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Me:I’m proud of you. I’ll let you get back to it. Just wanted to say I miss you.
Monica:Miss you too.
I smiled and slid my phone back in my pocket, just as the limo pulled up outside of the club. As the car stopped, my father cleared his throat, demanding the attention that he loved so much.
“All right, boys,” he said, his voice booming. “We’re here for one thing, and one thing only!”
Everyone looked at him, as if they were hanging on his every word. I could tell the whiskey had gotten to him because his cheeks were rosy against the gray hair of his beard.
“Tits and ass,” he said, his voice narrowed and his smile big.
The men hollered and pumped their fists in the air, making the limo rock back and forth. I rolled my eyes and took a sip of bourbon from my glass.
“Each of you has five thousand dollars to spend tonight.” He snapped his fingers at Jeremy, who pulled out several envelopes. All filled with cash. “Think of it as a gift for all your hard work.”
The men cheered as they greedily took their envelopes of cash, tucking them away in their pockets. When I went to get mine, with no intention of spending it on lap dances, my father gave me a wink.
“Tax write-off, eh?”
I laughed half-heartedly and tucked the envelope in my pocket.
“Let’s go!” my father yelled as he climbed out of the car, the rest of the men clambering out after him. I stayed behind as we entered the dark club, the only lights coming from the bar and stage, showcasing the two things they wanted to sell. Booze and women.
Everything was luxe, from the glossy black stage to the chandelier-lit bar with hand-crafted cocktails being served in smoke-encased domes. That was where I would be. I watched as the men rushed to the private booths my father had reserved, taking a seat with their greedy eyes on the women dancing before them, while I hung back and found a seat at the bar.
“What can I get you, handsome?” asked the raven-haired bartender with black inky swirls up her thin arms.
“Surprise me, as long as it has bourbon in it.”
She nodded and got to work, pulling all sorts of mixtures from the shelf above her. A moment later, my drink was served in a glass dome filled with white smoke. I lifted it up and the smell of cherry wafted toward me as my drink came into view, served in an intricate tumbler with a block of ice and the club’s branding etched on it.
“Fancy,” I said, taking the drink.
“Why aren’t you out there with the rest of them?” she asked curiously, as she looked at the group I had come in with.
“Not my thing,” I muttered. “At least, not anymore.”
“Ahh, you’ve got a girl at home.” She smiled.
I couldn’t help but smile back.
“She’s lucky,” she said. “The money is good here, but the men are disgusting.”
I chuckled and took a sip of my drink. My eyes widened. It was the best drink I had ever had. The perfect blend of bourbon, smoke, and sweetness from the cherry.
“Holy shit,” I said, looking at my glass. “This is fantastic.”
“Thank you.”
“What the hell are you doinghere?” I looked around the club.
“Like I said, the money is good. I’m hoping to save up and open my own place.”
“You should,” I said, making a mental note to leave a generous tip.
She was just another example of someone trying to make something of their own. Something they loved. I admired her for it, even though she had to rough it here with ogling men asking her when she was going to get up on stage.
It felt like lately everyone and everything was pointing me in the direction of leaving my job, my father’s shadow. I just didn’t know when I was going to bite the bullet. It was a big decision, and truthfully, I was scared to leave the only thing I had ever known. The one thing I had ever worked toward growing up because I thought it was my only path. I knew now that it wasn’t.