Hello to everyone! This is my new story Please be nice I'm a non English speaker and it s 3 am so be gentle. Feedback is always welcomed and enjoy!
Zoe applied the red lipstick trying not to mess up the edges of her mouth. She never liked makeup and was always horrible at applying it but necessity knows no law. She started working at the strip club eight months ago not sure if she was going to make it or not. But she needed the money so she had to make it no matter what. She wasn't dancing of course or escorting, she was simply serving the drinks and sometimes bar tendering. The latter was usually when Christopher was too drunk to find the bottle of tequila to make the shots.
She took off her purple bra and put it in her handbag, taking out the black corset bra provided from the club and tried squeezing those B cups in there. Not a big problem actually. She took off her pair of jeans and began putting on her black stay ups tights gulping. She could hear the bass sound of muffled club music behind the closed doors of the restroom. She sighed heavily and frowned as she buttoned her black leather mini skirt and put on her heels. Another night of unwelcomed ass grabbing and tit squeezing followed by hard slaps and spilled drinks taken off her pay. Because never mind the gorgeous women dancing on a pole in front of those men's eyes, leaving very few to the imagination, let's make a move on the waitress.
She winced as she let her ponytail loose, letting her dark brown hair fall down past her shoulders to her waist. She ran her fingers through it and stared at her reflection in the mirror blankly. Her eyes glistened under the dim lighting of the restroom, making the brown color of her iris transform into black pools of ebony. She averted her gaze from the mirror gulping down the lump in her throat and packed the last of her things in the handbag closing it. She took a deep breath and pushed the bathroom door open, starting her shift.
It was only eleven o'clock and they were still setting the tables. There was nobody in the club and Zoe with the other girls were still preparing for the opening. She was already finished with the chairs and was about to place the ashtrays on the tables when the music was suddenly turned down and an unusual calmness fell in the club.
"Hey! Gather 'round everybody!" Garry shouted "Hey Pablo turn it off man!" he yelled again signaling to the DJ.
"Yo gather round" he said again as the employees approached the stage. Garry sat down on the edge of the platform waiting for everyone to come close.
"Girls hurry up" he shouted backstage as half-naked girls with incomplete makeup emerged from the curtains.
"So uh, as you know, the boss was found dead yesterday evening in here with half his face missing sort of you know sliced up and shit. So uh, according to the 'rules' of the Narrows the club now belongs to his opponent, so uh the Joker" he said as people started murmuring uncomfortably.
"What the hell? Did you know Gambol was dead?" Rachel whispered to Zoe. She just shrugged still holding the ashtrays in her arms.
"So I have orders to warn everyone to honor the law of the Narrows and not let any cops find out about the club. We all know that no cops come down here anyway but I.. I don't know you guys they just said that if anyone talks we're all dead. So just keep your fucking mouths shut" he said confused.
"So what he's gonna come in here?" one of the girls asked placing a hand on her hip.
"I don't know Crystal baby you just do you and not concern yourself with that. Just wanted to give you guys a heads up. So back to work" he nodded to the DJ to turn on the music again as he jumped off the stage. Many of the strippers, who were more familiar with him, approached him and began bombarding him with questions.
"Wait so what we just get on with serving? And what if he comes?" Rachel asked Zoe as they finally began placing the ashtrays.
"I guess we just serve him like everybody else" Zoe shrugged. She gazed around the room trying to find the empty table as she was holding one extra ashtray. She then looked at the tables Rachel prepared, finding the missing one. She rolled her eyes sighing.
"You know it doesn't change anything relax. Hey are you gonna be like this all night? Because I seriously can't afford serving the station myself" she said holding up a warning hand.
"Jeez sorry bitch relax. It's just you know… it's the Joker" Rachel said.
"I thought you were hard core. Aren't you bred in the Narrows Rach?" she raised her eyebrow smiling slightly as they walked towards the bar.
"Fuck you bitch" she said punching her lightly on the shoulder smiling "Are you calling me a pussy?" she said placing her hand on her waist as her golden hair fell to one side.
"I don't know are you one?" Zoe snickered lightly. "I'm just saying maybe you should trade places with the receptionist down at Wayne's enterprises. Just maybe" she laughed.
" Say another word I'm gonna punch you on the tits I swear" Rachel smiled trying to contain her laughter.
"You girls ready? We have people coming in" Christopher said leaning over the bar cleaning up a glass.
Zoe turned towards the entrance, seeing the usual company of business men coming in. they were quickly greeted warmly by Jasmine, one of the entertainers.
"Oh, it's that Italian guy again" Rachel said resting her back on the bar.
"Yeah" Zoe grimaced.
"I fucking hate that guy… please don't sit there please don't sit there" Rachel said flatly as she saw the group approaching their station. It was a big couch far to the right slightly away from any other table, with white and gold sheets hanging from the ceiling. The Italian was sitting there only when he was going to talk business.
"Ah shit" she said grabbing her notepad heading towards the table.
Zoe grabbed her own notepad forcing a smile on her face as she approached the two men that sat on a table in front of her.
They were two hours into service and the place was packed. The big numbers were coming up any minute and the orders were coming in crazy.
"Two Whiskeys two ice" Zoe shouted to Christopher throwing her tray on the bar furious. Five ass grabbings already and she still hadn't beaten anyone up.
"Here" said Christopher placing a shot in front of her. She threw it back as he placed the whiskeys on her tray.
"Thanks I needed that" she said carrying the drinks to the table.
"And noooow, please give a big welcome to the astonishing, the tremendous, the one and only Crystaaaaaaaal" she heard Paolo shouting in the microphone immediately followed by loud cheering and whistling. Finally maybe she would get some peace and quiet as those men would take out all their energy on Crystal.
She was trying to make her way back to the bar as another order was placed when she felt a firm grasp on t her arm.
"Zoe he's here! He's here!" Rachel said panicked "And he sat down with the Italian"
"What?" Zoe said as she had difficulty hearing her through all the whistling.
"He's here" Rachel shouted again through the music.
"What?" Zoe repeated.
Rachel grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around. There, on the couch, amongst the half drunken men of the Italian and his guards was him. He wore a purple coat and he his makeup was on, just as she saw him in the news. All around him, nothing stopped, although you could see people turning discretely behind them, trying to get a glimpse of him as he talked with the Italian.
"Did you get an order?" Zoe shouted at her as Crystal's show went on.
"What!? No!" Rachel replied annoyed "That's all you have to say?"
"What do you want me to say? Are you gonna go or are you gonna keep him waiting?" she frowned.
Rachel opened her mouth but no sound came out.
"UUUUUgh" Zoe said "Three Vodkas on table seven "she said telling her the order she was about to deliver and began making her way to the table. She saw his eyes stabbing her as she approached and she couldn't help but look away.
"Heeeey where is Silk?" one of the men shouted at her. Zoe contained herself from rolling her eyes at the name Rachel had chosen. She moved to the other side of the table towards him and leaned forward so that she could hear him.
"Can I get you anything?" she said looking at the Joker. From the corner of her eyes she could see the Italian staring at her with that look he gave her every single Saturday night.
"Uh… Vodka Martini no ice toots" he said in her ear.
No ice? She thought to herself. She nodded and moved to her right getting the order from two of his goons both of them refusing.
I guess he wants them sober. Smart man. She thought making her way to the bar.
"Attractive is she not?" the Italian said to him not taking his eyes from her back. The Joker licked the corner of his mouth, taking his eyes off the girl's ass.
"So uh, I get you Lau, and we split the money" he said to the Italian leaning casually on the chair. He glimpsed at the stage as the woman lifted her body upwards on the pole.
"Yes. How soon?" the Italian said signaling to a girl.
"Atatatatata" the Joker raised his finger "No rushing. No planning just doing"
"And uh, what about the club? I mean it's yours now if you don't want it-"
"Nonono, I'll keep it" the Joker said as he stared at the girl approaching the table and sitting on the Italian's lap.
"Pearl baby why haven't you come earlier? " he smiled at the girl, grabbing her waist. He licked his lips as he glimpsed down her boobs. The girl giggled uncomfortably, obviously scared at the Joker's presence. He couldn't help but smile at himself, making her even more uncomfortable. They were all paying attention to the stage not giving a crap about the Italian or the hooker on his lap.
One hell of a guard team he thought to himself.
"Vodka Martini no ice" he heard a voice behind him as the girl brought him his drink. He looked up at her as she left his drink casually on the table.
"Anything else?" she looked down at him.
"What's your name toots?" he said to her as the Italian was too busy grabbing Pearl's boobs.
"It's Destiny" she said to him. Still nothing. There was something off about her.
"Destiny" he repeated nodding his head mockingly "Uh, so uh, Destiny a word of advice? The next time you choose your stripper name, don't make it so obviously fake"
She raised her eyebrow slightly annoyed "Thanks for the advice but I don't think about doing it twice"
He snickered then amusement rising in his eyes as he immediately picked up on her irritation. "And what would you do twice?"
"Ask you if there is anything else you want" she smiled politely at him, but no delight showed up in her stare.
"Now now don't be feisty" he said taking a sip from his drink "Why don't you sit" he said indicating his leg "we might as well have a lot to talk about"
"God how can I turn this down" she said sarcastically "But uh, I'm actually working right now? So why don't you talk to one of those girls" she said signaling to the escorts.
And then he got it. She wasn't scared of him. That was what was off. He didn't know why or how this girl came to be but she didn't give a crap who he was. She seemed very comfortable with letting him know how she felt about his presence, which was nothing. He wasn't sure about how he felt about that since she was one of his employees but for now it was amusing.
And therefore acceptable.
"Station is only a matter of perspective. Not doing the job doesn't mean you cannot do the job. Don't think you're any different than any of those girls" he said ironically emphasizing her slightly racist remark.
"You don't know me" she smiled humorlessly.
"Oh but I do" he said to her laughing "You think you have it all figured out. You wake up every day telling yourself you made it on your own. That you are your own person and you depend on no one" he said as he watched her ironic smile disappear from her face "Until you wake up one morning and find out how fucked up your life is, so you take the gun the put it in your mouth pulling the fucking trigger"
Zoe just stared at him dumbfounded.
"Although" he said crooking his head to the right staring at her from head to toe "I would say you 're more of a pills kind of girl"
Zoe reached down and slapped him across the cheek. It was a good, hard slap snapping his head to the side. She didn't think before doing it, and afterwards she could scarcely believe what she had done. One of the Joker's goons stepped forward before he raised his hand signaling for him to stop. Everyone at the table was now staring. The girl got up from the Italian's lap and his drunken men seemed as if they were not sure if that had happened. The Joker looked up at her smiling demonically before she turned around leaving the table.
"Boss" Bozo said taking out his handgun.
"Let her be Bozo. We don't want going off killing our new employees now do we?"
He stared at the girl as she made her way to the bar, still seeming quite upset.
True emotion. How refreshing. He told himself as he took another sip from his drink diverting his gaze to the stage.
How did you guys find the chapter? Please review and let me know!
Until next time,
keep it creepy x