take it easy. You’re doing great... We all are proud of you!’
I turn away. My eyes fill with tears. Crying in front of everyone is the last thing I want to do. But I can’t help it.
‘It’s not working, Len, and I don’t know what to do about it,’ I say quietly, wiping my tears to save my make-up. ‘It’s just too much...’
‘What’s going on?’ Natalia appears from nowhere.
I wipe my face fast and before Lena can say anything, sky-high, I deliver, ‘Good news, Nata. Our sister is moving in with Mark!’
9
I get up from another ‘maybe later’ customer, scan the place with impassive eyes and walk to find the next one. Nikita grabs my elbow.
‘Come with me,’ she orders and quickly heads towards the stairs.
‘Where are you going?’ I shout through the music while watching the steps.
These shoes, if not used with caution, kill the girls more than drugs do in this business.
‘To VIP,’ she throws back, while adding to her speed.
‘I’ve just been to VIP. There is no one there.’ I roll my eyes.
‘I am talking about the R&R, silly.’
‘What?’ I stop and look up at her.
Is she on drugs or something?
But she keeps walking and I race to catch up with her.
‘The Reading Room.’
‘What the hell are you talking about?’
We pass the mezzanine and stop at the closed door of one of the private rooms.
‘You’ve been working here for a month and you don’t know about the Reading Room? Give me a hundred,’ she says, while raiding her own purse.
‘Why? Are we going to buy library cards?’
‘Ha ha. We don’t have time. Come on.’ Along with the money, she pulls out a lipstick and a small mirror and hurriedly touches up her lips.
I hand her the note. ‘Spend it wisely. They say Hemingway and Fitzgerald are seriously overrated.’
She cocks her head and narrows her eyes. ‘Really?’
‘Okay, I’m sorry.’ I giggle.
‘We have to cheer the bouncer up, or he may not let us in,’ she flips her hair and slides the door open.
To my surprise, there is no couch, but a bouncer standing at a carved, dark-wood door with a sign on it that says R&R.
Unfuckingbelievable. She isn’t raving!
Nikita shoves the bills to the bouncer. He stashes them and opens the door for us.
‘Have we just bribed the man?’ I ask as soon as the door behind us is closed.
She gives me a look again, but doesn’t say anything.
The large dim room is showily decorated. A small, round, poled stage in the middle, encircled by four two-seater Chesterfield sofas, dark vintage flock wallpapers, silver candle-holders on the carved three-legged console tables, crowned with massive framed mirrors. And, despite all my doubts: three ceiling-high shelves with lines of books.
There are about a dozen clients including a few women. Three waiters make sure their glasses are never empty. A couple of dancers are on stage, moving seductively to the booming music and tacky laughter, and another four here and there are flirting with the clients.
‘This is the VIP of VIP. It even has a separate entrance for privacy. These guys pay big money to be here.’ Nikita scans the room. ‘We stand a chance of getting a nice cut. All we need is to convince one of these jerks to go in private with us.’
She knocks me with her elbow and walks towards two men.
They sit on one of the couches, staring at the stage.
‘What’s the occasion?’ Nikita’s red lips widen and she drops between the men, leaving no space for me.
‘More dolls! I love it here!’ One of them shouts in excitement.
I try to land on the lap of the other one, but he gets up and walks away without a word.
‘Never mind him, he’s a good friend of mine. He’s just afraid to go wild.’ The remaining one presses his lips together, ‘But who cares if he’s even more afraid of his bitchy wife.’ He pushes Nikita to the left, making space for me. I sit down.
‘I’m Steve. And you girls?’ He puts his hands on our legs and mashes our inner