Tori's POV.
I looked down at my phone just as Vince came through the curtains to the changing rooms and smiled widely at me.
"Caramel!" He said happily, making me look over at him. "You made Showgirl of the month again," he told me and my eyebrows raised in shock.
"I've been here three months, and I've made it there a second time?" I questioned him.
"The votes don't lie. Your double act is a hit!"
I couldn't help but feel giddy, butterflies erupting in my stomach just the way they did when Jade always looked at me.
Shaking out of my thoughts, I stood up after setting my phone back on the dressing table and patted him on the shoulder. "Is my set ready?"
"Sure is, sweet cheeks," he said, pinching my cheek lightly and I couldn't help but smile.
I never meant to be working at a strip club for long, but I felt a rush when I performed.
Sure, I lied to Jade and let her believe that I'd only just started, but she didn't need to know that I actually landed the job three and a half months ago.
Vince caught me singing in the grocery store while waiting to pay for my basket full of things and if he weren't a handsome man, I would have ignored him. He told me about how he could pay me to sing in front of people, and keep whatever tip money they gave me.
I told him I'd think about it as he handed me a card with all the information on it and we went our separate ways after that.
That was until I caught Trina taking money from my bag that I left in my locker while I went to the bathroom.
I called him up that afternoon and was asked to come down to the place and see it. I lied to my parents and Trina about just going out to see my friends.
When I got to the building, it took me by surprise, but Vince reassured me that I didn't have to dance, I could just sing.
And that's how it started. It only lasted six weeks before I caved and asked him to allow me to dance also. He hesitated, not thinking I was ready, but after pulling out my trusty Fake ID and showing him I was of age and more than ready, he allowed it.
Quickly, I became a requested act. With my singing and dancing, I made a few of the other workers jealous at how quickly I reached the top. It didn't bother me though.
Pulling myself back to reality as the announcer called me out, I walked out on stage, pulling a headset on, adjusting the microphone to be closer to my mouth and stepped up to the pole.
After my first act, I walked back through to the dressing room, pulling the headset off my head and rubbing behind my ear where it would press and cause me slight discomfort. I set it over on its hook and turned towards my dresser, smiling when I saw one of the other ladies already counting a decent amount of cash.
"Hey Ruby," I smiled, looking at the blonde.
"Caramel, nice set. You sing professionally?"
"Uh- It's not really a profession yet, I mean... I've done the national anthem. Sort of," I shrugged.
"I thought you looked familiar!" She chirped before standing up and patting me on the shoulder as she passed me. "Keep it up. You're gonna be big someday soon, I feel it."
Ruby was the one that taught me to dance, to connect with the audience while I danced, and who gave me some techniques that had both men and women throwing cash at me. She was the first one who became my friend here.
"Caramel," Vince called, poking his head into the dressing room.
"Yeah?" I asked as I grabbed my bag, rolling up the wad of cash that I pulled from my bra and panties, shoving it deep under my clothes.
"You've been requested for a private dance. Three minutes to change and get a drink. Room C." With that information, I quickly changed into a red lace matching set, pulled a dark red silk robe onto myself and tied it before I made my way down to the bar, tapping on the counter.
"Tyson," I called over the loud music, grabbing the bar-mans attention.
"Whaddup, sweetheart?" He smiled at me at he spoke. He really was the sweetest.
"Can I just get a glass of water real quick?"
"Sure thing, honey," he said as he grabbed a glass from beneath the counter and filled it with some water before bringing it over to me and setting it on the bar. "Busy?"
"Already been requested for a private show," I told him as I down the water and smiled at him before handing the glass back. "See you on break?"
"Sure thing," he smiled and went back to serve a customer before I made my way down the hallways to the private rooms.
Something didn't sit right for me as I made my way down the hallway, and I couldn't quite place the feeling.
I took a deep breath and stepped into the room, pushing the door shut behind me before flicking a switch, the dimmed yellow lighting changing to reds, purples and blues.
"What'll it be, honey?" I asked as I made my way over to the chair that was facing the opposite wall, running my fingers across the person's shoulder. I then moved to slowly pull the robe off my body to give them a small show out of it.
They didn't talk, but only shifted a little at my touch. "Do you like being touched?" I asked, watching them shake their head but after a moment, they shrugged and said 'sometimes,' softly. So soft that I couldn't work out if it were a male or female.
That didn't bother me though. I allowed the robe to drop to my ankles, nudging it away with my heel.
"Is this your first time?" They nodded, and I smiled.
"Well, do you know what you want to see?" I watched as they slowly pulled the hood of their sweatshirt back from covering their face, my breath catching painfully in my throat.
"I liked your song," Jade said, her eyes looking over my body, her tongue darting out to moisten her lips.
I quickly brought my hands up to cover myself, a little self-conscious in front of the goth.
"I-wh-what are you doing here, Jade?" I snapped and grabbed my robe, quickly slipping it on and tying it around myself.
"I could ask you the same thing, Vega... Or should I say Caramel?" Her eyebrow quirked and I sunk to my knees in front of her, wrapping my arms around myself.
"You followed me?" I asked in disbelief.
"Yeah," she nodded, bringing a hand up to cup my cheek. "Why are you here?"
"Cause being here actually makes me feel good. It's not dirty here, the customers tip well, and I get to sing while I perform," I said as I played with the end of the tie from my robe.
"Yeah, okay, and being the 'Showgirl Of The Month' when you lead me to believe you've been working here less than a week?" She asked, using air quotes. "How long have you really been here?"
"Three and a half months," I said before pulling my lower lip between my teeth.
"Why?" Her voice was sharp, just like that first day we met while I was trying to rub the spilled coffee off Beck's shirt.
"I needed the cash, at first it started out with just singing, but I needed extra cash to pay for things because no, I don't get an allowance, I have to earn it all myself. My parents stopped giving me anything when they got a divorce." I huffed and sat on the floor properly, stretching my legs out in front of me, crossing my feet at my ankles.
"Divorced? Why have you never said anything?"
"To give you more ammo to throw at me?" I ran a hand through my hair that had come loose during the last dance and took the tie out of it, slipping it onto my wrist so I could continue to play with my hair while I watched Jade try to process everything.
"So what do you do in these rooms?"
"Dance, mostly... Sometimes we'll get a client who just needs someone to talk too. It's cheaper than therapy," I chuckled and shrugged at Jade's wide eyes. "Yeah, strange, I know."
"What's the most you've done?" She asked, and I cleared my throat, looking down at my hands.
"Some lady paid me extra to go down on her," I muttered, and Jade's jaw dropped.
"And did you?"
"I needed money to pay for my car," I said and nodded slowly.
"How was it?" She asked, and judging by the look on her face. Her question surprised herself just as much as it did me.
"I may be gay, Jade... But I don't find pleasure in going down on every female. Especially when I like someone, everyone else just feels wrong to be around. But it's decent money, I get to make my own hours if I can't fit the schedule they've given me, and Vince and his husband Tyson are sweethearts who don't treat me like a whore like some of the other clubs treat their women."
"You've worked at other clubs?" She asked, her voice raising slightly.
"What? No, Ruby, my friend here moved to this club because the last one she worked at treated her so poorly," I said with a shrug. "It's nice here," I stood and quickly threw my hair up into a braid, shaking my head a little at the absurdity. "How much did you pay to rent out the room?"
"Not much, why?"
"Because I'm getting you your money back, you shouldn't be here. How did you even get in the club?"
"How did you?" She smirked, and I rolled my eyes.
"So we both have Fake ID's... Just- Jade, please..."
"I won't tell anyone," she whispered, making me smile softly.
"I have a set in an hour... I need to get ready soon and have my break before I go on. Do you want to meet me out at the bar? I'll get you a drink and something to eat?" I offered, and she shrugged as she gathered her wallet and phone from the floor by the seat, tucking them into the waistband of her skirt.
"Sure," she nodded and followed me out of the room.
"Gary," I said, turning to the security guard that stood in the hallway in case something were to go wrong within the rooms.
"Yes, Caramel?" He asked me, eyeing Jade with caution.
"Show this fine lady here the booth in the back and get her whatever she wants, I'll cover her," I smiled at the man and patted squeezed his hand gently before turning to Jade.
"Enjoy the show, dear," I winked at her and made my way down the other end of the hallway towards the changing rooms.
AN: I'm writing as fast as I can for this fic, I always try to have at least two more chapters written before I update.
Please, review, let me know how you're liking it. It gives me the motivation to continue writing so I don't end up with yet another unfinished story.