18 and Over

"What's your name again hun,? Teresa asks pen and paper in hand.

"Luna."

"It's gonna be fourty." The phone rings. " Girls Girls Girls, how can I help you?" without acknowledging Ryder, Terasa takes the two twenties off her hands and waves her off. "No sir, our girls don't do that here. You can try the Bunny Ranch."

The room was already crowded. She hit a bachelor party of about 15 guys. She had learn those were a curse with in a blessing for multiple reasons; easy money, but only if they saw you suitable for the bachelor. Also, sitting with the right guy is crucial. If he doesn't lik you, you can't just hop onto the next lap, you're burned by the whole group. " I like his hat." Ryder spoke into one of the party-goers ear.

"Ya. It matches nicely with his shirt." The guy replied with a smile as they both starred at an over weight, drunk mess in a hooter's shirt, a top hat, and a 'bachelor' pimp cup.

"You wanna buy him a dance? They're only 20 dollars."

He did, and she did, and when the dance was over another girl hopped on his lap. Bachelor parties... She gathered her stuff, and onto the next one. As the hours passed, the place got busier. It didn't feel any different than day shift. If she just focused on her work instead of the drunk strippers at the bar, or that the room was so crowded she could barely make her way to the stage, or that Marci was here.

She wondered what the DJ was going to play for her. She didn't recognize his voice, and she had been in VIP when they called her for sound check. Music can break or make your stage.Ryder still didn't know her style. She grew up dancing hip-hop, but looked more of a metal chick. For a stripclub, however, she thought techno, that's why she was surprised when she heard a deep voice over the speakers chanting, "I'm not the one who's so far away, when I feel the snake bite enter my veins." Godsmack. She hates Godmack. She gripped the railing and as she climbed up the stairs, a grey fog released from the hole in the ceiling where the poles went. It blinds her completely. Whether she went left or right on the stage, she'd bump into a pole- hopefully not literary, so there was no losing. She walked left, dragging her feet in fear of not being able to see her next step. Her hand reached out and found the pole. The nerves drowned for a minute. Her body begun to relax. Her hips dipping to the pulsing of the slow bass. She found her back against the pole, and slid down. Her hands playing with her cheetah print bikini top. Feeling sexy. Feeling completely irresistible as she catches a glimpse of her self in the mirrored walls. Purple strobes flashing through the fog. Her heels, though sweaty, making her look like a tall goddess, floating in a storm. Her stage begun to fill.Her trance coming on stronger, until she sees them, admiring her. Frank and David stand by the entrance bluntly watching her. Her cheeks blush.

"Hey beautiful. Come find me when you get off." A middle aged man puts down a ten on the stage and walks away.

When her song is over, Ryder gathers the money off the floor. 'So awkward, 'she thinks, 'thanks for staring at my tits. I'll get on my knees, pick this up as fast as possible and do my walk of shame now.' She looks for the glasses and gotie she barely remembers from the crowded tip rail. Got him. He sits at a table near the entrance, making her too aware of her special audience members.

"Hi. What's your name?" She asks taking a seat on his lap loud enough that David and Frank go back to work.

"I'm Curtis. What's your name?"

"I'm Luna. Do you come here a lot?"

"Every now and then. I don't think I've met you before?"

"I'm new." She beams, remembering the way Britni told her to work the new angle as much as possible.

"Oh. We love new girls, huh, boys?" He asks the two other men he sits with,both accompanied by girls sway out of their league who just laughed along robotically.

"Hey babe! I didn't know you were coming tonight." Marci rolled a chair from a nearby table joining in on opposite side of Curtis.

" Ya. Last minute decision." His face scrunches into a forced smile as he replies shortly.

"Oh. Sorry. I didn't know..." Ryder mumbles. Rule number one, don't fuck with anyone's money.

"it's ok." He puts his hand on her bare thigh. "You can stay."

"Ok!" She smiled sweetly.

"Actually." Marci spoke making sure to over pronounce every word. "It's really rude for you to stay. I was here first."

Not sure when she had grown a pair, Ryder quietly yet firmly replied, "No you weren't. He called me over."

"I'm not fucking leaving." She crossed her twig arms and sank back into her chair.

"Okay.... you're making things weird..."

"Very weird." Curtis butts in.

"Fine!" She gets up and mumbles "Stupid bitch." as she passes behind Ryder.

"I'm sorry about that." Ryder begins to apologize.

"No. Don't worry about it. She's been stalking me. Thinks I'm hers only. Wanna go into VIP?"

"How's your night going? David asks in a quiet pocket of the club between the men's room ant the locker room stairs.It was routine for Ryder to make her way upstairs after every VIP and baby wipe her whole body avoiding any germs.

"Its good. "

"Marci giving you grief? " His pale blue eyes bore into hers.

"I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding. I'm going to go freshen up."

She's thrown into a battlefield as soon as she enters the dressing room. " What's your problem you fucking bitch? " Ryder had never been in a fight. She weighs out her options. Marci is about a head taller than her, but she's scrawny. She could take her. Marci was barefoot, though, and she was in 7 inch heels. She imagines her ankle snapping. "You need to learn a fucking lesson." Her long arms accordion out, pushing Ryder's body off the top stair step and right into David's arms. She feels his muscles tighten under his button up as he balances her weight. His body looming over her even with a step in between them.

"And what's that lesson going to be?" He asks her. "You ok?" She shakes yes timidly. "Hey Frank." He talks into his walkie-talkie. "I have a situation in the dressing room."