Liberty Summer Ch. 13

I grabbed my duffle and walked up to him. "Hi, I'm Amber."

"Call me Munk." He opened the door.

"Good luck Dear," Mom said and gave me a hug.

"You're not a dancer?" Munk asked.

"Oh no." She looked him up and down. "But I'd dance for you."

I left Mom to flirt with the bouncer and went inside.

Unlike my audition Sunday, the club was dimly lit. For the first time I noticed that the place had many flat screen TV's high on the walls. Some were showing views of the stage from high and low angles. Others were just running through a psychedelic screensaver. Mel was over at the music station wearing a headset and tapping away at a keyboard. His mellow voice came from the humongous speakers near the stage. "And we have Amber in the house."

I smiled and walked over to give him my thumb drive. Mel took it and started loading the files.

Terry came out of the office and took charge of me. She gave me a five minute tour while reviewing the house rules. In addition to the main room there was a VIP area that had a few overstuffed chairs with privacy curtains. Near the office was a small room labeled 'PHONE BOOTH.' In addition there was a conference room with a long highly polished table and a dozen high end office chairs. It's sign said 'BOARD ROOM.' Terry said, "This rents for five an hour. You get half, plus tips. Don't think the rules don't apply in here too. We've had undercover investigators try evertyhing to catch us out."

The last stop on the tour was the dressing room. It had eight mirror stations each with a stack of lockers. "Shower is in the back. Don't hog the hot water."

"Everyone, this is Amber. You know Kat of course," She gestured to my friend at the far end of the makeup tables. "That's Velma, and that's Ginger."

The two other dancers waved and got back to prepping.

"Cyndi should be along any minute. The other noob already quit. I guess she thinks she got a better offer from a different club. We're gonna call in the alternate for tomorrow.

"It means we're one short for your shift, five instead of six. So you'll maybe have to do an extra set."

"How busy are you expecting it to be tonight?" I asked.

"Hard to tell. We get a lot of business entertainment traffic," Terry said. "Friday is fly home day for a lot of business travelers. So they and their hosts often treat tonight as blow off steam night."

"What if it's dead?" I asked.

"Well you're an employee, so you make your hourly regardless." I vaguely recalled filling out a W-4 Sunday. "That's fifteen. But we haven't had a dead night since the lockdowns ended."

"That's good to know." My phone pinged. It was Mom wishing me luck.

Two of the stack of three lockers to the right of my table had names written on masking tape. The top one said Gloria, the middle one said Amber. I stuffed my duffle in there.

I gave my pits a sniff. I smelled like I did before a track meet, excitement and nerves setting off that funky smell. I gave myself a quick wipe with baby wipes under both arms and then put a leg up on a chair to get at my groin. Very ladylike.

I started doing my makeup while chatting with Kat. My butterflies were back and they brought all their cousins. I thought happy thoughts, kittens and duckies and large naked well endowed men.

A tall pale woman with long black hair walked in. "I'm sorry you feel that way."

I looked up. She had a tiny Bluetooth headset in. She walked to a locker, unlocked it and started tossing things on the table next to mine. "I'm busy, I don't have time for this!"

She started undressing. "Why are you doing this to me?"

She was undeniably beautiful with hazel eyes, perfect laser straight nose and cupid's bow lips. As her clothes came off she revealed a complex sleeve tattoo of a mermaid. The mermaid's face matched the woman herself. She had other tattoos on her thigh, butt cheek and ankle. The ankle one was a black spade with the letter Q. She was also wearing an egagement-wedding ring combo with a stone even bigger than Mom's. "She's your sister, not mine."

The woman sat down naked two tables over and started touching up her eyes. "It's not fair."

I turned to Kat. "How do I look?"

"Great kiddo," She as she dusted herself down with a body powder that had a slight calomine smell. "You're gonna knock them dead."

"What's that body powder you're wearing?"

"Lady Anti Monkey Butt," she said.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously, I got it on Amazon," she said. "Stand up."

So I did and she patted me down here and there with a puff pad from a little case. "Go and stink no more."

"Fifteen minutes!" Terry called from the doorway. "Velma you're up first."

The dancer named Velma stood up. She was a voluptuous South Asian looking woman working the Scooby Doo cosplay shtick from the big square glasses down the Mary Jane like platform shoes on her feet. Her boobs pushed out the orange cowl necked sweater quite far and it was obvious that she had large nipple piercings. We're talking door knockers.

"Jinkies," she said and walked out. I kid you not.

Nondescript music started playing in the main room.

I took my butterflies out there. The rest of the big screens were now lit. Scrolling up them was a list of dancers, Velma at the top. Then came Kat, Cyndi, Amber and Ginger. 'Velma' was outsized and sparkling. I guessed that was the lineup. The screen went black and the words 'TONIGHT'S LINEUP' flashed before repeating the list.

The first customer wandered in at five after. He was an overweight guy carrying a six-pack. He settled in at the bottom center of the stage.

I considered going over and introducing myself. A voice behind me said "don't bother that's the rock."

I turned. It was the other dancer, Ginger. She was about my height and build with darker hair and a smattering of freckles.

"Wow Dwayne Johnson has really let himself go," I said.

She chuckled. "A rock is a guy who just sits there nursing his beer and doesn't tip. This one comes in when we open, grabs the best seat, and drinks his six-pack. He staggers out after an hour or two."

I looked around the empty club. "I don't see anyone else to waste my time on."

I walked over and leaned my butt against the stage rail. "Hi, I'm Amber."

He looked me up and down. "Joe."

"What's the story of you?"

"I... what do you mean?"

"It's just a conversation opener Joe." I scratched up under my Slipknot shirt giving him a shot of underboob. "What brings you to our fine establishment."

He took a swig of his beer. It was Rolling Rock. "Had a job, bought a six month, lost the job, do gig work to get by."

"That sucks."

"Yeah."

"How are the tips?" I asked.

"Hardly ever get any."

"I always tip my driver," I said. "I have this philosophy about it. It's not about the money, it's about the opportunity to have a positive effect in another person's life, you know?"

"Yeah I get that."

I decided to lay on some philosophy I got from Grandpa Clarke.

"It's empowering, makes me feel good." I looked towards the door. Three guys in office casual came in. Ginger zeroed in on them. "A lot of people like to do negative things to feel empowered, it's cheap and easy. Doing positive things is riskier. Doesn't always work. But you get a bigger high when it does."

"Cool." He looked me up and down again. "Look, I get the hint..."

"No hints Joe," I said. "I'm just killing time. I will be honest, more customers come in I need to go make a living, you understand?"

"Yeah, I wish..." If wishes were fishes.

A middle aged guy walked in with a bottle in a brown paper bag. Kat was there in a moment walking him to a table. I needed to be over by the door. But I didn't want to be rude to Joe the rock either. I don't know why. Gut instinct?

The massive speakers squeaked. Then came Mel's amplified voice. "GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. WELCOME TO THE FOX-N-HOUNDS. FIRST UP WILL BE A YOUNG LADY WHO'S CUTER THAN A DRAWER FULL OF BUTTONS... VELMA!"

"I guess I better get out of the way," I said. "Enjoy the show."

Britney Spears' 'I'm Your Slave' started playing and Velma came strutting down the runway.

I wandered over towards the door.

"I'm telling you bro, this place is cool. Laid back." Two guys in their just-starting-to-fall-out-of-shape mid twenties walked in. Both wore jeans and white polos with some kind of tech company logo. It was the shorter of the two who had spoken. "Whoa! You're new."

"Yes, my name is Amber," I said with my broadest smile. "This is a golden opportunity to be my very first customers!"

"I'm Josh," the tall curly haired blond guy said. "This is Jason."

Jason had brown hair and sexy sleepy eyes. He was carrying a metal bucket filled with pony bottles of some craft beer. He handed me two fives and the bucket. "Can you get us some ice Amber?"

The club had an admittance booth where you showed your membership card and paid your cover. The back side of that facing inwards was a kind of mini store with bottled soft drinks, ice and snacks. It also made change for patron who got money from the ATM right there. Terry was working the booth and sold me the ice for five bucks. I stuffed the other five in the top of my stocking.

"Oh honey, that's gonna end up around your ankle," Terry said. She pulled a frayed black garter from drawer full of odds and ends. "Here."

"Thanks Terry." I slipped it on and tucked the fiver in it. "I had to forget something, glad it was just this."

I went back and found Josh and Jason. They were sitting at one of the little round tables. There was an empty seat between them. I took the hint and sat. Jason pulled out a church key and opened three bottles. Shit.

I casually slid the bottle in front of me back towards Jason. Not that I was opposed to beer but I got the vibe that this place was under continual legal scrutiny from the authorities. One of the things I had initialed Sunday said I agreed, as a person under twenty-one, not to consume alcohol on the premises.

"So you boys come here often?" I asked. Lame.

"First time for me," Josh said. "What are the rules here?"

"Well it's twenty for a lap dance, fifty for a table dance, a hundred for the VIP room for thirty minutes. I can touch you and you may lightly touch me if I'm in the mood, no penetration of any sort."

"What's 'lightly touch?'" he asked.

I turned to Josh, put a hand on his shoulder. My face was close to his. He was watching Velma—who had just revealed her nipple piercings—on the stage. "Jason has his hand on my knee, that's fine but he better not try to grope me. I'm not in the mood for that... yet."

"Oh-kay," Josh said.

I took his hand and put it on my other knee. "It turns me on that I have two handsome men with their hands on me at the same time. I think it would be really hot to have a conversation like this, like it's the most natural thing."

"I said this place was laid back," Jason said. "Was I right or was I right?"

"Yeah man," Josh said. He turned his gaze at me. His eyes were steely blue gray. "What should we talk about?"

"Cars!" I said. "What do you guys drive?"

We talked about their company car, which was a little hot hatchback that they used to map cell tower coverage. Josh was new and Jason was his trainer. Josh complained about not being able to see stoplights change because his head was right up against the roof. I mentioned how I liked the command seating I had in Libby, which let me segue into how I needed money to pay for repairs.

All this time I kept my hands firmly planted on the hands on my knees.

Velma finished her set and was wandering around showing off her jewelry. Josh was fascinated by it. He started to pull out a twenty for a lap dance. Jason said, "Dude, bird in hand."

I turned to him. "'Preciate the consideration, how about you buy my very first lap dance and we let your friend satisfy his curiosity?"

"Deal."

"Hey Velma!" I motioned her over.

"Jinkies."

Josh was in awe. "Those are... beautiful."

They were. Her large dark brown nipples had horizontal barbells with a U shaped wreath of red stones dangling from them. She gave a little shake and the dangling stones sparkled as they caught the light.

Jason pulled out his wallet and fished out his own twenty and handed it to me. I put it on the table. I wanted to watch someone experienced perform before I gave it a try. "Let's watch then I'll have my go."

On the stage Kat was just finishing her first song, a slow and sultry indie piece about some guy named Dorian.

Velma took Josh's twenty and, when the next song started, straddled his lap, squirming to he music with her breasts I about twelve inches from his face.

"You like what you see?" Velma asked. "Want a closer look?"

Josh produced another twenty.

As the Florence and the Machine tune went from soft to hard Velma went from merely jiggling to smashing her boobs against Josh's face. When the song came to a close she pulled his head into a full motorboat. Josh said "Ugh."

Velma stood, ran her dark hand true Josh's curly blond hair. She smiled at me and said, "Thanks Amber."

Another patron was waving a twenty. Velma skipped away on her platform Mary Janes.

Josh excused himself and headed for the men's room. I pulled off my Slipnot T revealing my micro bikini bra, just two triangles under dynamic tension against my breasts. I felt my nipples starting to pucker up. Jason put a ten besides his twenty on the table.

"This song's already started," I said. "I want you to get full value for your money."

I put one finger on Jason's chin and turned his face to the stage. "Watch my friend, she's very good."

We watched Kat crawling around the stage giving mini laps until her song was over. Or at least I watched. Jason was distracted by something.

Mel announced Cyndi and Ne-Yo's 'Beautiful Monster' started. I said, "Push back your chair."

He did. I started dancing in front of him facing away, grinding my butt at him, moving back slowly. When the beat changed I whipped around and planted the toe of my tanker boot right in front of his crotch and shimmied my shoulders at him.

When the beat changed down I put my bum in his lap and my head back over his shoulder. "Pull the string."

He did. His hands came up to cup me and I put my hands over his to keep them under control. All the while I was grinding in his lap.

The song went into the second verse and I turned around. I put an elbow on each of his shoulders and stared into his eyes and my hips did their thing. He tried to kiss me but I turned my head aside. Not that I didn't want to kiss him lasciviously but something said that he might take that as a commitment. I needed to learn to keep my distance from the customers emotionally. I had a feeling working here was going to present a lot of similar slut conundrums. Oh well.

The song ended and I moved back to my own chair, palming my thirty bucks as I went. I'd grossed thirty five so far tonight. For about forty-five minutes that's a lot better than flipping burgers but I needed to learn how to make more efficient use of my time.

Jason looked at me with sleepy eyes. Be strong girl. Valentino eyes. Why do I obsess over a man who had died almost a hundred years ago? You figure it out and tell me some time, then we'll both know. I just know I binged a hundred videos about him online when I was younger. I don't even remember what got me started.

"You have Valentino eyes," I said. "I wish I could look at them all night but I'm up soon."

With that I got up and left just as Josh was returning from his urgent mission.

I overheard Jason say, "Dude, you over tipped her."

"Don't care."

I went to Mel and told him to play 'Metal01' which was my original audition set. I also said, "It's my first ever dance set, would you tell the customers I'm going to frame my very first dollar?"

Mel cocked his head and then nodded. Then his eyes lit up. "Okay."

Cyndi finished her last song, I think it was an Usher tune. She climbed down off the stage. "Hey kid, sorry you got stuck following me."

"Love your ink," I said. "I'm looking to have something done."

"Had this done in Vegas," she said. She gave me an up and down look, assessing. "We'll talk."

She walked off.

"OKAY EVERYONE, TONIGHT WE HAVE A SPECIAL TREAT FOR YOU ALL. FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME AT THE FOX-N-HOUNDS, NAY ANYWHERE IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE, LET'S ALL WELCOME THE SPUNKY AND VIVACIOUS... AMBER!

"AND YOU KNOW SOMETHING? AMBER TELLS ME SHE'S GOING TO TAKE HOME THE VERY FIRST DOLLAR AND HANG IT ON HER WALL

"THINK ABOUT THAT... YOUR DOLLAR BILL ON HER WALL... OLD GEORGE LOOKNG AT HER WITH HIS LECHEROUS EYES... FOREVER."

Talk about overselling it but there were a dozen bills in the air even as I climbed up on the stage. One of those dollars was being held aloft by Joe the rock.

Joe was looking around at his competition as if he was having second thoughts when I clunked down the runway with my boot buckles jangling and snatched the dollar from his fingers. I waved it around in the air and strutted back up the stage.

The first song started. This was the metal cover of 'Dance Monkey' by Leo Moracchioli with Hannah and Rabea. I intended it to set a fun and lively mood. I strutted and swung and toyed with my Slipknot top moving up and down the runway snatching bills and giving teasing looks at under boob from one side or the other.

When the screaming started I just went crazy hopping and jumping and twirling. Ignoring the world around me.

Then the music slowed again and I danced as if nothing unusual had happened.

More screaming, more gyrating madly. If I was going to be the crazy metal chick, I figured I'd own it completely, y'know?

When Rabea's guitar solo came I whipped off my top to reveal my tiny black bikini heroically trying to contain my breasts. And just like last time it didn't. As I was madly slamming at my air guitar my left boob liberated itself and danced in insane circles.

Then the music was slow again and it was time for some stripper moves. I'll be honest, I wasn't terrific at them but the audience didn't seem to care.

When the music was hard I was back at the craziness losing my top When the song was over I was covered in sweat and had a fist full of dollars. I started stuffing them in my garter making sure to keep Joe's bill separate.

Song two was Pisces by Jinjer. The soft sensual verses alternated with a harsh guttural chorus.

With the first chorus I crawled down the runway, making lots of eye contact, picking up bills. When I got to the end of the stage I played to the guy holding up a five who was sitting next to Joe. Like I'd done with Mel during my audition Sunday. I loosened and proffered my boot to be pulled it off.

Honest to God he buried his face in it.

But as I played with his ear with my big toe protruding from the disaster area that was my fishnets, he stuffed the five in my boot.

The chorus/rant started up and I kicked him not so gently in the head and somersaulted away. Time for the Japanese horror movie crawl...

Into the next verse I went back to being a 'conventional' stripper. When I saw a patron flashing a ten I peeled my net stocking down a little and offered it to him to finish the job. I booped is nose with my foot.

Chorus again meant spider crawling, this time face up and legs spread wide, jacking my skirt way up to expose my teardrop bottom. I popped the buckle of my belt. I had left the snap undone this time so it was just the zipper holding my skirt closed. When I reverse somersaulted the skirt removal operation went smoothly this time.

I stood and danced in teardrop bikini bottoms with one leg bare and the other still in it's stocking and boot. Again I played to the asymmetry of it as much as I could: Rotating around the booted foot kicking out with the bare one. And like before, as the song ended I pulled off the boot but left the stocking.