Stopping at the top she clutched her breast and waited for her breathing to become calmer, before pushing open the door into the night club. This was where many of Tony’s customers, mostly men, gathered to watch the pole dancers and strippers while they paid exorbitant prices for their drinks.
The night club was fancier than the downstairs disco, with its plush red chairs, and glass topped tables edged with mahogany. A circular glass stage, with several silvery poles reaching to the ceiling, dominated the middle of the room, and she thought it must be here the dancers performed. However the carpet and chairs were grubby and the whole room had a tawdry look, which no doubt wouldn’t be noticed when the entertainment was at its height.
Diane plugged the cleaner into a wall socket and lapsed into a semi-aware state, listening to the buzz of the motor as she pushed the machine over the red carpet, which in her opinion could have done with a deeper clean.
Feeling less than satisfied with the job she’d done, she pulled back the red velvet curtain on the back wall. Marlene had left the door open for her and she passed through it, lugging the vacuum cleaner up another flight of stairs.
Compared to the disco toilets, Tony’s en suite bathroom wasn’t difficult to clean, although the marble tops and gold fittings made her eyes widen.
Likewise, the huge mahogany desk and the leather armchairs positioned in front of a large one-way glass wall, and the deep pile carpet, provided a feeling of luxury that was absent from the club area.
‘You’re not the usual cleaner.’
Tony’s voice made Diane jump. ‘No, sir,’ she said, switching off the vacuum cleaner. ‘Bella’s off sick and Marlene asked me to clean up here.’ She pulled the electric plug out and started to reel in the cable. ‘I usually clean downstairs.’
‘Ah,’ he said, looking at her appraisingly.
Heat suffused Diane’s body and she turned away to avoid the penetrating stare of his eyes. It had been a long time since a man had looked at her in that way and she found it embarrassing.
‘Don’t mind me,’ he said. ‘I won’t get in your way.’
‘It’s all right,’ she mumbled. ‘I’m finished here anyway. I only have the nightclub toilets to clean and then I’m done.’ She picked up the vacuum cleaner and left the office as fast as possible. Anything to get away from those eyes.
Downstairs once more, she stashed the machine beside the others at the back of the small room at the end of the back lobby, which was known as the cleaners’ cupboard. Each cleaner had her own equipment as well as her own area of responsibility. Bella, when she was not off sick, cleaned the upstairs nightclub and Tony’s office; Diane cleaned the entrance hallway as well as the downstairs disco and bar, while wee Lizzie cleaned the lounge bar and the Members Only area in the small room behind it.
‘They watch porn movies in there,’ she had whispered to Diane one day, ‘but I’m not supposed to know.’
At the time, Diane had shrugged. It made no difference to her what went on, but she had warned Emma to stay clear of that part of the club when her daughter had landed the temporary barmaid job.
Grabbing a bucket she filled it with scalding water. The nightclub had a better class of customer so the upstairs toilets shouldn’t be as bad as the disco ones, but they would still need a good scrub.
* * * *
It was the good-looking blond one who admitted Ryan to the club. ‘Come to see the boss, have you?’
Ryan looked up into the man’s face and nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
‘The name’s Phil,’ he said, holding out his hand.
Ryan took it. The warmth sent a shiver down his spine.
Phil smiled. ‘I expect we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.’ He was still holding Ryan’s hand.
A door opened and the moment was lost. Phil let go of his hand and said, ‘Follow me.’ He led the way up the corridor, hesitated a moment at the
The night club was fancier than the downstairs disco, with its plush red chairs, and glass topped tables edged with mahogany. A circular glass stage, with several silvery poles reaching to the ceiling, dominated the middle of the room, and she thought it must be here the dancers performed. However the carpet and chairs were grubby and the whole room had a tawdry look, which no doubt wouldn’t be noticed when the entertainment was at its height.
Diane plugged the cleaner into a wall socket and lapsed into a semi-aware state, listening to the buzz of the motor as she pushed the machine over the red carpet, which in her opinion could have done with a deeper clean.
Feeling less than satisfied with the job she’d done, she pulled back the red velvet curtain on the back wall. Marlene had left the door open for her and she passed through it, lugging the vacuum cleaner up another flight of stairs.
Compared to the disco toilets, Tony’s en suite bathroom wasn’t difficult to clean, although the marble tops and gold fittings made her eyes widen.
Likewise, the huge mahogany desk and the leather armchairs positioned in front of a large one-way glass wall, and the deep pile carpet, provided a feeling of luxury that was absent from the club area.
‘You’re not the usual cleaner.’
Tony’s voice made Diane jump. ‘No, sir,’ she said, switching off the vacuum cleaner. ‘Bella’s off sick and Marlene asked me to clean up here.’ She pulled the electric plug out and started to reel in the cable. ‘I usually clean downstairs.’
‘Ah,’ he said, looking at her appraisingly.
Heat suffused Diane’s body and she turned away to avoid the penetrating stare of his eyes. It had been a long time since a man had looked at her in that way and she found it embarrassing.
‘Don’t mind me,’ he said. ‘I won’t get in your way.’
‘It’s all right,’ she mumbled. ‘I’m finished here anyway. I only have the nightclub toilets to clean and then I’m done.’ She picked up the vacuum cleaner and left the office as fast as possible. Anything to get away from those eyes.
Downstairs once more, she stashed the machine beside the others at the back of the small room at the end of the back lobby, which was known as the cleaners’ cupboard. Each cleaner had her own equipment as well as her own area of responsibility. Bella, when she was not off sick, cleaned the upstairs nightclub and Tony’s office; Diane cleaned the entrance hallway as well as the downstairs disco and bar, while wee Lizzie cleaned the lounge bar and the Members Only area in the small room behind it.
‘They watch porn movies in there,’ she had whispered to Diane one day, ‘but I’m not supposed to know.’
At the time, Diane had shrugged. It made no difference to her what went on, but she had warned Emma to stay clear of that part of the club when her daughter had landed the temporary barmaid job.
Grabbing a bucket she filled it with scalding water. The nightclub had a better class of customer so the upstairs toilets shouldn’t be as bad as the disco ones, but they would still need a good scrub.
* * * *
It was the good-looking blond one who admitted Ryan to the club. ‘Come to see the boss, have you?’
Ryan looked up into the man’s face and nodded, not trusting himself to speak.
‘The name’s Phil,’ he said, holding out his hand.
Ryan took it. The warmth sent a shiver down his spine.
Phil smiled. ‘I expect we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other.’ He was still holding Ryan’s hand.
A door opened and the moment was lost. Phil let go of his hand and said, ‘Follow me.’ He led the way up the corridor, hesitated a moment at the
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