first few weeks on the job had been terrifying. They’d made her go onstage with very little clothing and slowly start to take even those pieces off. They made her dance around the stage, around a pole, and then around the crowd.
She had no idea what she was doing. She didn’t know how to dance. The other girls had been so confident, and she had felt like an imposter. She had never been the type of girl who had worried much about the way she looked, but those first few weeks, she’d felt far too exposed.
She’d worried about every single part of her body and had berated and belittled herself more than she should have. She’d spent the rest of the evening of her first day in the toilet, crying.
That was when she had met Melissa. Pretty Melissa with the big, kind eyes and the lovely smile. She’d taken Delilah under her wing and explained to her that all the girls felt the same on their first day.
She’d told her that the men didn’t care at all about the dancing. They weren’t looking at that. At first, Delilah wasn’t sure if those words had comforted her or upset her more. But soon, she saw that Melissa had been right. The dancing was not what mattered – and eventually the dancing became the easiest part of the entire night.
Not only did she get better and better at it, but it was the one time of the evening where she could pretend to be someone she was not. And she preferred at those moments to be someone else. She wished that she’d thought of creating a stage name. She hated it when these men called her Lilah or Delilah. It felt too real.
Things had changed since she had first started at the job. She didn’t have to get completely naked anymore. Also, she didn’t have to mingle too closely with the customers. The dance saw her going down to just her panties – which wasn’t much – but somehow still made her feel like she still had some sort of dignity left.
And she only got close when a customer called for a lap dance or for something more in one of the rooms. That night with James the other night was one of the few times that she’d been asked to go home with someone.
Her boss always tried to avoid that because it was hard to tell what sort of men they really were. She was surprised that she had let James take her home, which was why she thought that perhaps he really was someone famous. Either that or he had offered too much for her to say no to.
Today, she danced on stage and tried to put all her thoughts behind her. There were nights when this was easy and nights when this was almost impossible. She liked that onstage the lights were so bright it looked like there was nobody in the audience. Sometimes she felt as if she were just dancing up there with just the girls. The girls ended the dance as they always did – by walking up to the front and forming a line.
They would bow and allow the customers to see them up close. This was the chance that the customers got to pick out a girl that they might want to do something more with later on. Delilah hated this part. Especially because it was the moment when she knew that they had not been dancing alone.
She walked backwards and had started to change when her boss walked up to her. Immediately, her heart sunk. She tried to remember the money – she always made more on nights when someone beckoned for her. And, despite working for a few years, she still owed money. But she was almost finished paying the bank back, and she knew that she would soon be set free. The quicker she got money, the better, so she could never turn any job down.
“Hey, Lilah. I’ve got a live one for you.”
“Great,” she said sarcastically and then instantly regretted it. “Sorry. I am grateful. I’m just feeling tired tonight.”
Her boss looked at her with both a mixture of sympathy and annoyance. “Well, I can hold him off for a while if you want to go get some coffee
She had no idea what she was doing. She didn’t know how to dance. The other girls had been so confident, and she had felt like an imposter. She had never been the type of girl who had worried much about the way she looked, but those first few weeks, she’d felt far too exposed.
She’d worried about every single part of her body and had berated and belittled herself more than she should have. She’d spent the rest of the evening of her first day in the toilet, crying.
That was when she had met Melissa. Pretty Melissa with the big, kind eyes and the lovely smile. She’d taken Delilah under her wing and explained to her that all the girls felt the same on their first day.
She’d told her that the men didn’t care at all about the dancing. They weren’t looking at that. At first, Delilah wasn’t sure if those words had comforted her or upset her more. But soon, she saw that Melissa had been right. The dancing was not what mattered – and eventually the dancing became the easiest part of the entire night.
Not only did she get better and better at it, but it was the one time of the evening where she could pretend to be someone she was not. And she preferred at those moments to be someone else. She wished that she’d thought of creating a stage name. She hated it when these men called her Lilah or Delilah. It felt too real.
Things had changed since she had first started at the job. She didn’t have to get completely naked anymore. Also, she didn’t have to mingle too closely with the customers. The dance saw her going down to just her panties – which wasn’t much – but somehow still made her feel like she still had some sort of dignity left.
And she only got close when a customer called for a lap dance or for something more in one of the rooms. That night with James the other night was one of the few times that she’d been asked to go home with someone.
Her boss always tried to avoid that because it was hard to tell what sort of men they really were. She was surprised that she had let James take her home, which was why she thought that perhaps he really was someone famous. Either that or he had offered too much for her to say no to.
Today, she danced on stage and tried to put all her thoughts behind her. There were nights when this was easy and nights when this was almost impossible. She liked that onstage the lights were so bright it looked like there was nobody in the audience. Sometimes she felt as if she were just dancing up there with just the girls. The girls ended the dance as they always did – by walking up to the front and forming a line.
They would bow and allow the customers to see them up close. This was the chance that the customers got to pick out a girl that they might want to do something more with later on. Delilah hated this part. Especially because it was the moment when she knew that they had not been dancing alone.
She walked backwards and had started to change when her boss walked up to her. Immediately, her heart sunk. She tried to remember the money – she always made more on nights when someone beckoned for her. And, despite working for a few years, she still owed money. But she was almost finished paying the bank back, and she knew that she would soon be set free. The quicker she got money, the better, so she could never turn any job down.
“Hey, Lilah. I’ve got a live one for you.”
“Great,” she said sarcastically and then instantly regretted it. “Sorry. I am grateful. I’m just feeling tired tonight.”
Her boss looked at her with both a mixture of sympathy and annoyance. “Well, I can hold him off for a while if you want to go get some coffee
Similar Books
