I was puzzled for the rest of the day by Brooke's behavior when she came in to request a leave of absence from work. That evening, at home, Kathy told me that she had also been concerned. As Brooke was leaving the office, she passed Kathy. Kathy gave her a pleasant greeting but got no response. I became convinced something was badly wrong. I did not want to invade anyone's privacy, but this needed to be looked into. I decided the best move would be to call Bob, her husband, when he got back into town.
Brooke sat in silence at the kitchen table for a good while after Kurt left. She had gotten no actual rest the prior night. Her morning "date," who had been so pleasant and gentlemanly in the living room, had turned into an animal in the bedroom. Now, she had to take care of her son when he came home. Then, she had to prepare herself and go out for another night at the strip club. Managing all of that would be a tall order.
She pulled herself up from the table and, slowly, made her way back upstairs. As sore as she was, even negotiating the stairs was not easy. She took another shower. which relaxed her a little. She threw on some jeans and one of her husband's old shirts. Then she laid down to try to get some rest.
Promptly at 8:00, the vehicle pulled into her driveway. Again, the driver honked to let her know that he was there. Again, the passenger in the front seat got out to open the rear door for her. After they were in motion, he turned around to address her. "Your date gave you a glowing recommendation," he informed her. "He already wants to know when he can see you again." That was not particularly good news for Brooke.
He continued, "I should let you know that this day appointment in no way affects your obligation for the evening. You still have to produce $1000 in income tonight.
When they arrived at the club, she was again escorted inside by the two male passengers and taken to the back room. There, told to strip, she again put on her costume of the thong, the heels, the tiara and the flower behind the ear. Linda came by and told her that they were due on stage. Dancing, Brooke did the best that she could. But she was still sore from the pounding she had taken from Kurt. If she bent over to shake her breasts at a customer, her back ached. If she squatted to allow someone to put currency in her crotch, it was difficult for her to rise back up. And utilizing the pole was out of the question. Her tips while dancing were not as good as the first night.
