The second girl looks straight out of a summer ad—golden tan, blonde waves. Her see-through body-suit shaping her curves that can easily stop traffic. She’s literally glowing with confidence.
She grins at me. “And I’m Mariah. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”
I shift my bag under my arm and manage a small smile. “I’m Jainey,” I say, hoping my voice sounds steadier then I feel.
The warmth in their voices disarms me instantly. They don’t size me up like I’m competition or act distant—they welcome me in like I already belong. And that was just one thing that made me uneasy about working here. I’m a girls girl, but I really don’t like bitches.
And most strippers give off this certain type of bitchy behavior.
“Come on, we’ll show you around,” Lexi says, nodding for me to follow. They lead me down a side hall, pointing out the bathrooms, the manager’s office, and finally through a swinging door into the locker room. The air smells like hairspray, perfume, and fucking sex—or dirty pussy, it’s hard to tell the difference.
Rows of lockers line the walls, half-open bags spilling heels, makeup, and lingerie in every color imaginable. A few girls lounge at the mirrors, touching up lipstick or adjusting outfits, offering me casual smiles like this is just another day. “This’ll be your space if you get the job,” Mariah explains, gesturing toward an empty locker. “Most of us bring our own locks and keep our stuff here.”
“Yeah, and the bathrooms for us are over there if you don’t want to use the ones out there,” Lexi adds, pointing. “But you’ll definitely want to get changed in here—it’s easier.”
I nod stiffly, trying to absorb everything. My mind flashes back to my first night here with Arina—when I met Star and Light. And how they floated through the crowd like they owned it, moving like the floor was built for them. I remember thinking they looked so untouchable. Confident. Like nothing could shake them.
I didn’t understand it then, but standing here now, in their world, I think I’m finally starting to get it.
I fix my lips to ask about them, but I don’t know the girl drama here—I’d really appreciate if I wasn’t on anyone’s enemy on my first day. Lexi rests a reassuring hand on my arm. “Don’t overthink it. Everyone’s nervous their first time, but once you’re up there, I’m sure you’ll be a natural.”
I really need to work on my poker face. I’m already about to lie and seduce these men for their money—the last thing I want is these girls studying me like they know who I am.
Mariah winks, leaning against a locker. “And lucky you—you’re up next. Hurry up and get changed. Big Daddy hates when we’re late.”
My throat goes dry.Up next.The words echo in my chest. And did she just call himBig Daddy?
Absolutely not.
I already have two daddies, and I’m pretty sure they’re not interested in me recruiting another.
I set my bag down on the bench, unzipping it with shaky hands. I pull off my dress, and the pink lingerie catches the light, when the locker room door swings open fast. The manager steps in, eyes scanning the room until they land on me. “What’s your stage name?” he asks bluntly, like he doesn’t have time for anything except the answer.
My mind blanks for a split second, then my mouth decides for me. “Lolli,” I say, my voice firmer than I feel. “Short for lollipop.”
He doesn’t respond to the name. “Oh and one more thing I almost forgot to mention—by the beginning of the second song, you need to be fully naked.”
My lips part, my heart dropping straight into my stomach. Before I can think of something to say, he turns and leaves as quickly as he came, the door shutting behind him—leaving me half-dressed, the weight of his words jumping around in my head.
From the other side of the door, I hear the faint crackle of the mic, then the announcer’s booming voice rolling through the club; “Gentlemen, get ready—up next, give it up for… Lolli!”
Lexi grins at me in the mirror, adjusting her rhinestone top. “That’s you, baby. Time to show them what you got.”
Mariah squeezes my hand, her voice warm but teasing. “And don’t worry—you’ll forget all about those nerves once the lights hit you. Just move like it’s only you out there, because you’re the only one that matters.”
My stomach twists, my pulse racing.Fully naked by the second song.The words replay in my head, loud and unforgiving. The bass hums faintly through the walls, calling me out, but I stay frozen in front of the mirror.
Lolli. That’s me now, at least for the next few minutes.
I should’ve told Arina. If she knew, she’d be on the other side of that door, making me laugh, and drowning out the fear. The thought of her smile, and her steady reassurance, is a phantom comfort I depend on more than I want to admit.
But I didn’t tell her.
I didn’t tell anyone, because I’m not doing this for anyone other than the broken girl staring back at me in the mirror.
I straighten my back and paint a hand to the cool metal of the locker beside me. Everything in my life has been for someone else’s approval, someone else’s survival, someoneelse’s needs. But, as terrifying as this is, it belongs only to me.
“Showtime, Lolli, let’s go before Big Daddy comes back,” Lexi calls.
