So What?

Chapter 3: Purple.

Chapter 3: Purple.

The counter in front of me is dirty and I don't plan on wiping it clean. My shift ends in three minutes and I don't have the strength to do anything else. It's currently 2am and I am officially exhausted.

I hear the bell on the door jingle and I know that someone just walked into the diner.

"Damn." I mutter under my breath before I turn around to see who it is.

"Hey, can I get a burger and a Coke." A lanky teenage boy asks me and I nod.

"Sure. Would you like ketchup and ranch with that?" I ask him.

"No, just a hamburger please." He says and I smile at him.

"I'll be right back." I tell him before I go to the kitchen. I grab a hamburger and put it in the box. Heading back out, I see the boy with his back to me.

"Um, here's your order." I say and he turns around.

"Give me all the money in that register." He orders and I laugh in his face.

"Okay, here's your burger. I'll get you your Coke and I'll ring you up." I tell him, walking to the fridge.

"Diet Coke, Coke Zero, or original?" I ask him and he doesn't respond.

"Original it is." I say, grabbing the soda can before I close the fridge.

"I'm robbing you." He says and I nod.

"Sure you are." I tell him.

"This is a heist. Why won't you let me rob you?" He asks, frustrated.

"Because...this is someone's business and I was employed to protect their business for a flimsy five dollar per hour. In short, they don't pay me enough to worry about thieves or "robbers" like you. That'll be a dollar and ninety-nine cents." I tell him with a smile on my face.

Defeatedly, he lets out a small sigh and pulls out his wallet. He hands me two dollars and tells me to keep the change.

"Thanks." He says and I nod.

"Anytime." I tell him.

"Same time next Thursday?" He asks and I smile.

"You know it." I tell him. "Goodnight, Robert."

"Night, Jaz." He replies before he leaves the diner.

My shift is officially over now and I cannot wait to get home. Tomorrow's a big day. I'm auditioning at a strip club. And before you judge me, I need the money. This is my only shot at saving up for college.

***

I walk up to the building with red LED lights around it and ring the doorbell. Someone answers. It's the woman I had been talking to on the phone. I actually never got the chance to ask her for her name.

"Jasmine. I've been expecting you all morning." The woman says, beckoning me to come in.

"Thanks." I say once I'm inside.

"Are you ready to audition?" The woman asks me and I nod. The woman takes me to the back room which is filled with lockers and two showers. She shows me where to get changed and hands me a curling iron.

"Curly hair will suit you better." The woman tells me before she walks out.

I stare at myself in the mirror as my breathing increases. I am so nervous. Here I am about to audition. If my aunt ever found out, I'd be dead meat. That's why I came here after school and lied to her that I had to meet a study group at the library.

I change into my outfit and start curling her hair. More like, my wig. When I am done, I unplug the curling iron and grab my bag. Sitting on the bench in the middle of the room, I put on the black stripper heels I bought on Amazon.

"All set?" The woman asks as she walks into the room.

"Yeah." I tell her.

"Follow me." The woman says, walking out of the locker room. I trail behind her as she walks.

"Just sit here and when they call your name, you can go on stage." She tells me and I nod.

I watch a girl spinning on the pole and stare at her in awe. She has huge D-cups on her chest and a fat ass that was probably fake, but fat nevertheless. The girl stops dancing when the music stops and I wish the music continued.

"Thank you, Toni." A man says and Toni smiles at them.

"Up next, Purple Jazz." The man says and I get up.

Yup, Purple Jazz is my stage name. I didn't put a lot of thought into it, but it's catchy.

"Hi, I'm Jasmine, but my stage name is Purple Jazz." I say as I climb the stage.

"Purple definitely is your color." The man says eyeing the purple lingerie set that I have on.

"Thanks." I say, smiling at him. Feeling very uncomfortable.

"Whenever you're ready." Another woman says and I nod.

The song I picked plays through the speakers and I catwalk to the pole. I start swinging on the pole and then I climb it. Every move I make is done seductively. I really want to impress the judges. This is my one shot at this. I didn't even have any professional practice before this audition. I just watched a bunch of videos on YouTube and I knew I was good to go. I mean, I am nailing this performance, aren't I?

When the song ends, I do a split and the judges clap.

Yup, I totally crushed it.

"That was amazing." The woman says.

"We'll get back to you." The man tells me, looking unimpressed.

I nod before getting off the stage and heading to the locker room. I see Toni wearing a sweatshirt and sight a nasty scar on her back. I know better than to ask her any questions. So, I remain quiet.

"Your set was really nice. You did great out there." I tell her.

"Thanks." Is all Toni says.

Grabbing my bag, I take a pair of sweatpants and crop top out of it. I put the outfit on and grab my bag from the floor. I think of saying goodbye to Toni but decide against it. Instead, I leave the locker room and start walking out of the club.

Aaron is picking me up, so I'm just going to walk to where he is. I didn't tell him that I was auditioning at this strip club. I'm not stupid. I just told him that I had to deliver something for my cousin and that's how I ended up around these parts.

My phone buzzes in my hand and I check it. Aaron tells me he's a couple streets down and I tell him I'm on my way. After walking for a while, I see Aaron's white truck and I smile. He unlocks the door and I get in.

"Hey." He says, staring at me.

"Hey." I repeat after him.

"You look good." He tells me as he starts driving.

"Thanks." I tell him, fastening my seatbelt.

"I have a date planned for us." He reveals.

"Oh really?" I squeal.

"Yeah. I just thought we could do something fun for a change." He says, shrugging.

"Okay." I say, bubbly.

Thirty minutes later, I am sitting in the cinema with Aaron beside me. His hands caress my thighs as we watch the movie. He puts his hands in my sweatpants and I stare at him, but he doesn't even look phased. Like this is totally normal to him.

"Aaron?" I whisper.

"Mhm." He hums, staring at me.

"What are you doing?" I ask him.

"Nothing." He says and I feel him touching the hem of my underwear.

"Stop." I tell him.

"Why? You're my girlfriend and I can do whatever I want with you." He growls into my ear.

"Now, spread your legs." He orders. I do as I am told as tears pool in my eyes.