Six Months Earlier
Las Vegas, Nevada
Mist poured out onto a small, white stage, floating up towards the table that wrapped around three sides of the
square-shaped dancing area. Bright, colored lights filtered through the fog and illuminated the dancer who stepped up on the glassy surface, swaying her hips sensually to the starting beat of some synth-rock song. She wore sky-high clear, plastic heels on her feet, a black leather bikini bottom, and a fitted, black lace top that doubled as a bra. The neckline was high, extending up past her collarbone; it was conservative for a pole performer, but somehow the view of porcelain skin underneath the lace was just as erotic as if she were wearing a mirco bikini. Maybe it was the way the see-through material hinted at the ample cleavage of 34D-sized breasts, or maybe it was the contrasting vision of a seductive stripper feigning innocence with the way she dressed. Every man's fantasy was a clean girl with a bad side, and that's exactly what she seemed to portray. Beyond the club she might have been a nice young woman who worked the usual nine-to-five office job, but here she was a stunning dark angel, catering to the primal instinct of men as their salacious eyes followed her every move.
Hues of deep pinks, purples and blues pulsed with the rhythm of the music, and the young dancer began her routine. Curly blonde hair flew around like an alluring halo as she bent at the waist and snapped her head up, gripping the steel metal in front of her and climbing it high enough to start performing her acrobatics. Her slender form belied the muscles that lay underneath, which were the true source of her ability to maneuver around the thin pole with ease and grace. She made it look easy... But then again, all strippers did. As she flipped herself, gripping the pole only by her arms, her long legs spread up and outward, flashing a glimpse of the scantily clad area between her legs. The act was met with dollar bills tossed onto the stage and the low murmurs of men seated at plush red seats surrounding the bar. They appraised the dancer like one would a cut of premium meat, with their eyes glued to the twin globes of her ass. When she removed the lace top, stretching it up and over her head, some of the men broke out in wide grins and soft sounds of approval. It was nothing inappropriate, and the sounds were inaudible from the coursing bass of the song, but it was obvious they were enjoying the show. And when it was all over, more bills floated down the stage, getting lost in the mist and flashing lights.
"I'd like to see her take it all off," said one of the men light-heartedly to his friend beside him.
"I don't know about you man, but I'd be content just burying my face in those pillows," the other responded, clearly referring to the dancer's breasts. "How much do you think it'll take for her to let me touch?" An arrogant smirk played on his lips, and he leaned forward as if contemplating the possibility of being able to reach out to the fantasy before him.
"Mmm... You won't get to find out, love." A new voice startled the man out of his private reveries, and he turned to see another dancer of the club carrying his drink order. Chocolate hair that was curled to perfection hung down to mid back while long bangs framed her face, accentuating the high cheek bones and jawline. She stood tall with sleek black stiletto boots on, taller then her normal 5'4" stature, and legs that seemed to go on for miles gave the illusion of added height. A mauve lingerie set tastefully clung to her body, showing off all the right curves. Not that she had any
wrong curves, but the mauve made her slightly tan skin look radiant. Or was that the shimmer body spray she decided to wear?
A flirtatious half-smile that mirrored the man upturned her pink, pouty lips as she set down his bourbon with water along with a few other glasses at the table. "Drinks mean no mileage unfortunately, but you're welcome to view to your heart's content." She smiled at him, genuine this time as she brought her dark, tousled hair to one side.
"I'll be sure to follow that advice." The man nodded in agreement, drinking in the exotic beauty in front of him. His eyes darkened as he took a sip of his bourbon. "Mhmm. Definitely taking that advice. You got a name?"
"I'm Valentine. And I'm glad I could be of service to you," she shot back with a little wiggle of her head and a wink. Of course, 'Valentine' was actually her middle name with 'Kaia' being her first, but he didn't need to know that. As far as the guests were concerned, her name was Valentine.
To her surprise, the man smoothly slid a twenty dollar bill into the garter on her upper thigh, letting his hand linger on the smooth flesh for a second longer than he should have. But she didn't mind, specially since she just got tipped heavy for playing waitress and providing sparkling conversation. He grinned crookedly and winked back, then turned to talk to the blonde who had finished her pole routine.
Kaia Villarreal walked away then, pleased with herself for making bank even when she was off rotation from the stage—the main stage that was, not the tiny thing the blonde had been strutting on—
and it was still early in the business night. She took pride in being one of the main entertainers at the Palazio Gentleman's Club, situated right off the Vegas strip, and at the young age of 24 she basically had it made. Contrary to what mothers told their daughters about the cheap nature of girls who danced for strange men at night, strippers (or exotic dancers as most women called themselves) actually raked in cash, and lots of it. This held especially true if they were good strippers, and Kaia considered herself among the best. Although the having a pretty face and being physically fit were two traits that every dancing girl had to possess, they weren't the only requirements of being an adult entertainer. The whole package included a charismatic personality, ability to hold a conversation, making the patrons always feel wanted, and the charm to keep them coming back for more. These areas were the ones in which Kaia really excelled; this was evident just by her last interaction with one of the patrons, earning herself a large tip for doing practically nothing.
The best part of it all was that it was only 1:00 AM; the busiest part of the night wouldn't come for another hour, and that was when she would make most of her profit that night. There were a variety of customers who came to the Palazio, but a majority of them were rich men in town on business who wanted to have their time of relaxation after a particularly long day of work. The establishment was a classy place, one that boasted some of the most beautiful women in Vegas and some of the nicest amenities as far as gentleman's clubs went. It was a playground made specifically for the wealthy, and play they did. Their most high-profile guests arrived in the early hours of the morning, blowing stacks of bills on fine liquor and fine women, and Kaia was one of the most requested dancers. She smiled to herself as she brought back empty glasses back to the tender at the bar. The twenty hanging off her thigh was just the start of another great night.
"Really Val?" Another dancer at the bar asked suggestively, raising an eyebrow as she eyed the crisp bill tucked in Kaia's garter. "How good of a lap dance did you give to get that?"
Kaia flashed a grin. "I didn't. It's not my fault that everything I say comes out smooth as melted chocolate."
"Well you should get that dirty mouth of yours ready because another hotshot in VIP just requested you. How much time you got until your next show?"
"I'm not on until 3, so I'm sure I can squeeze another guest." A mischievous sparkle lit up Kaia's eyes as she knew a champagne room was $400, and the mandatory bottle service that came with it was another $375. She would easily make a third that money as the requested dancer on top of whatever tips she was given in the room, and the rest would go toward house fees. Yes, this was the start of a
very good night. A quick stop to the dressing room allowed her to freshen up slightly, dusting powder over her nose and forehead, then applying a small spritz of a mild perfume. She didn't like drowning herself in sweet scents; it gave the impression of a cheap prostitute rather than the self respecting dancer that she was. Besides, in all her 3 years of experience, she found that men at the club were more like wolves, letting their primal instinct control them for the night. They loved the smell of sweat mixing with the warm scent of vanilla or a fresh scent of something citrus.
She walked down a hallway where the bass of the music faded into the floors and the strobing lights dimmed into softer washes of dark hues that lined the walls. The private rooms were separated from the hallway by heavy velvet curtains, save for the room at the end of the hallway. A rich wooden door served as the entrance of the room, hinting at the hidden luxurious interior. Kaia knew there would be a large red plush chaise-lounge at the far end of the room, a matte black table in front of it, and the same small dancing square with a floor-to-ceiling pole. The men who requested this room were either very lonely, looking for a girl to talk to that night, or extremely horny, looking to feast their eyes upon a goddess before going home half wasted at 5 in the morning. Either way she would be paid big money, and that was the way she liked it.
She pulled the door open to see a middle-aged man pouring himself a drink from a bottle of Grey Goose that was on the table. Carefully styled chestnut hair complimented blue-grey eyes that twinkled with amusement as he appraised the exotic dancer entering the room. His legs were crossed as he casually leaned back on the large couch; he had worn a suit, but the grey coat lay haphazardly beside him and his tie was loosened.
"Valentine," he smiled at her, "so nice to meet you. I've heard a lot of things about you since my arrival about an hour ago."
"All good things, I hope," the girl replied as she lowered her head to look at him from under her lashes, sauntering forward and bending to put her hands on either side of him on the plush couch. "What can I do for you tonight?"
He seemed thoughtful as he took a sip of the vodka, then ran his free hand from her neck to her collarbone, tracing the bone structure lightly. "Surprise me, will you?"
There was a no-touching policy at the Palazio, especially for patrons who had drinks, but the private rooms were places where the rules were frequently bent. The unposken law was that one could touch as far the dancer would allow, and Kaia felt a delicious shiver travel down her spine as his fingers brushed her skin, ending in the familiar feel of a small roll of bills being pushed into her mauve bra. She smiled then, rolling her lithe figure up to begin her sultry strut on the stage. As the slow tempo of Beyonce's "
Yonce / Partiton" started, and her small hands grasped the cool metal, Kaia closed her eyes and let the music move her. It was good doing business.