THE JOB, Chapter 2: Selfish Service.

DISCLAIMER: Tenchi Muyou! is copyright AIC/Pioneer, LDC. I claim no right to it. However, the events in this story are entirely of my own imagination, so please don't change them.

FOREWORD: I'm starting to see some interesting possibilities for this story line. I have a feeling I'll be writing the next chapter fairly soon.

AUTHOR: Dreamr

LAST REVISION: 04 September 2002

EMAIL: TrueDreamr@Hotmail.com

BEGIN.

Mihoshi and Ryoko stood in front of a downtown bar entitled Rich Pickin's. As was normal in an establishment that featured exotic dancers, there were no windows. Only a large double-door in the center of the store front allowed customers to enter. Ryoko and Mihoshi stood on the sidewalk, staring at the mundane facade.

"This the place?"

"I think so. At least, this is the address on the business card."

"Let's check it out."

Ryoko pushed her way through the doors and looked around. The first thing she noticed was the lack of patrons, which was understandable due to the early hour. She had insisted on showing up half an hour early so they could take a look at the place. Other than the DJ, the barkeep, the bouncer, and the dancer, there were only three other people present. Two sat at the bar having a quiet conversation over drinks, and the third was already drunk and salivating all over himself while he watched the dancer from a seat at the edge of the small dance platform.. One look at the dancer's ridiculously over-sized breasts announced to anyone who cared to look that they were artificially enhanced.

On the far side of the bar was the DJ. Hidden behind a mountain of audio equipment, he was nearly impossible to see. As impossible as it was to see him, the bouncer was equally impossible to miss. An incredibly huge man with his hair done up in a top-knot, he presented an imposing figure as he stood between the door and the bar. Just past him, the bartender was arranging vast numbers of bottles within his kingdom of glass. At least fifty differently shaped bottles were arranged around him, all of them containing something alcoholic.

Looking at the floor, she noticed a lack of stains. Either the establishment was very clean, as the person Mihoshi had spoken to had claimed, or it was fairly new. The lack of bloodstains also told her violence was a rare occurrence here. Then again, with the low light level, some of the better disguised stains could be unseeable. As was typical for her, Mihoshi could not help stating the obvious.

"It's a bar."

"Yeah. Well, guys tend to give better tips when they're drunk."

Mihoshi's eyes got wide as she contemplated this.

"Oooooohhh..."

"Miss Mihoshi!"

Mihoshi and Ryoko directed their attention towards the short balding man with a cigar that was approaching them from the deeper recesses of the establishment. With his gold chains and lounge-lizard outfit, he looked just like the sleazy gigolo-type most girls avoided at all costs. He came right up to them and stuck out a chubby right hand, expecting them to actually shake it. Ryoko leaned closer to Mihoshi.

"Is this guy serious?"

Mihoshi ignored her comment to exchange pleasantries with her prospective employer. She both shook his hand and bowed.

"Hi, Rich! Thank you so much for inviting us here!"

"My pleasure. I'm honored to have such lovely girls in my humble place of business. And I see you brought your friend."

"Why, yes, I did! I tried to get Kiyone to come with me, but she wouldn't come. So I brought Ryoko instead."

"I see."

Indeed he did see. Rich's eyes went up and down Ryoko's body twice as he took a good, long, look at her. She started to growl as his staring took a little longer than she was willing to accept.

"Ah, pardon the imposition, Miss Ryoko. But, are you employed?"

Ryoko's annoyance turned to surprise.

"Me? Uh..."

"Mihoshi took the opportunity to familiarize Rich with Ryoko's resume.

"Ryoko? Oh, no. She's a space pirate."

Disgusted, Ryoko put her face in her hand as Rich looked at Mihoshi in shock.

"Space pirate?"

"No, I don't have a job." The hand quickly came away from Ryoko's face as she began to get the gist of what Rich wanted to discuss.

"Wonderful! Er, I mean, that's horrible, of course. Do you have any experience dancing?"

"It just so happens I do."

"I was hoping you'd say that!"

Ryoko could practically see the yen signs rolling in his eyes. The place might look decent, but she was not going to beg for the job. And Rich might still turn out to be a sleaze-ball. Mihoshi impatiently tapped her on the shoulder.

"Um, excuse me..."

"Shut up." Ryoko muttered through the side of her mouth. "I'm gettin' us a deal."

"Oooohhh... Right."

Rich continued his pitch, oblivious to what was going on between the two girls.

"I'm thinking two good-looking girls on stage would be better than one, especially if one of them already knows what she's doing."

"Yup. It probably would be."

She just stared at Rich, waiting for him to make the first move. They gauged each other visually for a few seconds before Rich finally broke into a grin.

"I'll give you twenty per cent to start."

"Twenty?!" Ryoko grabbed Mihoshi by the arm and started for the door. "We're out of here."

Mihoshi immediate began to object.

"Ryoko, wait!"

"Okay, okay! Thirty to start for the first two weeks. Then fourty-five."

Ryoko stopped, but she did not turn around. As she was facing the door, she watched another person come into the bar. The person was wearing a large trench-coat and had a hood up. The bouncer practically jumped on the person, asking for identification.

"Fourty-five?" She spoke in an unenthusiastic tone.

"All right, fifty. But you'd better be worth it."

Ryoko turned around, dragging Mihoshi around like a rag doll.

"What about extras for the paying customers?"

"No." Rich emphatically shook his head. "This is a bar, not a strip club. No lap dances, no table dances, no private shows. Keep your clothes on, and the customers' hands off. All you've got to do is walk around on that platform and look cute. Understand?"

That was what she was waiting to hear. Ryoko smiled in agreement.

"Okay, Rich. You got yourself some girls. And I'm definitely worth it."

"I hope so. I wasn't planning on having two new girls tonight, so you and Mihoshi are gonna have to share time. Since you already know the ropes, why don't you show her what to do?"

"Fine. When do we start?"

"You've got an fifteen minutes."

"Blaah!" Ryoko's eyes bugged out. "Come on, slow poke!" She hauled Mihoshi through the air as she flew to the back of the bar to find the dressing area. Mihoshi called back to her employer in gratitude for her new job. Hopefully it would last longer than the last twelve part-time jobs she and Kiyone had held.

"Thank you, Rich!"

Rich shook his head to clear the strange vision of two girls flying through the air.

"Nahhh..."

END.

AFTERWORD: Nothing to say here. Hope you like it.