The Nightclub

Renee woke up around 9AM and found Star still asleep a few moments later. She was dying to know what she had been doing and where she had been doing it, but she knew from long experience that if she woke up Star early, she would just be a grouch all day. Renee got dressed for work and put on the coffeepot. Sure enough, a sleepy Star came shuffling into the kitchen wearing her oversized terry robe. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat at the table. Renee waited for her roommate to finish the first cup, then poured her another one. As Star woke up, she began to take an interest in the toast and eggs that Renee set in front of her. Renee sat down across from her and propped her chin on her hands.

“OK girlfriend. Spill it." Star took a bite of eggs and took her time chewing and swallowing, knowing it would drive Renee up the wall. When she saw Renee open her mouth to say something, she spoke up.

“I was with John until about 3 this morning." Renee sat back and gazed at her friend.

“John huh?" she said. “How do you know he's serious?"

“Well," Star said after another bite and swallow, “He did buy me a car so I wouldn't have to take the bus any more."

“Bullshit." said Renee in disbelief.

“It's the little yellow Honda sitting out there." Star waved at the window. “I think you can see it from here." Renee got up and looked out the window. She could see the car all right. Ugh.

“He gave you that piece of shit?" Star frowned.

“That piece of shit is the nicest gesture anyone has given me since Dad died." Renee came back and sat down.

“What all do you know about this John character?" Star leaned back with a smile.

“He's in his 20's. He owns his own home. He works at the club as of last night. And he's a gentleman." Renee rolled her eyes,

“It's no use talking to you. You're in love with him." Star grinned widely.

“Yup."

“So when do you meet his family?" Renee asked. Star giggled.

“His kid sister is a dancer at the club. The rest of his family I'll meet when it's time." Renee started laughing.

“That'll be an interesting family meeting." She stood up and put her coffee cup in the sink.

“I've got to get to work,” she said. “Does this Galahad have any other sterling qualities?"
Star held her hands up, palms toward each other.

“A prick this big." she snickered. Renee laughed.

“You're incorrigible." Star got up and began clearing the table.

“Shoo!" She told her friend, “I'll take care of the dishes." She paused, “Say, come by the club tonight. He'll be tending bar and I can introduce you two."

“I just might get around there after work." Renee said.

Star finished the dishes after her roommate had left for work. It was still early for her, but she felt as rested and fresh as if she had slept for a full 8 hours. She dressed and went out to where her car was parked. She studied it for a while.

“You sure are ugly in the daylight,” she said to it. “But I'll take care of that." She went back to the apartment and came back with rags, sponges, and a bucket of soapy water. She spent the next couple of hours scrubbing and wiping the car, getting her halter and cutoffs soaking wet, much to the delight of some of the male residents of her apartment complex. Star ignored the onlookers and concentrated on getting her car presentable. She finally rinsed the car off and packed all the rags etc. into the now empty bucket. The car still wasn't a beauty, but it looked a hell of a lot better than it did when she started. She changed clothes again, and then took the car down to a full service car wash to get it waxed and polished. She barely made it to work on time, pulling into the parking lot right behind John on his Harley.

“Hi Honey!" she greeted him with a kiss. “Ready for a long night's work?"

“Now I am,” he replied. He gave her a lingering kiss and a squeeze on the fanny. Star giggled.

“Later." She whispered in his ear.

Big Jim waved them on through the door. Tami was right behind them. She stopped to give the big bouncer a kiss and a whisper in his ear that made him blush like a schoolgirl.

The club was busier than usual that night, and Star didn't get over to the bar as often as she liked, but she had almost $500 in tips by the time her shift was half over. On her break, she gave John the money to hold for her, and then spotted Renee coming through the door. She ran over and dragged Renee to the bar.

When John was free, he moved down to where Star was standing. She was practically vibrating with anticipation.

“John, this is my roommate and best friend Renee. Renee, this is my boyfriend

John held out his hand. Renee took it and watched bemused as John bowed over her hand and kissed the fingers lightly.

“A pleasure to meet you Renee." Down girl, Renee told herself as she felt her reaction her friend’s boyfriend.

“Umm, glad to meet you too." Tami came bouncing up about then.

“What's up Johnny? Another conquest?"

“Behave squirt." John said affectionately. “This is Renee, Star's roommate and best friend." Tami shook Renee's hand.

“Glad to meet ya." she said. “Ya gotta watch my brother though, back home in high school, he laid every cheerleader on the pep squad."

“Not all of them!" John protested. “I never got into Alice Fallon's pants."

“That's only because she was a dyke and wouldn't let you." Tami spouted back.

Tami leaned over and whispered to Star and Renee,

“I'm just giving him a hard time. Johnny's a prince with a heart of gold. But don't tell him I said so." Then she went back out to look for another table dance.

“What'll you have?” John asked Renee.

“Rum and Coke please." she replied distractedly. She had been in the club before, but never when it was this busy. John put her drink in front of her.

“On me." he said. He moved off to serve another customer a few feet away.

“Well, what do you think?" Star asked.

“I think this place is a madhouse." Renee replied.

“No! NO! Silly, about John." Renee shook her head.

“Sorry." she said. “I was a little distracted there. I think he's nice enough. I'd like to meet him outside of here though."

“I think we can arrange that. Come on and sit at one of the tables for a while. I have to get back up on stage."

“OK."

Renee let Star lead her to a vacant table and sat down. Star waved at her and scampered up the stairs to the stage. The DJ announced her set and started her music. Renee had never actually seen Star dance at work before. She was fascinated at how she worked the crowd and obviously was having fun. After the three song set, Star came over and sat down next to her, counting the money that had been left on the stage or tucked into her g-string. "$30, $35, $40, $50." Star folded the bills and tucked them down the front g-string.

“Not bad for about 10 minutes work." she said.

Renee leaned closer to her friend. “How do you deal with being up there almost naked with all those guys looking at you?"

Star whispered back, “It's easy. I'm the one in control up there. I have what they want, and all they can do is drool and give me money." She looked at her friend with a new appraisal,

“You know, you have a pretty good body. You ought to get up there sometime and give it a try just once." Renee blushed beet red.

“I don't know if I could..."

“Hang out here for a while." Star told her. “I have to work the room a bit. Then I'll take you back stage."
Sheila came by a few minutes later with a fresh drink. “John said to tell you that your drinks are on him all night."

“Tell him thanks." Renee said. “Before you go, what kind of guy is John? Is he good for Star?"
Sheila sat down for a moment.

“I've never seen her happier" she thought for a moment. “If Star was my daughter, I'd be happy to have her date a man like John." Renee nodded thoughtfully.

“OK, Thanks." “If you need anything else, just let me know." Sheila told her.

Renee watched as Tami/Susy got up on stage next, then a couple of other girls. This might not be so hard after all, she thought to herself. Star came back about an hour later.

“Come on, I cleared it with Cal for you to get up on stage for a single set." Renee allowed Star to drag her back to the dressing room. Another dancer offered to let Renee borrow a costume. Then another one offered to fix her makeup and hair.

3/4 of an hour later, Renee stood in front of a full-length mirror and blushed at what she saw.
5'7" and 110 pounds with shoulder length brown hair and a nice set of 36C tits attired in a few scraps of green and blue cloth.

“You look great!" Star assured her. “Don't worry, I'll go up on stage with you." Renee sighed.

“Let's get this over with." The DJ came over the loudspeakers.

“Put your hands together for a first time dancer. The lovely Sparkle!" Star led a very nervous Renee out on the stage and moved a few feet off.

“Let your body go with the music and pretend that there's no one out there." Renee slowly began moving, swaying and turning from side to side. As she gained confidence, she started copying some of the moves she had seen the other girls doing. From the whistles and applause she heard from the surrounding tables, she figured she must be doing something right. When a man held up a bill folded lengthwise, Star nudged her.

“Go get it!" Renee danced over to the man and sank to one knee. She pulled the waistband of her g-string away from her skin. The man slipped the bill under the string, and she let it snap back to hold the bill in place.

“Thanks," she smiled at him. She rose to her feet and whipped off her top. This was the first time she had been topless in public since that drunken night at Mardi gras several years ago. She felt her nipples harden and the areola swell as she got more into the dancing and applause. She ended up collecting about $35 for the set of three songs and left the stage with a sassy swing to her hips and a happy smile. She left her top off, letting her tits bounce and sway freely as she followed Star back to the dressing room.

“My God! That was a rush!" She exclaimed back in the dressing room. “You looked like you were having fun." Star said with a grin.

“When can I do it again?" Renee wanted to know.

Kitty, a dancer of Japanese ancestry laughed and patted her on the back.

“Ah, the enthusiasm of the beginner. You did pretty good for your first time on stage." She said to Renee. “The first time I took my top off on stage, I threw up all over the guys in pervert row."

“What's pervert row?" Renee asked.

“It's the row of seats at the edge of the stage." Kitty explained. “Most of the guys who sit there on a regular basis are hoping I get a glimpse of bush or to have a dancer fall into their laps."

“Does that happen often?" Renee asked.

“Not here so much." said Star. “The stage here is in good shape and is well enough lit. But I have seen it happen at other clubs."

“That's why we had you step in that box of resin before you went out on stage." added Dee-Dee, a tall blonde with a pronounced Texas accent.

“The resin helps keep you from slipping." Kimberly piped up from the back of the dressing room. “The last thing we need here is a no talent cow coming to work here. We have enough of them already."

“We sure do." said Cindy.

“Shut yer pie holes." said Kitty. “I already beat your ass once Kim. And I'll be happy to do the same to you too Cindy." Cal spoke up from where he had been watching from the doorway.

“Kim, Cindy, if I hear any more of this catty shit from either of you, you're both out on your ass. I'm tired of customer's and other staff bitching about your attitudes."

“Fuck you." said Cindy. “I can get a job dancing anywhere in town."

“Fine." said Cal. “Get the fuck out." he looked at Kimberly. “You wanna go too?" Kimberly didn't answer; she just started packing her costumes and cosmetics.

Cal walked over to Renee

“If you wanna work as a dancer here. I'll take ya on. Come see me in the office and fill out the paperwork. I'll give you a new padlock for your locker. Take one of theirs,” he jerked a thumb at the two girls who were getting their stuff together.

He walked over to Kim and Cindy. “Come to the office when you're ready. I'll have your final checks ready."

When Cal left, Star walked up to Kimberly and backhanded her across the mouth.

“That's for trash talking about my man,” she said. Kim wiped a spot of blood from her lower lip, and then went back to packing, keeping her eyes down. Cindy opened her mouth to say something, but Jeannie, a tall slender black girl, tapped her on the shoulder. When Cindy turned around, Jeannie balled up her fist and slugged her in the stomach, doubling the smaller girl over.

“You just don' know when to shut your mouth, do ya bitch?" Kimberly walked out of the room, leaving Cindy gasping for breath on the floor. Dee-Dee hauled Cindy to her feet and shoved the box of her stuff into her arms.

“Now get out before we drag you out."

Renee was looking around warily. “Does this happen often?"
“First time." said Kitty. “Last time I whipped Kim's ass, we were working at another club down in San Diego."

Dee-Dee put her arm around Renee's shoulders and gave her a squeeze.

“I for one, hope you come to work with us." The other girls all added their assurances as well.
Cal poked his head back in the doorway.

“Some of you gals need to leave the hen party and get back out here. The customers are getting antsy." Star took Renee to the office and went back to work.

“Have a seat." Cal said.

“The rules are simple. No drugs, no drinking on the job, no hooking, and you show up on time or call." Renee nodded.

“IF you wanna date a customer, that's up to you. If I hear you're hooking, you get fired and blacklisted, plus we call the cops. Same with dope."

“I already have a job in the daytime." Renee said. “Can I work part time?"

“You can work as many or as few hours as you want, so long as you give us advance notice of your schedule."

“I can do that." Renee said. Call shoved some papers over to her.

“Take these out and have a seat at the bar. Fill them out and give them to John or Josh. Come in tomorrow and we'll work out a work schedule for you." Renee took the papers and sat at the bar to fill them out. John came over and leaned on the bar.

“I saw you up on stage." he said, “You have real potential." Renee looked up at him with gratitude.

“Thanks." she said. “This is all happening so fast it seems unreal."

“Well you know what you have to do when you're riding the tiger don't you?"

“What's that?" she asked with a smile.

“Why, you keep riding it of course. Getting off without getting eaten alive might prove somewhat problematical, don't you think?" Renee gave a musical laugh, shook her head and went back to the paperwork.

When she was done, Josh took the papers back to Cal, and she went back to the dressing room to get her clothes back on. She stayed until closing to wait for Star and John.

“Why don't we go hit the Denny's for breakfast?” said John. “Tami and Big Jim can come along too if they want. But those two declined, citing other plans. John watched as Tami rode off on the back of Jim's bike. Oh well, he hoped she would be gentle with him.

After a leisurely breakfast, John pulled Star's money out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Almost a grand tonight." Star said after she counted the bills. Renee looked at the wad of cash with wide eyes.

“WOW!" was all she could say. Star shrugged.

“On a night as busy as this, I should have cleared 300 or 400 more easily."

“I'm in the wrong business,” muttered Renee. “Not anymore you're not!" quipped John. John followed the girl’s home, and then accepted an offer of a cup of coffee inside.

As the three of them sat in around the kitchen table and talked, John firmly won Renee over with his unflagging politeness and good humor. Finally he stood and stretched.
“Sorry to leave you ladies like this, but I am dead tired and have a long ride home."

“Not in the shape you're in.,” declared Renee. “There's plenty of room in Star's bed, unless she's turned shy all of a sudden." she winked at her roommate to show she was teasing before continuing, “In which case you can have either the couch or share my bed."

“Unh UH!" Star declared as she took John's arm possessively. “He's all mine!" John laughed and hugged Star.

“The prospect of sleeping by your side makes me very anxious to get to bed." Star poked her tongue out at Renee and walked John to her bedroom.

Renee stayed awake for a while in her room next door, but all she heard was someone snoring softly.

By the time Renee woke up that morning, John was already up and dressed. He had coffee brewing and was busy fixing breakfast. She pulled her robe closed and sat down at the table.

“Morning." she mumbled. “I forgot you were still here."

“How do you like your omelet?" John asked as he poured her a cup of coffee.

“Don't ask me to think this early in the morning." Renee groaned. John chuckled and turned back to the stove. Renee added creamer to her coffee and drank the first cup in a couple of long gulps. John put a plate in front of her. She closed her eyes and inhaled the heavenly aromas.

“Oh God yes." she said and grabbed a fork to dig in. John poured her another cup of coffee and then assembled a plate, coffee juice on a tray and took it in to give Star breakfast in bed.

“Wake up Sunshine." John said quietly. His girlfriend stirred, then yawned and stretched. She opened her eyes and smiled up at him. “Morph." she went as another yawn interrupted whatever she had been about to say. John sat down with one hip on the edge of the bed.

“Sit up a bit and make room." Star scooted to a sitting position and stuffed a pillow behind her back to prop herself up. John laid the tray on the blankets atop her crossed legs. Star looked down at the tray in her lap, trying to blink her eyes into focus. John chuckled and picked up the fork. He cut and speared a bite of omelet and held it to her lips.

“Open up." he said. Star opened her lips out of sheer reflex, and he placed the bite in her mouth. When she closed her mouth and started chewing, he cut and speared another bite.

“This could be fun,” he said. Star opened her mouth to say something and he put the forkful of eggs into her mouth. She took the fork from him before he could get another bite ready. When she swallowed, she fixed him with an evil eye.

“I can feed myself you know. I have been since I was 2." John took the napkin and dabbed at the corners of her mouth. He winked at her.

“But the look on your face was priceless." Star finally had to smile back.

“You big goof." she said. “Thanks for the breakfast in bed." He leaned in for a kiss.

“Anytime." John got up and picked his jacket up off the floor. “I've got to get home and change clothes,” he said. “Do you want to get together after work? I want to take you out for another ride."

“Sure." Star mumbled around a mouthful of food. John blew her a kiss and left the room. “Sorry about leaving you with the dishes." he said to Renee. “I'll wash the dishes next time I'm here whoever cooks."

“For cooking like this, I'll be glad to clean up,” she replied. John gave her a wave, and then was gone. Renee took the coffee pot to Star's room to give her a refill if needed.

“You got a good one,” said Renee. “And he cooks too." Star polished off her orange juice before answering.

“If he asks me," she told her roommate. “I'm going to move in with him." Renee pouted.

“That bites." she said. “How do you think he'd feel about having both of us around the house?" Star rolled her eyes.

“I can see it now. We'll be getting it on in his bedroom, and you banging on the wall telling us to keep it down in there." Renee fell over laughing.