Ashley's Angels
Prologue
Ashley was never very good at hiding her feelings. So when she decided that she didn't like Marcus Gold everyone else knew she didn't like Marcus Gold, including the lawyer himself.
"I'm sorry. I'm just not interested in selling right now. Tell Jack it's nothing personal that's just the way it is," she said flipping over a chair and placing it on the ground then proceeding to the next chair.
"Is there anything Mr. Thomas can do to make you interested? It's already a very nice offer Ms. Davies," the lawyer prodded further.
"Look Mr. Gold this place is my life and I'm not just gonna give it up because some big shot decided he's gonna build a strip mall," Ashley finished. "And you can tell him that to," she added as an afterthought. Then turned her back to Marcus, ending the conversation. She heard him sigh, walk away, and close the door behind him.
"You are too nice to that man. If it were me I would have just told him to fuck off," Ashley's bartender stated smartly.
"Jesus I just wish he'd just leave me alone," the brunette sighed taking a seat. "Do me a favor Mel and open up? We're ready."
"No problem."
Ashley headed to the back to talk to her girls before the night began just like she did every night, except Sundays, Ashley's Angels Strip Club wasn't open on Sundays, for holy reasons of course. Respecting God and all that good stuff. It was then that she noticed the crowd of picket signs outside one of her decorated windows. "Shit. It's those Catholic freaks again."
She pulled down the shades to block out the signs that read "strippers are sinners", "whores go to hell" and other things that her girls really didn't need to see. She wouldn't mind the protesters to much if they didn't mess with business. How are good husbands supposed to sneak away from their wives without feeling guilty with those sons-a-bitches crowding her front door step?
"Alright my ladies are you girls ready and everything? Are there any problems?" Ashley asked kindly back stage. There was some general nodding and a few smiles signaling that everything was fine. At least one thing was going right.
"Uhm… Actually…" Spoke to soon.
"What's up Charlie?" Ashley asked a short blonde, one of the first girls she had hired.
"Well we've all noticed something wrong with Jaimie. She hasn't actually said anything but I'm pretty sure we're all worried about her and I thought someone should say something." Ashley looked around noticing that Jaimie wasn't there.
"No worries love. I'll talk to her. Is she in the dressing room?" Charlie nodded. "Okay, the rest of you it's places."
The girls scattered, Ashley approached the dressing room door and knocked on it softly, "Hey Jaimie it's Ashley can we talk for a sec?" There was a few stifled sobs and a bit of shuffling around before Ashley heard the small "yeah" inviting her inside. She opened the door, closing it quietly behind her, and then joined the small raven haired girl sitting on one of the plush couches inside the brightly lit dressing room.
"How's everything going?" No response. Ashley tried another approach. "Hey you know you can talk to me about anything and if you need anything never hesitate to ask you're one of my Angels I'd do anything for you especially if it involves Calix," she said kindly, placing her hand soothingly on Jaimie's back. Smoothly bringing up Jaimie's eight year old son knowing very well that he was the cause of the young girl's worries.
"He doesn't have clothes for school. He doesn't have clothes for school because I spent the last of our money on this week's groceries, and once those are gone I don't know what I'm going to do," Jaimie finally admitted her head hanging low a tissue squeezed tightly in her right hand.
"Done. Clothes for Jaimie. Food in the fridge. It's no problem, I'll take care of it," Ashley removed the dirty tissue and held onto the girls hand securely to prove that she meant it. She felt Jaimie relax and watched her nod, relieved. "Now get on that stage and have a good performance okay?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Go."
Ashley watched Jaimie leave her mind working furiously to find some extra money somewhere in order to take care of Calix who she loved like a nephew. Oh well she would worry about it later right now it was time to check out the crowds.
Out in the main room things were running well. The place was packed for the first time in a couple weeks, enough to put a smile on Ashley's face. She headed over to the bar to find out how much they'd made tonight no longer worried about where the money for Jaimie would come from. It was then that she noticed a shy girl standing in the corner of her club looking very lost and out of place. Probably a wife looking for her wandering husband, Ashley headed over there preparing herself for a nasty conversation. When she got there however she was stunned at how beautiful the girl actually was. She was taller than Ashley with shoulder length blonde hair and even in the flashing lights of the club you could see that she had dazzling, piercing blue eyes. She was the complete opposite of the normal wives who found themselves in Ashley's Angels, sharp and angular. If she was a wife Ashley couldn't fathom why a husband would want to leave her.
"Hi," Ashley said cautiously, "Can I help you?"
The girl didn't seem to hear her at first as she continued to stare awestruck at the half naked dancers flaunting themselves on the expansive runway stage in the center of the club.
"Okay look," Ashley sighed, "you just point out which one he is and we'll get him out of here and take care of this nice and quietly. No need for a scene or anything, we're sorry for the situation, but the actions of people's spouses are not reflected on this establishment or its employees."
Still no feedback from the blonde.
"Hello?" Ashley snapped her fingers, beginning to get impatient. Finally the girl turned to look at her.
"Actually I was looking for a job."
