The Strip - Max

50 / Realization

Snoop Dog's voice at the beginning of Buttons took me back to my start at Bunny's. Once confidence had found me, I borrowed Kailee's song and choreography (with her help, of course) and strutted the stage in a bright red bikini.

"That poor boy doesn't know what he's in for," I said as the Pussycat Dolls began to sing.

"Alexa, you were saying that this client of yours had cancer?" Dan asked.

"Yeah. Okay, I followed Max's advice, booked him in for an extra half hour off the clock, and after some talking, I got him to relax and have some fun," Alexa replied. "He's got all kinds of issues from the surgery, but that talk just sort of did it. Just sort of opened him up a bit. Then he let me play."

"Hand job in the shower?" I asked.

"Yeah! He was super embarrassed that he wasn't getting an erection, but I just talked him through it. I had no idea a guy could have an orgasm without a hard-on," she added. "It was freaky. Like, I'm not shitting you... I thought he was having a seizure or something—"

"Alexa, this guy, how is he? Mentally. Does he seem depressed?" Dan asked.

"I don't know. The first time, he seemed kinda... yeah, depressed, I guess. Even after the hour was up, he didn't seem, you know, happy. But this last time, after the fun in the shower the rest of the hour was amazing. He was like a totally different guy."

"Yeah, that's probably because you spent the time to make it a complete experience," Dan responded. "Not just sexual, but personal. We should try to talk him into seeing Marley for some counselling."

Tyler nodded and added, "You two may have saved his life."

"What? How?" Alexa asked.

"The ED is bad enough, but you said the scar looks nasty, so he's probably struggling the physical appearance. Guys with those kinds of issues are at higher risk of taking their own lives. You might have given him a reason to not be one of them," Dan replied. "But he needs therapy."

"You think so?" Alexa asked. "I saved a guy's life with a hand job? Get real!"

"I don't just think so... I know so! It wasn't just the hand job or whatever else he did with you in that hour. It's the talk. The care. Understanding without judgement," Dan replied. "He needs to talk to someone about this."

"It's all great that he comes here and feels great when he leaves, but what happens when money runs dry or maybe one day you're with some other client and it hits him that it's business. What then?" Tyler added. "I don't want you to feel stuck and more importantly, I don't want you to feel guilty if one day he decides he's done with life."

I had cut a few customers loose when it seemed they were getting too attached. Every girl in the club has had at least one of those clients. We were always watching for the signs, but I hadn't ever had a client like Lance. At least, not in the club.

"What should I do?" Alexa asked.

"Keep doing what you have been doing," Dan responded. "Marley is here; we can get a business card from her and get her advice. If you casually suggest it, maybe even offer to go with him, he might go."

"I'll pay you for your time if you do go with him," Tyler added.

"I'd go... even without the pay," she replied.

"I'll take her to talk to Marley," Tyler said. "I think you two need to head up to the party room."

Tyler and Alexa went in search of Marley and a few minutes later, Dan and I were heading towards the stairs. Dan could see that my mind was elsewhere. "What are you thinking about?"