Her safety rested in no one knowing the true her. Developing a relationship with a customer wasn’t only an occupational hazard for any stripper, but a major risk for Lila.
Forming a bond with a man, other than Asher or the bouncers, meant he might get to know the real person underneath the stripper persona.
Which was a horrible idea. Disastrous. Period.
In her newfound state of confusion, Sienna headed out to visit the club floor and check on her “girls.” She caught a glimpse of Asher leading a disgruntled customer up to his office with Big Mike bringing up the rear. Standing by the somewhat hidden stairs to the office, Sienna overheard Asher going ballistic as the threesome climbed the steps.
“Mike, can you believe this gentleman asked Sadie to go home with him? As if my girls are low-class hookers. Bullshit.”
She paused by the bottom step so she could hear a bit more. Asher really hadn’t been himself lately.
“Nah, man. Guy is whacked if he thinks we would allow our sweet little Sadie to do that, or anyone else,” Mike answered with his typical dry humor, while keeping a firm grip on the customer’s shoulder.
“Well, yeah, it gets better, Mikey boy. He then asked Natalie when Sadie said no.”
Sienna shook her head. Natalie, of course. That’s why Ash is laying it on so thick.
Mike’s head went from side to side. “Fuck, dude, that’s so wrong. You have no fucking clue.” Mike ran his hand over his short buzz cut before giving the guy a little shove up the last step.
Asher leaned in and whispered something else to Mike that she couldn’t catch before the three of them entered the office and closed the door. Fearful for what might or might not be happening, Sienna decided not to make her second round walking the club.
It was no biggie. She did that sometimes.
Being unpredictable was another facet of her dirty-diva persona as Sienna Flower. Yet she never let go of the facade; she was Sienna all the time. She never broke character. Her sanity and safety relied on upholding her good-girls-can-be-naughty reputation, and a large part of her success with that was based on acting like the prima donna everyone assumed she was. Lila was nothing but a memory, and in order to keep Sienna alive and well, she had an image to live up to…all the time. And she played it so well, only she knew it was nothing but a role.
Skipping her walkthrough of the club floor reminded her fans she was unpredictable and wicked. Sienna Flower was a big mystery and untouchable, but her rounds circling the Tunnel were widely anticipated. She didn’t like letting the crowd down, but one time was no big deal. It would definitely ensure the current customers would return in hopes of an up-close peek at Sienna.
If she hadn’t been out on the floor once already, she wouldn’t consider bailing, but she’d done a few laps earlier in the night. She had her usual cocktail, sparkling water with a splash of cranberry and lime in a lowball glass, knowing better than to drink the hard stuff when so much was riding on her success. Tonight she decided to enjoy it with her protégée, Petal, and a gentleman she was entertaining. The gentleman was being nothing but polite and keeping her friend well occupied and flush with cash.
She liked to keep her eye on what the dancers were up to when she was out on the floor, so she made it a point to join small groups here and there for a little while. This served a dual purpose of making customers feel special, and helped out the dancers with the extra tips they got from the delighted customers. Every night she did this for as many dancers as possible, but Petal was her favorite.
Ravyn Petal, or Petal, as everyone affectionately came to call her, was often mistaken for Sienna’s little sister despite the contrast between Sienna’s golden hair and Petal’s silky black. Petal had started at the club about a year and a half ago, her popularity helped by her soft, smooth skin and round, firm, natural breasts much like Sienna’s.
Both her parents had died in a car accident when she was little, after which she became a victim of the foster care system. Without a stable adult in her life and no real ties to anyone or anything, she had hopped on a bus to Vegas the day she turned eighteen, with stars in her eyes.
Sienna met Staci, now “Petal,” when the girl was answering the phones at the Cat’s Meow, Sienna’s preferred waxing studio and one of the few places she ventured out to on the Strip.
When she did go out to the glitzy side of town, she dressed very low-key, shoving her long blonde hair under a baseball cap and donning super-large shades. Typically, Sienna wasn’t very social when she went outside the club; in fact, she tried to avoid talking to anyone, especially on the Strip. There were too many fans, pawing, touching, and asking her for photos, so she usually grabbed one of the bouncers from the club, often Mike, before heading that direction.