The patron

“A problem?” I repeated in a concerned tone as I stood up, pulling her gently away from the usual chaos swirling around us. Once we were now in a quieter corner, I released her hand. “What’s going on, Naomi?”

She studied my face for a long moment, before a small smile played on her lips like she was savoring the news before sharing it. “You’ve been booked out for a month, Nick.” She blurted out in excitement, her eyes sparkling.

“No freaking way! For real? That’s amazing.” I exclaimed, as my heart kicked up a beat, then I paused. “Naomi, this is literally the best news ever. And I know you’re happy about it, so why did you say we had a problem?”

She hesitated for a second before she spoke again. “Well, it’s not exactly a problem for me per se, seeing as it’s beneficial for the club. But it might be for you.”

I tilted my head, studying her face. “For me? I don’t think so.” I laughed lightly, shaking my head. “Naomi, you know how much I need this money. I have to give Leo a thousand dollars by the weekend for school. So I’d say this is a miracle. One that just happened when I desperately needed it.”

She chuckled lightly too. “Yes, you’re right. I understand, kiddo. “Her expression softened a bit. “Well, the man who booked you for the entire month is the same man from two nights ago.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “What? Are you sure he didn’t mean someone else?” I asked, leaning against the table in the corner for support.

She nodded, confirming it. “Yes, Nick. Although he didn’t do the booking himself, the person he sent specifically said he requested you again. According to what he said, he enjoyed your last session. That’s why he booked for an entire month.”

My thoughts raced as I tried to understand why he would do that. Judging from the fact that during our last encounter, I barely did what I was supposed to. He just wanted to talk, nothing more.

After a while, Naomi took my hands in hers. “Nick, I understand this might be a lot, but I don’t want you to overthink anything. It’s just a job, and you need the money. So just do it and get it over with. I mean, you told me last time you barely even danced for him, right? So maybe it won’t be too hard this time around.” She said sweetly, but I just shrugged.

“At least we’re certain he isn’t a pervert or a creep. And you know I would never put you in harm’s way,” she added firmly. “So what do you say? If you don’t still feel comfortable about it, just say the word and I’ll call it off. You know I got you.” She said proudly, nudging my shoulder playfully.

“Yeah, right. Like you would ever reject money, Naomi.” My words made us both laugh, the tension easing just a little. “Anyway, it’s a job like you said. And we don’t mix emotions with business. So it’s fine. I can handle it.” I reassured her.

“And if he tries anything against your will, you have my permission to walk away immediately. I don’t fucking care how much he paid. I’ll refund it all back.” Her voice left no room for argument, and that meant everything.

I nodded, feeling a bit more grounded as she patted my shoulders and walked away. I walked out a few minutes later, after steadying myself. I did some warm-up exercises, practicing my swirling moves. The music started, and as everyone headed to their assigned sections, I made my way to the main stage like usual and that’s when I noticed him. The mystery man from two nights ago, sitting in the same seat. Our eyes locked for a brief moment, and he lifted his glass to me in a silent toast before taking a slow sip. The gesture sent a strange shiver down my spine, but I refused to let it rattle me.

I adjusted my mask, mounted the pole, and gripped it firmly. Tonight the pole was in spin mode, rotating freely as I started with slow, deliberate motions. Maintaining eye contact in this line of work was everything, so I made sure I did that. It was necessary not just to see what they loved, but to test their energy and decide when to switch up. When I finally removed my coat, the audience went wide as cheers and whistling filled the air.

I pushed it further, hanging upside down as I did the horizontal split in the air. That move broke the camel’s back. Some clients even abandoned their seats, and moved closer, hoping to touch me. I teased them by leaning in close enough to make their pulses race, only to pull back at the last second.

My set ended and another dancer took the pole while I moved to do a close-up interaction with the audience. I had just finished doing a lap dance for a man and was turning toward the next when a rough hand suddenly grabbed my waist. “Hey, come on! You’ve got me all hard now. Surely you don’t expect to leave me like this.” His voice was slurred. “Come on. How much will it cost to have you for a night?”

I chuckled carefully, knowing I had to tread carefully because he was drunk. “Sir, we have a strict ‘no touching’ policy. Also, I’m not for sale. If you want a more personalized experience, you can get in touch with our manager. I’m sure she’ll be able to tailor something to your preference.” I kept my tone professional, trying to slip away, but his grip on my waist tightened painfully.

“I know your type,” he sneered, his eyes glassy but predatory. “You say you’re not for sale but you’re as cheap as the rest of them. You only open your legs to the highest bidder. How much is it, huh? How much are you worth? I can pay that and more. Just say the word.” His hand started sliding lower, aiming for my butt, and it only irritated and pissed me off more.

Before I could call the security on him, someone stepped in from behind and firmly pried his hands off me. The man groaned in pain. I assumed it was our security team so I didn’t bother turning around. They just discreetly led him out through the back door.

As they disappeared, my eyes landed on the mystery man again. The look in his eyes was intense, something I couldn’t quite place; protective? Anger? It pinned me in place for a heartbeat before I shook it off and forced myself back to work.

Finally, the dance ended, and we all retreated to the dressing room. I had just taken my seat, muscles aching when Jamie scrambled over. “Hey! Are you okay? I saw what happened back there.” He asked with genuine concern.

I smiled, nodding. “Yeah, I’m okay. You know how these men get.” I took a long sip of my bottled water.

We chatted for a while before Naomi walked in, clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Great performance tonight out there, everyone. Go home, get some rest, keep practicing, and show me something better tomorrow. Alright?”

A chorus of mumbled responses filled the room before the dancers scattered. Naomi approached me, her expression warm but businesslike. “Are you ready, Nick?”

I nodded, as she beamed with approval. I touched up my makeup, spritzed on some cologne, and headed out toward VIP room seven. Outside the door, I paused for a moment, breathing deeply. Once I felt calm enough, I opened the door and stepped inside.

His face sort of lit up when he saw me or at least I thought it did. Something shifted in his expression, subtle but it was there. “Hey, little one. I see you’re back.” He said with a predatory look in his eyes as they traveled from my head to my toes. It made me uncomfortable, but I pushed the feeling aside.

“Before we begin, I have a question and I want the truth. Why did you do that to me?”