Mary danced her way through the rest of her workweek, at which point she took home a handsome paycheck. She was a bit disappointed that it wasn't quite as much as a week's pay would have been from Jetblue, but Jewell reminded her that the really good money would come in time. And nonetheless, there was enough for Mary to repay Jewell's hundred-dollar loan.
There was also enough for her to buy groceries for the week, as well as to open a small checking account at the bank. Mary planned to use the money in this account to pay her monthly bills, so that she wouldn't have to borrow money from anyone anymore. Thus by opening the account she took her second tangible step – after the first step of getting her job at the Foxxy Laydee – toward her personal goal of financial independence.
***
The weekend schedule at the club didn't list Mary's name, even on Sunday, so she wondered what she would do to pass the time. She and Jewell had exchanged numbers at work on Friday, but there was no guarantee that her new friend would call and ask to hang out with her. And Mary didn't quite feel comfortable calling and interfering with her life. After all, Jewell had a husband to spend time with and business classes to study for.
So Mary decided instead to go on a solo sightseeing spree. After all, she was in gorgeous, sunny Southern Florida now. She might as well get to know her surroundings and blend in with the tourists for a day or two.
***
Saturday mid-morning, Mary drove downtown by herself. She remembered that a while back, one of the guys at the airport had told her the Riverwalk was a nice place with plenty to do, so she checked it out.
She ambled slowly along the smoothly surfaced walkway, gazing out upon the deep blue water as a gentle breeze passed pleasant air through her auburn hair. To her left, numerous clean, bright shops and restaurants buzzed with a mix of tourists and locals. Fort Lauderdale was really a beautiful place. "And instead of getting out and enjoying it, I'll be stuck inside a dark, smoky, sleazy strip club from ten to six every day."
Then again, if she were still working for Jetblue, things might have been worse. She would have been stuck in a cramped airplane cabin for up to twelve hours a day without much excitement, other than the suspense of wondering whether the plane would take off and land safely. The Foxxy Laydee, on the other hand, provided the illicit thrill of prancing around naked for money, and Mary found herself getting used to it much faster than she had ever expected to. So she decided she shouldn't complain.
However, after wandering into one of the Riverwalk gift shops and looking at some of the clothing and trinket prices, Mary decided she certainly hadn't saved up enough to be shopping there yet. She went back to her car, fired it up, and tried to figure out a cheap place to go that wouldn't require too much gas. The obvious answer came to her eventually: the beach. Without a map handy, she chose to follow the directions her instincts provided, figuring that she had to end up at a beach eventually. This was Florida, after all. Unfortunately, Mary's poor directional instincts led her all the way to west Broward County before she realized that she was completely lost.
As she approached what appeared to be the edge of civilization, she pulled into a gas station. A scruffy twenty-something man in overalls and a greasy t-shirt sat in front of the building, leaning back in his chair. When he noticed Mary approaching, he hastily removed his NASCAR cap and stood up.
"Could I help you, ma'am?" he asked with a slight southern drawl, lasciviously lowering his eyes to focus better on her upper torso.
And then a strange thing happened to Mary. Instead of viewing this man as she usually would have – a somewhat repugnant guy who was asking to get his face slapped – she began to view him as something else entirely: a potential customer.
She shifted her hips and answered, with a slight hint of breathlessness, "You sure could, mister. I'm just a poor, little lost girl, trying to find her way back to the big city." She batted her eyelashes in as flirty a manner as she possibly could. "If you could help me, I would be so grateful."
"Oh, I'd be more than happy to help a pretty little thing like yourself," the man grinned, showing a full set of mildly stained teeth. "Follow me."
He led her into the gas station's convenience store and picked out a Broward County map. He spread it across the countertop and pointed out the route Mary would need to take.
"Thank you so much, sweetie," Mary gushed. "Listen, I'd like to return the favor."
The man's eyes bugged out. "You would?"
"Yes. I'm an exotic dancer at the Foxxy Laydee, and I work weekdays from ten in the morning until six in the evening, and if you were to stop by and see me I would just love to give you a free dance."
"Foxxy Laydee? Isn't that one of them there strip clubs?"
"It's a nightclub which features exotic dancing, yes."
The man's eyes bugged out again and he slapped his hand down on the map. "Shoot, Maurice ain't never gonna believe it when I tell him I met me a real live stripper at work today!"
Mary fake-laughed entirely more than was necessary. Then she re-composed herself and said, "Well you just bring your friend Maurice with you when you come see me, okay? Remember, it's the Foxxy Laydee just outside downtown Fort Lauderdale, and I work weekdays."
"Don't it cost a chunk of change to get in one of them places though?"
Mary shook her head. "There's no cover charge before nine PM, so you and your friend can get in for free." She couldn't believe she remembered that. Maybe some of Clive's speeches had subconsciously sunk in.
"Well, shoot, I sure will try to come and see you, ma'am."
Mary waved and strutted toward the exit, but as she reached the door the man called out, "Hey, ma'am, what's your name?"
She spun around and shot him a confident smile. "Virgin Mary. Ask for me by name at the club, baby." Then she blew him a lusty kiss, and exited the building.