It was hot in the club. The air conditioner was barely chugging along and I honestly felt like a lobster in a pot. When I finished buffing the bar top and putting the last of the glasses away, I looked up to see Vanilla just ending her shift.
It is amazing how much of a “normal woman” she looks like when she is not dressed to the nines in her club attire. A pair of sweatpants with the word “Princess” across the back in curly pink lettering and a long sleeved t-shirt and she looked like any other mom in this town, except of course, for the fact that she is a knockout. I would hate her if I didn’t like her so much already.
I asked her to go to the CyberCafe and grab some coffee with me. Thomas was up to his tricks again, not letting her see Lily for the evening. I could see the worry in her face and it really bothered me.
The manager waved to us as we entered the Café, I nodded in return. Vanilla took her customary spot in the very back by the window as I ordered a cup of coffee for me and a Chai latte for her.
“You know, when I first met you I never would have imagined that you do what you do for a living,” I told her, as I took the seat across from her. She nodded in agreement.
“It wasn’t something I chose for myself”
“What happened? Why did you get involved with the club?”
I could see her measuring me up mentally, probably trying to decide if I was worthy of her trust. I obviously passed muster because she started talking.
“About eight years ago, I was broke, desperate, and seriously considering becoming a hooker when I ran into Thomas outside Club Vanilla one afternoon. I hadn’t seen him in over five years. I must have looked a mess because he hustled me inside the Club. He told me to clean myself up while he got me some food…”
She paused for a moment taking a sip of her Chai Latte.
“Gosh Diane, he was so gorgeous and sweet beyond words to me that day. I fell in love with him all over again. Anyways, Thomas was the Manager of the Club back then. When I told him I needed a job he hired me on the spot. He said there was no way in hell he was letting me be a hooker. And that’s the day that I began my illustrious career as a Stripper.”
“Does anything ever feel…off about that place to you?”
“You mean besides the fact that Thomas is banging most of the Strippers and Bartenders?”
I simply nodded as I watched a fleeting wave of pain cross over her face. Vanilla had obviously loved Thomas at one point. I wondered if it was hard for her to see him flaunting all his girls in her face every day.
“I think a lot of odd things go on at the Club. I’ve learned the hard way to keep my mouth shut.”
“I don’t mean to overstep my bounds here, but I can’t help but notice some of the new recruits seem kind of young. Do you think Thomas knows?”
“I hope not! And yes, I’ve noticed that too…like Sophie. When that lady showed up the other day with her picture I thought I was going to vomit. I’m scared to ask Thomas what happened to Sophie.”
“Has he ever hurt you? Or threatened to hurt you?”
I watched as she self-consciously tugged her long shirt sleeves farther down her arms. Without looking me in the eye she nodded quickly. I wanted to kill Thomas at that moment.
“If I tell you something, will you keep it just between us, no matter what?”
She nodded again.
“I am not who you think I am. I’m here to cover a story about the underground lifestyle of strip clubs and the abuse women suffer at the hands of men like…Thomas.”
I think I knocked her speechless because she just sat there staring at me not saying a single word…
Another great episode by Diane Winters (aka Ionia Martin). Check out Ionia here and here
Who is Sophie? Who is Thomas?
The MisAdventures of Vanilla 