He tilts his head.
“Don’t you want to? If you don’t want to, you can stay here with me.”
At that, Mr. Dot gets up and struts towards me. It’s actually a huge cat, definitely bigger than some small dogs. I think the vet mentioned that it’s a mix of different breeds. I get down on my knees, reaching out my hand. Mr. Dot pushes his head against my palm, purring in delight. It just warms my heart, like it did when Tulip neighed whenever he saw me, and I guess also when Tiger comes fluttering to greet me.
As if on cue, Tiger comes hopping towards us. She looks so silly when she does it – instead of flying, just hopping over the ground.
Oh fuck!
This reminds me that I have a cat and a bird living together. These are natural enemies, especially since Mr. Dot has probably lived and survived in the wild for quite some time.
However, Tiger just looks at me, then chirps. To my surprise, Mr. Dot turns away from her, his whole body relaxing while Tiger hops on top of his back and nestles into his fur.
I am not sure what happened, but it seems like they solved the issue themselves. Weird, but I‘d better not question it.
“Elsa, please come into my office for a moment.”
I turn around in surprise when I hear the voice of my boss. He is the owner of the night club slash bar slash whatever else hecalls it to make it look less shady. He doesn’t even wait for my answer, just disappears into his office, closing the door firmly behind him.
“Do you know what this is about?” I ask Jenny.
“I have no idea,” she mutters.
“Can’t be anything good.”
“You don’t know that,” she says, smiling brightly at me. Her optimism is really something else and usually manages to pump me up, but this time it isn’t working.
I just hope he isn’t going to fire me. I need this job, at least until Amelia has found a pack for Marina and Faye. Without making him wait any longer, I follow him into his office.
“Please take a seat,” he says.
“So…” I start, as he just looks at me wordlessly.
“You are a beautiful woman, Elsa,” he says, startling me.
“What are you talking about, sir?”
“Your beauty might not be as on the plate as others, but it’s there. Very natural. Quite a few of our regulars like you for it.”
My heart sinks at his words. Wherever this is going, it can’t be good.
“You were hired as a temporary waitress,” he says.
Oh fuck, I knew it!
“And while that worked for a couple of weeks, I need you to step up,” he adds.
My heart picks up pace. I have no idea what to answer him, as there is no way I will strip. I just… can’t. I love the girls working here, and would never judge them for what they do; it’s just that I can’t do it. How am I going to stall him now? “I can’t dance,” I finally say the first thing that comes to my mind.
“I know, that’s why I wouldn’t send you to the main stage,” he says. “But you could entertain some of our regulars in the VIP area.”
Entertain… some regulars…
“Did one of the girls tell you more about how they work?” he asks.
I shake my head.
“We don’t offer any sexual services, and touching any of the girls is off-limits. That’s why we have bouncers in the VIP rooms. You would be safe. All you’d need to do is dance a little, flirt with the guests who asked for you… a bit like an escort. You wouldn’t need to strip. Our strippers are all girls who dance on the club’s main stage.”
