"The Gutter?" Seymour asked.
"The Gutter. It's a night spot. I used to work there on my nights off, when we weren't making much money….."
Audrey Fulquard flashbacked to a few weeks earlier.
"Well, it's six o'clock," she said quietly to her boss, Mr. Mushnik, and her co-worker Seymour. "G'night."
"Do you have a date tonight?" Mr. Mushnik asked, rather annoyed. Audrey shook her head. "No, not tonight. I'm just gonna head home."
And with that, she put on her coat and strutted out the door.
Seymour noticed Audrey was heading the opposite direction of her apartment. "Where is she going?" he wondered. He shrugged, and began to sweep the shop floor.
Audrey heard some men whistle at her as she clicked down the street in her mile-high heels and tight red dress. "Ooh, you're looking good!" one of the men called out to her. Audrey looked up at him, fear on her face, and walked a bit faster. "Goodness, I'm afraid of every man alive now," she thought. "Stupid Orin. Wait…I'm afraid of all the guys except Seymour." Audrey smiled to herself. Whenever she was feeling down, a thought of Seymour's sweet, caring face could always cheer her up.
It was almost dark out now, and Audrey walked up to the run-down brick building with a flickering red-and-blue neon sign that said "The Gutter" in cursive letters. She sighed, shook her head, and walked in. The entryway stank of smoke and sweat. Audrey coughed, overwhelmed by the scent, and walked slowly into the changing room.
A dancer named Veronica was changing into a glittery silver and gold bikini, with shimmering fringe on the bottom. She slipped on some thigh-high tights and a pair of silver heels. "Hey, Audrey," she said, a cigarette dangling from her mouth. "Hi, Ronnie," Audrey squeaked nervously. Veronica kind of scared Audrey, with the way she danced. "God, I hate this place….I just feel so dirty!" she thought to herself as she disappeared behind a curtain to change into her outfit. There were two of them hanging on the wall-one was a black leather corset and a matching set of underwear. Some fingerless gloves were on the rack, also. The other ensemble was a bright pink bikini with black X's on it. Some black leather platform heels were on the floor beneath them.
Audrey did not like the look of them at all. She went to the rack of other outfits, and chose the least risqué outfit-a short, tight turquoise minidress with a zipper down the front. She decided to wear this with white undergarments and white heels, along with her tights she was already wearing. Suddenly, her song was cued. "Audrey, you're on!" Veronica shouted. Audrey ran out of the changing room, tears in her eyes, and headed out to the stage. She got in her starting position, and the curtains rose…..