Monday morning Mary awoke excited to go to work. "I'm going to have all kinds of new customers today. Clive and Jewell and Belinda are going to be so surprised."
She went through her usual morning routine: shower, hair, makeup, clothes. Then she ate her usual breakfast – skim milk and a peach – while enjoying the gentle morning breeze on her balcony. Normally she would have at least glanced through the local newspaper while she ate, but this morning her mind was too busy wandering ahead to work. She could hardly wait to tell Jewell about all the new customers she had procured over the weekend.
However, she didn't have to wait long. Her phone rang unexpectedly, and Jewell was the caller.
"Hey, Jewell. What's up?"
"Listen, Mary, I know this is short notice, but I wanted to let you know I won't be at work this morning. In fact, I'm not going to work day shifts anymore. My friend Corinne just got out of…um, well, she's been sick for a while but now she's better, and Clive decided to put her on night shift so she can make up for the money she lost while she was out. I'm going to move back to night shift too so I can be there for her if she needs me, even if it means I have to miss a few night classes."
Mary was slightly dumbfounded at the sudden news. Other than Cynthia, Jewell had been the only dancer she had really talked to or gotten to know at the club. Suddenly, without her new best friend being there, the prospect of going to work this morning didn't seem so appealing. All she could manage to say in response to Jewell's announcement was, "Oh."
Sensing her friend's disappointment in just that one simple word, Jewell tried to assuage her. "It won't be so bad, Mary, I promise. I switched shifts with another dancer, and she agreed to take over mentoring you. Her name is Lady Deelicious. You'll love her. She's a real trip."
Unsure she was ready to take on meeting yet another new person, Mary swallowed nervously. But it didn't sound like she really had any choice in the matter. She sighed and said, "Okay. I guess I need to start meeting some of the other girls anyway."
"That's the spirit! And I also wanted to tell you that Clive and I are throwing a party at our house after the club closes on Friday night. You're definitely invited."
"Oh, thanks!" Mary struggled to remember for a minute, then gave up and asked, "Um, what time does the club close on Friday again?"
"Four A.M."
"Really? Wow. That's kinda late, but maybe I'll swing by."
"Great. I'll have Clive give you directions before Friday. Well, knock 'em dead out there, and I guess I'll see you at shift change."
"Yeah. See ya."
***
Not knowing quite what to expect from her first shift without Jewell being there to support her, Mary arrived at the Foxxy Laydee and nervously entered its dark doors. She waved hello to Sheba at the front desk, then walked apprehensively down the red hallway back toward the dressing room.
Clive was waiting there to greet her excitedly. "Mary, good morning! I know Jewell already called to give you the heads-up about this, so I'm going to go right ahead and introduce you to your new mentor, the fabulous Lady Deelicious!"
Immediately Mary recognized the woman standing next to Clive as the heavy-chested, chocolate-skinned beauty who had been dancing on-stage with Jewell the day Mary had first entered the club to apply for a job. "Nice to meet you," Mary greeted her politely.
"Oh yes, it is always nice to meet me. I'm Lady Deelicious but you can call me Lady Dee as long as you don't piss me off."
Mary's mouth dropped open as she tried but failed to find words to respond to such a brash statement.
"What's the matter? You trying to catch flies or something? Shut that trap and come with me. We gotta get your ass all dressed up in something sexy."
Lady Dee grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the wardrobe closet. Mary looked back at Clive with a face that screamed, "Please get me away from this crazy woman!" but Clive just shot her a thumbs-up and a giant grin.
***
"I think you would look good in red," Lady Dee said as she rifled through the racks of new outfits in the closet.
"Oh no, I look slutty in red," Mary disagreed.
Lady Dee put a hand on her hip and swiveled to look at Mary incredulously. "Honey, where the hell do you think you are, church? Put this on." She handed Mary a tiny red g-string bikini with tassels on the nipple areas.
"Well actually, I think I would prefer something with a little bit more, uh, coverage," Mary said blushingly.
Lady Dee jerked her head back in surprise. "Why? You're just gonna take it off anyway."
Trying not to become too unnerved by her new mentor's self-confidence, Mary countered, "I realize that, but in those moments that I'm not completely naked, I like knowing that I'm not going to feel the air conditioning across my butt cheeks."
"A modest stripper? Well, damn. Now I've seen everything. Alright, then. If you insist, try this one instead." Lady Dee pulled a slightly less revealing red bikini outfit complete with a devil tail and a tiara with devil horns from the shelf.
"What is that?"
Lady Dee looked at it and replied sarcastically, "I think they call this a 'costume'."
Mary sighed at the sarcasm and sniffed, "I don't want to dress up like the devil."
"Why not? I think you'd look cute."
Mary took the costume from Lady Dee and inspected it more closely. The silky red satin fabric felt smooth and inviting in her hands. "God, am I really going to put this thing on? Without a doubt I would look cute in it, and it does feel comfortable. But if I wear it…"
"You gonna wear that or just feel at it all day?"
Mary took a deep breath, thought about it for one last moment, and then answered, "Yeah, I'll wear it."
Lady Dee smiled at her. "Alright, now you're talking! Get your ass dressed and we'll go report to Belinda, or Lady B as I call her." Then she leaned in close to Mary and added, "I'll give you three guesses what the 'B' stands for, and it ain't Belinda."
Mary smirked. "She does strike one as being a bit frosty, doesn't she?"
"A bit? Shit, girl! She could walk around the North Pole without a coat and not catch a chill."
Mary couldn't help but chuckle.
Lady Dee pushed Mary toward the door. "Alright, enough chat. Go on and put that costume on, now. We ain't got all morning. We've got money to make!"
***
Just offstage, the two girls checked in with Belinda as soon as they were dressed and ready to go. "You'll both be on the main stage," she directed. "Mary, you're on left, Lady Dee, you're front and center."
"You're starting me on the main stage?" Mary gasped with excitement.
"Yeah, but don't get your silks in a wad," Belinda grunted. "It's just so Lady Dee can keep a close watch on you. She's really the one who belongs front and center."
"Shit, Belinda, if I didn't know better I'd think you were flirting with me," Lady Dee joked.
"Don't push your luck, Missy," Belinda growled. "Just because you've earned top billing doesn't mean I like you any better than the newbie."
As Belinda started to walk away, Lady Dee caught her shoulder and whispered a question to her that Mary couldn't quite hear.
Belinda looked in Mary's direction, making no effort whatsoever to protect the young dancer from hearing her response to Lady Dee's inquiry by lowering her voice: "Well of course she makes good money. She can't dance to save her life, but she's a looker, and that's all men care about. Don't worry. She won't steal any of your usual business, and she won't drive any of it away either. You'll be fine."
Lady Dee smiled at Mary embarrassedly and apologetically. "Um, sorry about that, but Lady Dee has to look out for Lady Dee, know what I mean?"
Mary shook her head. "No, not exactly. What was that all about?"
"I was just asking Lady B if Jewell switched shifts because she was losing business to you. Lady B didn't have to answer my question so publicly and rudely the way she did, but I guess she just wanted to live up to her nickname first thing this morning. You know what I'm saying?"
Mary nodded and explained, "Actually, Jewell switched shifts because her friend Corinne was coming back to work tonight. It didn't have anything to do with me. Or at least, that's what she told me."
"Oh, Corinne's back," Lady Dee smirked. "Say no more. Those two are tighter than this g-string I'm wearing."
Before Mary could respond, music began blasting and the deejay's voice came over the loudspeaker. "Gentlemen, let's get this Monday morning show started the right way. On the main stage, we have the ever-pure Virgin Mary, the world-famous Lady Deelicious, and our very own hometown gal, Cynthia Sweetheart!"
"Well, here I go again, ready to prance around for more money. I really have become the complete opposite of what my parents would have wanted me to be, haven't I? And the costume I am wearing today could not be more appropriate. I'm sure Dad would be so proud if he saw me. Actually, as much as I advertised myself this weekend, and as far-reaching as his gossip network is, maybe he'll have heard about me by now. Maybe he'll show up to scold me and take me home. Or ship me off to Buffalo again. Wouldn't that be a trip?"
These thoughts ran through her head in a flash as she walked onto the showroom floor. After she had finished strutting her way across the main stage to take her exciting new spot, Mary looked into the audience expecting to see lots of familiar faces thanks to her enterprising weekend. But when the spotlight finally quit blinding her for a moment, from what she could tell the crowd didn't look any larger than usual. "Oh well. Maybe they'll show up at lunch hour."
***
Mary spent much of her morning on the main stage and, despite it being a better location than the auxiliary stage she usually danced on, still didn't make much more in tips than her usual take. "Geez. It's lunchtime. Where are all the guys I talked to over the weekend? They said they'd come…"
"Mary? Mary Camden?" a voice issued from the audience.
"Oh good, someone finally showed up. But wait a minute, how did he know my last name? Virgin Mary was the name I used when I talked to everyone this weekend. Oh my God. Is it Dad? I was just joking when I thought about that before, but…could it be?"
She danced closer to the edge of the stage to get a better look at the owner of the voice, but the stage lights hindered her efforts to discern his face. Finally she inched her way out of their glare and was able to recognize the man who had called her name.
"Oh my God! It's you! What are you doing here?"
***
A/N: Sorry for the cruel cliffhanger. Please rest assured that, unlike when 7H did its stupid cliffhanger at the end of last season, I have actually plotted the resolution of this one ahead of time, and I know exactly who Mary's looking at right now. I'll try not to make you loyal readers have to wait too long to find out too.