Behind The Scene

CHAPTER 6

Ross had sounded so proud of me when I told him that I was going to secure a job and balance my auditions around the hours. But now, I had to actually do it. The nightclub was a promising idea, in theory, I'd worked in bars before, and clubs couldn't be much different. Not to mention the hours would be evening based which would leave me with the freedom to audition during the day. I balanced the idea of how tired I was going to be with the necessity of bringing some money into my bank account. I didn't really have a choice. Especially if I wanted to make this place a home for me and Ross. Needing to make a move if I wanted this job, I quickly located the number for the club on my phone and gave it a call.
"Platinum Rose," A man answered gruffly on the other end.
"Hi, I saw your billboard and was wondering if you still have any positions open?"
"Let me check."
I held my breath and waited as I listened to the rustle of papers.
"Yeah, I've got two left, few interested parties stopping by tonight and tomorrow."
"I can come tonight," I replied quickly, desperate not to miss out on the opportunity like I had every other. "I can be there in half in half an hour?"
"I can make that work. Give me your name and I'll pass it along to the doorman," He said with a brighter tone of professionalism than moments before.
Passing on my name, I jotted down the address which I found online, then dove out of the door, leaping into my car and hoping that the late evening traffic in this neighbourhood wasn't going to be as much of a pain as it was in the day.
I parked up in the darkened lot at the rear of the club, then made my way to the front. There was no huge queue outside the doors here, instead, a steady flow of classily dressed men and a few glammed up women were being shown through the glass doors every so often by two burly men dressed in black. I glanced down at my clothes which I'd been wearing all day. It definitely didn't meet the standards of the clientele, but at least the black skinny jeans and white, floral bustier gave off a sense of understated elegance rather than lazily casual. I quickly straightened out the wrinkles from driving over, and swung my head upside down, fluffing my hair from underneath to give it some renewed volume. Straightening back up, I adjusted my necklace and swung my hair back over my shoulders again, then stood tall and approached the doors.
"How can we help you, Miss?" The nearest man said sternly, eyeing me up with intrigue.
"Selena McCall, I'm here about a job?" I said with a confident smile, adopting the same charm and professionalism that I used at each of my auditions.
The other man gave a curious look at my outfit as the one I'd spoken to consulted his list.
"No time to change," I whispered to the one who was looking at me, making a small attempt to thaw out the tension.
I saw the briefest chink in his icy demeanour as he smiled, trying not to laugh.
"You're good to go," The other man announced, opening the door to allow me inside. "The boss'll meet ya at the bar."
"Thank you," I smiled, stepping inside.
The stairway was dark, the only lighting coming from the spotlights embedded in each level of the carpeted staircase, glowing just enough for you to see where you were putting your feet. The music grew louder with each step I took, upbeat music that pounded through the foundation of the building. As I reached the bottom of the level, I turned to continue down the next, and nearly fell down the following steps at the sight which reached my eyes.
The large room was classily decorated but dimly lit. Glowing chandeliers hung from the ceiling, but the majority of the lighting came from purple-ish toned spotlights which were all focused solely on the large stage in the centre of the room, where a scantily dressed blonde woman was currently hanging upside down on a long, thin pole, her body spinning around as an audience, of mostly men, watched eagerly, cheering and throwing cash onto the stage floor.
A strip club?
Someone cleared their throat behind me, alerting me to the obstruction that I was now causing. Apologising hastily, I continued down the steps and wove my way through the crowd, my eyes darting around and seeing the various places where the room branched off to other areas where more women danced on similar stages. I made it to the bar, where a tall and smartly dressed man put down the bottle he was carrying and approached me. Unlike the other bar staff, who were wearing a smart black uniform, he was wearing a crisp white shirt and tailored suit pants. His blonde hair was tidily styled and a set of dark blue eyes narrowed on me with curiosity.
"You look a bit out of your comfort zone," He said with an amused tone.
"Just a bit," I replied, my eyes still taking in the unexpected scene. "I didn't realise it was this type of place," I explained.
"Ah, I see," He said, following my gaze, then reaching for a glass and a bottle, pouring a measuring of amber liquid and sliding it toward me.
"Thanks."
He dipped his head in acknowledgement, watching as I lifted the glass to my lips and threw down the drink, the burning feeling at the back of my throat helping me to regain composure.
"New to town?" He asked when I put it back on the bar and pushed it toward him again.
"How did you know?"
"You don't exactly scream LA-born," He laughed.
I wasn't sure if it was a compliment or an insult, and as I narrowed my eyes in thought, he threw his hands up.
"Not a bad thing, I promise. Just curious is all."
"Boston," I said with a chuckle.
"Singing, dancing or acting?"
"You know, you're pretty good at guessing, so you tell me,"
He pushed away from the bar, crossing his arms over his chest and studying me closely, biting the inside of his cheek in thought.
"You have the body for a dancer," He gestured around him, "I should know I suppose."
"I would say so," I agreed.
"But I don't imagine that's your passion. Not enough curiosity in your face when you saw the dancers. I'd say acting?"
"Nicely done," I said sincerely, "Why not singing?"
He refilled the drink, laughing to himself, then leant in as he passed it to me.
"Most wannabe singers don't drink. Can mess up their voice for rehearsals." He said quietly as if he was sharing a secret.
"Got it all figured out back there, huh?" I rebuffed, impressed by his ability to discover so much with such little effort.
"It's a helpful tool in my line of work," He said simply, straightening up. "So, Selena McCall, wannabe Hollywood actress, d'you still want a job?"
"You're the owner?" I gasped.
"Charles Redmond," He nodded, "You can call me Charlie though if you take the job."
I didn't know what to say as I continued to look around me. I hadn't anticipated this, and now I was facing being employed here, I had no idea what to say.
"Join me in my office a moment," He said, noting my anxiety at the job prospect. "Please?" He added politely, gesturing a hand in the direction of a black door a short distance away.
I had to get a job, I had to get money... and it had to be soon. All of those facts were racing through my head, and Ross's voice echoed in my ears. He would be joining me as soon as he could, I couldn't be waiting here for him, with nothing. No job, no home and no money. I needed to do something to support myself, to support both of us whilst I pursued my dream.
"Okay," I agreed.
Charlie guided me through a narrow hallway and into a luxurious office where the music was muted out by thick, seemingly sound-proofed walls. Once inside, he took a seat behind the desk and gestured me to sit opposite.
"I take it the dancing is why you're unsure of the job?" He asked.
"It's definitely the biggest thing on the list, yes," I confessed.
"What if I was to tell you that as a dancer was only one of the two positions I had open?" He enquired.
My interest piqued, I shuffled forward in my seat, awaiting his elaboration.
"I have one opening on that side of things, and another as a waitress, purely interacting with the clients on the level of delivering drinks to their tables, booths and private rooms."
"No poles involved?" I asked for clarification.
"No poles involved," He laughed. "The money's good, and tips aren't bad either. It's lower pay than the dancers, but it's not bad for the work."
I thought it over, the idea settling with me much better than the idea of grinding on a pole in my underwear.
"The hours would be in the evening too, you can still audition throughout the day," He added as a sweetener, "And there's also a bonus with our customers... A lot of them work in the industry, you never know the connections you might make here."
That comment definitely got my attention. If I met someone with influence here and managed to impress them on some level, I could work my way out of this place and into the industry with ease. With my dream now dangled tantalisingly close, I nodded my head.
"I'll take it," I said swiftly.