Seeing Dad at the Strip Club

My mom and dad got divorced during my freshman year of high school. I remember it breaking my heart the day they told me they were splitting. My dad's name is Mikey, and he is beloved by everyone. He is a carpenter and has always worked his ass off. When I was younger, his routine consisted of work, then spending every other moment with me. He and my mom consistently tried their best to co-parent. No one would ever know there was an issue between them. They both would tell me the only thing that mattered to them was my happiness.

After their split, I stayed with my mom in the house that they purchased together. I would spend weekends with my dad at his studio apartment. I used to feel bad that my father had to live in such a tiny apartment; I would cry because I felt bad for him. Dad would explain to me, "Sweetheart, you don't have to be upset. All I need is to help pay your bills, for you to be happy, and a bed to sleep in."

When I was deciding what college to go to, I wanted to stay close to home because I didn't want to leave my dad. I also didn't want to put any more financial pressure on him to pay for my education. I decided to go to a local state college and pay my own way. I had never had a real job before, so I didn't know what I was going to do to support myself. I decided to start waitressing at a restaurant close to my school. The money was decent, but it left me with just enough to scrape by.

One day I was crying after my shift because I hadn't made enough to pay my tuition. My co-worker Linda approached me. "Monica, why are you crying? Did someone bother you?"

Linda and I formed a friendship at work. She would help me out when I would screw up. We would cover for each other when we couldn't make our scheduled shifts. Linda was a feisty, single mother who was left to pay all the bills and provide for her son. She had a second job at a strip club where she would work a couple of nights a week. She would come to work with the wildest stories about men being pigs and how much money she would make.

"No, Linda. No one bothered me. I don't have enough to pay my tuition. I don't wanna ask my father for help. I don't know what to do."

"You gotta toughen up, Monica. I gotta go to the club. How about you come with me? See what I do, see if you think you could do it. It's easy money. Trust me. If you don't think you can do it, then at least you get to see me naked." Linda started laughing at her joke.

Linda would make this suggestion to me often. I never contemplated doing it because I've never been to a strip club. I had my ideas of what they were like, filled with sweaty, disgusting men trying to have sex with you all the time. Linda would tell me that all she ever really had to deal with was men hitting on her, no different than being at a bar, except they gave her money to look at her. I stopped crying and giggled at Linda's comment, "OK, but I'm only going so I can see your hot ass naked." Linda always found a way to get me out of a funk.

Linda told Luther, the bartender, "Let my friend Monica sit behind the bar. Do not let anyone bother her. When am I up, Luther?"

"I got your girl Linda. You're up next. Good crowd, they're giving money away."

"Good to know. Monica, watch and learn."

I watched as Linda was introduced as Scorpio. Linda swayed and moved as the crowd hinged on every movement. Then, the bra was off, and the men went crazy. Luther was right; they were throwing their money at her. I remember thinking, 'that's a lot of money to just show your tits.' I watched as Linda teased, pulling her thong off. Then suddenly, she ripped it off. Men were crowding the stage. Security made sure no one could get to Linda. Maybe she was right. It seemed like easy money. Linda's set lasted about twenty minutes.

Linda came out of the back, telling me, "OK, Let's get outta here. Thanks, Luther!" when we got into the car, Linda asked me, "What did you think?"

I asked, "How much did you make for that?"

Linda started laughing, "Easiest four hundred dollars I ever made."

I couldn't believe that she made four hundred dollars in a twenty-minute set. We were only at the club for about two hours. "FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS? ARE YOU FUCKIN KIDDING ME?"

"Girl, I got bills too. If I teach you, do you think you'd want to do it?"

All I could think about was needing to pay my bills and support myself while in school. "YES! Can you teach me what I need to do to perform like that?"

That was last year. One year later and I am working three nights a week, stripping. I am paying my bills with more time to focus on my schoolwork. My biggest fear has always been seeing someone I know, but luckily, I haven't run into anyone I know. In order to get two high-money nights at the club, you have to work one of the slow nights. I am a regular on Mondays and then rotate between Thursday and Friday or Friday and Saturday. My stage name is Mini because I am only four feet, eleven inches tall. Despite my height, I have incredibly wide hips with a firm, round ass. My tits are on the smallish side, but my b-cup tits seem perfect for my body type.

Then, one night my world changed. When I got to the club on Monday night, Luther told me, "It's going to be a slow night. Not many guys here."

I looked around and thought, 'I'll be lucky if I make fifty dollars tonight. 'About ten minutes into my set, Luther gestured for me to work the other end of the stage. As I got to the stage area he was pointing toward, my heart dropped, and panic set in. There was my dad sitting right there, with money in his hand. I froze for a minute, not comprehending what to do when I saw him place his money on the stage while he seemed to gesture for me to keep dancing.

I finished my set when the manager asked me, "Are you OK, Monica? Was someone acting stupid? You looked scared up there."

"No, no, Glen. I'm OK. Do you care if I take off? Can you get someone to fil my shifts for the rest of the week?"

"Go ahead. It's dead here, and some of the new girls need practice. People always want those shifts. Are you sure you are, OK?"

"Yes, I'm good. Gotta study, that's all."

I put my clothes on and ran out the back door. When I got to my car, I saw that my father had texted me. "Sweetheart, I am so sorry. I did not know you were dancing. If I had known, I wouldn't have gone there. This is so embarrassing. Please call me when you can."

I didn't know what I was going to say to him. I was terrified that he was disappointed with me. How was I ever going to face him after tonight? I texted him back, "Hey, Dad. I am so sorry for not being honest with you about what I was doing for work. I am really embarrassed right now and don't want to talk. Can we just text for now?"

He responded immediately, "Monica, I'm embarrassed too. I didn't want my daughter to know I went to strip clubs. I didn't want to cause a scene or embarrass you. That's why I was trying to tell you to keep going. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. You are working your way through college, paying your own bills. I'm proud of you! Please forgive me for being there."

Even under the worst conditions, my dad knew how to make me feel better. "Dad, you have nothing to be forgiven for. I love you! Can I text you when I get home? Will you be awake?"

"Absolutely, sweetheart. I don't think I'll be getting any sleep tonight."

I was wondering if he wasn't going to be able to sleep because he watched me dance on stage nude. If that's the case, I was curious if that was because I grossed him out by watching me or because he saw me differently now. I asked, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I hope I didn't gross you out with my performance. I'm usually a better dancer, but I get a pass for a bad performance for tonight. Lol" At this point, I thought making a joke was the best way to divert the conversation.

"Don't be ridiculous. You gave a five-star performance. Drive safe & text me when you get home." I couldn't believe he complimented me on my stripping performance.

When I got home, I walked by my mother, who was still awake. I hurried past her, saying a quick, "Good night."

I went directly to my room and texted my dad, "Hey, are you awake?"

Immediately my phone dinged, "Yes, I'm awake. I'm really sorry for tonight. Please, don't let this change anything between us. I go to clubs occasionally, and I'm really embarrassed that you saw me there. I didn't know what to do when I saw you. I didn't want to embarrass you or cause a scene. I promise, I will never go there again."

I felt horrible that my dad thought he was in the wrong. Even though I was naked in front of a bunch of men, he was still proud of me. It must have been so hard for him to sit there and do or say anything while men were hooting and encouraging me to take my clothes off. "Dad, you didn't do anything wrong. You're a guy, and you went somewhere to be entertained. I can't imagine you would ever think I'd be there dancing. You need to be able to do things and have fun. You are a good man and a great dad. I'm sorry I ruined your night out. I hope I haven't scarred you for life! lol"

His text was immediate, "No, Monica. You didn't scar me for life. I know not to go to that club anymore. I just want you to be safe and not make a career out of dancing. I am going to go to sleep now. Tomorrow, we start over and move on. Again, I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable and saw you like that."

I love my father so much. I really wanted him to feel better and know it wasn't either of our faults. OK, it was uncomfortable, but at this point, I thought it was funny. I thought he was going to be judgmental and disappointed with me. He was neither. Dad was supporting me. He understood why I was stripping and did not judge me. He was actually proud of me. "Well, dad, I'm not scarred either. I only plan on doing this to pay my bills while I'm in college. You don't have to stop going there either. I will tell you the days not to go. Please don't tell people I am your daughter. No one knows any of my personal business there. The only thing they know is I'm friends with Linda, and I'm paying my way through college. Does that work for you?" I waited for a response that didn't come through as I passed out.

The following morning, I woke up to my dad's reply from last night. "Yes, that works for me. Trust me; I don't want anyone knowing you are my daughter there either. Some people who work there know me too. Sorry, I fell asleep on you."

I texted my father, "OK. I fell asleep too. I'm not there the rest of the week, so feel free to go. Lol."

I felt better than I thought I would about everything that transpired the night before. I went about my day and decided to go to the club to see if I could get my shifts back for the week. Linda was working tonight so at least I'd get to see her.

I got to the club around seven, and Luther told me that Linda was in the back. Luther asked me, "Hey, did someone bother you last night? I was trying to point you towards Mikey. I don't think he's ever been here when you have been on stage. He's a good guy, spends well, and is respectful to the women. He likes Linda, but she wasn't here, so I thought I'd help you out because there were no big spenders in the club." Luther is a good guy, not one to play with. He is about six foot two with muscles upon muscles. He makes sure no one gets aggressive with us, and we're safe. As far as strip clubs go, Glen and Luther make it as safe as possible for the performers.

I did not realize that my dad would come there to see Linda. Thank God, I never introduced them. "Hey Luther, I was OK. No one bothered me. I would have let you know. I'm heading to the back. I need to beg for my shifts back and say hi to everyone."

I was curious about my father's reputation at the club. Linda wasn't scheduled to be on stage until nine, so it gave me some time to grill her about him. "Hey, Linda. I heard one of your regulars missed you last night." I thought this would be a good way to open the information door.

"Hey, Monica! Are you OK? I heard you ran off last night. Everyone told me Mikey was here. He's a sweet guy. Big tipper and super respectful. He's one of the few that I go in the back room with to do private dances for."

Linda and I very rarely go to the back rooms for private dances. We are trying to make as much money as possible. However, going into a room with a man or men to do private dances is not; the safest thing to do. I needed more information. Jokingly I said, "I never heard you talk about him before. Everyone seemed to know him except me. Careful, I think he liked my set. I might try to steal him from ya."

Linda's response startled me, "Girl, I love you, but I would whip your ass. Mikey isn't like the random guys that come here. He's a nice guy. Everyone knows he is, my customer." Then Linda started laughing.

I wanted more information about my dad but was glad he wasn't being taken advantage of by women who worked here. Some of the other women lead guys on to take every penny they can get. Other women prostitute themselves with no shame. The fact was my father came here specifically because he liked Linda. Meaning all he was looking for was to be entertained.

"Haha, Linda! I was joking. He appeared to be a nice guy. I've never seen him here before."

"He is a nice guy. When I give him lap dances, his junk loves it. I grind into him just to watch him grow. I've never seen his dick, but it's gotta be about nine inches. He's the only customer I am curious about because he's gotta be huge. He is always nice, and you know me, I'm not a whore. I'm just trying to pay my bills. But if I was going to do anything with anyone, it would be him. By the way, can you work for me on Friday? I don't have a babysitter."

I was in shock hearing this about my father. "Nine inches?" I asked. The I told her I would take her shift on Friday.

"Has to be at least that. Trust me, Monica, It's huge. Stay away from my customers." Linda then hugged me and said, "Girl, you ain't making no money tonight. Get outta here, go have some fun."

While driving home, all I thought about was Linda talking about my dad's dick. I was relieved that everyone shared my perception of him. I think my dad is awesome. But he is my dad; I'm supposed to feel that way about him. It was nice to hear people say nice things about him that didn't know he was my father. I was also glad to know that no one there had sex with him. I had never pried into who my father was beyond what he was like as a dad. I was thinking of a way to get my mother to share information about him. I was hoping she'd still be awake when I got home.

When I walked in, I was greeted; by my mother, who was sitting in the living room drinking wine and reading one of her favorite authors. "Hey, bunny." She called out.

"Hey, mom. Can I ask you why you and dad split up?" I asked.

"It's been a long time since your father, and I split. We have never hidden anything from you. We just fell out of love. Sometimes it's just that simple. I have nothing bad to say about your dad. He's a good man and a great father. Why the question, suddenly?"

"A friend of mine has a crush on him. You know how girls talk. My friend Linda has no boundaries and brings things up. I realized that I have no idea who dad is beyond being my dad."

"Girl talk gets complicated when it comes to crushes on parents." My mom had a habit of avoiding conversations by turning them into a lecture; this is what I thought she was attempting. "But, your friend would be a lucky girl if she had the opportunity to follow through on that crush." Mom looked up from her book, at me, with a smirk on her face. "You know what I mean?" then she let out a devilish laugh.

I thought to myself, 'the door is opened.' I started laughing when I asked, "He's that good?"

"Monica, your dad, is...that...GOOD!"

We both laughed at my mom's recollection of her escapades with my dad. About an hour later, I got a text from my dad, so I told mom, "I'm heading off to bed. Enjoy the rest of your night."

My father wanted to know if I was home safe or working. I texted him back, "I'm home. I'm not working tonight. I gave my shifts up for the week after last night."

Dad's response took me back a little. He was flirtatious, "Well to be honest. You shouldn't be giving up shifts. You looked like you needed the practice. You looked off your game. Lol."

Dad and I have always talked shit back and forth with each other. I guess we are adding me stripping to the shit-talking agenda. "Well, you were too scared to even give me my tips properly. Unless you're telling me, you are always that timid. Lol." I wanted to see his response, and after five minutes of waiting, I sent another text. "No response, smartass? Too scared?"

I saw that he was typing. Then, it came through. "Sweetheart, trust me. I am not scared, and I'm not timid. I have ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO BE TIMID. Trust me. I was being respectful because you choked once you saw me gazing at your body."

I had never seen this side of my father. This must be how Linda and my mom see him. I found his confidence cute. I was picturing him looking at me last night. I wanted more information, but first, I wanted to know what condition he was in. Dad likes to get a buzz on pretty regularly. He never drank around me, but I knew he did when he didn't have any responsibilities.

I pushed for information, "You must be drunk. You're kinda full of yourself tonight. Just admit, you froze because you couldn't believe what your eyes were gazing upon. LOL!" I waited patiently for his response.

"Not drunk yet. I have reason to be full of myself. Unfortunately for you, you'll never know why. Of course, I liked what I saw. You looked hot up there. Your body was amazing. The guy sitting next to me is the one who told me I had to come to see the girl, mini strip. I wasn't disappointed, even though you choked. That's why I gave you all of my cash. Next time I want a lap dance. Who's scared now?"

He was right. I was scared. He came there specifically to see mini, not knowing that his daughter was mini. Then when he saw me, he turned all his money over. He just admitted that he liked seeing me perform nude. I could not let him win the shit-talking game. "Well, unfortunately for you, I'm off for the rest of the week, and you don't know my schedule, so no lap dance for you. TRUST ME, I WON'T CHOKE AGAIN! Of course, you like what you saw. I'm hot AS FUCK! Good night, dad. Love you! By the way, I'm never scared, especially of you. 😊 Now go to bed!"

I was hoping this conversation was over, at least for tonight. "Good night, Monica! I love you too! I know you won't choke again."

Over the next few days, dad and I hadn't talked a lot except for a general conversation. Mom and I were glued to the TV most nights, watching the news about the pandemic. Mom told me, "They are talking about shutting everything down. I don't know what people are going to do if that happens." Things were getting scary. School set up a mandatory meeting with the students for Monday.

On Thursday, I called the club manager, Glen. I wanted to see if we were still open. I had to cover Linda's shift on stage. Glen told me that we open on Friday and Saturday but couldn't commit to anything beyond that. Glen was worried that everything was going into mandatory shut down.

I showed up at the club on Friday for my ten o'clock set. The club was not as packed as it usually was on a Friday. Right before I went out to perform, I got a text from my father. "I didn't know you were working tonight. Sorry if my being here creeps you out. I don't want to act suspicious. Knock'em dead!"

I wanted to perform tonight. I needed to get as much cash as possible before everything shut down. I also wanted to make dad uncomfortable so the next time he, wanted to talk shit I would be able to win. I replied, "Thanks for the heads-up. Get ready for a performance. Lol." I went out and danced my ass off for forty-five minutes. I spent a lot of time dancing in front of my father. I Teased him and the men n his section. All of the men were signaling for me to go to a backroom for a lap dance. Including my father.