAIRE: No problem, you look ready to kill.

She grins, running her fingers quickly through Millie’s hair.

Millie smiles weakly. Looking back into the distance she sees Derek walking towards them, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips, as he looks Millie up and down. Millie rolls her eyes at the gesture, not being comfortable with the looks she’s receiving.

Triple pay is one thing, parading myself like this and having creeps like him staring me up and down is another.

DEREK: Wow, I hardly recognized you Millie, maybe having you working behind the bar is the wrong place.

MILLIE: Crossing her arms over her chest, trying to cover more of her body. I’ve changed my mind-

DEREK: Woah! You can’t change your mind now! You’re due on in a few minutes, besides we wouldn’t want all of Claire’s hard work going to waste.

Claire smiles at Derek and Millie before walking away to her own station. Derek sees the discomfort that Millie is showing and smiles a small sympathetic smile.

DEREK: It’s just this one night Millie, I know how much you hate this stuff, but you’d be doing me a real favour.

MILLIE: I don’t even know what I’m suppose to do out there Derek.

DEREK: He smiles. Just a small dance around the poll, think of it as a playground game or something. It’s not as difficult as you think, just tame the stage as yours. Besides with the way you look right now, I don’t think the audience will care much to your performance.

MILLIE: Smiling at his words. Just this once?

DEREK: Nodding his head. Just the once, I won’t ask again, promise.

MILLIE: Okay, but what am I suppose to wear on my feet? You don’t expect me to go out there barefoot do you?

DEREK: Oh yeah!

He runs off into another room on the side, leaving Millie slightly confused. Seconds later he returns, shoes in hand.

MILLIE: Gasps. Are you crazy? I can’t walk in those!

DEREK: You’ll be fine Millie! Now hurry up and strap them on, you’re due on stage!

Derek thrusts the black and red strappy platform heels into Millie’s hands, then making his way to the side of the stage.

Millie walks out on stage few minutes later, the spotlights shining down on her body as the club lights dim, casting the audience immediately to her figure. Erotic dance music begins to play in the background, taking over the stage. Millie slowly walks up to the silver poll, reaching high from the ceiling to the bottom of the stage; she grasps it with her right hand. Gulping slightly as she looks around at the audience, seeing all eyes on her she slowly begins to loosen and moves her hips in beat with the music. She walks around the poll, stepping one foot in front of the other seductively; she looses more with the music, and smirking slightly at the approving glances she receives from the audience.

Half an hour later, Millie is back into her original clothes, bag over her shoulder, she walks back through to the bar, looking for Derek.

DEREK: You were pretty amazing our there tonight, you shocked not only me but the usual dancers as well, are you sure you wouldn’t like to partake in a future of dancing?

Derek shouts over the loud music that is coming from the stage areas where yet another dancer walks out.

MILLIE: This was a one off Derek.

DEREK: Yeah, yeah. I’ll write it up in the books for your pay on Friday, now get off home.

MILLIE: Grinning at the fact Derek has let her leave early. Thanks for letting me have the rest of the night off. I’ll see you soon.

Millie walks out through the bar, towards the back entrance of the club. Wrapping her arms around her waist she walks on the sidewalk flagging down the first cab she sees. The cab stops beside her.

CABBIE: As Millie opens the door. Hello princess. Where would you like me to take you tonight? Grinning. Back to my place? He wiggles his eyebrows.

MILLIE: Turning her nose up at the Cabbie, she steps back out and slams the door shut. How about you go back to your place, jack off on your own while you think about, what a lonely, pathetic old creep you are?

The Cabbie shouts something back in return, but Millie fails to hear what he says, due to her tuning him out and him driving away. She walks along the sidewalk again and flags down another Cab. As the cab stops a few feet in front of her she rushes up towards it, seeing another man in the distance doing the same.

MILLIE: This is mine-

SHIA: This is mine-

Shia and Millie look at each other quickly.

SHIA: We can share?

The cabbie rolls down the window of the cab and looks at both Millie and Shia.

CABBIE: You guys want to hurry it up? I only have time for one more stop before my shift is over.

SHIA: Already deciding that they are going to share. Yeah, we are going to share, you can drop is both along the way.

CABBIE: Shaking his head. No can do, one stop, and if you don’t get in the car in less than a minute you won’t have that.

SHIA: Muttering to himself he turns back to Millie. Stay at mine?

MILLIE: Her eyes open wide at his suggestion. No I’ll just wait for another cab.

SHIA: This is probably the last one for a few hours now.

CABBIE: Speaking up from the car he catches Shia and Millie’s attention. Correction, is the last one for a few hours. Time’s ticking.-

MILLIE: Well my house is closer, you can walk!

SHIA: I have an early start-

MILLIE: And I don’t?!

CABBIE: Tick, tock!

MILLIE: Shakes her head. I’ll get my friend to pick me-

SHIA: Cutting her off mid sentence. Just stay at mine tonight, I have a guest bedroom. You yourself said you only live three blocks away. I can have you dropped off in the morning.

Millie looks at Shia, then the cab, then back down the deserted street ahead of them.

SHIA: Laughing slightly, he rubs the back of his neck. It’s not as if I’m a total stranger.

I guess I don’t exactly have another option.

SHIA: Come on, it’s the least I can do, with making you late for work.

MILLIE: Okay.

Shia smiles at Millie, opens the back door of the cab and gestures for Millie to go in first. Millie clutches her bag tighter over her shoulder, returning the smile to Shia and nodding her head in thanks she steps inside the cab and scoots over to the far side, making room for Shia.

SHIA: Closing the door behind him. So I didn’t think you actually worked the stage.

He smirks at Millie.

MILLIE: Looking slightly confused she looks back at Shia, seeing the smirk written all over his face she suddenly realizes what his statement means. Oh, I…um. I never usually work, in that…department. Someone dropped out, I did it as a favour for the manager. You saw it?

SHIA: Nodding his head. So that’s the first time you’ve done that?

MILLIE: Well like I said, it’s not a habit, and I’ll get a ride home when we get to yours.

SHIA: No you can stay.

MILLIE: I don’t want to.

SHIA: But-

MILLIE: How dare you sit there and judge me-

SHIA: I’m-

The cabbie keeps looking in the review mirror at his bickering passengers.

MILLIE: You have no idea what I have to do to keep my head afloat, and you have the nerve to look and judge me as some slag that strips?

SHIA: I never said-

MILLIE: But you thought it! Don’t you judge me!

SHIA: Millie, I’ve not judged you.

MILLIE: Good! Because you have no right.

SHIA: I haven’t.

MILLIE: Well don’t.

SHIA: And for the record, for a first timer I thought you were pretty amazing.

MILLIE: Blushing slightly, she turns away.You make a habit of coming down to these type of bars?

SHIA: Shrugging. Not often.

The cabbie asks Shia the directions to his house, leaving Millie to stare absentmindedly out of the window at the passing scenery. Mere minutes later they pull up to Shia’s apartment building. Shia thanks the Cabbie and tosses him some money. Shia climbs out the car, grabbing Millie’s hand on the way, helping her out too.