Chapter three
Girls just want to have fun
The beam of sunlight that broke through her curtains is what woke her up, and as
Cassandra rolled onto her stomach to try and hide from the light. She grunted as she reached for her phone, she could see the notification of the last text that Mickey had sent her, sending a reply she smiled for a second before catching the time. "Oh shit!" She jumped from the bed rushing for her shower.
Cleaning quickly, she brushed her teeth at the same time as washing her hair, she was used to doing everything in a rush now but knew that she had so much to do before picking up Kali from school.
Hunting through a pile of clean washing to find something to wear, she found it to be a struggle, and finally finding a dress that was a little short, so she paired it with a pair of quarter length leggings. She rushed around finding it hard to avoid the time since her apartment was full of clocks, she grabbed her bag before rushing out of the front door, then stopped turning back because she forgot bags for groceries.
Time seemed to always be slipping away from Cassandra, and for the past three years she felt like her life was moving through the motions. If she stopped for a second, she'd remember he was really gone, and a fresh pain would wash over her like a wave and knock her off her feet. So, she kept busy, she wanted to be able to provide for her little family. She never felt more grateful for Helena being in her life, she was more than a mother-in-law, when she lost her husband Angelino, it was Helena who picked up the pieces and helped her. Cassandra didn't even think of her family back in Canada, and for now she was happy to have her family here.
Walking through the market, Cassandra liked to buy her food local. She knew that time was getting on, but she seemed to manage it better on a crunch. She smiled to the stall owners; she knew most of them on a first name basis. Getting the things she needed, Cassandra quickly got them home, unpacked and noticed it was close to pick up time, as she quickly pulled a brush through her thick waves, she completely forgot to brush it when she left for the market.
Getting to the gates just in time she felt better, as always most of the mothers would give her the side eye, maybe it was because they didn't trust her, or maybe deep down they knew she wasn't born here. Cassandra on the other hand felt like she really didn't care about the way women looked at her, she broke into a smile as Kali rushing into her arms.
"Moúmia ékana mia zografikí enós vatráchou me ton Éktora (Mommy I did a painting of a frog with Hector.)" her little face lit up, her bright blue eyes and dark hair would always remind her of Angelino, so Cassandra kissed the tip of her nose.
She glance over the painting, "Loipón aftó symvaínei ston toícho.(Well this is going on the wall.)" taking the painting and carefully putting it in her tote bag, "How about we get ice cream?" She offered, it was something she always did with her.
"Yia-yia said I need to stop eating so much ice cream, or I'll have bad teeth." Kali held onto Cassandra's hand as they made their way to the normal place they go after school.
Cassandra laughed, "Well we will just have to brush our teeth extra today," she said while keeping a track of what else needed to be done. "You are staying with Yia-yia again tonight."
"Do I have to?" Kali was looking over the flavors of ice cream, even if she always would pick out the same flavor.
Cassandra sighed brushing her hand into her hair looking to the woman on the counter, "Karaméla págou kafé kai dýo koutaliés vanílias me psekasmó ouránio tóxo. (Ice coffee caramel and a vanilla two scoop with rainbow sprinkles)." Handing over the right cash getting her receipt she see Kali to a small table sitting down.
"I want to stay with you tonight mommy…" The girls eyes were wide staring up to her mother, it was Thursday, and normally Cassandra would work Thursday Friday and Saturday, but on the build up to Kali's seventh birthday, she wanted it to be special.
Kissing the top of her head, Cassandra pulled her in close hugging her, "It's only for the week, and I promise Sunday, you'll be sleeping in your favourite bed." She glanced down to her daughter, "I super promise." Her fingers holding up, she could see her daughter smile.
"Tin píres xaná gia pagotó (You took her for ice cream again)," Helena sighed as Cassandra and Kali walked into the small villa, her hands embracing her new daughter's face, "Prépei na stamatísete na tin chaláte, epeidí aistháneste áschima gia ton patéra tis (You need to stop spoiling her, because you feel bad for her father.)"
"Mitéra parakaló (Mother please)," Cassandra kissed Helena, "S'agapó pára polý gia na polemíseis. (I love you too much to fight.)" her hands touched the older woman's face. To Cassandra, Helena was her mother now.
Helena let go, "Den ítan dikó sou láthos, se agapá, allá aplá den agapoúse ton eaftó tou (It was not your fault, he loves you, but he just didn't love himself.)" her voice dropped thinking of her son.
"I should have made him fight more…" Cassandra tried to not break down, she was only here to drop off Kali.
Helena sighed, "He didn't want you to see him suffer, and didn't want to have his daughter remember him in pain."
"I'll pick her up on Sunday," Cassandra brushed her hands under her eyes, "Also," She reached into her bag taking out the picture of the frog, "The wall…"
"Yes," Helena took the frog, then see the wad of euros, "Cassandra," She put the money back into her bag, "I do this because you are my family."
Cassandra rolled her eyes, "I still feel bad," She tried to cheer herself up, "But if you don't, I'll," She stopped seeing Kali rushing into the room. "Be good for Yia-yia, and I'll see you Sunday." She kissed her daughter once more before leaving the home she missed but couldn't live their anymore.
The apartment always felt empty when Cassandra was alone, she picked this place because it wasn't too big, she didn't want too much space as she walked towards the kitchen seeing the time, and then remembering she was doing the long week for Kali. While she made herself a dinner, she sat at the table looking to where Kali would be sitting, and then she sighed.
Cassandra found the clothes she would wear to work, she didn't brag about her work, but at the same time it was a job she could pick her own hours, and because she could do it at night, she could still spend time with her daughter in the day, except the rare times she'd work a full week.
She didn't do anything illegal, but at the same time she knew private dances gave her bigger tips, so as she put her makeup bag together, she took a minute to look into the mirror at herself. This was just a good paying job; she was going to finish her online business degree and then she'd run her own business and no longer taking her clothes off for money.
Within two minutes of walking into the club she had someone's hand on her ass, "séxi kyría, to thes aftó (sexy lady, you want this?)" he muttered in a dusty tone.
Cassandra slapped his hand away, not saying anything as she got to the changing rooms, she knew that with so many different women from different parts of the world, they all thought English was the best to speak.
"Hey Gemini," Cassandra smiled to a woman with dark ebony skin, today she was wearing a long wavy red wig, and her outfit screamed mermaid fantasy.
Gemini was her stage name, the women said it was better to call each other stage names, so they didn't mess up when on the club floor. "Oh Harley…" she spoke softly, "You know Demitri has got a new DJ, and he looks like a snack." She licked her top lip seductively.
"Gemini, if you keep fucking the DJ's we're never going to keep a good one!" Cherry shouted from her mirror, the woman was pale, her skin was close to a soft peach, and her long auburn hair was running down her back.
Cassandra laughed out loud sitting down to do her own make up, "Oh Cherry…" She tried to keep it together, "You go through bouncers like no one's business."
"See," Dominque pointed out as she changed into her first stage outfit, the golden and red brought out her olive skin, her hair was short dark bob, and she had a whip on her hip, "I on the other hand, am happy I don't have to worry about it, Demitri only hires male bouncers, and DJ's." She exhaled, "But I really wouldn't touch Kylie." She added.
"Because he doesn't want to distract customers from all of us…" Gemini pointed out, "Also, Dominique, you owe me from yesterday."
Reached into her purse Dominique pulled out some euros handing them over to Gemini, "Thanks for covering me." She added while going back to the mirror to start her make up.
"I need a drink," Cassandra pulled her robe on heading out into the club, she found the guy who grabbed her was still giving her the stare, so she knew he was going to want to get a dance. "God damn it Kylie if one more guy thinks he can grab my ass, I am going to kick my heel into his…" She paused seeing the man standing at the bar and knowing him, "Mickey!" She rushed over to him being happy to see a friendly face.
"I never asked what you did for work…" He seemed confused, but then Cassandra knew she didn't give off the stripper vibe.
"I'm a single mother," Cassandra laughed, "I'm not ashamed of my job," She pointed to the woman behind the bar. "Kylie on the other hand is just dead on the inside." She paused, "Why are you here?"
"DJ job," Mickey was finishing a drink as he turned to look at the woman who was behind the bar dressed head to toe in black looking harsh, "I'm guessing she is nice once you get to know her?"
Cassandra shook her head, "No, she's pretty much what you see, what you get." Her eyes going to the woman, "Kylie," She tapped the bar, "I'd like my drink."
Mickey was dressed casually, and he was seeing the stage was ready, "So what kind of place is this?" He asked, he knew he wasn't going to be rude about it.
"The dancers, we go by our stage names, so here you can call me Harley." She paused trying not to laugh, "After a harlequin, famous in DC comics as Harley Quinn."
He laughed, "Okay I'll remember that." He felt himself watching her, "So anything I should know?" He asked wanting to take this job serious.
"How about I give you the tour." Cassandra held a handout for him, she felt strange being the same height as him with her heels on. "As you know the bar, if Kylie is on, don't worry about hurting her feelings, she has none." Her eyes going to Kylie placing the drink on the bar, and Cassandra took it. "Also, there is Scott and Derrick," She mentioned, "They normally work together on Friday and Saturday night." She giggled, "Happily married for five years now." She mentioned with a smile.
Mickey was keeping a mental note of the things she was saying, "Also when dancers request a song, always show them the tip jar, they will try sweet talking you. Most will offer you a blow job. For your own health, don't take the blow job." She stopped walking, "Also don't take crap from us, we know we're hot, and we know that most DJs take this job for the free boobs."
Mickey rubbed his hands over his head, "Free boobs," He nodded, "So how many dancers?" He asked trying to figure out how he was going to remember a lot of women here.
Cassandra was leading him to the dressing room, "We normally have a lot of dancers come and go, mostly because we don't let anyone offer sex, the second Demitri finds out they are, he blacklists them from a lot of the clubs he knows." She sighed, "And others because they can't handle the stress."
Gemini watched the door open, and Cassandra walking in with the new DJ, "Oh Harley, you brought us dinner…" she winked a smoky eye at Mickey.
"The regulars who are my friends are," Cassandra pointed out, "Gemini, she's a literal man eater," she said, "Then we got Cherry, the baby of us all, sweet twenty-one," Cherry blushed with a wave to Mickey, "Also we have Dominique." As she said it Dominique cracked her whip. "Don't worry, she tips DJ's well."
"I don't do dick," She flipped her hair trying to show her lack of interest in men.
Mickey nodded, "Noted," He now turned to a woman with short bleach blonde hair rushing into the dressing room.
Cassandra laughed, "That would be Sky," She spoke as the girl tripped and fell over, "Our newest member," She walked over helping her up.
"Thanks Harley," Her accent southern, and Mickey knew she was from America, "I had a problem with Mika again," She inhaled.
Cassandra nodded, "you want to crash at mine tonight?" She asked being serious.
"Please," Sky glanced to Mickey, "New DJ?"
"Yea," Cassandra smiled, "I'll keep him away from Gemini," She winked as Sky went to get ready for the night, "I'll see you later girls." She took Mickey's hand walking him out of the changing rooms.
"How many girls would work tonight?" He asked trying to stop himself thinking of Gemini's eyeing him on the way out.
Cassandra shrugged, "Us lot do the long night, while other's will come for peak hours, then leave." She opened a door to a pair of stairs, "Up there is Demitri's office, don't go up there unless he asks you, you're going to give him money. Or something is on fire." She shut the door again, "But I need to show you." She started to walk to another set of stairs, they weren't too long, and at the top he saw the booth. "This is your office." She joked showing him the set up.
Mickey couldn't believe it, he was looking at so much equipment, and he thought he was in a dream, "This is seriously expensive."
"Demitri believes that the quality of music will enhance the fantasy," she sat down on a chair, "Also," She threw a jar at him, and Mickey caught it quickly looking at it.
He waved it lightly, "My tips," He placed it down on a table, "So why do I feel like this is a hard job to keep?"
"Demitri doesn't like the DJ's involved with the dancers, because they become possessive and then tend to fight paying customers." She said while playing with one of her fingernails.
Mickey nodded, "So this is going to be something new for me," He was touching the setup of his dreams, and he took out his flash drive with most of his music on but glanced to the computer seeing songs were already on there. "So how many other DJ's are there?"
"You, then Petro, and Garth." Cassandra brushed her hair back, "They tend to do weekdays," She laughed, "Funny it's always the Thursday Friday and Saturday DJ we have trouble keeping." She shrugged, "Demitri closes on Sunday, as it's a holy day for him…" She tried to not laugh.
"Have you had a thing for a weekend DJ?" He was being smooth, but at the same time curious.
Cassandra shook her head, "No," She shrugged, "I've been doing this nearly four years, and I've never felt the need to fuck anyone I work with." She then heard the footsteps on the stairs seeing Demitri open the door.
"Oh, I see Harley has been showing you around," He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, "This club owes her a lot." He kissed her cheek, "But your set is in five minutes." He playfully spanked her watching her.
"I'll see you later Mickey," She reached into her pocket putting two twenty euros in his jar, "My lists is under Harley's bests." She winked walking away.
Mickey watched as she left the booth, then closed door behind her, and he smiled lightly brushing a hand into his hair.
"Don't even try," Demitri noticed Mickey's face, "She's a cold fish," He pointed out while standing closer to Mickey. "But she brings the regulars in, so I am happy she keeps my rules." He spoke curiously.
"She told me, no sex with dancers." He nodded, "But I am with someone, and I really just want the money." He tried to keep the professional tone now.
"You have kids?" Demitri asked.
"Yes, my son Hector." Mickey said, "He," He stopped not wanting to say anything else on it, but at the same time he felt like he was going to enjoy working here, "My girlfriend isn't his mother."
"Yea, I have a daughter who is sixteen now, and her mother is the spawn of Satan himself," He chuckled, "But I make good money here, and I make sure she never has to be without anything."
"I know that feeling," Mickey added trying to be cool.
Demitri looked happy, "Well you start your shift, and then I'll see you later." He walked out of the booth, and Mickey glanced to a message on the computer, it said from the bar, and it was asking him if he needed anything.
Mickey quickly answering with water, and he now went to work on starting the music for the shows to be on, and as he worked the music, he found he didn't really have time to really look at the stage, as each girl did their thing, he wasn't really thinking about them, but more of helping to get the right music.
Women did come to the booth, and Cassandra was right about the flirting, and also the fact Dominique was the best tipper, and even after refusing several times, Gemini eventually gave him a tip to play her favourite song.
The night went faster than Mickey thought it would, he took the euros from his tip jar counting them out at the bar, the club was empty of customers and the dancers were around different tables counting their own money. He couldn't believe it as he counted the three hundred euros and turned to see Cassandra joining him at the bar.
Sitting down she had a bag placing it on the bar, "Kylie can I get my sambuca bottle," She asked as Kylie passed her a shot glass and the bottle, "Another glass please." She added.
"You're the popular one," Mickey said while Cassandra opened the bag up, and see her placing a shot glass in front of him.
Cassandra shrugged, "I just see it as paying my bills," She poured out the shots and laughed, "But I am sure you've got the taste for the job seeing even the customers were tipping you." She picked her shot glass up.
Mickey doing the same as they clicked the glasses together and taking the drink. "I'm actually happy I took this gig," He watched as Cassandra was piling euros up, "Wishing I was a woman now." He laughed.
Pouring another shot she turned to look at Mickey, "Trust me it's not all glamour, I had Tony having to pull a guy off me, because he thought touching was okay if he paid extra," She took the shot and piled more cash up. "I'm pretty sure you'd hate it."
"True," Mickey watched her, "So how does it work for you?"
"I pay Demitri to dance here, he gets a hundred euros, and I keep the rest," She took the third shot, "But then I normally only work Thursday to Saturday, this week I am pulling a six days."
"What's that?" Mickey asked.
Gemini sat beside him, she took a shot glass from behind the bar pouring herself from Cassandra's bottle, "Her little baby is going to be seven, and she's working her ass to the max, so she can get her something special." She took the shot with a smile.
Mickey watched as Cassandra was now finished counting, "Seven," He then dawned on him, "Crap!" He poured himself a shot and drinking it quick.
"Don't worry, Hector's birthday is three months away," Cassandra pointed out, "The school has a board with each kids birthday, so they can make them feel special." She now poured herself another shot, "Also I love making her birthday great, she's my darlin." Her attention to Gemini now.
Gemini nodded, "Well, us girls are all chipping in to get her something too," She kissed Cassandra on the lips before heading off to the office.
Mickey wasn't shocked by this sign of affection, everyone here seemed close, and he loved that kind of bond.
"You'll become part of the family," Cassandra said putting notes back into her bag, and then leaving a hundred euros out of it, "But I'll see you tomorrow," getting to her feet, she lent in softly kissing his cheek.
"I hope so," Mickey watched her heading to the office, he then kept looking to the money in front of him, and then back to Kylie at the bar cleaning up. "You really don't talk much."
She picked the shot glasses off the bar, and gave Mickey a look over, Kylie rolled her eyes avoiding to look at him while she finished off her closing jobs.
"Mickey!" Dimitri caught him off guard, "Thank you so much," He placed one hundred euros on the table, "It's been a good night tonight," he said while glancing to Kylie packing up her bag, he placed euros on the bar as she picked them up walking away. "So do you love it?"
"I loved it," Mickey took the one hundred euros to the three hundred in tips, he was now staring at the four hundred euros, "I mean this is crazy!"
Dimitri nodded, "Just remember you need to do your own taxes," He tapped his nose, he knew a lot of people liked the cash in hand because they didn't want to declare it, but at the same time he didn't want to deal with other's taxes on top of his own.
"I'll do that," Mickey placed the money in his wallet finding it hard to close now, but as he turned to Dimitri he had to ask. "So. I've got the job?"
"Yes, now go home." Dimitri waved his hand towards the door, "And don't be late tomorrow." He pointed out as he now headed back to his office, he had a lot to do before he could go home.