Chapter 14 - Calm Before The Storm
"Good, Emma!" Punk shouted, punctuating the impact of AJ's fall and making it hurt just a fraction more than it should have. "Come on, AJ, " he added immediately, not accepting her defeat even for a second. "It's not how you fall, it's how you get back up."
AJ scrambled, putting every ounce of energy into establishing a defensive position, looking for any opportunity to turn it back into offense. Emma was strong, but AJ was faster and more agile.
"That's it." Punk encouraged her. "Recover."
After a few more minutes, they ended their first sparring session with a handshake, and Punk had them review their own performances while they cooled down.
"I have to speed up." said Emma in a worried tone, as if she's only just realized how much further she had to go.
"You're powerful, but your opponent will slip away while you're setting up." Punk agreed.
"I felt like I was avoiding the whole time." AJ admitted. "I have to connect my responses to what she's doing."
"That's the only way you're going to score points." Punk reminded her. "Don't just prevent the attacks. Use them to your advantage."
He reminded them both not to be discouraged, because they had both made a huge leap already. After a brief discussion about scheduling their joint sessions, they were done for the day.
"Hey." Punk said quietly to AJ, allowing Emma to head to the locker room by herself. "Do you think it went well?" he asked his long term student.
AJ nodded. She felt good; knowing what she had to work on hadn't brought her down at all, it had merely given her new goals.
"Yeah." she said happily.
"You're not mad at me for throwing you into it without warning?" Punk asked, in a rare sheepish moment.
AJ smiled. "No. It was what I needed."
"Good." said Punk, smirking proudly. "This is only going to make you better."
AJ met up with Kaitlyn in the locker room, where Kaitlyn was already dressed and waiting for her.
"I saw Punk had a little surprise for you today." Kaitlyn said, glancing up from her phone while AJ opened her locker. "How'd it go?"
"It was really good." said AJ, smiling Kaitlyn's way. "The boys were right. We should have been sparring all along."
"I think Randy and Punk have a little competition going." Kaitlyn told her. "Randy asked me today if I wanted to consider finding a partner."
"Ohhh, what kind of 'partner,' Kaitlyn?" AJ teased her.
"Randy had his chance." Kaitlyn murmured distractedly, typing another text message. "I already found one of those..."
Emma returned from the showers before AJ could do any more teasing. Introductions were made, during which Kaitlyn learned that Emma had just moved from Australia and didn't know many people in town. So Kaitlyn gave Emma an open invitation to hang out with them whenever they were all free. Emma blushed, chuckling softly as she thanked Kaitlyn. After awkwardly excusing herself to go get dressed, Kaitlyn and AJ remained politely quiet until she had gone on her way.
"She seems nice." said Kaitlyn.
"She's really sweet." AJ confirmed. "She kicked my ass though."
"Aw. You just need a training montage to get you back on the right track."
On the way to AJ's house, Kaitlyn handed over her phone and let AJ read all of Roman's texts. AJ joked that they both seemed desperate, and they laughed the entire way, imagining different scenarios in which Kaitlyn would have to disappoint Roman, wondering how many nights he'd wait for her. But nothing was going to stop her tonight; Kaitlyn swore on her life she would hook up with Roman, even if it took all night.
"You better hope it takes all night." AJ joked.
"Is that your uncle's truck?" Kaitlyn asked as she pulled up to the curb in front of AJ's house. AJ glanced up as she handed Kaitlyn her phone back, and she smiled lightly.
"Yeah," she said, recognizing Dallas' truck. He'd been spending a lot more time with the family lately, catching up on old times. She liked that he was back in town, but something about the situation - her mother being sick, his sudden appearance - made her uneasy for a reason she couldn't pin down. The three of them - Dallas, Mick and Elizabeth - all seemed to put on exaggerated smiles when she came around, like they didn't want her to know what they'd been talking about.
"Everything okay with the fam?" Kaitlyn asked, sensing some hesitation from her friend.
"Yeah." AJ said distractedly. Pushing her worries from her mind, she turned to Kaitlyn. "Are you going to see Roman after work?" she asked.
Kaitlyn smiled, already back to typing furiously with her thumbs. AJ chuckled, and gave her friend a kiss on the cheek.
"See you tonight." AJ told her. "Don't text and drive!"
Dinner with the folks - Mom, Dad and honorary uncle - was pleasantly uneventful. For a few hours AJ was able to forget there was anything wrong with Mom. Either her parents' interactions with Dallas were becoming more natural, or the three of them were getting better at hiding whatever it was they talked about when AJ wasn't there. She tried not to think about it. Even if they were dealing with something private, something about their past, she wasn't going to bring it up. They all had enough to worry about without causing more drama.
And they sure weren't the only ones with a secret. When Kaitlyn came back to pick her up for work, Dallas asked where they were headed. AJ repeated the same lie she told her parents, when they'd first asked. A new-ish club, downtown. The name AJ mentioned didn't ring a bell for Dallas, and Elizabeth joked that he wasn't allowed there anyway, none of them were.
"It's for a younger crowd." Elizabeth explained.
"You ever done security for them?" Dallas asked Mick, in all innocence.
Mick chuckled. "I'm not pretty enough to work that door."
"Oh, come on." Dallas teased him. "A new shirt, hair cut, get that one tooth fixed? You'd be a model."
"You leave my husband alone!" Elizabeth scolded her friend with a light tap on Dallas' shoulder.
AJ laughed at the exchange, even though discussing the topic always made her nervous. She was relieved when Dallas changed the subject, starting in on one of his classic tales of life on the road.
AJ and Kaitlyn were both on the schedule to host and wait tables as usual. The Bella twins were on stage rehearsing while AJ helped set up tables on the floor with Cameron and Layla. Cameron was mostly standing around and flirting with the new bouncer, until a cranky Layla snapped at her to do her share.
"Girl, b-"
"Don't. Say it." Layla interrupted Cameron. Cameron flipped her hair and rolled her eyes but knew better than to reply. Erick watched it all and chuckled to himself, his smile almost visible behind his beard. He picked up another tray of clean glasses from the kitchen and carried it to the bar, where Kaitlyn was stocking the shelves.
It was beginning like any other night at the Kitten Club, but Punk was not the only one with a surprise for AJ that day.
She could feel Vicki lurking near the bar. Their boss was strolling around with feigned innocence and sweetness, smiling at her employees and measuring every move they made. AJ tried to ignore her, and continued moving tables into place with Layla.
"Miss April," Vicki eventually called to her in a sickly sweet tone. "May I see you in my office?"
"Good luck with that." Layla muttered darkly, giving AJ a knowing look.
AJ took a moment to gather herself, after the initial spike of fear. She followed Vicki to her office, and told herself she would laugh with Kaitlyn later about how she felt like a lamb being led to slaughter.
"Take a seat." Vicki commanded, her sweet smile persisting as she closed her office door behind them. AJ pulled at the frayed hems of her cut-off denim short-shorts and did as she was told. When her butt hit the seat, she was once again reminded of her morning sparring session, and she almost whimpered from the pain. She sat up straight and tried to ignore that stabbing feeling in her right side from all the times Emma had knocked her over earlier that day.
"How are you doing today, April?"
"I'm fine, Ms. Guerrero."
"That's good. Are you feeling comfortable here at the Kitten Club?"
Uh oh.
Both she and Kaitlyn had received this talk before. AJ knew where it was heading, and all she could do was play along and wait for it to be over without promising too much or too little. Flashing back to her elementary school gymnastics class, AJ prepared to walk the balance beam.
"Of course, it's great here." AJ lied.
"That's good, April. But sometimes, it's not so good. Sometimes we get too comfortable, don't we?"
Uuughh...
"What I'm getting at, Miss April, is that you have become very good at taking drink orders. But when the customers ask for a little more, you always tell them no. Now, if you were a customer here, how would you like it if all you heard was 'no'?"
AJ could have answered with the first sarcastic comment that popped into her head, but even if she wanted to do so, Vicki tended to talk without stopping until her point was made. To Vicki's credit, she was trying to be nice. That's how you knew she was trying to manipulate you. The yelling was easier to take in comparison.
"I'm not just selling drinks and dances here," Vicki went on. "I'm selling personality. I want every customer to choose their special girl and return to us knowing they are going to get a special treat if they spend enough money. Do you know how many guys ask for private time with Kelly after watching her dance?"
"All of them?" AJ guessed.
"Almost!" Vicki exclaimed, her voice growing more shrill the more excited she got. "And April, my sweet April, do you know how many of these customers ask for a private dance from you, after merely watching you serve drinks?"
The answer was a lot. They usually asked her directly, and her answer was always No, I'm just a server. Then she would smile apologetically, serve as quickly as possible and move on to the next table.
"I know that we all play a role here, and the role that you chose to play is the sweet little girl next door. But you have actual training in gymnastics and dance. Do you know how much money you leave on the table when you turn those customers down?" Vicki asked.
"I-" AJ stammered, trying to come up with an excuse that Vicki would buy.
"April..." Vicki interrupted again. "We've had this conversation before. I know this is not what you want to do for the rest of your life. I know this is not even what you want to do right now. All of my girls, they're saving up for college, or to take care of their families, just like I did when I was their age. You're still young, April. You need to take advantage of that body while you still have it."
"I'm just...not interested in that part of the business, Ms. Guerrero."
The tone in the room changed then; as Vicki's patience dwindled, so did the sweet, high-pitched lilt in her voice. The concerned guidance counselor disappeared, replaced by the queen bee that lurked beneath the surface.
"I don't need you to be interested in the job, April. I just need you to do it. You're not just missing out on money for yourself; you're costing me my percentage too."
AJ's blood dropped in temperature. Was Vicki actually going to fire her this time?
"I don't want to lose you, April. You're one of my most popular servers. But I need girls who are willing to do the whole job, not just what they feel like doing. This goes for your friend Kaitlyn, too. You're not irreplaceable. There are plenty of girls who are willing to do what it takes."
"Will I get paid a higher wage if I participate?"
"Sweetie," Vicki said slowly, as if to a child. "We all work for tips here. The harder you work, the more money you'll make. It's really quite simple..."
Vicki droned on, and AJ sat and listened. The most AJ would promise is that she'd think about it. Vicki said she'd give her a few more days, but after that they would have to seriously think about whether or not this was the right place for her.
When she left Vicki's office, AJ was almost in tears. With her mother sick again, she needed this job more than ever. Even without the extra money from body shots and private dances, it was the best paying server position she could find in town. She would have to work twice as many hours at a normal restaurant or bar to even come close...
"Hey, muffin." Layla said as AJ returned to the tables. "You okay?"
AJ nodded, letting her hair fall over her face to hide her stress.
"Don't let the old bag get to you." Layla told her. "What was it this time, boobs not big enough?"
"No, it's-"
Before AJ could answer, Vicki emerged and called for Kaitlyn. AJ made eye contact with her friend as she walked around the bar. Even Erick looked a little worried as Kaitlyn went into Vicki's office.
"Ah." Layla said, putting two and two together. She stole another glance at AJ. "She won't really fire you, you know. And, even if she did...it's not the only gig in town, right?" She leaned over the table so she could whisper. "You're better than this place. Never forget that."
AJ smirked sadly, grateful for Layla's attempt at a pep talk even if there was no buying it.
"I need to keep working," said AJ. "At least for a little while longer."
"Well," Layla sighed. "If you need any pointers...I taught Kelly everything she knows."
AJ looked up, and smiled when Layla winked at her.
After work, some of the girls went to a nearby diner that was open twenty-four hours. For some of them it was a happy occasion, or a well deserved cheat meal. For others it was a much needed pig-out to cheer themselves up, or to wallow in their miseries.
"Seriously, the biggest tip I have ever gotten for a single private dance!" Nikki exclaimed again.
Cameron sipped her soda through a long straw and smirked, an icy, jealous look in her eyes. "You gonna treat us to this meal, Nikki?"
"Yeah right." Nikki replied sarcastically without looking at Cameron. She reached for another french fry and smiled to herself. "I earned that money, and it's going into my boob fund."
"Keep eating fries, you won't need implants..." Cameron muttered under her breath.
"Who were you dancing for?" Kaitlyn asked Nikki, talking over Cameron so no one else would notice.
"This new client, I think he's a football player..."
Across the table, AJ was quietly thinking to herself, and Brie was downright sullen.
"Bad day at the office?" Kelly joked. AJ chuckled, but Brie ignored the comment.
"I got the dreaded speech from Vicki again." said AJ.
"Aww, there's nothing to be afraid of." Kelly assured her. "You should think about it."
AJ was about to explain herself, when Brie spoke up suddenly.
"If she doesn't want to do it, she shouldn't do it." Brie's tone was sharp, as if Kelly's attitude and AJ's complaints both offended her. Everyone glanced over, Nikki's own explanation interrupted.
"I just meant..." Kelly started hesitantly, stung by Brie's words. "Erick and Big E are there to protect us -"
"What if she doesn't want to be treated like a whore?" Brie interrupted again.
"Briiie..." Nikki groaned, as if she'd heard this before.
"It's not that." AJ tried speaking up for herself again. "I just - "
"Not everyone gets off on that," Brie paved over her. She looked pointedly at her sister. "No matter how much it pays."
"Brie!" Nikki scolded her, somehow managing to turn her name into three syllables. Her twin's chair scraped loudly on the tile floor as she stood up.
"I'm going home." Brie told the group.
"Let me drive you." Cameron said, rising quickly and following Brie toward the door.
"Who's paying for your soda?" Nikki demanded, shouting at the backs of their heads.
"Don't be so stingy, Miss Money Bags!" Cameron shot back.
"I'll pay for it." Kaitlyn said calmly to Nikki as the two girls left the restaurant.
"The money's not the point!" Nikki insisted. "God! I can't take her attitude anymore."
"What...the hell just happened?" AJ asked Nikki, still floored by Brie's comments. They'd never been great friends with Cameron to begin with, so they knew the attitude Nikki referred to had to be Brie's.
"Yeah, we need details right now." Kelly agreed.
Nikki sighed and pouted.
"You guys..." Nikki said. "You have to promise not to say a word, of what I'm about to tell you."
AJ, Kaitlyn and Kelly - the only other girls left - all exchanged glances.
"We promise." Kaitlyn said, leaning a little closer to Nikki. The look of preemptive guilt on Nikki's face had them very curious.
"Do you remember that Mexican guy that used to come to the club? He was super rich, always brought two other guys with him?"
"Alberto?" Kelly asked, brow furrowing.
"Alberto del Rrrrio." Kaitlyn corrected her, rolling the R in an exaggerated way, the way they all had when del Rio was still a frequent client.
"Right." said Nikki, not in a joking mood. "Well, we all know Brie was his favorite. He basically put her on reserve, which Vicki was happy to do. I don't know what he whispered in her ear, but Brie started telling me Alberto was going to take her with him to Mexico, marry her, give her this whole new life..."
Kaitlyn's eyes were widening as AJ's eyebrows went up.
"Nikki..." Kelly said.
"No, I know!" Nikki interrupted. "I tried to tell her he was just saying that so he wouldn't have to pay Vicki anymore. He kept buying her gifts and telling her about his estate in Mexico. I would hear about it every fucking night, and believe me, I tried to tell her it was just a fantasy."
Kelly grimaced, familiar with the scenario. "Ugh, hon, I'm so sorry."
Nikki rolled her eyes and sighed again. "So, obviously, Brie thought they were dating, and he didn't have to come to the club anymore."
"That's why he disappeared?" Kaitlyn asked.
"We were wondering why he stopped showing up." AJ confessed.
"That was part of it." said Nikki. "For a few weeks, Brie was ready to move to Mexico. She was just waiting for him to make the plans. But the last time she saw him, he said he was moving back to Mexico...to be with his wife."
"What?" AJ squawked.
"Fuuuuck..." Kaitlyn sat back in her chair.
Nikki shook her head. "It was so bad."
"So that's why Brie...?" Kelly trailed off, not sure how to describe it without making it sound worse.
"She had her heart broken by a guy who just wanted to fuck a stripper on the side. And now she doesn't want to work at the Kitten Club anymore, because we're all worthless whores." Nikki picked up a fry, but she couldn't bring herself to eat it. She threw it back on the plate and sat back with her arms crossed.
"So..." AJ said slowly, glancing around at the awkward midnight dinner guests. "That's a vote against me doing private dances?"
Nikki smiled sadly. "Babe, if you want the money, you should try it. But it's not for everyone. If it's going to make you feel bad about yourself, just stick to what you're comfortable with."
"I just don't think I'd be very good at it."
"You don't have to be a ballerina." Kelly said with a good-natured giggle. "As long as you can rub up against them in time to the music, you're considered a pro."
Even Nikki smiled at that one. Kaitlyn smiled at her best friend and took a sip of water.
"Are you really considering it?" she asked.
AJ shrugged. After Vicki's lecture, Nikki's big tip and Brie's horror story, she was more confused than ever.
"They would looove you." Nikki said, giving AJ a platonic once-over from where she sat. "That tight little ass would look so good in a g-string!"
"Nikki!" AJ scolded her, laughing as her cheeks reddened.
"Just saying!" Nikki said defensively, tossing a fry toward the petite one.
"Let us teach you!" Kelly said excitedly.
"Yeah, you want a lap dance right now?" Nikki joked, always ready to make a sexy scene in public.
AJ rolled her eyes and laughed, wishing she was as naturally exhibitionistic as those girls.
"I mean, look at this!" Nikki exclaimed, pulling a wad of crisp bills from her purse and waving them at her companions.
"Holy shit!" Kaitlyn shouted around her water straw. "All from one dance?"
Nikki smiled smugly, nodded and fanned herself with the money. "All for doing what I love." she sighed happily.
After another hour of discussion about the pros and cons of the Kitten Club - including a detailed description of that generous football player's perfect physique - the girls broke up the party. Kelly was having an intense text conversation, judging by the way she kept smiling to herself every time she checked her phone. It reminded Kaitlyn to check her phone.
"Are you still talking to Dean?" Nikki asked AJ, remembering their flirtation at the party.
"Oh, yes." AJ said suggestively, giving a smug smile of her own.
"Lucky bitches." Nikki teased them. "I'll be spending the night being ignored by Brie."
"That's what vibrators are for." Kaitlyn reminded her, patting her on the head as they all stood up.