['Le Regent']

Chapter 7: ['Minor Annoyances']

Not much happens during my shift. The company is pleasant from the patrons to the other strippers. The music is nice, and the atmosphere is relaxed and layback. I was giving my new 'Black Ice' thong I ordered online from Skinzwear a test run during the shift. The guys seemed to like it, and I find it to be very comfortable. I noticed the trash was full.

I bent over to deal with the bag, and take it out with the rest of the waste bins around the club without being told. Ritchie smiled warmly as he noticed it. I'm not doing it just to wag my tail, and be on the good graces of both my bosses. I don't even have a tail. I do it just because it's the right thing to do. I'm excited too. Tomorrow we go to the 'house'.

"Thank you, Sweetie," said Ritchie

"No problem," I said, smiling back

"Kudos to your mom," said Ritchie

"I know she's proud," I smiled back

As I walking out to the garbage bin on the side of the club, a 'problem' found me. I wasn't scared, just annoyed. It was that Caracal that got kicked out only yesterday, and he's got some backup, "I would've made all your while if you hadn't said 'no'," he said with a poisonous grin on his muzzle, "you think you can do what you did and get away with it?"

"I was defending myself, so yeah, I sorta did," I said as three other tomcats encircled me. I figured there was going to be no way to talk them out of this. They all want a piece of my girly butt. Little do these kats know I'm anything, but helpless. I had my paws on my hips as I heard a switchblade being flicked open behind me. Time for necessary action

"I'm warning you kats," I stated

"Oh, I'm shaking," one taunted me

"Don't say that I didn't," I warned

"No one will save you," he snarled

"Okay," I smirked, and I moved to the side to dodge a switchblade. I grabbed the kat's wrist, and struck the inside elbow joint. I pulled his wrist into a hard elbow in the face combined with me loosening my grip on his wrist. He went backward, and I did a jumping roundhouse kick to send him into his fellow kat, and into a wall on the side of the club.

Another was armed with a baseball bat, I made a 'Hai!' I kicked the bag of garbage into his face. The caracal tried to run me into the wall only for me to do a 'wall run' into a flip. The kat with the baseball bat tried to attack from behind only for me to grab his wrist into an over-the-shoulder takedown, and a punch in the muzzle. That caracal grabbed me.

"Gotcha..." he snarled in triumph

I struck the inside parts of his wrists, and gave him a rising back leg kick to the head. I sent him down on his bum, and he rubbed his head. The others squirmed, and cringed in pain. I put the bag of garbage in the bin, and went up to the Caracal, "Beat it," I said with a light snarl, and the four ran away with their tails between their legs. I was unharmed

I went back inside, and went to serve the drinks to the patrons, "These two are going to the gentlemen at the booth," said Ritchie, I grinned, and nodded. A 'San Francisco Pisco Punch' went to a porcupine, and a 'New Orleans Sazarac' went to a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. They smiled warmly and I presented them with their drinks while Kyle was on the pole

"Here you guys are," I said kindly

"Wow, you're a cutie," said the corgi

"Thanks, you're a sweetie," I smiled

"Thanks, Kid," said the porcupine

"No problem, let me know if you guys need anything else," I said after they placed the payment on the straps of my thong. I placed the money in the register, and went to get some bags to replace the empty waste bins. As I went back to the bar, I looked around the space to see if there is anything else I can do. Just then, I felt paws on my shoulders.

I sighed a light, and relaxed sigh like I was stepping a first toe into a hot bath. I can tell by the scent of 'Axe' body spray that it was Ritchie. His paws were gently massaging the cups of my shoulders. I slowly turned to face him, and turn my big brown eyes up at him, "It's kind of slow today," I said with my paws behind me, supporting me at the bar sink

"It's like this on weekdays," he replied

"I figured," I said with a light grin

"How've you been?" Ritchie asked me

"Good, I'm excited for tomorrow," I smiled

"And you should be, Nico, it's a lot of fun," smiled Ritchie, and I went to go pick up the glasses from the porcupine and the corgi that the booth while Kyle finished his routine. I went back behind the bar, and put the drink tray on the counter, "I like the thong, is it new?" the cheetah asked me curiously, Barbossa doesn't mind how Ritchie acts around me

"Yeah, it's actually my swimsuit I'm planning to wear around the vacation house, so I decided to use this shift to give it a test run," I explained to the bartender, Ritchie purred, and placed a gentle paw on my butt as I was went over to clean a couple of tables with a shammy and a spray bottle. I smiled back at him. I'll give Ritchie a good time one day.