Her Facade |ON HOLD|

Prologue

"Get up on that stage, but not after you strip down." Luca barked.

This is the first time I have ever been in a strip club. No music was playing and the space around me was fiiled with complete silence. Though the silence was followed by the smell of cigars, alcohol, drugs and potato chips?

I took a deep breath and did as I was told. This was it, the moment I had been preparing for. This moment was the reason I'd purchased a new bra and matching underwear. Even though I actually lied to my cousins baby mama to get them, I told her that I was meeting some guy and needed to be prepared.

"Positions everyone." Luca announced as he flipped a few switches and the club transformed into a dark pit embroidered with bright swirly carnival lights. The poles gleamed and the music escaped from the speakers.

Luca was the dance manager responsible for hiring the strippers for the Dirty Dozens . He is very enthusiastic about dance. He was supposed to be some choreographer for some boy band or something but that career didn't last very long. He does not enjoy talking about it much, or at least that's what I've heard.

I was so nervous, I could literally feel butterflies fluttering around my stomach. But I feel as though whoever created that expression has never been scared in their life because it feels more like wild mad hyenas than butterflies.

I'm here to audition for a part as a stripper or dare I say 'exotic dancer'. I really need this job because I have no money, no home and currently, no family. So long story short-- my life is a mess.

I looked around the room, everyone undressed and took their places. Some of the experienced dancers where joining in, obviously not to audition, I guess it was to show us the ropes. They looked so confident, as if they had been doing this for years. Though Kristy over there looks like she has been stripping since the Ice age. Seriously, she is saggier than a deflated whoopie cushion.

I did not know what to do or where to go. Would you blame me, I'm seventeen. I could do nothing but the only thing I knew how to do-- freeze. So I froze right there.

I started thinking that maybe this isn't such a good idea. I could get a job in some clothing store. That wouldn't be so bad, would it? But then, I started thinking about home, about Troy, about my mother and about my father. And all those thoughts made it all worth it.

I took a deep breath, hopped on the stage and strangled the pole. It felt ice cold on my fingers, which sent shivers through the spine. I eyed the girl next to me, Dolly or was it Barbie? She was one of the more experienced strippers and I tried to imitate her movements.I swayed my hips to the beat as she did, and let the music take over.

I soon got comfortable and danced around the pole as if I had danced there a million times. I just had to admit that it was kinda fun dancing around, poping and locking. It wasn't so bad. If dancing around a pole could get me money. Then count me in.

And doing this would be good because after dancing around for a few hours, on multiple days, I would get super fit in no time at all.

"Tops down girls." Luca announced.

Right then everything in me told me to run and that I had taken things to far. I forgot that dancing around had some nudity involved. But I am aware that I'm being judged, but not sure under which criteria. Feeling awkward and insecure, I waited until Dolly-- or Barbie was ready.