Family Comes First

Chapter 1: The First Encounter

I spotted a man in the corner. He was middle-aged and his eyes were locked on the girl twirling around on stage.

"Can I get you something to drink, Honey?" I asked.

I broke his concentration. His eyes scanned over my revealing outfit and then lifted his lips into a smile.

"Yes," he said. "A scotch on the rocks."

I made my way back to the bar and ignored the men that were staring. For the first few months I worked here, I would always run and hide in the dressing room. I imagined what they were thinking about me and it made me feel sick. Now, I have learned to ignore it and get my job done.

I handed the man his drink and he gave me his money.

"And this one's for you," he said, handing me a one-dollar bill.

I plastered a fake smile on my face and went to look for another customer. I spent the rest of the night bringing men their drinks. A few drunk men made rude remarks to me, but I ignored them.

Crow never came back into the club.

On my break, I went into the dressing room. Five girls were sitting in their chairs in front of the mirror. Lina was in her spot curling her hair. I sunk down into my chair next to Lina. I fished the bills out of my bra and shoved them into my bag.

"Julie, I met the weirdest guy tonight," Lina told me as she ran her fingers through her hair.

I slouched in my chair and closed my eyes. My feet and my back were aching and my eyes were dry from the layers of makeup. I had only two more hours until I could go home.

"Really?" I asked. "I thought they were all weird."

"Well, yes," she said. "But this guy interviewed me. I have never had that happen before."

"Interviewed you about what?" I did not bother to open my eyes.

"He said he was writing a story about young women as strippers," she said. "Or something like that. Anyways, he gave me twenty dollars. You should try to find him."

I opened my eyes and raised a brow.

"Twenty dollars just to answer some questions?" I asked.

"Yes," she said. "He barely wrote anything down too. It was kind of strange."

I shook my head and laughed. She was puckering her lips to apply a fresh coat of lipstick. Pictures of Mike, her boyfriend, were tapped on her side of the mirror. I always wondered how she managed to see anything.

"There's no need to laugh," she said. "Find that guy tonight. If we each earn an extra twenty bucks that will help pay for our rent. You remember that it is due tomorrow, right?"

"Mike won't cover for us again?" I asked.

"He's covered for us for the last few months, Julie. If he does it again then his wife is going to find out."

I closed my eyes and rested my cheek against my knuckles.

I don't know when I fell asleep, but I jumped when someone grabbed my shoulders. I saw in the reflection that Donovan was towering over me. He was staring at our reflection of us.

"Did that asshole ever show up again?" he asked.

"No," I said.

"Good. I just wanted to make sure that you are alright."

"Yeah, I am. No worries."

He slid his hands off my shoulders and walked out of the dressing room. Lina and I watched him as he left. We were the only two left in the dressing room. Lina did not speak until she heard the door click shut.