CHAPTER 1
Hi guys, it's back and I am doing a rewrite because I'm not happy with a lot of my earlier draft and since I feel like my writing skills have improved since I first started writing fic so I wanted to do a rewrite.
Bonnie Bennett was broke, flat broke. She checked her balance and saw she had forty dollars to her name. This had to last her for the next month. Then she looked at the ad considering. She couldn't possibly go through with this, could she?
Sighing, she realized she had no choice. But if she was going to go through with it, she needed a change. She glanced in the mirror. Her long black hair was straight and cut with blunt bangs. She had felt stylish when she first got it done, but now she was feeling drab. Probably the result of her own personal nightmare that spanned the past two years.
Without giving it a second thought, Bonnie grabbed her car keys already on her way to the salon. She ignored the last notices and bills from collection agencies. Hopefully, by the end of the day she would have a solution to those anyway. And she knew her cousin would let her pay for her hair when her paycheck came.
Half an hour later and Bonnie was sitting in the chair at the hair salon. She was doing some mental calculation and tallying the bills as she let the hair dye work. She was struggling with justifying the several hundred dollars this makeover would take out of her next paycheck, but it would be worth it. If she wanted to get this job then she would need something to give her an edge. Otherwise, why would she get it? She wasn't beautiful like Elena or eye-catching like Caroline.
Bonnie used her phone to look over her bills once more.
Mortgage payments, were six months behind.
Power and utilities.
Other loans taken out by her Grams and father over the years.
And an endless number of medical bills she still hadn't paid off.
Then she did some calculations regarding school tuition. She would have to sell her grandmother's house. There was no other option. Blinking back tears, she emailed the realtor, who had sold her father's house. He sounded a little too pleased she was selling the house, but he would get her the best possible price.
When her hairdresser and second cousin, Lucy returned to rinse the dye out, she had already texted Caroline. Caroline would sort out the dorm situation so Bonnie could bunk with her and Elena. That was one less worry, now she would just have to work something out for next summer and the holidays. She could probably stay with Matt. He needed the extra cash and wouldn't charge her more in rent than she could afford.
As Lucy gave her a scalp massage and rinsed her hair, she could actually feel herself start to unwind. Her fingers worked firmly, but gently. Her long nails scratched her scalp, tracing soothing patterns.
"How are you doing with everything?" Lucy asked in soothing tones.
"I've been better."
"Well a new do will make you feel a helluva lot better, girl."
"Something needs to. How's work?"
"Busier than ever," Lucy grinned. "How is school, scholarship girl?"
Bonnie's brief moment of relaxation vanished and her stomach coiled into knots.
"Crap," Bonnie confessed. "I lost my scholarship for having a below C average after my first year."
"Bon that's a year and a half ago. How are you paying for school?" Lucy's hands were tense and her voice was horrified.
"The sale of dad's house helped and dad was paying until he passed."
"Can you get it back if you get your grades up?"
"It's already been given to someone else."
"Oh, hon, I'm sorry," Lucy said. "Is there anything I can do?"
Bonnie grimaced. She loved her cousin. She was the only family Bonnie had left, but Lucy couldn't help. Her parents had passed of natural causes years ago and she was barely scraping by with enough to put into her own savings account. She couldn't burden Lucy with anymore worries.
"I've worked something out or I think I have," Bonnie said after a pregnant pause.
"All the same, this is on the house."
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Thanks, cuz."
"It's the least I can do," Lucy flashed a wicked smile. "What do you say to braids?"
"Braids?"
"Yeah, braids. With your new hair color, braids would look hot. Not everything could pull off blond and braids, but you could," Lucy purred scratching her head teasingly for emphasis.
"No, just the blonde. But if I can get used to the blonde, I'll be back for braids."
"You better be," Lucy winked at her. "And this weekend you and I are going to sit down and figure out how you are going to pay for the next four years of school."
Bonnie sighed. She was going into her third year of the veterinary program at the University of Illinois. She should have dropped out when her father died last spring, but then she would have paid over a year's worth of tuition for nothing. And there was nothing else seh could be. It was her dream and if she could just hold on, she would never have to worry about money again.
"Thanks, Lucy, but I've got it handled."
"If you're sure."
Bonnie had no intentions of taking Lucy up on her offer. This was her problem and she wasn't going to burden her second cousin.
"Good, because on Monday I leave for New York."
"What?"
"I got a job in Brooklyn and I'm following Ted."
"Ted?" Bonnie said disbelieving.
Ted didn't sound like the sort of guy you followed across the country. But things like this were exactly why she and Lucy had never been close. Lucy had bounced around the country since she was sixteen in spite of her parents' wishes. She had come to Chicago for her father's funeral and decided to stay. That was six months ago and honestly, Bonnie was surprised she had stuck around as long as she had.
"Yeah, Ted. You know the artist?"
Sounds like a real winner, Bonnie thought. Another deadbeat, who mooched off Lucy's earnings. Did these losers think hairdressers were millionaires or something?
"Right him."
Well that was it then, the last of her family was leaving. Bonnie was officially all alone. The thought made her feel like she would fall to pieces any second, but she couldn't. She had to keep it together, at least for today.
XXX
Bonnie parked outside of The Loungeand took a few deep breaths. The attempt to steel herself didn't go a whole lot better, but a glimpse in the mirror helped her courage. Lucy had worked wonders. Her hair was a shiny caramel color. It made her green eyes look bigger and she had to admit it was freeing. Looking in the mirror, she saw a stranger. It was the only way she could do this.
Without giving herself a chance to chicken out, she got out of the car. There was a man stationed outside of the club's main entrance. He was tall and thin with sandy blond hair. He was white, the sort of pasty white that didn't look like he tanned.
"Club's closed," he said looking Bonnie over. "Not that you look like a customer."
"I'm here about the job," she said and blushed when she heard how squeaky her voice was. "The ad said to come by between two and four?"
"Right," he nodded. "You're the first girl here today," he looked Bonnie up and down once more. "Word of advice, you look sweet, play on it."
"Play on it?" Bonnie raised an eyebrow.
Why did she have the feeling he was going to say something creepy?
"Sage, the uh manager," he clarified. "She's kind of a forceful personality and she doesn't like trouble or backtalk so if she thinks you're a sweetie..."
"She'll like me," Bonnie said nodding. "Got it and thanks."
Guess there was no reason to doubt him. She wondered why he was being so nice to her. Kindness from strangers never failed to catch her off guard.
"Not a problem."
He held the door open for her and she walked in. The club was nicer than she had imagined. It was sleek and even with every light in the place on, it looked nice. There was a steel chrome bar with mirrors above them and rows of fancy liquor bottles lined up on shelves above it. There was a main stage and a row of tables surrounding it. Further back there was a closed off section that looked like a VIP lounge.
At the bar there was a tall redheaded woman and a dark haired man. She was standing at the counter, showing him something in a book. His hair fell into his eyes. It made her want to brush it aside. There was something familiar about that man, but she couldn't place him. The woman saw her and her lips curled into a wicked smile.
"MARCEL THERE'S ANOTHER ONE FOR YOU!"
A hot guy walked out of a room. He showed Bonnie a charming smile and turned to the people at the bar.
"Sage babe, really there's no need to yell," he said shaking his head.
Bonnie shifted uncomfortable, fidgeting with her hands. The dark haired man turned away from whatever he was studying at the bar. He had a glass of liquor in his hands and he frozen when he saw her, staring at her with wide eyes. He was handsome, she noticed and he definitely looked a little familiar.
The man, Marcel, studied her figure. Nodded to himself and then spoke. "Come with me."
Starting to question whether or not this really was a good idea, Bonnie followed him into an office. He got them both a cup of coffee, gesturing for her to have a seat. Then he sat down behind the desk and looked at her assessing.
"My name is Marcel Gerard. You?"
Bonnie hesitated. He didn't seem like a sleezy pervert. He was less formal than most of the managers she had met before, but he seemed alright. Otherwise, she would have turned around and left immediately because she felt like she was being sized up.
"Bonnie Bennett."
"Bonnie," Marcel repeated his eyes never left her, which she found unsettling. "You look young. How old are you?"
"I'm twenty."
"Good," another nod. "I can't allow any underage girls to work here so I'm going to need some ID."
"Sure."
Bonnie dug her driver's license out of her purse and wallet. It took her longer than usual because of the way Marcel was scrutinizing her. When she handed it to Marcel her hands shook. He did the polite thing and didn't comment. He studied it for a moment and returned it.
"Can you dance?"
"Yes, but mostly from my cheerleading days."
"We can work with that. With a pretty face like yours, you don't need to be more than average," he replied. It didn't feel like he was hitting on her, more like he was just stating facts. He said it with no more emotion than if he were reporting on the weather. "I will still have to audition you. See how do you because I assume you've never worked as a poledancer before?"
Bonnie, who was wringing her hands stopped. With great effort, she picked up the coffee cup and used that to steady them.
"No," Bonnie grimaced. "But I'm a quick learner."
"I bet you are," Marcel said eyes going from the tip of Bonnie's toes to finally meet her eyes.
This time, there was heat in his gaze and she flushed.
The woman, Sage barged in. She didn't knock and she didn't linger in the doorway. She marched into the room like it was her office and Bonnie got the feeling, she was Marcel's boss.
"The bossman says she's hired," Sage announced to the room.
"I am?" Bonnie burst out in surprise.
Sage's eyes passed over her, barely noticing her before returning her focus to Marcel.
"We have to audition her and check references," Marcel said. "We don't hire on-site. It's our policy."
"Well Kol owns seventy percent of the club so he usually gets what he wants, but if you have a problem you can take it up with him," Sage replied in ice-cold tones.
"He's your brother-in-law."
"Scared?" Sage raised an eyebrow at him.
Marcel left without another word. And Bonnie got the impression he was in a particularly foul mood. Bonnie squirmed, uncomfortable at being the source of tension. She hadn't even been her ten minutes.
Sage sat down on top of the desk and studied Bonnie.
"Men," Sage huffed. "You know what they are like."
Still, freaked out, Bonnie shook her head.
"Huh, how old are you?"
"Twenty," Bonnie said wondering why everyone around her was obsessed with her age.
"Old enough," Sage nodded. "Men always need a reminder who is in charge and right now Marcel is getting one from my dear brother-in-law. As for a girl in your position, never let them know, who is running the show. And before you give me that look, I used to be you."
"You worked here?"
"Yes, way back when."
"Oh, thank you for the job," Bonnie said realizing she probably should have said so sooner.
"Don't thank me, the boss says you have the right look," Sage stated matter-of-factly. She tilted her head to the side and surveyed her. "My, you are pretty though. But let's get one thing straight, I expect you to be on time and work hard. No shirking off."
"You won't regret this."
"I have to ask before we finalize anything, do you have a job now and how long is the resignation period?"
"I work at the Mystic Grill, I'm a waitress there and the resignation period is a month. I hope that's not a problem."
Sage sighed. "It's not ideal. You can' t work both jobs, you'll be burned out and burned out strippers aren't great for business. Leave it to me, and you can come in to work tomorrow."
"Great," Bonnie said feeling another stirring of uneasiness.
That didn't sound one-hundred percent on the up and up. Sage's devilish grin wasn't helping to reassure her either.
"Before I do something unsavory to get you out of your contract," Bonnie tensed, Sage was definitely shady if not criminal. "I have to ask why you want to work here."
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Yeah," Sage barked a laugh. "Yeah, it is, but thing is a lot of girls quit as soon as they get up on that stage. And I am sick to death of having to deal with that so I need to be sure, you are going to stay on at least for the next year. Preferably longer."
Made sense, Bonnie supposed. The truth was, she didn't even want to be here now. If things had been less dire, she would never even consider it.
"I need to make more than 10 dollars an hour and tips my gropey boss skims," Bonnie said deciding to be painfully honest. It seemed like the sort of thing Sage would appreciate. "And the ad here said, I could make 800 a night."
"That's the minimum," Sage said, nodding. "It's eight-hundred just for a lapdance. A thousand for a private dance and we take thirty percent. Then there are tips, which are all yours. But here's the thing, why do you need money?"
"It's kind of personal," Bonnie squirmed and wondered how best to tell Sage.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's the American way, if a woman wants to make money she has to work in the sex industry. There's always crime, but that's a boys club."
Yup, definitely a front for some kind of criminal activity, Bonnie realized. She also realized, it was too late to turn back and even if it wasn't, she was too desperate to do so.
"My grandmother died a year ago and my dad passed right before the summer."
"My condolences."
"Thank you," Bonnie had to look away and take a deep breath. "Anyway, everyone, who took care of me is gone and I have four more years of school to pay for. I'm broke, like if I don't sell my grandmother's house at market value and move into a dorm, I will lose the house to the bank, broke. Not that it will matter, my power bill is overdue and I'm pretty sure they're going to cut it if I don't pay it in a few days."
Sage's expression was sympathetic.
"I've been there."
Bonnie blinked and stared at her. "You have?"
"I used to be right where you are, kiddo," Sage said softly then shook herself. "But it sounds to me like you could use the money. Here's the deal, we keep our girls safe, nothing frisky and no touching. Our clients are high class, stock brokers, investment bankers, CEOs and so on. We supply the prettiest girls in Chicago and they pay the highest prices. We also practice discretion so no talk of where you work outside of here. We are a by reputation only establishment. Which reminds me, how did you find the ad?"
"I've worked for the recruiting agent over the summer, she emailed it to all of the women in the right age group on her emailing list."
Sage pursed her lips. "Well that's not what I asked her to do, but I'll handle it."
Bonnie was starting to think only idiots crossed Sage. There was something about her, an air of ferocity and capability as if no matter what she did, she did it well. And she would do whatever it took to ensure those, who worked for her did the same.
"Sounds good. What time tomorrow do I come in?"
"Tomorrow at noon, don't be late."
"I won't," Bonnie promised.
"Perfect, now if you will excuse me, I need to have a word with the manager at the Mystic Grill."
Bonnie was about to say something, but Sage interrupted her. "Don't worry about it, Bonnie. I'll take care of it. After I have talked to him, you won't need to go by again. And you'll have your first paycheck early next week so hang in there, kid."
"Right, thanks. Wait, next week?"
"We pay weekly," Sage told her. "But you take your tips home every night. Your salary is based on the number of private dances you book as well as lapdances."
"Right," Bonnie said still feeling confused.
"I'll explain tomorrow when we go over your contract."
"Thank you. See you tomorrow."
Sage nodded.
Bonnie hurried outside still doubting whether or not she had made the right decision. The boss, Kol or Cal or whatever his name was, was still at the bar. He smiled at her and raised his drink to her when she passed. She felt trapped in his eyes and she felt heat creep up in her cheeks. She smiled gratefully and hurried away, tense. If Sage was involved in anything criminal then he probably was too.
XXX
Bonnie wanted to cry when she arrived back home, but that wasn't an option. If she started crying, she might never stop. Instead, she started to sort through the items in her Grams' attic. There were boxes there, old things of hers and the rest of her family. Some of it was junk and the rest was things from her dad's house, she hadn't been able to get rid of, but didn't have room for. If she had to sell this house, she was going to have to downsize.
"Bonnie? BON!" Matt's voice bellowed from downstairs.
"Matt?"
She went to the doorway and saw Matt climbing the steep stairs.
"What are you doing up here, Bon?" Matt's easy-going smile was marred by a concerned look. "And what did you do to your hair?"
"Packing, organizing, whatever," Bonnie sighed and went back to work.
Matt sat down next to her.
"And the hair?"
"Why? Does it look that bad?" she touched a few strands in a self-conscious way.
"No, it's - nice, really nice," Matt said blushing.
"Thanks," Bonnie mumbled, she started sorting through a box with her dad's stuff. She tried to shut off her feelings, it was how she got through everything else. No point in starting to feel things again now. "What are you doing here?"
"We had plans."
"Oh my god," she hit her forehead. "I completely forgot, I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry about it. So why are you packing? You moved in here months ago."
Bonnie debated with herself for a minute whether or not to tell Matt. Finally, she figured it would be a relief to tell someone and if any of her friends might understand, it was Matt. He was barely scraping by himself.
"I am moving because I can't afford my house," she exclaimed. She took a deep breath and blurted it all out. "My Grams' insurance had lapsed so her cancer sucked all of her funds dry and most of my dad's. So when he had his heart attack and needed two surgeries before having a second heart attack, which killed him well it took most of his money. The insurance company refused to cover his medical expenses on a technicality. Then there is the funeral costs, the mortgage, all of the regular bills and oh yeah, never ending medical bills. Did I mention the medical bills? On top of it all, I've been paying my own tuition for a year."
It was true. Even with her new job, things would be tight. She needed some new clothes for school, but didn't have cash to spare.
"Wow," Matt gaped. He ran his hand through his hair. "I had no idea. Is there anything I can do?"
Bonnie still putting things in keep and throw piles, kept going. She was not going to feel anything, there would be time for that later when her financial situation was sorted.
"Nope, there is nothing anyone can do."
"But you sold your dad's house, and his car, and your Grams' car."
"Yup, I did," she agreed.
The one car, she had kept was her practical little Toyota hybrid. It was the oldest of the three cars and worth the least so she had kept it, needing to make the most money. But lately the engine had been making a weird noise, which had her worried. She was trying not to think about that either until it actually became a problem.
"So shouldn't that have covered the bills?"
Bonnie laughed. "Matt, how much was your hand surgery and physio?"
He had sprained his hand in senior year, losing an athletic scholarship and his shot at college.
"Point taken."
"And I lost my scholarship so I had to pay for last semester out of pocket. And if I sell this house, I will get enough to cover tuition and my room board for like the next year or two, and it'll put a dent in the medical expenses."
"What about other expenses?"
"Screwed," she nodded. "Just screwed unless I get a better paying job than at the Grill."
"Got it, and if you need a place to stay, you're always welcome at my house," Matt said seeming to finally get she didn't want sympathy. All she wanted was a listening ear. "Rent free."
"Thanks," she said patting his hand. "And I'd pay rent or buy groceries or something."
Matt reddened and looked away. Bonnie quickly removed her hand when she realized what she had done. She wrapped her arms around herself.
"So who was the redhead that came in and made the manager let you out of your contract?"
Bonnie groaned. She had known she would have to tell Matt because he worked at the Mystic Grill with her. But the thing was, she really didn't want to and more importantly, Sage had warned her not to. And she was scared of crossing, Sage.
"I could tell you or I could ask you to trust me," she said giving him a hopeful look.
"Or you could do both," Matt said and his expression was painfully earnest.
"If I tell you, this is a secret you have to take to your grave because I'm not really allowed to say."
"Now I'm worried and you have to tell me, Bon."
"Fine, I got a job as a stripper," she said and closed her eyes.
When she opened them Matt was staring at her. Flustered and uncomfortable, Bonnie started to sort through a second box.
"A stripper?" he finally said.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I have forty dollars to my name."
"But you got your hair done," Matt said looking exactly like he did when he was trying to work out a math problem.
"And I was banking on Lucy letting me pay her back when I get paid in two weeks," Bonnie grimaced.
"How could you keep this from me? You should have told me!"
Matt got to his feet and Bonnie just sunk in on herself. She put her head on her knees.
"How could I?" she whispered.
All at once, Matt's anger evaporated. He sat down next to her and tried to hug her, but she shied away from his touch.
"Is it safe there?"
"Yeah, it's like really high class or whatever."
She still hadn't raised her head from her knees and she honestly, didn't even know if she was capable of it. She was just so tired, so infinitely tired.
"I won't tell anyone."
"Good."
"Come on, I'll make you dinner and then I'll help you pack."
Bonnie still hadn't moved, but she cracked a smile. "I love you, you know that, right?"
"Yeah, and I love you too."
XXX
Kol was at The Lounge at eleven PM. Katie was on stage and he was fastidiously ignoring her from his seat at the bar. He made a point of never paying too much attention to the girls when they were on stage, he didn't want to come across as a pervert. But from the corner of his eye, he noticed Katie was too talented to be working the first shift. She should be dancing later when the big tippers came in.
It was his one visit a month to ensure the profit margins were acceptable and check-in on the girls. He liked to make sure they were doing alright because he knew this job could take a toll on their sanity. Once he was done crunching the numbers, he would swing by their dressing rooms and ask how they were. Make sure security kept them safe and so forth. Finally, he and Marcel would do a walkthrough of the security routines both for protecting the dancers and the money. He had done all of that earlier in the day and everything seemed to be in order.
His one day a month at the club was a long one, but it was infrequent, which was why when Bonnie walked through the door looking for a job, he knew it was fate. Underneath the blonde hair, he almost didn't recognize her at first and he supposed that was the purpose. But once he saw her eyes, he knew it was her.
At first, when Sage had taken her aside to interview her for the job, he had been too surprised to react. He could have plausibly included himself in the interview, if he had only been faster in recovering from his surprise. But who could blame him? He hadn't seen her in nearly six years. Back when Bonnie was fourteen and he was a high school senior. Sure, he had kept tabs on her over the years, just to ensure she was doing alright. However, seeing her in person was an entirely different thing.
Naturally, he knew life had put her through the wringer in the past year. He had been tempted to step in, find some excuse to pay her a visit, but it wasn't a good idea. He could only bring her pain and darkness.
He was drinking at the bar and going over Bonnie's file on his iPad. Sage was cleaning the bar and occasionally hassling the girls about their makeup and costumes. His sister-in-law knew every aspect of the club and nothing happened there without her say-so. He also noticed, she was peaking at his document over his shoulder, which he ignored. She might be one hell of a manager, but she was nosy.
The document told him everything he had suspected this afternoon. Bonnie's grandmother and father died (he knew that already and Sage had confirmed it). The University had taken away her scholarship and her house was about two months away from being repossessed by the bank.
Fuck, how had he missed this?
Sage let out a loud squeal. "FINN!"
She went barreling across the room and Kol looked up just in time to see her throw herself at his brother. She tossed her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him passionately. Finn looked to be trying to disengage from his unabashed wife.
The sight made Kol smile. Out of all his siblings, Finn had always been the most reserved, which was perhaps why he had ended up with the most extroverted person, Kol had ever met. Sage was unashamed of everything from who she was to what she did. The complete opposite of Finn, who tried to fade into the background in every situation.
When Finn finally did manage to untangle himself from Sage, Kol was already emailing his contacts at the University of Illinois.
Sage had Finn in a steel grip and pulled him over. Kol patted Finn on the shoulder and smiled.
"How was South-America, brother?"
"As eventful as Niklaus could make it."
Sage bristled. "If he put you in danger I'll -"
"I'm fine," Finn said stroking her cheek lovingly.
Kol looked away the moment felt like a private exchange between husband and wife.
"Someone had to come along to temper his lunacy. Otherwise, the Venezuelan cartels would have murdered him no doubt," Kol said cheerily.
"Remind me again why that would be bad a thing," Sage muttered.
Finn shot her a dark look. "Enough of that, dear."
"I just don't see why it has to be you."
"No one can really balance him out, but Finn is our best chance," Kol explained.
"I know everyone pegs you as the lunatic Kol, but at least when you snap everyone is left too terrified to retaliate."
"Yes, our dear brother could stand to learn the value of psychological torture," Kol smirked.
Thierry, who was working the bar, poured Finn a scotch, which he gratefully accepted.
"How is business?" Finn asked sitting down next to Kol.
"Excellent. Sage has a knack for spotting talent."
Sage waved his compliment aside with a modest smile.
"And Kol decided to hire the prettiest girl I've seen in a long time today," Sage said with a wolfish smile. "She'll make us a fortune or rather, she would except I suspect he has other plans for her."
"Is this true?" Finn said, leaning forward, intrigued.
"And those plans better not be another plaything," Sage said menacingly. "Because I am not kidding about the money that girl will make."
"You do appear deadly serious," Kol grinned.
Sage was still eyeing him distrustfully. She was always that way when it came to profits. If he didn't reassure her, she might throw another knife at him.
"Don't tell me this is about mother's rule?" Finn said shocked.
"Stay out of it," Kol warned. "But Sage, keep her off the stage. And book me a private dance on Friday. I need to sort out a few things first."
Finn appeared amused. Sage's eyes narrowed further.
"I am not losing profits over another one of your playthings Kol and Bonnie wouldn't want that either. She needs the money, bad."
"I'll pay for the dance myself. I don't intend -" he shook his head.
"Oh my," Finn said exchanging a knowing look with his wife.
Kol ignored them both. He wanted to show up on Bonnie's doorstep and offer to fix everything immediately however, he doubted very much that would go over well. She clearly didn't recognize him and if he wanted his plan to succeed, he would need to be a little patient.
"And make certain her employment does reach outside eyes or ears."
"Oh?" Sage raised an eyebrow. "Why this girl, Kol? She's pretty, but you know a lot of pretty girls."
"Did you say Bonnie?" Finn interjected, but with one cautioning look Finn fell silent.
Sage's expression was suspicious, but she let it drop as well.
"I knew her once."
"Then why didn't she mention she knew you?"
He had been foolish to think Sage would let it drop.
"Because I have the distinct advantage of being four years older."
"Kol -"
"Sage, it was a long time ago."
"Swear to me you will get me a replacement that is just as pretty."
"You could always get back in the game."
Sage grinned and tossed her hair.
"That's my wife, little brother."
Sage always took it as a compliment if someone wanted to see her work a pole. Even if Finn didn't.
XXX
When Bonnie arrived at The Lounge the next morning she very nearly turned around and left. She knew she'd gone too far to back out now. Her job at The Grill was gone thanks to Sage, but Bonnie supposed she really only had herself to blame. She was the one who had gone there to begin with to ask for a job and then said; 'yes' to it. In fact, Bonnie had a sneaky suspicion it was a terrible idea to piss off her future employers by backing out.
Having steeled herself, Bonnie entered the club. Sage was waiting for her by the bar.
"Bonnie kiddo, there you are."
"I'm sorry, am I late?" Bonnie asked, checking the time on her watch.
"Not at all," Sage said with a smile. "Marcel and I simply had a little wager on whether or not you would return."
"And?" she asked raising an eyebrow.
"I get to collect fifty bucks from him," her Cheshire cat smile widened. "Come with me."
"So how did you know I would be back?" Bonnie asked as she followed her back to the office.
"Same reason all women work in this industry; we need the money bad enough we don't have a choice."
"Right," she mumbled dejectedly.
"There's no shame in it. And at least you're not a criminal."
Sage winked at her.
Bonnie's stomach twisted into knots.
"So how big is this place?"
"Fairly large," Sage confessed with a nod. "Mostly on account of the rooms for private parties and dances. I'll get Marcel to give you a tour once we are done."
"Private parties?"
"A lot of company's bring people they want to close a deal with here. For a little extra fee, they can book a private room with girls for the whole evening. It's quite lucrative for the club and for the girls."
"How do they know what girls they want?"
"Well," Sage grimaced and started walking. Bonnie struggled to catch up. "When they book the event they usually have an assistant come by and sometimes they are regulars. But if they aren't regulars, we have a little brochure I suppose you can call it that never leaves the premises."
Bonnie groaned. "It's like a stripper menu, isn't it?"
"More like a portfolio and it's all tasteful, I can assure of you that," Sage said firmly. "As for the ordinary evenings, we do themes. Tuesdays are angel and demons. Wednesdays nurses and so forth. We provide costumes of course."
Bonnie nodded.
"We need to get you fitted for yours," Sage said just as they went into a private room.
"Okay," Bonnie said. "When do I start?"
"You've waitressed before so you can start tomorrow night. It'll mean less cash than dancing until you're ready, but it's a start."
A man looked over and Bonnie recognized him as the man from the bar. He was listening to a dark haired girl with ringlets. She was really telling him something and Bonnie could only hear snippets of the conversation.
"Clean - oh my God Kol! Save it!"
The girl tossed her curls and Bonnie recognized her instantly. But just then Kol turned around.
"Sage, did you say she is waitressing tonight?" his brow was furrowed, but he paid her no mind as he focused on Sage.
"Bonnie?" Katherine gaped.
"What are you doing here?" Bonnie exclaimed. "Elena thinks you're halfway to Mexico and you're still in Chicago?"
"Where else would I be?"
Sage and Kol's conversation caught her attention.
"Yes, she's waitressing."
"Sage," Kol growled.
That was all Bonnie heard because Katherine shoved her way past Kol and threw her arms around her neck. They both squealed and jumped around.
Bonnie pushed her away after a moment and surveyed her seriously.
"You should have called Elena, she has been worried sick!"
"Never mind that old prude!" Katherine slapped her arm playfully. She laughed and giggled.
Now Kol and Sage had turned to watch them.
"I take it you two know each other?" Kol said.
Bonnie blushed under his stare. She owed her job to him and yet they'd never even exchanged two words.
"We went to school together since like the third grade," Katherine answered with a cheery smile. "Thanks for the care packages, Bon," she purred and elbowed Kol. "Nicer than anything I ever got from you lot."
"Kat," Kol said just the faintest irritation in his voice.
"Alright, alright. They paid for the stay, but like I've been telling Kol I am clean and fabulous now!"
She waved her arms and spun around, doing a little dance. Bonnie laughed half-heartedly and Kol cracked a smile, shaking his head. Contrary to Sage, who looked like Katherine was on her last nerve.
Bonnie's mind spun. The club paid for rehab? Katherine must be one hell of a stripper.
"Kol Mikaelson," Kol said extending his hand.
Bonnie shook his hand and gave what she hoped was a friendly smile. She was convinced she looked a little green.
"Bonnie Bennett."
"I know, who you are, darling."
"Of course," her cheeks heated up. It didn't help that Kol was scrutinizing her in all of his bad boy hotness. "Thank you so much for the job."
"Think nothing of it," he nodded and checked his watch. "I have to run. Sage, remember what I asked."
"Just go," Sage said in tones of irritation. Then she turned her steely eyes on Bonnie and Katherine. "You two can catch up later, right now, Bonnie needs her practice."
"Need a helping hand?" Katherine asked waving her perfect crimson gel nails at Sage. "After all, I just got a manicure."
Sage surveyed her narrow eyes for a moment. "No, not just yet Katherine."
"Suit yourself."
Katherine shrugged prettily and off she went.
For the next three hours, Sage worked Bonnie to exhaustion (easy enough to do since she was already worn out). Bonnie had to show her how much she knew from before and then together, she and Sage worked out a lapdance routine for her to memorize.
"You're a great dancer, kiddo," Sage said when they were done. "Now we just need to work out an image for you."
She tilted her head to the side to study Bonnie. If Sage thought she was good then she should Elena or Caroline. They had been the stars of the cheerleading team and it wasn't for no reason.
"Cool."
Bonnie also had no idea what she meant by image, but honestly, at the moment, she didn't feel like asking.
"Now for that tour, I'll go find you a costume in the meantime," Sage said then did something so unexpected, Bonnie flinched. "MARCEL! MARCEL!"
Sage just kept bellowing his name until he appeared in the doorway. Smirking yet a little exasperated.
"You rang?"
Bonnie took that to mean, Sage's daily routine included yelling and acting crazy.
"Bonnie needs the grand tour," Sage said by way of explanation.
"Alright, come on, baby girl."
Bonnie said a quick goodbye to Sage before following Marcel. The club was big there were a number of private rooms as well as the main area, which was quite sizeable.
"How many girls work here?"
"With you?" Marcel took a moment to think about it. "Ten to fifteen depending on the night. The girls don't really hang out much so you'll probably only see a few of them."
"Why not?"
"Because they're all competing for tips and customers."
"Right," Bonnie nodded.
She should have known the girls wouldn't be friends.
"And Sage is already favoring you so I'd watch my back," Marcel cautioned.
"Thanks."
"You got a man?" Marcel asked as he was leading her down the hallway.
"No."
"Probably just as well," his expression changed and he was watching her with heat in his eyes.
Abruptly, Bonnie wanted out of this conversation. But he had no intentions of letting it drop. "I've lost count of the jealous boyfriends we've had to throw out or otherwise protect our girls from."
"Oh my God."
"I keep telling them if they aren't comfortable with it then they need to step up and provide for their girls so they don't end up someplace like here."
Bonnie nodded, but it was nothing more than politeness. Her face felt too tight so as not to betray her thoughts.
She knew it wasn't as simple as "make more money". She thought of Matt and how he could barely support himself let alone someone else and it wasn't his fault. It was just the best he could do. And she thought of herself and how everyone, who had ever taken care of her was gone. How she was left to be a drop-out or a stripper.
Some of what she was thinking must have shown on her face because Marcel cleared his throat and started walking again.
The next stop on tour was the hallway with the dressing rooms. Each door had a name on it.
Cinnamon.
Kitty Kat.
Bon-Bon.
Satin.
Bonnie resisted the urge to snort when she read some of the names. They all sounded ridiculous to her, but whatever. Using a stage-name was just another way she could remain anonymous.
"Yours is over here," Marcel said leading her to the one that said 'Bon-Bon'.
"Oh great, I hate the name."
Marcel shrugged. "Sorry, baby girl, but there's nothing I can do about that."
"I know."
It was bad enough Caroline's abusive ex used to call her Bon-Bon, but having it as her stage name just felt like punishment.
Marcel opened the door and she followed him inside. She was surprised by the space and the cleanliness. It was white and bright, the lightning was perfect for applying makeup. There was bed off in the one corner with fresh sheets, a blanket and a pillow. There was a closet and several mannequins ready to be dressed. The makeup vanity had lights, a large mirror and a myriad of brushes as well as makeup available. it was also littered with hair products of every kind and any other styling tools she might require. She saw a door to a small bathroom and a shower in the room, partially walled off by glass tiles. It was the size of a small living room and contained anything she might need.
She looked at Marcel in confusion. "This is one hell of an operation, huh?"
"We make sure the girls have everything on site they might need and in case you need a place to hide from a boyfriend or for the out of towners," he nodded toward the bed. "And sometimes the girls are just too tired to go home after a long shift."
Bonnie nodded. They really did take care of everything. She noticed the couch and the lock on the door for privacy. When she wandered further into the room, she saw clean towels and luxury shower products.
"Wow," Bonnie said picking up the shampoo.
Which was not only expensive, but perfectly suited to her hair type.
"Cleaning staff restocks regularly and cleans every morning," Marcel explained with a crooked grin.
"Your team works fast, I'm impressed," she couldn't help smiling a little.
Out of all the strip clubs in the world, she looked like she had found the best. She was sure, private rooms that were more like hotel rooms than a backstage area was uncommon.
"We only hire the best," Marcel's answering smile was cocky. "The only trouble is you have to share the kitchen, but that's where you can take your breaks."
"Great, thank you for the tour."
"It was my pleasure."
Marcel's eyes roamed her figure hungrily. She felt the overwhelming urge to cover herself underneath his heated stare. There was something about the predatory gleam in his eye that told her, he knew exactly what she looked like without clothes.
XXX
After the tour, Bonnie had to change into her costume for tomorrow evening. The truth was, it was gorgeous and if she had been more comfortable with her sexuality or even her body, she might not have minded. But she wasn't and she absolutely hated having to put it on.
The costume was really just lingerie. It was a white lacy push-up bra that ended halfway down her stomach and a pair of lacy panties to match. Making it better or maybe worse, was the angel wings she had to put on top of it.
Sage and another girl, Katie, were trying to get the sizing on the wings right. Katie was another stripper, who actually had a degree in fashion design. According to Sage, she could work wonders with needle and thread. Whereas Katie didn't like to talk about it because after she finished her degree, she'd been unable to get a job in her field, which was how she had ended up here.
"I don't know, Sage," Katie said walking around her. "Shorter wings? It might make her look bigger. Especially in those shoes."
Embarrassed Bonnie looked down at her strappy silver shoes. They were almost ten inches high and she could barely stand in them let alone walk.
"She's tiny," Sage argued, who towered over Bonnie even in her flats.
Bonnie covered her chest with her arms. Without hesitation, Sage slapped her hands aside.
"Kiddo, we're trying to think," Sage snapped. "And we need to get this right. This will be your Tuesday outfit for the next six months and I don't want to fuck around with more alterations."
"Sorry," she mumbled and hung her head.
"Sage, go easy on the poor kid," Katie said in a sympathetic tone of voice.
Sage rolled her eyes. "But you do see my point, don't you?"
"Yes, but I'm not sure it's a good idea."
"The wings are covering her best asset, shorten them," Sage snapped finally running out of patience.
She ran a frustrated hand through her hair.
Bonnie snuck a peak at herself in the mirror. Maybe Sage did have a point. The wings were a beautiful shade of pure white and the feathers looked real even thought they were synthetic, but they were long. They reached down to the back of her knees. Covering her bum and back almost entirely. And Bonnie supposed eventually she would get used to being talked about like a product or a piece of meat.
"It might be easier just to find her another outfit," Katie said surveying her with pursed lips.
"Or you could do the job I am paying you to do," Sage countered.
"It'll take all night. Someone will have to cover my sets," Katie replied evenly completely unbothered by Sage's attitude.
"I could wear something else?" Bonnie offered.
"No," Sage shook her head. "Because I've been thinking about it and I have come up with the perfect persona for you."
"Oooh what is it?" Katie said leaning forward eagerly.
Sage gave her a sharp look and she went to work measuring the wings. But Bonnie could tell by her body language she was still listening.
"The pure virgin girl angle," Sage's smile was wolfish. "Perfect, right?"
Bonnie grimaced. This was getting worse and worse.
"Totally," Katie gushed. "She looks so sweet and with these wings? She'll be the hit of Angels and Devils night."
So that would be Bonnie's Tuesday nights from now on. Great, just great. Still it could be worse, at least she only worked every other Tuesday. As well as Thursday, Friday and Saturday. She wouldn't have much in the way of a social life, but she could pay all of her bills.
Kol Mikaelson came in and he hadn't bothered to knock. His expression was surprised when he saw what he had walked in on.
"What's this?"
"Costume fitting," Sage replied lazily.
"Of course," Kol nodded. He kept his eyes firmly away from her and Katie. Instead, his focus appeared to be on Sage.
Bonnie was all too-relieved he wasn't eyeing her up. The last thing she needed was special attention from her boss. Marcel had already warned her to be careful because she was Sage's favorite. She didn't need to be considered Kol's as well.
"What are you doing here, Kol?"
Katie had started to pin the wings.
"Hey, Kol."
"Katie, how's Thierry?" Kol asked, but he still wasn't looking at them.
"Good, thanks for that last job in -"
Kol shook his head and Katie stopped talking. Bonnie was curious why he had stopped Katie, but she knew better than to ask. Besides, she had enough problems of her own already.
"Not a problem," he turned back to Sage. "I have some people coming by the backroom later today."
"Need me there?" Sage said automatically.
"No, Finn is coming in. Warn everyone it's off-limits and clear people out of the main area."
Bonnie looked back down at her feet, pretending she wasn't listening. She felt sure there was more to it than they were saying. How she knew, she couldn't say for sure, just that there was this tension underlying their words and body language that made her suspicious.
"I can do that."
Sage left right after Kol. And Bonnie breathed easier.
"You don't have to worry about me, Bonnie," Katie said as she helped Bonnie out of the wings. She sat down and got to work cutting them shorter.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I'm not nearly as dependent on the income from dancing as the other girls."
"I don't follow?" Bonnie said deciding to play dumb even if she had the feeling she knew where this was headed.
"I'm Thierry's girlfriend."
"The security guy?"
Katie nodded and started to thread a needle. Bonnie sat down and watched her work. There was something soothing about Katie's meticulous and precise work that calmed her frayed nerves.
"That's the guy," Katie sighed and smiled happily. "I only dance when I'm temping. Nowadays I mostly do costumes so I'm not one of the ones that backstabs girls and tries to get the popular ones fired because I don't need the private dances or the regulars. I just like a little extra cash from the occasional night on stage."
Bonnie wrung her hands nervously. Marcel had already warned her about those ones. But he hadn't been as forthcoming as Katie was.
"Does that happen a lot?"
"Not too often," Katie replied easily. "Sage is pretty good about sniffing out liars and schemes, but it doesn't make for a super good work environment. Anyway, Thierry told me you are nice so I figured I should give you a heads up."
"Thanks."
"No problem. And I have a feeling we're going to be good friends."
Bonnie smiled. "I'd like that."
XXX
After the costume fitting, Bonnie was more than ready to go home, but Sage had asked her to stay behind for a few minutes. So she was sitting at the bar as Sage went over a list of numbers.
"What did you want to talk about?"
"Nothing much," Sage said looking up. "Just a few basic rules. Such as the items in your wardrobe stay on the premises and I have a list of safety rules such as where to park and numbers to reach the security staff if someone follows you."
"Great, thanks."
Sage went back to her numbers. "Just have to wait until Kol is done in there."
"Right."
"How are you with numbers?"
"Fairly good."
Sage passed her the list. "Double-check this, make certain I have it right."
Bonnie nodded and went over the inventory list. Just then Kol exited the back room along with a tall pale man, who smiled at Sage. Behind them was a man and a woman. The pair had black hair and startingly blue eyes that couldn't be missed even at a distance.
Sage tapped her finger on the list. "Eyes on this, kiddo," she whispered.
Bonnie kept her eyes glued to the inventory list. But a coil of fear went through her and she had this panicked feeling of being trapped.
"Sage," she whispered.
"Everything's okay, kid. Just act like you don't see or hear anything and you'll be fine," Sage's low whisper was soothing.
She could hear Kol saying something to the man and woman, who looked like they could siblings. Then the other man said something about profits.
Yup, The Lounge was definitely a front for some kind of criminal activity, but she couldn't quit now. So she made up her mind to close her eyes and ears ignoring all of it. Then she would have plausible deniability if the cops ever came around. As for surviving in the club? She would keep her head down.
Finally, Bonnie could breathe freely when they left. She passed the list back to Sage.
"Jot down any changes, I need to make," Sage said. "I'm always calculating something wrong."
"That sucks."
"Yeah," Sage shook her head. "I understand the numbers, but somehow when I go to write them down they get all mixed up."
Most of it looked in order to Bonnie other than a few mistakes.
"Must be frustrating with what you do."
"Sage only understands cold hard cash, preferably in single-dollar bills," Kol said.
Bonnie jumped about a foot in the air. Kol chuckled and Sage grinned.
"Careful brother, that is my wife," the second man said.
Bonnie realized that must be Finn, Sage's husband.
"Go on home, Bonnie. I'll see you tomorrow," Sage said.
Bonnie handed her the clipboard, said a hurried goodbye and practically ran from the club. One day in and she was already exhausted and terrified. This did not bode well.
XXX
Bonnie was rushing around the kitchen. It was already six o'clock and she had just arrived home. Her day at the club hadn't been a full work day yet she still felt like she had been there for a week. And Matt was on his way over. She was making him dinner to celebrate the end of physio.
And she had promised him homemade lasagna, the trouble was homemade lasagna was a lot of work. And until her dad fell ill, she had never done a lot of cooking. But that was when money started to get really tight and unable to afford ordering take-out whenever she wanted, she had taught herself to cook.
Around seven when she was both sweaty and frazzled, Matt let himself in. Her door was never locked and all of her friends let themselves in now.
"I've got beer," Matt said slamming a six-pack down on the counter.
"Fake ID still working?"
"Totally," Matt grinned. He popped the cork off one and had a deep drink. "Man, those bills were killing my paycheck."
"Just wait until you can bartend, then you'll be making real money."
"Kind of, mostly tips."
"Still pays better than being a busboy."
"And in three years, I'll be a manager."
Bonnie grinned. Her and Matt loved to talk about their plans for the future together. They both had dreams of exactly where they wanted to be when everything was said and done. Matt's dreams had taken a detour when he lost his football scholarship because of an injury, but Bonnie was proud of him. He wasn't wallowing in self-pity. Instead, he was learning everything he could about managing a restaurant so he could work his way up.
"How was your first day."
Bonnie shrugged. "Fine, I guess. I mean it was a little weird, but I'm going to start off waitressing tomorrow so I guess I'll just ease my way in."
"Sheesh, Bon I really wish there was something I can do."
"You are doing plenty."
Bonnie put the lasagna in the oven. Then she got out a beer of her own and they sat down at the kitchen table.
"Doesn't feel like it," Matt shook his head and guilt was etched into every feature.
"You're someone I can talk to about it, which is exactly what I need."
"Still, promise you will tell me if you can't do it and we'll work something out, okay?"
Bonnie was touched. Overcome by emotion, she mentally did all of the things she normally did to shut off her feelings. Going numb was a useful skill she had learned. The only feeling she hadn't worked out how to turn off yet was fear.
"I will. But there's nothing I can do. With what my dad left me I should have been uncomfortable like Elena, but -" she shrugged.
"Hospital bills are a killer," Matt said downing the rest of his beer and opening another. "Elena didn't have to deal with any of that."
"I didn't mean it like that," Bonnie sighed. "It's not Elena's fault. I just – it's not fair."
"No, it's really not."
Matt would know even better than her. He wasn't even an orphan. Just the unlucky kid of a deadbeat dad and a party-girl.
"At least I don't have siblings to worry about," Bonnie said thinking about all of the time Elena spent worrying about Jeremy and Katherine. Then of course, she wished she hadn't said that either. In the past few months, she had gotten into the awkward habit of chattering nervously.
And judging by the look on Matt's face, he looked like he wished he still had a sister to worry about.
Vicki Donovan had been neck in neck with Katherine for the wildest girl at Mystic Falls high school. The two of them had been the ultimate party girls and politely known as maneaters (less politely as skanks). But then Vicki had died of an overdose and effectively sealed her thrones at the biggest party girl in school. That left Matt all alone in the world except for his friends. It was around that time, him and Bonnie became close.
"Speaking of Elena's siblings how are things with you and Jeremy?"
"What do you mean? We broke up last winter," Bonnie said tensing up at the mere mention of Jeremy's name.
"Yeah, but sometimes with exes you know."
Bonnie looked down at her hands and shook her head. "No, I haven't really seen him around."
"Cool, I get it," Matt said sounding awkward. "So what about Katherine?"
"Last, I heard she was clean. I miss her," Bonnie said, thinking how it wasn't technically a lie.
Katherine didn't want to be found and Bonnie couldn't force her.
Earlier today when she saw Katherine, she realized how true it was. Her and Katherine had always been the closest of all the girls. And after she dropped out of school, Bonnie had felt an acute sense of abandonment that was all too much like when her friend Bekah moved after the fourth grade.
"Yeah, I miss her too, but don't tell Elena I said so," Matt said with a grimace then laughed.
Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I'm not telling her. I can still remember the fights and how jealous Elena would get when Katherine would call you Matty Blue Blue."
Teasingly, Bonnie batted her lashes at Matt, who laughed.
After dinner, Bonnie walked Matt to the door. He stood lingering and shifting his car keys from one hand to the other.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing," Matt said sheepishly. "There's just this thing I've been wanting to do and I keep thinking I'll regret it if I don't."
Before Bonnie could ask him what thing, he kissed her. It was a gentle kiss to the lips and shocked she froze.
What was he doing? It was Matt.
Matt.
But he was Matt and he was her best friend, and everything about him was nice. So she kissed him back and it was nice like everything about Matt.
That's write, Power is back. The chapter are probably going to be longer and I'm going to rewrite the parts I'm not happy with. So let me know if you have anything you want to see happen. If I can't swing it in this fic, I do take kennett and bonkai requests on tumblr. I'm fireismyelement97. Let me know what you thought of this chapter. I did a lot of reworking on it and I hope its improved.
Izzy