Hey guys! New chapter :) Hope ya'll are enjoying it :) ~Sailor xoxo

The greasy owner who took my application only glanced at it before asking me some questions.

"What you doing here?"

"Oh I thought you were looking for a waitress?"

"No, no, no. What are you doing in L.A?"

"Oh…well honestly I want to be an actress" I smiled.

He then threw my application back at me.

"No sorry"

"What? Why? I have experience at a waitress" I snipped.

"We ain't got no time for employees who have got one eye on those big studio executives and are not fully focused on the job" he sniffed.

I looked around at this place. It didn't seem like you needed a master's degree to bust a few tables but I sensed this guy had some underlying issue with girls who wanted to be actresses so I didn't press it. I swiped up my application and stormed out back to my apartment. The woman behind the counter didn't inquire as to how I got on.

I'm not going to lie; the next few days were just awful. I was rejected as a waitress and shop assistant from more places than I care to mention. I was nearly a week in L.A and nothing was going to plan. I was running low on money and rent was eating a lot of that. I needed a job and fast. I had just come from another failed interview and I took a wrong turn onto a street. The first thing I noticed was a huge what looked like a nightclub but more importantly I noticed a 'help wanted' sign in the window. Slapsy Maxies was in big letters across the front. I walked in and the people behind the bar were preparing it for the evening. It looked more like a restaurant.

"Hi, I noticed a help wanted sign in the window" I said to one of the barmen.

"Oh yea, they're looking for someone for in the back" he said pointing to the curtain at the other end of the room.

"Through there?" I pointed.

"Yup, just walk straight through and they'll deal with you" he said continuing to wipe glasses.

I pulled back the heavy velvet curtain and a bigger room opened with a stage and tables scattered around. This was more like a bar area.

"Can I help you?" a youngish man in a sharp suit asked. I had a feeling they were more used to males frequenting this part of the place than someone like me.

"Em yes, I was just inquiring about your help wanted sign" I said feeling slightly intimidated as the rest of the barmen stopped what they were doing and looked at the man in the suit approach me.

"Ah yes, we need a waitress. We serve mostly drinks here so we need someone to clear tables and take orders"

"I can do that"

He looked me up and down and I suddenly felt very exposed.

"Hmm…" he mused to himself. "Now, there is another element to this job but we'll discuss that if you pass the first stage" he said leading me into the back.

I was slightly suspicious but I desperately needed a job. We sat in a small office and he asked me some questions. One that were identical to the ones I had been asked previously so I knew how to answer them.

"So what brought you to L.A? It's obvious you're not from around here"

I hesitated for a moment. The last time I answered this truthfully, I was told this ruined my chances of my job but I couldn't think of another reason.

He looked at me as if urging me for a reason.

"Honestly?" I said half-jokingly.

"Please" he smiled.

"I want to be an actress" I said quietly.

A smile emerged, to my surprise, on his face.

"I was hoping you were going to say that" he said sitting back in his chair.

"Really?" I gasped, totally relieved.

"Yes, because if you remember I said there was another element to this job. Well, we need a waitress but we also need a backup performer if someone can't go on. We've had problems with this before and we've had no one to replace them, so our customers are not happy that after a long day at work they can't come in have a drink and listen to some….music and the sorts"

"Well…I don't know…"

"Listen, it only happens occasionally. Mainly you'll be taking drink orders and whatnot but this is just case. And you're an actress so this shouldn't phase you at all" he smiled.

He called me an actress and I couldn't help but smile. This guy knew how to charm people to do whatever he wanted and looking back, I was totally taken in when he said that.

"Well I think I could handle that" I grinned.

"Amazing! Come in tonight and we'll give you a practice run" he said sitting forward and shaking my hand.

I got up and headed for the door.

"Oh what's the uniform?" I said just as I opened it.

"Well…" he said looking me up and down again. You're not too skinny which is nice, if you don't mind me saying. Have you got a black skirt, not too short but short enough?"

"Em, yes I have a sort of pencil skirt but it's not too long"

"Perfect and you'll just need to wear a white blouse and tuck it into the skirt and some plain black heels. You got a nice hourglass figure, gotta show it off. Especially since we do get a few movie executives in occasionally" he smirked.

"Brilliant!" I said, my eyes lighting up. "I'll be here tonight"

"6 o clock" he said waving me out.

I left, finally feeling like things were falling into place. The problem was I now had no idea how to get home from here.

At 5.45 and many directions from many different people, I eventually found myself outside Slapsy Maxies. It had two huge spot lights outside and a red carpet where cars would pull up. Now this was Hollywood. I walked up to the door to a barrage of whistles. I suppose my skirt was a bit too tight.

"Hold it, where are you going?" said the bouncer looking me up and down.

"I'm starting work here tonight"

"Oh right, in the back yea?"

"Um, yea"

"Go ahead"

I walked in and saw a few guys head turn as I walked by while they were having dinner with their girlfriends. I was beginning to like L.A.

I walked through the curtain and saw a woman half-dressed on the stage dancing while the audience, mostly men looked on. I had never experienced anything like this before. Back home, I remember one woman was spotted walking through the town with a low cut dress and people branded her horrible names and isolated her from society. Here, the rampant sexuality was just accepted. This would take some getting used to.

The head barmen called me over and started showing me the ropes.

"Who are the main customers here?" I said looking around.

"Cops a lot of the time"

I glanced at him and he felt it needed further explanation.

"This place can be a lonely city" he simply said before handing me a tray and telling me to go around and pick up the empties.

The first time I walked around, I clutched the tray to me and picked up one glass at a time ignoring all the sounds around me. By the time the first hour had passed, I was moving and shaking to the music and spinning the tray on my hand.

"You're a natural" smiled a younger bar tender as I dropped more glasses off for him to wash as the woman on stage lost more of her clothes.

I saw a stream of light suddenly shine on the floor as the doormen opened the curtain for a new entrant. I sort of recognised him and I saw him glance at me before taking a seat.

"You got a new customer" said the bartender as he placed a whiskey on my tray as if he knew. This guy must come in a lot.

I walked over and I saw his eyes fix on my legs as I approached. I placed the whiskey in front of him to which he gestured thanks to the barman.

"Well you've certainly moved up in the world" he smiled throwing a five on my tray.

"Excuse me?"

"Well as opposed to the shaking poor lamb we found being hunted by predators outside Union Station" he said sipping his drink.

I squinted at him and it hit me.

"You're that cop!" I exclaimed. "Jerry Wooters" I smiled.

"Yes" he laughed slightly.

"Wow, well small world" I said spotting an empty glass on the table opposite him.

"How'd you manage to pull a job here?"

"They needed a waitress" I shrugged.

"Hmm…I know the owner; I'm assuming the uniform was his suggestion"

"Yes it was" I said looking down at my skirt.

"I thought so" he said taking a sip of his drink.

"I have to admit though; this is a very strange place for me to be working. I'm just not used to how lose things are here"

"Well you seem to be fitting in"

I noticed more glasses being emptied so I made my exit.

"Well Mr Wooters if you need anything just call, I'll be around"

"Will do and good luck with the job"

"Thanks" I smiled and started back again picking up glasses.

He threw his hat on the table, lit a cigarette and sat back watching the half-naked lady dance around but I could tell his attention was only half there. He didn't seem that interested. I suppose the barman had a point, L.A might be a lonely place from time to time.