Stripper for a Living + Tales of a Former Stripper

Doing What's Necessary

I woke up to a familiar scene of me in bed with someone... not so familiar. I closed my eyes and tried to remember the events of the night before. I felt the warm sun hitting my face as I began to recollect bits and pieces of the previous night.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, let's all welcome the thick and beautiful Cocoa Buns to the stage!" The club's DJ announced my stage name, as well as the names of my coworkers to the large crowd of men and women who filled the seats of Magic City. I took a deep breath and smiled broadly as I walked onto the platform in a sexy, black bikini-like outfit

I smirked as I thought of my stage name. My best friend, Skylar, gave it to me my first night performing at Magic City. It was a reward for making it this big. I remembered when I used to strip at small clubs in New York, but this was it! I was finally "playing with the big boys" as Skylar would put it.

I made a sharp turn around the pole teasing the transfixed crowd. "Hey ma, why don't you come down here and give a nigga a lap dance?" I glanced down searching for the voice. A well-built, chocolate colored young man sat directly in front of me with a huge, Kool-Aid grin plastered on his face. I winked at him, and ignored his request. I continued my routine. Split. Twerk. Stand up. One leg up. Grab the pole. Side-ways split on the pole. Both legs up, upside down on the pole. Split in the air. Flip. Slide down into a split. Stand up. Twerk some more. I ran the routine in my head as I sexually moved my body to the songs in my set. By now, bills were in my bra, my bottom piece, and on the stage where I was performing. 1's, 5's 10's 20's and even several 50's. I focused my eyes downward at the young man who asked for a lap dance before. He watched me lustfully as I swayed my hips to the music. I decided to give him what he requested. Why not? He looked good as hell, and I was feeling myself. I proceeded to get off the stage and make my way towards him and I saw him smirk. I took my left leg and placed it across his knee, resting the heel of my 9 inch stiletto on the edge of his chair. I remembered seeing Iggy Azalea doing this in her music video 'Work'. I moved my ass cheek up and down and placed my left arm across his chest holding on to the top left corner of his chair. Then I stood directly in front of him, facing away from him. I hit a split and used the techniques I learned from my fellow exotic sisters to move each ass cheek to the beat of the music. I continued to entertain my admirer all night long, leaving the rest of the strippers to entertain everyone else. Right when I was getting ready to leave, he grabbed my arm and roughly pushed me up against the wall. I could see the lust in his eyes as he leaned in to kiss me. The kiss was passionate and full of sexual desire. As if he needed me badly.

"Would you like to take this somewhere else?" I asked seductively. He threw five 100's at me as he drove to his apartment. And you know what went on from there.

So I guess you could say that I'm a stripper, pole dancer, and a hoe... I really don't like the word. I get called that by a lot of petty females and sometimes males, but I'm only doing this for my kids. $500 is a lot for a single mother of two. Jarrod left me with two big responsibilities, and I have to deal with them. I glimpsed at the alarm clock on the nightstand next to his bed. 10:15. Shit. I was supposed to pick up the twins from the baby care center. I carefully slid out of his bed, put on my clothes, and closed his door. I pray every day that my babies don't have to go through the struggle that I go through. I want them to be successful in school and get normal professions. I wish I could do that too... I don't want my daughter's being ashamed of their mother in any way.