Dusk

The consistent tick of the clock had me struggling to focus.

I shifted in my seat and tried to pay attention but then the final bell sounded. I sighed softly as I packed my books.

“Miss Crest?” The professor called from the front of the lecture hall. “A word please?”

I already knew what he wanted to speak to me about. My recent lack of focus was reflecting in my school performance.

I glanced to my right, tossing my car keys to my best friend and roommate, Tina.

“You can go on without me,” I said. “I’ll catch up later.”

“No way. I’m waiting right here,” she said. “No funny business,” she added, narrowing her eyes at Professor Malcom.

I shook my head at her as I made my way to the professor’s desk, clutching my books in front of my chest.

“You asked to see me, Sir?”

The lecture hall had basically emptied out and he cast a curious glance at Tina, who was outright staring at us.

“Yes yes…” he trailed off as his eyes moved down my body.

Tina coughed loudly and his eyes jerked back up to my face.

“Yes. I reviewed your last paper, and I can’t help but ask if everything is fine? I expected a much better submission from you, Miss Crest.”

I sighed, my gaze dropping down to the desk between us.

“To be honest, professor, I do not have an excuse. I’ve just been having a difficult time focusing recently.”

“I see,” he said, fiddling with the wedding band on his left hand. “Well, I would hate to fail you so I will give you another chance to redo that paper. I expect so see it no later than Sunday. Have a good weekend.”

He strolled out of the lecture hall without a backwards glance.

“Well how come I don’t get to redo my paper?” Tina asked as she walked up to me. “I’m sure as hell that whatever you turned in is miles better than mine.”

I shrugged as we walked out of the lecture hall together. “He did say he didn’t want to fail me. It must be pretty bad. Plus, I’ve been slacking off with previous assignments as well,” I sighed.

‘Hey,” Tina bumped my shoulder softly. “You’re a total nerd. You’ll figure this out.”

“Thanks,” I laughed at her bizarre compliment.

Out in the parking lot, we ran into a small group of our classmates.

“Tina! Lila!” a tall dark-skinned guy called out to us.

“Hey Evans,” I smiled at him.

“So, we’re having a games night at Warren’s tonight. Are we gonna see y’all there?”

“Can’t, Warren,” Tina said. “We’re working tonight.”

“Oh that’s too bad, we were hoping you two could put on a show for us,” he pouted.

Tina laughed out loud. “If you want a show, you know where to find us honey,” she winked at him before steering me in the direction of my reliable old 2011 red Mazda.

I unlocked my car, tossing my backpack in the backseat while Tina claimed her position as passenger princess.

“Hey,” a voice spoke behind me.

I turned around to see Warren smiling down at me.

For context, I’m not short. I stood at a height of 5’8, and while I was no amazon, Warren’s height always startled me up close.

“Hi,” I smiled back.

“I hope you weren’t offended by Evans. He didn’t mean any harm.”

“Oh I know. It’s cool.”

“Okay, so if you can’t make it tonight how about you and I hang out another time? You could come over on Sunday and I’d make us dinner. Or we could go out if you prefer -”

“Warren,” I sighed. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Delila please,” he took a step towards me. “I miss you.”

“You’re making this more complicated than it needs to be -”

I was interrupted by Tina blaring my car horn.

“COME ON! WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE!”

I gave Warren an apologetic smile before sliding into the driver’s seat.

“Thanks,” I sighed as I put the car into reverse.

“Oh, what would you ever do without me?”

I smiled, but she was right.

Tina had always been a big part of my life. I never knew who my mother was, seeing as she had abandoned me on my father’s doorstep when I was born.

My father, on the other hand, had started out as a good father. Then he lost all his wealth in a Ponzi scheme and went on a downward spiral ever since. He started gambling and drinking excessively until the Christmas morning when I had found him unresponsive on the living room couch. At the age of 11, I could tell something was wrong with him, and I ran to the front door of a neighbor who was a doctor. His little 12-year-old daughter answered the door. Her bright blue eyes took one look at my tear-streaked face and tiny shivering form before enveloping me in a hug.

Tina and I have been inseparable since then.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Tina asked softly.

I shook my head, keeping my eyes on the road.

“Well then. We have just enough time to get to Hui’s, go back to the apartment, pack up and then get to the club.”

“I know, I know. I miss my bed so much right now.”

Tina laughed as she fiddled with my radio.

“I, on the other hand, miss Hui’s magic touch. My manicures have been looking rough.”

Hui was a private beautician. She was very popular among Tina and I’s colleagues, and for good reasons.

She was fast.

Her salon was calming and private.

She was very very good at her job.

And most importantly, her very cute Italian assistant always had the best dishes waiting for clients.

So, half an hour later, Tina and I were getting our pedicures done while we munched on pasta and the most amazing meatball sauce ever.

“Vincent,” I said. “I could marry you just to get the recipe for this.”

“Watch it bitch,” Tina playfully scowled at me. “Vincent is mine.”

“Sugar and Spice fighting over me? Now that’s every man’s wet dream.”

I laughed as I shoveled more food into my mouth. As I chewed, I admired my freshly manicured nails. They were a long stiletto shape, polished with a shiny dark gray chrome.

I had simply shown Hui a picture of my costume tonight and she went to work. As usual, the result was beautiful.

Very Spice.

My phone beeped with a text. I unlocked it to see it was from Warren.

I hope you change your mind about dinner.

And then another:

Just let me know.

I put my phone away without replying.

“Another one of your admirers?” Hui smiled.

I rolled my eyes at her. “He’s just a friend.”

“Ouch,” Tina said. “Poor Warren.”

“Who says it was Warren?”

Tina gave me a blank stare.

“Alright fine, it was Warren.”

Tina turned back to her pasta with a victorious smirk.

After pedicures, we both had our hair styled and lashes refilled before hurrying back home to get ready for work.

***

Dusk.

My second home.

Tina and I were in the dressing room, chatting with the other dancers while we got ready.

I gave myself a little twirl.

“Fabulous,” Tina giggled from the vanity table right beside me.

I settled back in front of my own vanity and applied even more body glitter.

“Here,” Tina slid a shot glass towards me. “We’re on in 10 minutes.”

I nodded. As I downed the shot, running my freshly manicured fingers through my now glamorously curled black hair, I felt my Spice persona rise to the surface.

“There she is,” Tine smiled. “That is always so crazy to watch. It's like you literally become a different person.”

“That’s because I do,” I said as I rose up. “Might be a case of multiple personalities, might be a case of possession. I guess we’ll never know.”

Tina and I made our way away from the chatter of the other dancers in the dressing room, to the backstage curtains where Rick, the club manager was on his nightly patrol.

“Sugar! Spice! My favorite girls,” he smiled when he sighted us. “You look stunning as always.”

Tina smirked and fluttered her lashes at him while I giggled and curtsied.

Rick was a sweet middle-aged man that made working at 'Dusk', an exclusive strip club, as comfortable as possible. He never compromised on the safety and comfort of his staff, from the bartenders to the dancers, to the busboys.

“Oh, you’re so sweet Ricky,” I smiled. “If only you were a few years older I’d let you take me out for dinner.”

“Hey if you promise to stay young and beautiful, I promise I’ll call you up when I’m 95.”

“Sounds like the perfect retirement plan to me,” I winked as I sashayed past him.

Tina and I took our places behind the curtain as the DJ announced us.

“A special treat from two of your favorite Damsels. Gentlemen, please welcome Sugar and Spice!”

The curtains lifted as the sensual tune of Jay Sean’s ‘Ride It’ slithered out of the speakers and into my ears.

I’ve always had a sort of hypnotic connection with music. Once I hear a tune, I can naturally sync my body to it. It’s the very reason I’m one of the highest earning dancers in this club.

I took a deep breath and my eyes fluttered close as I let the music wash over me.

I reached for one of the poles strategically placed on the stage and I let it spin me around. Leaning my back against the pole, I slowly arched and then suggestively ran my fingers up my torso, until they connected with the black mesh top I had on over my silver sequined push up bra.

I opened my eyes and found Sugar in a similar position. We gave each other small smiles before taking off our mesh tops, to the delight of our audience.

I always enjoyed performing with Sugar. We both had unique yet complimentary dance styles that left patrons at the edges of their seats.

‘Let it be, let it be, let it be known...’

I rolled my hips in time to the music and by the time the chorus hit, I was on all fours, crawling towards the edge of the stage to stuff my tips into the lacy garter strapped to my thigh.

An uneasy sensation of being watched suddenly came upon me, but I dismissed the feeling immediately. Of course, people were watching. I’m literally dancing and taking off my clothes.

Winking at a man who was staring transfixed at me while nervously clutching a wad of dollar bills, I leaned forward and asked

“Oh sweetie, is that for me?”

He gulped and blushed deeply, nodding as he pushed his glasses back up his nose. I smiled and reached out a hand, maintaining eye contact with him.

Still transfixed, he placed the wad of cash in my palm.

“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,” he blushed even deeper.

I didn’t reply, instead pulling myself back up to my feet. I maintained eye contact still as I playfully fiddled with the knot holding my mesh skirt secure around my waist. In a deft movement, I undid the knot and let my wrap skirt pool around my black heels.

I blew my shy man a kiss and sashayed back to my pole for the last part of the song.

As much as I tried to ignore it, I couldn’t manage to shake off the feeling of being watched.

After the last few lines of the song played, Tina and I picked up the rest of our tips and clothes we had discarded while performing.

I hurried backstage where I was immediately met by Rick.

“Spice! Wonderful performance as always. You’re wanted in VIP lounge 1 for the rest of the night.”

“The rest of the night?” I gasped. “Is the mafia in here or something?”

Rick smiled and ruffled my hair.

“Five minutes,” he mouthed before turning his attention to Sugar.

I made my way back to our dressing room to quickly touch up my makeup and stash my tips away in my locker.

“Hey Spice,” Natasha, a stunning dark-skinned woman called out to me. “You going for rounds? We were just about to head out.”

“Actually, Rick says I’m working a VIP lounge for the rest of the night.”

“Girl!” Natasha gasped. “I was in one of those for an hour and I made $1500! The whole night? With the way you dance? You’re about to make enough money to pay off my student loans and then some!”

I laughed out loud at her antics. But she wasn’t wrong. It was every dancer at Dusk’s dream to work the VIP lounges.

The clients there tipped very generously and were mostly businessmen, looking to butter up a client. That meant all a girl had to do was look pretty on a pole and serve up drinks every couple of minutes.

I shrugged my mesh top back on, slipped off my garter and replaced it with my money bag where I had stuffed my tips. Reapplying my signature red lipstick, I waved at Natasha and the other girls as I made my way to VIP lounge 1.

I was stopped at the entrance by a solid, towering mountain cosplaying as a man.

“Name?” He rumbled, rather than spoke.

“Spice,” I winked at him. “I was requested here.”

He cocked his head to the side, as if listening to a voice through an earpiece. Then he nodded once and stepped aside, letting me in.

The lights in the lounge were dim and The Weekend’s ‘Earned It’ was playing softly through the speakers.

I looked around and was greeted by the sight of a man perched on a stool at the mini bar. He had the most intense gray eyes that were currently trained on me.

When my eyes met his, a slight shiver ran down my spine and I was reminded of the feeling I had while dancing on stage.

“Hello,” I greeted. “I’m Spice. Will the rest of your party be joining us soon?”

“It’s a party of one.”

“Okay,” I said, making my way to the pole stationed across the bar. “I’ll get started.”

“Actually,” he said, “I’d prefer if we could have a conversation.”

“That’s not what I’m paid for.”

“I see,” he made his way behind the bar. “And how much would I have to pay for a conversation?”

I giggled and his eyes snapped back to me. I let my eyes roam over his face. He was undeniably attractive, with his sandy brown hair and angular features. He had thick eyebrows set over his alluring gray eyes. His skin was deeply tanned and radiant. His firm yet supple lips quirked up as he observed me checking him out.

“Sir, there’s rules. And cameras. I need this job, so please take a seat and enjoy the show.”

Without waiting for a reply, I turned around and made my way to the pole.