I grin because it’s the damn truth.
“Shit, half the women in here are hot for your ass.”
“Bro, you make me feel like a piece of meat,” I tease him. “I’ve got feelings, you know.”
North about chokes on his beer. “Fuck off, Sly.”
I chuckle. We’re both watching the show for a while when North elbows me and nods toward one of the tables. A dancer who I’ve never seen before is giving a lap dance to a guy wearing a ball cap. He looks bored and she’s not smiling; instead, she’s staring into space, not giving her customer any eye contact and barely engaging him. I frown. “She new?”
North nods. “Her first night. Might be her last too. Sucks because her stage work earlier was good. She gets her head on straight, she could make it”—he lifts his chin toward her—“but her lap dance skills are shit.”
I chug my beer and set it on the bar, then wait for her to finish with this guy. Before she tries to find another customer, I move in. She looks up and I jerk my head and motion her over with two fingers. She complies, still no smile on her face.
“Yes, sir? You want a dance?” Her eyes drop to my cut.
I shake my head. “You know who owns this club?”
She points at my cut. “You guys do.”
“That’s right. I need to have a word with you. Sit down.” I nod toward the bar. She takes a seat on a stool, and I move in next to her, leaning on an elbow. “This your first night?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What’s your name, darlin’?”
“Like, my stage name?”
I grin. “Sure.”
“Jenna.”
“Jenna. Pretty name for a pretty girl.”
She beams. “Thank you.”
“They call me Sly. I missed your stage act, but my brother said it was good.” I lift my chin over her shoulder to North. She turns and looks.
“Oh, thanks.”
“We were watching you give that guy over there a lap dance. Gotta say, babe, you’re heart didn’t seem in it.”
Her face falls and she looks away. I take her chin and turn her back to meet my gaze. “It’s all about eye contact.”
Her lips part, and I know she gets the message. I ask, anyway, just to ram home the point. “Understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“See, darlin’, dancing is all about an illusion of intimacy with the customer, the desire for the unattainable, an implied message with just the right layer of fantasy.” She nods, and I continue, “There’s a lot of money to be made here, and the best money comes from attracting regulars. Let me tell you how to do that.” I gesture to a guy sitting in kind of an unapproachable spot. “See the guy with the skull hat. He’s sitting in that spot because he’s not really comfortable. Maybe it’s his first time in here. A guy like him with no strip club experience makes the perfect regular because he hasn’t gotten burned yet. Go talk to him.”
“What do I say?”
I smile at her naiveté. “Look, half the guys comin’ in here do it because something in their life is going to hell. Maybe he’s goin’ through a hard time, a bad divorce; maybe he’s spent some time locked up or lost his kid to his ex or he works a sixty-hour-a-week shit job he hates. Whatever. You just be real sweet, real patient, and show him a great time. Listen to him. Give him some heartfelt advice and take a couple shots with him. No more than two, understand?”
She nods. “Okay.”
“Ask him if he’s new, if he knows how this works. Guide him; tell him your menu, what we’ve got to offer, and urge him toward the VIP room.”
She looks at me blankly and I decide I need to show her. I grab the hand of a passing dancer and pull her to me, whispering in her ear. She pulls back and smiles, her eyes moving to Jenna. “Sure thing, Sly. Watch and learn, newbie.”
I let her lead me to a chair and I slump back. She immediately moves in, her hands stroking up my cut. “Hi, I’m Brandy. You look like you’ve had a long week.”
“I have, darlin’, lot of stress. I just need to unwind. Relax a little, ya know?”
“Sure do. So, gorgeous, you ever been in a strip club before?”
I shake my head.
“Do you know how it works?”
“Tell me.” I keep my hands on the armrests.
“Well, since it’s Sunday, we’re running a fifteen-dollar dance special that takes place right here in your seat. There’s absolutely no touching, and I leave my top on, or we can go against the wall back there, those are thirty dollars. I can give you a massage, they’re ten dollars a song. We also have private VIP rooms where the dances are way more intimate; we allow touching, and they’re really fun. Which do you think you’d want to do with me, sweetie?”
“Think maybe we could just talk for a while?”
“Sure, honey. I’d love to talk with you.”
“Can I buy you a shot?”
“I’d love that, thank you.”
She glides her hand up my neck and toys with my ear. “Tell me about your week. What do you do?”
“I’m an accountant.” I hear North snort with laughter.
“Really? That sounds fascinating. Do you meet a lot of interesting people? I bet you know all their secrets.”
“Some. You wouldn’t believe the tax cheats I’ve met.” I give North a pointed look, and he turns white.
“Really, tell me about them? I bet they’d have to be stupid to try to get something past you?”
I grin. “I like talking with you, Brandy. You’re sweet.”
“I can be even sweeter. How ’bout we go somewhere more private, like one of the VIP rooms? I really want to be alone with you.”
“You do? Okay, sounds great.”
“I could get one of the girls to bring us a bottle of champagne. What’s your favorite brand?”
“Umm … You choose.”
“Great. Let’s go, handsome.” She pulls me to my feet.
“Thanks for giving Jenna the demonstration, babe.” I lift my chin. “What do you plan to do with all the giant stacks of cash you’re about to make?”
“I’ve got my eye on a new pair of Gucci shoes that are just to die for.”
I roll my eyes. “Get back to work.”
She winks at me and shakes her ass, glancing back over her shoulder as she walks away.
I turn to Jenna. “See how it’s done. She was gonna rack me up for a VIP dance, maybe more than one, plus a bottle of expensive champagne. Some guys have been known to blow four figures on a girl in one night. You find yourself a regular—one like that guy in the corner could become—and you treat him right, he just might end up paying your rent every month. Understand?”
She nods. “She was really good.”
“No reason you can’t be too, Jenna. You got all the right assets in all the right places.”
She beams.
“You feel beautiful?”
“I guess so.”
“Ain’t no guessing about it. You are. You need to know it, to feel it, to believe it. If you do, and if you paste a smile on your face, even if you don’t feel it at first, you’ll make a fortune. I guarantee it. Just remember, customers hate jaded strippers. We indulge in fantasy here. They don’t want to hear about how hard your day has been, and they definitely don’t want to read it on your face. A smile makes you approachable to men. See, I’ll let you in on a little secret, Jenna. Pretty women are really intimidating to most guys.”