I'd been dancing in the club in Reno for about a month. It wasn't a very nice place or very clean, but they had openings and I needed a job. What a strange life I'd become accustomed to calling "normal." I lived in an apartment room in the basement of a bank... yes, a bank! It was a real find, actually. It was very small, with a bathroom, but no cooking amenities. I got to where I could cook meals on a Coleman propane camp stove pretty good!
It had one window.. high above my bed. The only way to see out was to climb on the bed and stand on my tip toes. I used to stand there and just watch the people walk by for entertainment, because I couldn't afford a TV. I've never really been poor, but for those 9 months I lived there, I felt about 2 steps from ending up as a street person!.
Dancing was very different than I'd been used to in California. Up here, there were like 4-5 girls for every guy in the place, so competition for the clients was very stressful. I'm not really complaining now, because it's interesting to look back and remember how it really was. If I got too many guys calling for me, I'd suddenly find myself called aside by a manager to let the other girls get their share. The problem with being the new girl on the block was, I kept getting dealt the guys that they knew weren't the big spenders. I was having trouble making more that $200. 00 a night, and I knew some of the girls took home $2000. 00 at times! But, I guess I was supposed to put in my time before that came my way.
I'm not writing to have you feel sorry for me, just that at that time, things were pretty dreary. I didn't have a man in my life either, until Brian. Brian the building maintenance man. He was one of about 25 people that took care of cleaning the Bank offices after hours. He did mostly plumbing and electrical, not the mopping and housekeeping. I was 23 at the time and he was 32. He was a big scruffy guy that smoked smelly cigars and loved his beer, and he was really nice to me... called me Sugar. I'd see him at night when I got home from work, usually about 2am. He kept asking me to go out for coffee and pie every time I'd see him, and I'd tell him I was bushed and needed to crash and burn.
One night I waved to him as I was opening my apartment door, and thought... what the hell... and asked him if he still wanted to go have a cup of coffee. He said yes, but that he had already made plans to go with Fred and Isobel, but that we could have a lot more fun as two couples. Fred worked in the kitchen and Isobel was one of the maids. Fred was my age... about 23... not absolutely sure, and very handsome.. VERY! Isobel was 30ish, with short black hair and reminded me of Sally Fields. We walked to a coffee shop about a block away and yacked and talked for a least an hour. Isobel said she had to go, and I did too, but Brian talked me and Fred into staying a little longer.