Table of Contents
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1.
Candy looked into the mirror and adjusted the pink fur around the collar of her sheer, teeny-tiny robe. It was one of her favorites and the moment she slipped it on she stepped into her recent preferred persona of ditzy, dumb blonde.
She was sucking on her trademark red lollypop and curling her hair into tight little bouncy twirls. She was, as far as she knew, the only dancer working at the beginning of the night. Even though she knew it wouldn’t be busy, she still wished she had some back up. Marv wasn’t exactly the easiest man to work for, and ever since he had fired his top girl Lexi, things at the club hadn’t been the same.
Candy strapped on her clear platforms and stood shakily to her feet. Even though she had been stripping for almost two months, she still couldn’t get used to the sky-high heels she was expected to wear. At five-foot-two, she needed all the help she could get to make her look more leggy and model-esque, but every time she stepped into them, she feared she would slip and break her neck.
“That would be just your luck, Candy,” she said to herself.
The changing room was unnaturally cold, especially considering it was the height of summer in Slate Springs. She looked up and noticed the dull thrum of the AC unit ticking away in the corner, and she pulled a chair underneath it.
“Death wish,” she whistled as she climbed up, barely able to stand in the ridiculous shoes. As she flipped the switch and turned it off, the room seemed to instantly warm as the hot outside air seeped in from the small crack in the door leading out into the hall.
Candy carefully climbed down and returned to the mirror. Even though she hated working the earlier shifts on her own, she was always glad of the peace and quiet when she was getting ready. On busy nights there could be five girls working at Red X and that meant a frenzy of make-up, hair spray, perfume and lingerie all exploding across the room as they all fought for their place around the mirror. At least Candy could take her time and listen to some music to calm her nerves. She knew she had to do it, but there was still a part of her that hated the fact she took her clothes off for money. While she loved feeling empowered and thrived on the effect she had on the men who watched her, she always thought that things would have been a little different at this point in her life. Throughout her childhood and all of her training as a dancer, little did she know that she would be using it this way.
“But at least I can have some fun,” she smiled to herself. “Most girls would love to do this, if only they had the nerve.”
She pouted and slicked a hot pink gloss over her lips, smacking them together and slipping the lollypop back between her teeth. Underneath her feet she could feel the vibrations of the music; Marv must have started up the sound system. She took another look at herself in the mirror. She was wearing head-to-toe baby pink and looked exactly as her name suggested.
“Sweet,” she winked at herself before she undid the robe so it fell loosely around her matching bra and heaving breasts.
Candy had only been in Slate Springs for a couple of months, but she had already managed to carve out a role for herself among the people of the town. It was a close-knit community and when she had arrived, she had been instantly welcomed. Although she usually kept mostly to herself, she had made a few friends with other girls who worked at Red X. As she arrived in town as someone completely unknown, she took advantage of the situation and decided to completely reinvent herself. There, she wasn’t prim and proper Candace… She was innocent little Candy. Nobody in Slate Springs knew that she had a master’s degree, or that only six months before she was almost a married woman. When she turned up there and saw its small town ways, she realized it was the kind of place she could disappear, and so she decided to be someone else entirely. She took advantage of her sweet and innocent looks and played up to her image… She let everyone in town think she was ditzy and dumb. Even though it couldn’t have been further from the truth.
She left the changing room and let the door swing lightly closed behind her. The dense air from the desert outside filtered through the fire escape, and she could hear the thunder of trucks powering down the highway. She wondered how many of the customers in there would just be passing through. Sometimes she even enjoyed talking to them. It was as if she was studying them for a project, storing up all the information that came her way for a rainy day.
She wandered along the dark hallway towards the main room of the club. She could hear Marv calling to the new girl to take over the bar and she was scattering around trying to stock the shelves as he barked orders to her from across the room.
Her name was Destiny, or so she said… And Candy couldn’t help but feel as if in some way it was ironic… No one’s destiny should have taken them to a place like Red X. And certainly not to be ruled by a guy like Marv. Candy was lucky she was smart and knew how to handle him. He loved to think that he was in charge and that Candy was some ditz he could order around. She’d even let him for a while, until she convinced him it would be a good idea to take on some extra staff. She’d taken the overtime, even though he’d been reluctant to pay for it, and then she’d made him feel as if it was his idea to make her life easier.
Candy smiled. She was pretty sure no one had figured her out. She was so cute looking and she had the act down to a fine art. There was no way anyone would suspect that she was really a well-bred girl with a stellar education… She pushed up her boobs, glossed her lips, flicked her hair and perfected her doe eye. She had all of the men eating out of the palm of her hand, and she was loving every second.
It was just what she needed to make sure she could start again without anyone asking too many questions, or figuring out why she had turned up in Slate Springs in the first place… Because that was a conversation she was sure she never wanted to have.
“Candy!” Marv hollered to her from on top of the stage. He had his hands on his hips and his beer gut swelled out between them.
“What’s up, Marv?” she asked with an eye roll.
“Destiny here doesn’t seem capable of restocking the bar,” he snorted. “Give her a hand, will you?”
If she didn’t feel so bad for the girl, she would have flipped Marv the bird behind his back and told her to figure it out. But she knew what she had coming, and it wasn’t pretty. The newest girl at Red X always had it the toughest, and because she was recently relieved of the role, she felt as if she owed it to the newbie to be kind.
“Sure,” she smiled sweetly, still sucking on the lollipop.
She turned to Destiny and shrugged, and Destiny chewed her bottom lip.
“Sorry Candy,” she sighed. “You’re all done up and spritzed and everything.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Candy smiled. “I don’t mind.”
She walked behind the bar and opened up all of the refrigerators. It really wasn’t rocket science, but the way Marv liked things was so meticulous she remembered herself how nervous she was of getting something wrong. And if anything went missing…even just one bottle, there would be hell to pay. Candy remembered back to how Lexi had been fired… She had been drunk and helping herself to free liquor, and it had been the beginning of the end of her stripping career.
“How are you finding it so far?” Candy asked as she heaved a crate of beer up onto the bar top, making sure she didn’t snag her lingerie or break a nail.
“It’s certainly, um, different,” Destiny shrugged. “I mean I’ve worked in places like this before, just not in Slate Springs… I’m from Ironhill,” she said.
Candy nodded. She had never been over to Ironhill, but she knew it was about ten miles away. Another small town full of secrets from what she had gathered from the locals who drifted into the club and from what she overheard at the diner.
“How come you’re down here then?” Candy asked, more
just for something to say rather than actual interest.
“Well, I didn’t really see eye to eye with my old boss,” she said. “And when I saw the ad for a barmaid, I just thought, hell, it’s about time I had a change.”
Candy nodded and smiled. She knew that feeling.
“Well, it’s nice to have you here,” Candy smiled as she loaded the last fresh bottles of vodka into the optics and wiped her hands on a dishcloth.
“Thanks,” Destiny grinned. “And thank you again for the help.” She motioned to the fully stocked bar and then chewed her bottom lip again.
“It’s no problem.” Candy walked back out the other side of the bar. “Always ask me ahead of Marv.”
Destiny nodded.
“Trust me, it’s not worth the hassle,” Candy winked. She slipped the lollipop back into her mouth and turned on her heel before power-walking back towards the stage.
The music was booming and the doors were now open. The night was just beginning, and she was ready for anything. Even though Candy was the kind of girl who could have been anything, there she was in a small town, twirling around a pole and flashing her body for cash.
It should have made her sad, but it didn’t… She knew where she was going in life, and she knew what she wanted out of it. Things should have been different, but she had plenty of time to change that…and she had a plan. Candy might play dumb, but she was switched on and ready to take charge of her life.
As she hooked her leg around the pole and made eyes at one of the truckers who had just sat down in front of the stage, she could have roared with laughter. She was exploiting them all for her own benefit, and it felt damn good.
2.
Her body ached as she climbed down from the stage for the last time that night. Who needed to be a member of a gym when they had a job like hers? Candy sat down at the bar in front of Destiny and mopped her brow with the back of her hand. Her heart was still racing and so was her breathing. She smiled out across at some of the customers and unwrapped another red lollipop. As she sucked on it and took a quick look around to check Marv wasn’t in sight, she leaned in closer and ordered a shot from Destiny.
“What would you like?” Destiny shouted to her over the music.
The truth was, she didn’t even care, but she wanted to act as if she was giving the power over to the new girl.
“It’s okay, hun, I’ll let you surprise me,” she giggled as she twirled her hair.
She squinted her eyes to check the time on the cash register. It was almost 3 am. The club was quieting down and although it rarely closed during the early hours, Candy could tell that Marv wouldn’t keep it open that night. She had barely gotten any money, and the other girl working the stage looked like she had all but given up.
Destiny slid a small, thick shot glass across the counter, and Candy could smell the strong aniseed immediately.
Sambuca.
She hated Sambuca… But she would give it a go, just to be polite.
As she knocked it back and it burned her insides, she wished she had just asked for something she knew she could handle, like a straight vodka, but it was too late. She swallowed hard and fast before breathing out and coughing and motioning for a glass of water.
“Shit, sorry,” Destiny cringed as she passed her a tall glass.
Candy glugged the tap water and even though it was lukewarm, it took the horrible bitter taste and sick feeling away.
“It’s okay,” Candy shrugged. “I knew what it was.”
She wiped the corner of her mouth and checked the time again. She was desperate to get out of there and head for home, but she knew she’d have to stay until the very end.
“Candy,” Marv yapped at her from the front door. “You done?”
She knew what he really meant was Get back up there and don’t stop shaking it until I tell you, so she rolled her eyes and turned around.
“That depends, Marv,” she smiled. “Is that okay?”
She looked up at him with big, innocent eyes and sucked on the red cherry pop. He considered her for a moment before he snorted and shook his head.
“Of course it’s not fucking okay. We’re still open, aren’t we?”
He marched towards her with his arms folded, sat down on a high stool next to her and breathed his whiskey breath right down her neck.
“Listen,” he said heavily, “I could do with some help out the back…” He nudged her suggestively and her whole body froze. She had been unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of his lecherous behavior before, and it was definitely where she drew the line. She’d play dumb until the cows came home…but she would never let him treat her that way.
She fluttered her eyelashes and tried to remain calm. She rubbed the side of his shoulder and smiled.
“You’re just like a dad to me, Marv,” she shrugged.
He snorted and slammed his hand down on the bar top, signaling to Destiny that he wanted another drink.
Candy cast her mind back to Lexi, the girl he had fired for refusing his advances and taking drinks from behind the bar. Surely, this was about to go the same way… She braced herself for the onslaught by gripping the bar top and taking a deep breath.
It’ll all be fine, she thought. Even if he fires you, you can just move on to the next town and start all over again. Maybe Destiny could point you in the right direction over at Ironhill… Her mind was racing a mile a minute, and before Marv even had a chance to say another word, she had already dreamed up another hundred scenarios and was planning her next adventure.
“Well,” he said with a slap of his gut, “that’s one way to kill a guy’s drive.” He downed the whiskey and belched.
Candy sighed with relief.
She looked up at Destiny to see her smirking, and she couldn’t help but grin in return. She had no idea how that had even worked, but at least the crisis was averted.
Behind them, the main door banged shut as the last customer walked out into the night and the girl on the stage stopped twirling. The club was empty, and Candy sighed with relief.
“That was the last one,” the girl on the stage called across to Marv at the bar. “Can we shut this shit off now?” She pouted and blew a big pink bubble.
Marv waved his arm nonchalantly around his head, and Destiny jumped over the bar top and made her way to the sound system. She slapped off the music and the room instantly fell silent. Candy yawned to try and get the ringing out of her ears. She could still hear and feel the music pumping through her, and her head was spinning. She closed her eyes and rubbed them gently. What she wouldn’t give to be at home in her comfortable bed.
Marv prodded Candy in the ribs and motioned for her to get him another drink. She reluctantly got to her feet and made her way around to the other side of the bar and slung his glass up into the optic. She pressed it in and waited a moment before doing it again.
May as well give him a double and save me having to get up twice, she thought.
She slid the glass to him and smiled sweetly. Behind her, Destiny was making her way over to the main door to lock it, and the girl who had been dancing was already clacking her heels down the corridor on her way back to the dressing room, a red robe billowing out behind her.
“Her attitude fucking sucks,” Marv said as he sipped his drink. “If I didn’t want to bang her so much, she’d be out of here.”
He was drunk. That much Candy could tell. Even though he was usually just as hideous, he rarely put himself down in any capacity, and that was a direct admission that he was being rejected by one of his employees, someone he supposedly had control over.
“She’s got a bit more time,” he slurred. “I’ll give her until the end of the week.”
He drained the rest of his glass before throwing it on the floor where it smashed beneath his feet. Candy sighed and looked across at Destiny who was watching them from the doorway. Her shoulders dropped as she realized she was the one who was going to have to get down on her knees to clean it all up.
&
nbsp; “Whoops,” Marv giggled insincerely.
“It’s okay, Destiny,” Candy said as she got down on her knees. “I’ll do it.”
Destiny shouted “Thank you!” and then turned back to the door. Candy wasn’t paying much attention because she was too busy collecting the shards of glass that were splintered all around and under Marv’s feet. But it was strange—it was like all of a sudden she sensed a change in the atmosphere. She stopped what she was doing and dropped the pieces of glass on the floor, before she got slowly to her feet and turned around. Marv was looking in the same direction with his lip curled, and Destiny stopped still like a statue, facing the main door with her arms held open as if to suggest she was unarmed.
Ahead of her, walking into the club, were two mean-looking men…and clutched between their fists were two huge shotguns.
Candy gasped and gripped onto the bar. Destiny moved backwards, quickly trying to get back closer to her and Marv, as if somehow that would guarantee her safety. The men were swift and from the leather and chains, she could tell they were bikers. Candy was shaking, but when she looked up and got a good look at them, she knew instantly who one of the men was. It was King, Lexi’s boyfriend… He had come back again, no doubt to settle another debt. She had never seen the other guy with him before, but the second she lay eyes on him, her heart began to race even harder.
“What the fuck,” Marv drawled. “Haven’t you boys caused me enough trouble?”
King lurched forward and grabbed Marv by the scruff of the neck. He pulled him to his feet and threw him face down onto the bar. Candy breathed in deeply and steadied herself. The shot of Sambuca giving her a tiny bit of Dutch courage, she looked up at the man she had never seen before and caught his eye before she looked shyly down at the ground. Destiny yelped and cowered down behind the bar, clinging onto Candy’s feet. She swallowed and looked up at the men. King smiled at her and winked before he pulled Marv’s head up by his hair and smashed it down against the wooden counter top. Candy winced and looked away.
[Runes of Argyl 01.0] The Runes of Argyl Trilogy Page 156
