After two weeks of getting settled in and healing, it is time to start living in the real world again. The world where you need things like a job and money to survive. My dad and I are going to the club to meet some of his employees. To say I’m nervous is an understatement. It takes me longer than normal to get ready. I mean really! What do you wear to the strip club that your dad owns?
After settling on my gray, empire-waist sweater dress with black legging and black boots, I curl my hair in large waves down my back and put on light makeup. Looking at myself in the mirror, I’m happy to see all the bruising is gone and I look like myself again. I go upstairs to give Beast some love, before Dad and I take off. I know Beast is happy here. He has a large backyard and room to run, and I take him on a walk every night.
“Okay, Dad. I’m ready!” I yell into the living room while scratching Beast behind his ears.
“Wow, you look beautiful,” he says, kissing my cheek. “Let’s get this shit over with.”
I smile at him, knowing that he’s nervous. I think at this point, he’s more nervous than me.
“Dad, it’s going to be okay.” Going with my dad to his club is completely nerve racking for me. I mean, my dad owns a strip club where naked girls work. I’m freaking out on the inside but trying to act cool. I don’t want him to feel any more uncomfortable than I know he already does.
“Just so you know, baby girl, the women who work for me are not your friends. There is nothing wrong with what they do, but you are not going to be hanging with them.”
I raise my eyebrows at him and he shakes his head. “I know you won’t be there during club hours, but I want to make it perfectly clear—there is no reason for you to ever be in the front of the house when you’re in the building. You can come in, sort shit out in the office, but there will be no drinking at the bar and no socializing with the employees. The only reason I’m bringing you here tonight is because I want the people I trust to meet you. That way, you will always have someone to go to in case I’m not around.”
“Dad, don’t worry so much. You’re giving yourself grey hair and soon you’re going to look like Uncle Joe.”
“Very funny!” he says, smiling.
The club is pretty much how I pictured it. Not that I’ve been in a strip club, but what do you really think of when you imagine a strip club. There’s a long bar on the back wall with stools in front of it. Off to the side, there’s a stage with two poles and a girl dancing. Along the stage, there are four tables with guys of every age watching the show. In the back of the room, the lighting is so dim that you can barely make out the couches. Behind them is a wall of mirrors. Looking around, I’m surprised that everything is new and modern.
“Okay, baby girl.” My dad snaps me out of my perusal. “This is Rex.” He points to the guy behind the bar. “Rex, this is my daughter, November. She’s going to be doing the books and helping me out from behind the scenes. You won’t see her much, but I wanted you to meet her so if I’m not around, she knows who to talk to.”
“Hey, girl,” Rex says, wiping his hands on a towel. “Nice to finally meet you.”
“You too,” I say as my dad pulls me into his side.
“Wow, Mike, with your ugly mug, I didn’t think you could make such a pretty girl,” Rex says and I feel myself turn red.
My dad looks down at me with so much pride. “Yeah, I did good,” he says, smiling.
“Oh, geez, Daddy, stop,” I say while squeezing his middle and rolling my eyes. That’s when I feel someone’s watching me. I look around, but don’t see anyone.
“I’m gonna take her to the office and show her my mess,” Dad says.
“Okay, man, but when you’re done, we need to talk about the shit Skittles pulled the other night.”
“Once November leaves, I’ll be on the floor,” my dad says, pulling me with him.
After meeting a couple other people, we go into his office. He was not joking—the place is a mess. It’s going to take me weeks just to get everything organized. There are papers, books, and files everywhere and the computer looks like the first one ever invented. “Well, here you are. You can start tomorrow morning. Just try to be out of here by three. Once you get stuff figured out, you can always move your office to the house if you feel like that works better.”
“Okay, I’ll start tomorrow. It’s gonna take some time just to get things sorted. After that, I should be able to do it from home most of the time.”
“Sounds good,” Dad says, looking around. Just then, the phone rings on the desk. He moves some papers around. When he finally finds the handset, he puts it to his ear. “Yeah, okay. I’ll be out. He hangs up, I have to go, baby girl. There’s a problem out front.”