The Stripper

Chapter One

It was a tough night at work for Star. There were plenty of customers in, but no one was interested in getting dances. "Oh I'm just here because I want a drink and everywhere else is shut" "Oh I'm just here for my mate" "I prefer that girl over there" they'd say. Star had made a measly £40 and had given up trying. This is why she never works Saturdays; it's busy but no one's buying. She was only there because of the infamous Boat Show where the club gets super busy and she could make bank. But she'd missed most of it because of the stupid flu making her too sick to work most of the week. So it was Saturday or nothing!

Star sat on the grotty leather sofa and sighed. She was probably gonna get worms off this scummy thing but she was too fed up to care. Five other dancers were struggling to make money and were also feeling like giving up. As everyone sat on their phones, chatting to one another about how awful the night had been, the waitress ran from behind the bar. Everyone shot up from their seats at once. Whoever stood first got first dibs on the customer. The girls counted as one customer came in... then another... then another... until six men had entered the club. The girls smiled excitedly as they looked at each other, knowing there was the perfect number of customers for the amount of girls who stood up.

The waitress sat the men down at the very back of the club, on the velvet bench under the sparkling silver wall. The six girls strutted over to the table and waited for the men to be served their drinks before going over.

"Hey, guyyysss!" The dancers all greeted with a forced smile.

"How much for a dance?" One of the men asked without hesitation.

"Forty quid." V, one of the girls, replied.

The gentleman stood up and said the most shocking thing any of the women had heard in their careers...

"I'll take all of you. Now."

The dancers looked around each other wide eyed. "Okay!" They all agreed and the seven of them walked into the dance room and the man was given a lap dance by six girls at once! Once the song was finished, he pulled his wad of cash back out and handed an extra forty pounds to each girl and asked them to continue for a second song. Once the song was over, he left the dance room while the girls put their clothes back on.

Star was ecstatic! What a life saver! She had covered her house fees and her travel costs AND made profit!

Star and V returned to the table, only to find that their guardian angel had left for a VIP with one of the six girls he just had a dance with. They were frustrated as they had just lost out on an extra £300, but there were five more guys at the table, so they tried it on with them instead. Two of the gentlemen said that they weren't into lap dances.

"How 'bout you?" V asked the third man.

He had ice blue eyes and a short, scruffy, brunet beard. He stared at Star as he got a stack of twenty pound notes out.

"Can I see your asses?" He asked. "I wanna know what I'm buying!"

Star happily spun around and slowly bent over, her fat cheeks squeezing her thong. She knew she might make a sale if she demonstrated what she has to offer. V, however, refused.

"I'm not gonna degrade myself to you!" She snapped in her chavvy accent.

The man grinned as he looked between the girls.

"I'll have you." He pointed at V. "Because you're too shy to show me your ass out here." He smiled.

Star applauded her friend for bagging a dance as the pair walked into the dance booth. By this time, the fourth and fifth men were in dances with other girls, so Star said a kind goodbye to the two gentlemen left, and walked off. She was happy though. She'd made a profit. That's all she wanted after the extortionate Saturday house fees.

***

Star had done the rounds, greeting customers, asking how their nights had been, getting to know them a bit and then finding that they weren't interested in dances. Time wasters. At the end of her rounds, she returned to the group at the back of the club. There was one man left sitting there. It was the one who had gone for a dance with V.

"What are you doing on your own?" Star asked as she took a seat next to him. He turned to her and smiled as he looked her up and down.

"My friends have either left or are in dances." He replied.

"Did you enjoy your dance with V?" Star asked.

"Yeah, of course!"

"Good!" Star smiled. "Were you up for one from me?" She queried, raising her eyebrows with a sly grin.

He took time to reply, but eventually responded. "I will do."

"Why not now?" Star asked.

"Because I wanna save you for last." He answered with a grin as he stared into her bright blue eyes.

Star laughed. "Okay, so I'll come back later then, yeah?" She confirmed, knowing that chances were slim that he'd actually get a dance.

"Definitely." He smiled, showing his crooked teeth.

***

Star was once again on the sofa when she saw that guy come back in from having a cigarette. He stood at the bar to order himself a drink, and Star took her opportunity. She stood up and innocently walked over to the bar. He watched her from the other side as she arrived. Star stood at the bar herself and ordered a tap water to quench her dry mouth. She looked over to the man to find him staring at her. She looked down and smiled. Star took a breath and turned to head towards him, but was too late. Another dancer approached him before her and started asking him if he wanted VIP. Star groaned in her head. Stupid! She thought. But hey. Let her make her money. Star approached the pair.

"You should go for VIP with her!" Star said.

"Or both of us!" The other dancer continued, obviously grateful for the big up from Star.

"But you're not being clear what VIP entails." The man said, slightly frustrated. "You're just saying it's gonna be 'naughty'." He said, making quotations with his fingers.

After more persuading and getting nowhere, the other dancer walked off. The man turned to Star. "So what does VIP involve?" He asked.

"Well you're not gonna get a blowjob if that's what you're expecting." Star giggled, knowing full well that's what he was thinking.

"THANK you! It's not that hard to be clear!" He said, relieved to get a proper reply.

Star smiled at him, understanding how frustrating it can be when people are grey with you in a black and white situation.

"I'm still saving you." The gentleman stated.

"Sooo would you like a VIP?" Star questioned.

"What's the point when I can't touch you? It'd drive me crazy."

It was worth a shot!

The man stared at Star a little longer.

"What's your name?"

"Star." She smiled.

"Star," he reached out for a handshake. "Luke." The pair shook hands. "Do you wanna come sit down for a bit?"

"Sure."

The two walked back over to Luke's table and took a seat.

"So what WILL you do in VIP?" Luke asked.

"Well I'll shove my tits in your face. I'll grind on your crotch..."

"But I can't touch you." He sighed.

"Unfortunately not, no." Star responded. "You'd get kicked out."

Luke took a swig of his drink and stared ahead, as if he was thinking about something. He turned back to Star.

"Let's talk..." Luke said. The pair proceeded to talk for the next hour, chatting about life and getting to know one another, including jobs, hobbies and interests, until eventually...

"Star's not your real name, is it?" Luke said, knowing full well it wasn't.

"No!" Star laughed.

"Can I get your real name?"

"Only if you tip me!" Star suggested, with a fake but realistic name ready to go.

"Why won't you tell me?"

"It's for our own safety." Star explained. "Sorry."

Luke appeared frustrated. He stared at Star, taking in her beauty. Her curly, brunette hair tied back in a bun with the front strands framing her painted face.

"I really like you, Star." He announced, continuing to stare into her eyes.

"Thank you!" She smiled, taking the compliment.

"No I mean like... look around." Luke pointed out. "All these girls are begging the guys for dances. But you? You're treating me like a human being. You're taking the time to talk to me. And you're really lovely."

Star blushed. "Thank you." She said with a softer, more genuine tone.

"And you're fit as fuck." Luke bit his lip.

Star stared at his lips. For a split moment, butterflies fired off in Star's stomach before stopping again. She flickered her vision back up into his eyes.

"You're hot too." She declared.

"You're just saying that cause you want me to buy a dance!" Luke laughed off the compliment, looking away.

"No, I'm serious!" Star reassured. "You are genuinely hot."

Luke bit his lip, smiling, and moaned as he turned back to Star and leaned in towards her.

"You mean that?" He asked, looking her dead in the eye with puppy dog eyes.

"Yes!" Star reaffirmed softly with a slight giggle. Luke wasn't convinced. "Look..." Star sighed, getting her purse out. "I gotta be subtle about this" she mumbled to him. She proceeded to pull a notepad out of her purse and scribbled her sex work Instagram handle down. She ripped it out of the notepad and scrunched it up in her hand.

"Na, that's not really your insta." Luke scoffed, unconvinced.

"Do you wanna shake my hand or what?" Star said, holding her hand out. Luke took her hand, as if he was buying cocaine off of her in the car park.

Luke paused before putting the scrap of paper in his pocket.

"You gonna actually reply if I message you?"

"Yes!" Star insisted. "Listen, I'm not messing with you. You are a genuinely nice guy," she paused. "... and you're attractive."

Luke chuckled.

"I'm gonna go for a ciggie, I'll be back in a bit." Luke said as he stood up.

"Cool, I'm gonna pop to the loo"

"See you back here, yeah?" Luke asked in an almost desperate tone.

"Yeah, I'll see you in a bit!"

***

Star returned upstairs and sat at Luke's empty table. She pulled her phone out and found a message request on Instagram. She grinned as she opened it.

Luke: here she is ????

Star: hiiii ????

Luke: Star, I really want ya

The pair messaged back and forth for a few minutes before Star questioned why he hadn't returned.

Luke: my friends wanted to leave so I had to go. Sorry.

Luke: I'll definitely be back tho. When you working next?

Star: Monday

Luke: I'll bring cash ;)