Chapter 2: Diamond Dolls

Although the temperature outside was certainly frigid, the temperature inside of the Diamond Mine was as hot as usual. With that many sweaty, steamy bodies within a small space, what else could be expected? It was a busy night on top of that, making it even easier for the patrons and workers to beat the cold December weather.

"You sure you're okay out here, buddy?" Page asked his head bouncer, Scotty, with a raised brow. "We can always send Vegas out here for a little bit if you'd like to come warm up."

Even though the area in which Scotty stood received very little wind, the cold air still sliced through his clothing. Being the wonderful man that Page was, the last thing he wanted was for his dear friend to catch a cold.

"I might take you up on that later, boss, but I'm good for now." Scotty told Page before letting out a short chuckle. "It's too busy for me to worry about the cold."

Now it was Page's turn to laugh. He placed a hand on Scotty's back and patted it a few times before saying, "You know your health is important, asshole. You think I could run this place by myself?"

Despite Page's keen sense for business, he was very well aware of the fact that what made the Diamond Mine work so well was the combination of skills from not only Page, but his best friends as well. While the Mine was Page's, mainly, The Studd, Vinnie, and Scotty all played an integral part in its success.

"I mean, I'm sure you could," The tone in Scotty's voice was joking, though he found truth in his own words, "but I'm not going to fight you. Give me an hour, and then Vegas and I will switch. Deal?"

"Make it half an hour, and you have to be with the Dolls at least forty-five minutes before you come back out." Page told Scotty matter-of-factly. "Okay?'

Scotty's wanted to protest, but he knew that he had to listen to his boss. The long-haired bouncer nodded in defeat while giving Page a half smile.

"Good!" Page cheered before patting Scotty's back once more. "I'll see you then."

Without a word more, Page sauntered back into his beloved club. It made his heart leap in pure joy every time he saw even one client enjoying themselves with one of his Dolls - as long as they were properly treating his girls, anyway. Page approached Vinnie with a classic grin on his lips, something that the tall, suited man reciprocated.

"What can I do for you, boss-man?" Vinnie asked. "Did some little shit get out of line?"

Page couldn't help but chuckle. "You know, I can have other reasons to want to come and see you."

Vinnie shrugged and then nodded. "Fair enough."

"I need you to go swap places with Flamingo in about half an hour." Page explained. "He's going to turn into a fuckin' popsicle if he stays out there for too much longer."

"All right," Vinnie nodded, "I can handle that."

"And make sure he gets some good time with the girls before he goes back out!" Page added as he tapped Vinnie's chest.

Of course, that statement brought a mischievous smirk to Vinnie's lips. "I get that sort of reward when I come back in, right?"

"Brother, you know you do." Page's laugh was almost a cackle. "Our Dolls wouldn't let either of you freeze, you know that."

"We've got some fine girls." Vinnie whistled as he crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes scanned across the club all the while a pleased expression crept onto his face. "God-fuckin'-damn."

Although Page didn't verbally respond, he wore a proud smile. Vinnie was completely right; there wasn't a bad looking Dolls in the bunch. All of their Dolls were beautiful, talented women and Page adored each and every one of them.

"I'll talk to you later though, okay?" Page eventually spoke as he looked up at Vinnie. "Don't forget about Scotty!"

"I won't." Vinnie assured as he returned his hard-ass expression to his face. "See you later, boss."

After giving his friend a nod in farewell, Page began walking towards the bar. He had little more than pulled a cigar from the pocket of his shirt when one of his Dolls approached, leading a wide-eyed young woman alongside her.

"Dallas?" The Doll, whose name Page knew to be Lee Ann, called out to him. Naturally, Page instantly turned to greet her.

"Ah! Lee Ann! What can I do for you, sweetheart?" Page asked charmingly. As soon as he laid eyes on the woman beside of his Doll, though, Page felt his heart leap from his chest.

The woman, who appeared to be around twenty-one or twenty-two years old, was the most beautiful person that Page had ever seen. She maintained a confident aura, although she appeared to be slightly intimidated by the Diamond Mine; Page assumed that she had never been to such a place before. There was just something about the young gal that caught Page's eye.

"This is Kimberly Bacon," Lee Ann introduced, motioning to the other woman with her hands, "I went to high school with her. She's a twenty-one year old college dropout and she's in need of some serious dough." The Doll explained. "I told her that we were looking for new Dolls, and she wanted to come by and see the place."

"It's very nice to meet you, Kimberly." Page smirked. "My name is Diamond Dallas Page, and this lovely club is my Diamond Mine."

"It's nice to meet you too, Dallas." Kimberly extended a hand towards Page while flashing him the most alluring smile that he had ever seen. Page took Kimberly's hand into one of his and brought it to his lips; he placed a soft kiss onto Kimberly's knuckles before scanning over her body once more. He pushed away the feeling of adoration that had begun to develop in his heart for the woman and instead switched into business mode.

After all, Page wasn't about to let himself get caught up in Kimberly's charm! He checked Kimberly out from head-to-toe, and even had her spin around once so that he could get a complete view of her.

Kimberly definitely had the look that was necessary to be a Diamond Doll, but Page had to learn a little more about her before he brought her on.

"So," Page grinned at Kimberly, "you think you're up for the Diamond life?"

The confusion that came onto Kimberly's face was obvious. "The Diamond life?"

"It's the way we live around here, baby!" Page said excitedly. "It's a life of money, booze, and more sweaty bodies than you can count. Does that sound good to you?"

"It sounds more exciting than anything I've ever known." Although Kimberly gave a small smile, Page could tell that she had her doubts. It was only natural, though; she'd warm up to it all.

"That's my girl." Page wrapped an arm around Kimberly's shoulders. She seemed to tense up only slightly at his touch. That was a good sign! "Now, let's go see what you've got."

"Where should I go for now, Dallas?" Lee Ann questioned quickly.

"Just go wherever they need you, sister." Page replied. "As you can tell, we're packed! Check on the girls on stage and see if any of them need a break."

Lee Ann waved to Kimberly and gave her an encouraging grin before heading off to work. Meanwhile, Page began to lead Kimberly into his office. As soon as they arrived, Page took a seat in his chair and, finally, pulled out his lighter. He lit up his cigar and moved his ash tray to his lap before motioning to the large pole that was right within sight.

"All right, Kimberly, get on up there." Page instructed. "I can tell by the way you've been acting that this is all completely new to you, and I understand that it can be a little intimidating at first. But, right now, it's just you and me. Just do whatever feels natural for you."

As Page spoke, he could see the worry fade from Kimberly's face. When she gave him a small, shy smile, he gave her a charming one right back.

"Just go on and start whenever you're ready. Don't rush yourself." Page added as he adjusted his position in his chair. As he smoked his cigar, he kept his rather eager eyes on Kimberly. He had high hopes for the young woman!

First, Kimberly awkwardly approached the pole and slid one of her hands along it. She seemed to be studying it and it trying to come up with some sort of plan. Whatever it took to help her in the long run, Page was fine with. Besides, she looked so damn hot as she worked her mind; Page was excited to see how she worked her body.

When Kimberly finally began to move on the pole, her movements were quite sloppy. Page wore a large smirk as he sat back and enjoyed her show. Although Kimberly lacked finesse, she was undoubtedly sexy, and she had more potential than any Doll that he had seen in a long time. Page knew that with the right amount of help, Kimberly would be able to be one of his top performers!

Kimberly danced until she felt as though she had done all that she could. As she had progressed through her routine, Page had noticed that Kimberly had grown increasingly more confident in her actions. She may not have had a good clue what she was supposed to do, but Kimberly tried her damnedest.

"I think that's about as much as I can do." As Kimberly leaned against the pole, she took a moment to catch her breath. She had put on quite an act for a beginner, and for that, Page was sort of impressed! "How was I?"

"Considering that was your first time, you did pretty damn good." Page admitted as he put out his cigar and moved his ash tray back to the table beside of his chair. He stood from his seat and walked over to Kimberly, placing his hands in his pants pockets as he moved. "You've got potential, girly, and I like it! But, you'll have a long way to go."

"So, have I got the job?" Kimberly asked almost anxiously. "I know there's a lot of questionable shit that goes on here, and I know the work is tough, but I'll do whatever it takes. I can make it."

The eagerness in Kimberly's voice brought a chuckle out of Page. He patted the young woman's shoulder a couple of times before dropping that hand back down to his side. "I like your attitude and your style." Page told Kimberly truthfully. "Welcome aboard, darlin'."

Kimberly's eyes lit up almost immediately. Page could tell that she had to stop herself from leaping into the air and letting out a victorious scream.

"Thank you, Dallas." Kimberly smiled brightly at her new boss. "I won't let you down."

"Oh, I believe you. You'll be just fine." Page winked at Kimberly before once more wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Normally, we'd start your training tonight; but, since we're fuckin' packed, I'll just show you around for now. I'll introduce you to a few people, and you can get a better idea of how I run things. You can come in early tomorrow and I'll get you set up for training. You cool with that?"

"That sounds perfect." Kimberly seemed like a woman who was very easy to work with, and Page loved that about her. He could tell that he wouldn't have many problems arise from the long-haired woman, which made him quite happy. "I look forward to it."

"Damn fuckin' right." Page grinned in agreement. He was looking forward to her learning the ropes as well.

The two left Page's room and made their way over to the special, VIP rooms first. They didn't go inside of them, but they did approach Scotty, who stood in Vinnie's usual spot. From the lipstick that stained Scotty's cheeks and neck, Page knew that he been able to enjoy himself.

"Who's this lovely gal, Dally?" Scotty asked with a smile as he looked from Kimberly to Page. "A new Doll? Or someone you know?"

"Introduce yourself, babygirl!" Page patted Kimberly's arm with his hand that dangled off of her shoulders.

Kimberly gave Page an uncertain expression before turning to Scotty. She waved politely at the bouncer as she began speaking. "My name is Kimberly. I'm one of your new Diamond Dolls."

"Scotty Flamingo." Scotty tipped his head in greeting. "You're one beautiful woman, Kimberly. Welcome to the crew."

"Thank you." Kimberly bowed. She liked the laid-back vibe that Scotty had; he seemed very nice.

"Scotty here's our main bouncer." Page explained. "He can usually be found outside, doing his best to make sure that no shady characters get in here. It's fuckin' cold out, though, so he's rotating with our favorite enforcer tonight."

"Oh!" Kimberly exclaimed. "I guess he's the short-haired guy that let us in. He's really tall, right?"

"That's him." Scotty chuckled. "You'll like Vegas. If anyone ever tries any shit with you, he and Dallas will be the ones that take care of them."

Kimberly tensed up at the thought of something going awry, but Page quickly (somewhat) calmed her nerves by saying, "No one fucks with our girls. If they even try it, they get beat within an inch of their shitty little lives."

"That's if they're lucky, too." Scotty added. The curly-haired male shook his head while saying, "Really, we don't allow that kind of bullshit. Money's important here, sure, but you girls are our top priority."

Although that sounded too good to be true, what Scotty had said was the absolute truth. There wasn't a soul in the world that Dallas, Vinnie, Scotty, or the Studd would allow to hurt their Dolls and get away with it. The Dolls were as important as they were at the Diamond Mine.

"You know, I think I'm going to like it here." Kimberly told the two males honestly. Page laughed and placed a kiss on the side of her head.

"That's the spirit!" Page cheered. Kimberly shyly averted her gaze and giggled to herself. "But, I think we'll leave you alone for now, my man. I'm going to go show Kimberly around a little more."

"Of course." Scotty turned to Kimberly and gave her a sincere smile. "Let me know if you ever need me, okay?"

"I most certainly will. Thank you."

After parting ways with Scotty, Page led Kimberly over to the bar. The Studd, who had been chatting away with various patrons on the stools, looked up once he caught sight of Page's hair from the corner of his eye. However, The Studd's attention quickly shifted to the beautiful young woman beside of Page. The Studd's eyes roamed Kimberly's body as the two adults moved closer.

Page took a seat on one of the barstools and instructed for Kimberly to do the same. She was hesitant at first, due to the patrons that seemed to be ready to jump on her at a moments notice, but she soon shook off her worries and sat down. Kimberly realized that was the kind of behavior that she had to grow accustomed to and mentally scolded herself for even worrying about it in the first place.

"Evenin', boss." The Studd greeted as he poured Page a shot. "Who's this sexy little lady?"

"She's our newest Doll." Page turned to Kimberly and motioned towards The Studd. "This is The Diamond Studd. He's our kick-ass bartender and one of the biggest flirts you'll ever meet."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Kimberly gave The Studd a smile, which he gladly returned.

"Oh, please, the pleasure is all mine." The Studd then chuckled and slid Page his shot glass. "Besides, I'm no where near as big of a flirt as you, Dallas." He then jokingly added, "You're on an entirely different level than I am."

"Shut up." Page playfully shoved The Studd's shoulder before he downed his shot. "He's modest, too." Page then nudged Kimberly. "Isn't he a catch?"

"The poor girl hasn't even been here one day and you're already trying to set her up with me?" The Studd raised a cocky eyebrow. "What'd I do to earn your blessing like this?"

Kimberly's face scrunched up ever-so-slightly at the idea of random relationship, something that The Studd couldn't help but laugh at. "Honey, I'm joking. Long-term isn't my thing. If you ever want to fuck, sure, I'm here, but I feel like a sweet girl like yourself would be better suited for more than that." Kimberly felt as though she had been read like a book. "I'd just end up breaking your little heart."

"He is a heartbreaker." Page muttered in amused agreement. "He's a bit much."

"You go from praising me one minute to putting me down the next!" The Studd laughed. "I can never win with you, can I?"

"Nope!" Page's tone was almost sing-song. The Studd just rolled his eyes. "Vegas still outside?"

"Yeah, 'far as I know." The Studd leaned over the bar just a bit, so that he could look around. "I don't remember seeing him come back in."

"Good deal!" Page then leapt - literally - from his stool and placed his hands on his hips. "Well, I've got one more fucker for you to meet tonight, Kimberly. Let's head outside. Later, Studd!"

"Later, Dallas." The Studd began to resume his usual duties of filling and mixing drinks. "See you around, Kimberly."

"Now," Page spoke as he started to lead Kimberly outside, "I know it's freezing outside, so if you start to get too cold, feel free to cling to my side. I'll keep you warm, baby."

The flirtatious tone in Page's voice almost made Kimberly giggle. He was trying, she had to give him points for that. "And I'll keep that in mind."

Now, it didn't take long for Page and Kimberly to find Vinnie. He stood in Scotty's usual spot, with his hands behind his head and his back resting against the wall. There wasn't a line at this point, which made it easy for Page and Kimberly to talk to him.

"Who's this?" Vinnie asked as soon as he spotted Kimberly. "She's hot."

"Isn't she?" Page grinned proudly, as if he had been the one to recruit Kimberly from the get-go. "She's a new Doll. Her name is Kimberly."

"You can call me Vinnie Vegas." Vinnie nodded down to Kimberly, his lips remaining in the same neutral position. "Nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too." Kimberly smiled, though Vinnie's expression didn't change. He seemed like quite an intimidating fellow, but Kimberly couldn't help but feel as though he had a soft side deep down.

Besides, she was comforted by the fact that this man was on her side. Between him, Page, The Studd, and Scotty, Kimberly knew that she had no reason to worry while she was at her new job.

"How long have you been out here?" Page asked Vinnie.

"Ah, fuck, an hour and a half?" Vinnie shrugged indifferently. "I can't really tell. There's no damn clock out here."

"Right." Page wanted to slap himself for sounding so foolish. "Head on in and switch with the Flamingo. You look cold."

"I'm fine." Vinnie shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Tell him I'll take the rest of the night shift. He can keep his little hippie ass inside where it's warm."

The comradery between his friends brought a smile to Page's face. "You sure, big guy?"

"I'm sure."

Page playfully punched Vinnie's chest. "You're a good guy, Vegas."

"Oh, I know." The corner's of Vinnie's lips tugged upwards into a grin. "I'm the best."

"Don't be intimidated by him, okay?" Page told Kimberly, who had been silently watching the exchange. "He's tough as fuck, but he's an amazing fellow."

"Don't fuck my rep up, Dallas." Vinnie teased. "Come on, now."

"Oh, right, my bad." Page comically held his hands up. "I'm sorry."

"That's better." Kimberly had to giggle at that. Vinnie was quite the character. "What?" Vinnie's tone was as playful as it possibly could be.

"It's just nice to meet you, Vinnie." Kimberly told him. "That's all." The woman then shuddered as a small, frigid gust of wind swept by.

"I think it's time we head back in." Page muttered, pulling Kimberly to his side. "If you get too cold, come back in, okay? Don't get your ass sick."

Vinnie merely nodded as Page led Kimberly back inside. The two began to warm up as they made their ways to one of the couches nearly the poles.

Kimberly had a lot to learn, but Page had a lot of faith in her. In no time, she'd be another one of his favorite Dolls; he just knew it.