by Ruby Madden
Some nodded, some said yes immediately, others seemed disgruntled. Kat had been prepared for this. “Ladies, sleep on this. I want you all to have plenty of time to really think about it and discuss it with each other, with me. I’ll start implementing changes in about a month or two. So, for those of you who aren’t interested in the direction this is going, that’s fine. Just let me know. For you, it will just be about dancing and stripping. Fair?”
The group nodded heads and the murmuring and chatter perked up again.
“I’m keeping this short and sweet. You know how to reach me. I just ask for your patience as I’m still a full-time student. I’m in the process of getting people who can help me manage the Club. Fair?”
“Sure thing Kat Lady!” Dori piped up, beaming a big smile at her.
Many others agreed, murmuring and nodding. Kat looked out at them and felt excited. She could barely believe it herself. But it felt right. Something inside her felt pleased. Daunted, yes – but pleased. It felt like it was meant to be.
* * *
Kat stepped on the stage. It was the last time she’d dance as an employee of Xander’s Gentleman’s Club.
The next time she performed, it would be her Lady’s Club. Kat Lady’s Club. For Kat, it made more sense for a club about erotic titillation be named after those who were, in fact, offering the entertainment.
Tonight, she’d dance like she owned the place. Because she did.
She’d given her track list to JJ and he’d looked at her with a bit of browed confusion. “You sure, Kat Lady?”
“Oh, I’m sure. Downright certain.”
It was three of her all-time favorite pop-songs. She’d never gotten to perform them here, while working for Xander. She understood the need for sexy music. But she wanted to add a bit to the mix. Some fun and playfully energized tunes that helped level out the evening performances. Not just a placation of some sort of atmospheric sexiness created solely by the music and dimmed lighting.
If she trusted her instincts, which she was doing, the gentleman guests would appreciate it. They’d notice the extra layer of her own natural love and exuberance for what she enjoyed most in life – dancing erotically. She would risk alienating some of them for a change. A change for an authentic venue which held no need to exploit the dancers, but instead, playfully sensationalize and empower them. It was an idea she wanted to play with.
She’d never know unless she tried.
Kat was especially energized today. She needed to dance it away. She felt electric. The music began and she made her way to the pole. The other stages were dimmed down and none of the other dolls were dancing.
Just Kat Lady.
It was a decent crowd tonight. Ironically, she’d do her best to forget them. Tonight wasn’t about tips, tonight was about performing the way she wanted to perform. This was a private dance, a private show – all for herself.
The truth of Kat’s life, her one dream, was that she always was and would be, first and foremost – a dancer. She’d never imagined she’d own a venue, all her own, to perform however she damned well pleased.
This was what Xander had seen in her. That brimming desire, the need to move, the liquid gold of limbs and torso partnered to the sounds of music to culminate in felt expression.
Kat understood better that if she remained true to herself, and her ambition, she was capable of recreating something better. This inspired and excited her. He’d seen it in her. It had taken Xander’s incredibly generous gesture for Kat to finally own it. Whatever may happen to her in life, would happen. Gentleman’s club owner. Lady’s club owner. Businesswoman. Attorney. Lesbian. Whatever.
She would always be a dancer first. And a seductress foremost.
A dancing seductress who now officially owned a club and venue of her own. A venue where she could continue dancing. Her and all of her dolls.
Kat Lady’s Dolls.
One of These Nights
{ Hollywood & L.A. }
One of These Nights
One of these nights
One of these crazy old nights
We're gonna find out
Pretty mama
What turns on your lights
The full moon is calling
The fever is high
And the wicked wind whispers
And moans
You got your demons
You got desires
Well, I got a few of my own
Oooo, someone to be kind to in
Between the dark and the light
Oooo, coming right behind you
Swear I'm gonna find you
One of these nights
One of these dreams
One of these lost and lonely dreams
We're gonna find one
One that really screams
I've been searching for the daughter
Of the devil himself
I've been searching for an angel in white
I've been waiting for a woman who's a little
Of both
And I can feel her but she's nowhere
In sight
Oooo, loneliness will blind you
In between the wrong and the right
Oooo, coming right behind you
Swear I'm gonna find you
One of these nights
One of these nights
In between the dark and the light
Coming right behind you
Swear I'm gonna find you
Get 'ya baby one of these nights
One of these nights
One of these nights
I can feel it
I can feel it
One of these nights
Coming right behind you
Swear I'm gonna find you now
One of these nights…
~ Eagles
PART ONE
1: Mansion
2: Homeless
3: Guest Room
4: Girl Crush
5: Spa Tub
A year later…
6: Threesome in Malibu
7: A Private Invitation in the Hollywood Hills
8: Blue-Eyed & Green-Eyed
9: One of These Nights
10: Invitation to an Audition
PART TWO
11: Traipsing thru Sir V’s mind…
12: L.A. Traffic & Coffee Shop Confessions
13: Exploring Solo
14: A Truly Unique Audition
15: A Sweet Crush
16: L.A. evening by the Pool
17: Private Investigator
18: Sir V’s Limo
19: Surrender
PART ONE
* * *
Chapter 1
{ Mansion }
The first time I saw the mansion, his home - I sat stunned, in his idling car, in complete disbelief.
We’d been seeing one another for three months and he’d awkwardly asked me the week prior to meet his family, in their home, for dinner.
The most hilarious thing in retrospect is that I had prepared myself for the worst. By the way he had described his family, I thought I was about to meet a bunch of hicks in a trailer park. He’d made it seem that his home life was terrible and spoke of his family as if they were a bunch of heathens.
Clearly, I mistook his idea of terrible.
We’d driven about ten minutes down a canyon on the outskirts of town where private property was gated, with ample land. The further you drove, the larger the homes got. Until they became mansion sized homes.
We’d pulled in front of a gorgeous Victorian home that sat on at least an acre of land with giant oak trees gracing it on all sides. I was glad it was dark in the car as he would have seen my mouth open wide from awe.
“You ready?” Jaxon asked, pushing the private gate opener then garage opener to a five car garage.
I turned to look at him, “Serious? You live here? This is your family’s home?”
“Yes,” he
said matter-of-factly, “Remember what I said, they’re crazy. My family is crazy.”
He pulled the car into what was his spot in the large garage. His old Volvo now sat parked to a new Volvo, a Mercedes, a Range Rover, and a Porsche.
He turned off the car and looked at me, pulled me closer to him. “Remember what I said, just be you. They’ll love you, they’re going to love you more than me. They’ll want to get rid of me and adopt you, I just know it.”
I wasn’t so sure, but I was too intrigued at this point to resist. I had had no idea his family was wealthy. “You’re rich. You’re filthy rich…”
He smirked, clearly amused. “No, my parents are rich. I’ll be rich someday, when I inherit part of their money and my grandparent’s trust, but I’m not rich. They are.”
“Still. You come from a wealthy family…” I leaned back in the seat, my head completely against the head-rest and shook it in complete disbelief. I was trying to absorb this new realization about him.
He noticed, “Hey, you ok?”
I nodded ever so slightly. He snuggled up to me and we kissed. One of those sweet kisses that I loved. I also loved how his breath smelled and nuzzled into him a bit.
“I don’t care that you’re rich… It’s just a surprise. I was expecting…” I paused, “…something else.”
“What were you expecting? A trailer park?” He snickered.
I let out a loud laugh. Actually, that was exactly what I’d been expecting although I would never tell him.
Allow me to rewind for you.
We’d met a few months ago at a party. My co-worker, Tanya, had been talking non-stop about this new guy she was spending a lot of time with and was driving me crazy about it. Tanya wanted us to meet. I didn’t really care if I met her new, hot, ‘sexy-as-hell’ guy friend. I just wanted her to shut up about it already.
There we were, eleven p.m. one Saturday night and I’m sitting on a sofa talking with some friends. Tanya walks up to introduce everyone to Jaxon. At first, I’m indifferent. I do my best to ignore him. But when Tanya walks away to mingle, he sits right down next to me, drapes his arm over the back of the sofa and gets as close to me as he can.
Eyebrows raised, I just look at him with a look that says, are you for real? I can’t believe he is behaving this way with Tanya around. What a jerk!
He just grins back, the devil in his eye saying hello quite clearly. He’s attracted to me. I’m not so attracted to him, yet. I’m annoyed.
Fast forward three hours later and Tanya has left the party in an angry huff, leaving Jaxon without a ride home. She’d noticed that he spent the entire night sitting next to me or following me around like a puppy dog wherever I went. The entire time, I’m thinking, what a douche this guy is.
I’m ready to leave the party and head home when he asks for a ride to his car, which is sitting in a parking lot a half hour away, on the other side of town. Shaking my head as its now two a.m., I relent as I know there isn’t a chance in hell he’ll get a taxi on a Saturday night at the same hour when all the bars are closing. Not to mention public transit is practically non-existent in this part of town.
Flatly, I state, “Sure, but you need to behave.”
Fast forward three months later and I’m his girlfriend. What can I say, the guy won me over that fated night. When we arrived to his parked, beat-up Volvo, halfway across town, he offered me to share in smoking a joint. I passed but he partook and the silliness soon ensued.
We ended up laughing and chatting into the wee hours of the morning. When the sun started to rise, he asked if I wanted to go to a close by Denny’s and get breakfast. Despite myself, I was warming up to him, I agreed to it and soon, we were feasting on pancakes, eggs and hash-browns.
“What’s Tanya like to work with?” He asked, his mouth full.
I paused, curious he’d asked. “You ought to know, she’s your girlfriend.”
He started to cough, almost choking and spitting out his bite.
Concerned, I patted him on the back. “You ok?!”
He caught his breath and swallowed his food. “Yes, but Tanya is NOT by girlfriend.”
“She’s not?” I said, confused.
“No, not at all. We just hang out sometimes and have a couple of classes together, that’s all.”
I put down my fork, “Does Tanya know this? Serious, are you playing around with her?” I asked.
“What do you mean?” He asked, looking genuinely confused.
“She talks about you as if you two are together. You know, boyfriend, girlfriend.” I said.
He looks surprised and annoyed. “We’re not together. I promise.”
I wonder if he’s being honest with me. “You’re not playing me right now are you?”
He starts to laugh. “No, I swear. I promise. I’m not like that.”
Something tells me he’s being straight with me. I continue eating and drop the topic. I decide to never share with Tanya how the night ended. As it turns out, she quit her job a couple of weeks later and we never speak again.
At first, it had just been phone calls and texts, then he was coming to my place for random, impromptu picnics on my days off from work. Then he took me to the movies, got me high and we made out in the parking lot for a couple hours afterwards, passing popcorn and M&M’s back and forth in sweet-salty kisses, giggling like thirteen year old tweens.
Initially, I had been a little bit hesitant and resistant. Now, here I am. Meeting his parents. His family.
We go inside his home, the mansion and he gives me a tour. I can hear voices in the distance, but since the home is twelve thousand square feet in size, he explains, I realize it will be a while before the tour is over. I’m in awe. The home is breath-taking. Priceless quality everywhere.
“What would your home sell for on the market?” I ask, half-whispering. I’ve never been in a home this beautiful. I know the question is somewhat inappropriate, but I can’t help myself.
“My mother says five million, my father says six million. I trust what my father says, he has a more realistic gauge of money. My mother inherited hers, my father works for his.”
“What does your father do for a living?” I ask while running my finger along the edge of the pool table, as we have just entered the billiards room. I can already tell it will be my favorite place to spend time in this amazing home.
“He’s a surgeon, a Doctor.” He rolls the eight ball at me, leaning innocently against the pool table. I roll the ball back at him.
“Oh.” I say. It’s all I can say. I’m impressed.
He’s studying my face, “My grandfather and great grandfather were Doctors too. My family is hoping one of us goes into medicine. I can tell you right now, it won’t be me. I have no interest in medicine.”
I nod, it’s all I can do. Whereas most young women my age - of college age - are vying to get a date, let alone a boyfriend, exactly like Jaxon, with this kind of family and life. I was simply enjoying getting high with him in his old, beat-up Volvo and making out. It was ridiculous, I felt like I was in a fairy-tale.
Somehow, my ‘guy’ had a castle. Just like that.
When we finally make our way to the grand room and adjoining dining room that extends out into the California sunshine to a dining deck next to a sparkling swimming pool, I can see that his parents are lounging while enjoying cocktails. A maid in the kitchen is furiously working on finishing dinner while Jaxon’s parents are sitting outside, watching the sunset.
I hear their conversation drifting inside…
“Honey, you can’t go to the hospital now. We’re about to meet Jaxon’s girlfriend. He’ll be disappointed.” Said a very soft, very feminine voice.
Just as Jaxon’s father stands to leave for, what I can only assume, is the hospital – Jaxon and I step outside to meet them.
His father sees me first.
We lock eyes, I smile shyly. I’m intimidated – it’s not every day that I meet m
illionaire neurosurgeons. It’s not every day that I meet an older, distinguished man who is even handsomer than my twenty-something, sexy boyfriend. I go weak in the knees.
I’m in T-R-O-U-B-L-E.
Jaxon’s mother turns to look over the back of her chair and eagerly gets up to meet us and introduce herself. I’m once again stunned. She’s an Elizabeth Taylor type of beauty, only homier and with the kindest, crystal blue eyes I’ve ever seen.
It’s a flurry of greetings and hugs. I’m embraced by both of his parents. I find myself swimming in the after-effect of Jaxon’s father’s cologne. His olive-toned, spicy skin, his chiseled looks and polished, physician demeanor. I feel dizzy and have to take a step back to settle myself.
Jaxon’s mother clues in immediately and says charmingly, “You must be so nervous. I would be, it was always a bit nerve-wracking to meet my boyfriend’s parents for the first time. Here, let me get you a drink. What would you like?”
I manage to stammer out, “A rum and diet coke, please?” My mouth is dry and my heart is thumping furiously - from attraction. To both his parents. I cannot even believe it. These people are gorgeous, rich and oddly – very N-I-C-E. They’re not crazy, not that I can tell. Eccentric, perhaps? But who wouldn’t be with this kind of money and life.
Jaxon’s father steps away, excusing himself and stating that he needs to make a phone call. Once he slips into their mansion, I hear him talking on the phone, he’s asking someone to cover for him – he can’t come in.
Needs to stay with the family, at home. You know how it is, I’ve been working too much. She’s insisting. Meeting my son’s girlfriend for the first time…
The conversation ends in a brief murmur I can’t hear. A moment later, I hear his steps walking back towards us.
I’m flattered. Is he staying because of me? Am I wrong to believe that he took one look at me and changed his mind? His patient could wait and be cared for by someone else, I guess?
Jaxon pulls forward a seat for me, and his mother returns, my beverage in hand. “Here you go darling, please do let me know if it’s to your taste?”
