Hannah's Story
Hannah had left her front door slightly ajar with a hand-written notice asking them to come in without ringing the bell. Apparently, Charlotte had only just gone to sleep. The terraced house fronted straight onto the pavement and the door opened into a tiny lobby at the bottom of a steep flight of stairs. The living room was what estate agents would describe as cosy, but the group managed to squeeze together on the three-piece suite.
They were looking forward to hearing Hannah's story from a purely nosy point of view. She was the most reserved member of the group and never said much about herself. They knew she was a single mum but, other than that, no-one really knew anything about her past. There had been quite a lot of speculation about what her story would be.
Hannah came in from the kitchen in a knee length flowery print dress. She was a natural blonde and wore her straight hair long and flowing. She handed round an assortment of chipped mugs and a packet of chocolate digestives. She perched on the beech dining chair that she had stood in front of the television and started timidly in her scouse accent without any preliminaries.
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I never really got on well with my mum. My father had moved out while I was still a toddler leaving just the two of us. We could have been very close but as I got into my teens, I found the relationship smothering. She was over protective, which I can understand now, but as a teenager I needed my own space. She was always wanting to know what I was doing, where I was going and what time I'd be back. It was overwhelming and oppressive and I rebelled against her control.
I got in with a wild crowd at high school and was out drinking and partying most nights. And then suddenly all the other kids were going off to college and we were left behind. I think it was Lily that suggested that we could move into the city as well. It was a brilliant idea. We could rent a flat together and have such a great time.
Mum wasn't impressed. "How much is this flat and how are you going to pay for it?"
"I don't know. I'll get a job in an office or a shop or something. Why do you always pour cold water over everything?" I stomped out.
Lily found a four bedroomed terrace house in the student area near Toxteth Park. Two weeks later Mum stood on the step as I dragged my two heavy cases out of the front door. "You'll be back, mark my words," she called after me. I swore I would do anything to not give her the satisfaction.
In the end Katie didn't come with us, so it was just Lily, Nicki and me, which made the rent a bit tight. And getting a job wasn't as easy as we thought either. We spent a couple of weeks going round all the city centre stores and cafes but they all said they were cutting back. We registered with job agencies but they required a CV and qualifications even for the most temporary position. We were getting desperate and the atmosphere in the house was becoming tense. And then one night Lily came in and announced that she'd got a job in a bar.
Nicki and I looked at each other. "But isn't that evening work? We said that we would keep our evenings free to go out together."
"It's only Tuesday to Saturday."
"Oh great. We can go out on Sunday and Monday then, when it's really lively!"
"But it'll be like going out if we all get jobs there. It's right in the city centre."
"Have they got more jobs?"
"Yes. I told the manager about you and she said you could come for a chat tomorrow evening."
Nicki and I looked at each other, but we didn't have any other suggestions, so we decided to go along with it. "I'll come and show you where it is," Lily said. "Oh, and you'll need some proof of age."
It was dusk as we reached the city centre and the wet streets were packed with commuters, heads down hurrying home through the drizzle. The bar was in the office quarter in an old four storey brick terrace set back behind cast iron railings. 'The Blue Lounge' was stencilled in a fancy pink script across its black tinted windows. In fact, the whole place seemed to be in darkness. As we approached the front door Lily suddenly turned through a gate in the railings and down a steep flight of steps to a basement entrance and rang the doorbell.
"Isn't it open?" I asked, trying to avoid stepping in the wide puddle.
"No, not yet."
There was a noise of the lock being turned and we had to shuffle back as the door swung outwards. The doorway was solidly filled by a huge man in a dinner jacket. He didn't have a neck. His head seemed to sit directly on top of his shoulders.
"We've got an interview with Michelle," Lily announced. The guy looked us up and down for a moment before standing aside.
He relocked the door and turned towards the stairs. "Follow me," he growled.
The room was dark and glitzy with heavy flock wallpaper and a polished tile floor. Black leather armchairs were grouped around the small tables. The only lighting seemed to be spots around the bar and blue neon strips picking out the stair treads. At the far end there was a small stage with a chrome pole.
I elbowed Nicki. "It's a strip club!" I hissed. She nodded, but in the darkness, I couldn't make out her expression.
"No need to get prissy about it," Lily retorted, following the doorman up the stairs. At the top of the second flight the guy knocked on a door signed 'private' and, hearing a muffled reply, ushered us into the office.
It was clad in mahogany panelling with a thick crimson carpet and the subdued lighting gave it a somewhat seductive feel. Michelle was sat at one end behind a large desk. She was a slim lady with bottle blond shoulder length hair and meticulous make-up. It was difficult to gauge her age, but I guess she'd be in her forties. She stopped typing on her keyboard and came round the desk. She was wearing a long emerald evening dress with a split thigh. Below she had a pair of ultra-high platform heels making her surprisingly tall.
"Lovely to see you again Lily," she smiled. "And these are your friends you were telling me about." She offered a well-manicured hand. "Just hang your damp coats on the hooks over there, and let me see your proof of age." She then waved towards a long leather couch and pulled over an armchair to face us.
"So, were you interested in bar work?" We both nodded. "Obviously it doesn't pay as well as dancing," she said, catching Lily's eye, "but that's fine. The hours are ten 'til four although it can be a little later on Friday and Saturday nights, but we do arrange transport home." She told us the wages, which didn't seem that brilliant. "But of course, there are lots of tips available for attractive young girls like yourselves."
"We are an exclusive gentlemen's establishment and we want to project an elegant relaxing atmosphere to our clientele. You will get a bartender uniform of a white blouse with our logo. There's also a black pleated skirt and matching bow-tie to wear like a choker. You will be responsible for keeping those clean, okay?" We both nodded.
"Other than that, you have to look professional and glamourous, not slutty. Make-up should be subtle, no crimson lips, heavy eye-liner or fishnets. Heels have to be comfortable as you'll be on your feet all night, but should be at least two-inches high."
"So," she paused, "What do you think? Would you like to work here?" I glanced at Nicki and we nodded again. "Well, you could start next Tuesday. Get here for eight and Eddie, the barman will give you your uniforms and show you the ropes before the gents arrive." Michelle smiled again and got to her feet.
As soon as we got outside, we started talking about what other clothes we needed. "What about you, Lily?" I asked. She was usually the first to announce what she was going to wear.
"Oh, I guess I'll need to pick some new underwear," she replied airily.
"You're going to strip, aren't you," Nikki said, almost gleefully.
"It's dancing," Lily snapped, "and besides, it'll be a bit of a laugh. And it will pay better."
Neither of us responded. I was shocked but didn't like to sound stuffy. In fact, the house was rather quiet for the whole of the next week. Nikki and I went shopping together for our new gear, but Lily kept herself slightly aloof.
We were a bit nervous as we set off together on the Tuesday night. We had decided to walk there so we were all wearing more suitable shoes and carrying our heels in our bags. Lily went straight upstairs to get ready, leaving us in the basement with Eddie. He was a tall broad guy of mixed race in his early thirties. He was lovely, always laughing and joking, even when we were worked off our feet. He gave us our uniforms and showed us where we could get changed and leave our clothes. The blouses were quite low-cut and tight and definitely emphasised our busts. I was quite pleased I'd chosen a plain bra which wouldn't show through too much. The skirts were mid thigh and, with our heels, seemed to lengthen our legs. Once we were changed, Eddie gave us a quick eye-ball and said we looked perfect.
He explained that the bar was run on table service only, so we had to make sure that the punters always had plenty of drinks. "There'll be two other girls on but it will still get pretty hectic. You'll have to take orders from several tables at once. I'll pour the drinks and then you take the money, and the tips," he winked. "And don't take any harassment. Try to deal with it discretely, but if the wandering hands get persistent, let me know, okay."
Ten o'clock came round pretty quickly and the bar started filling up. We raced around the tables as fast as our heels would allow. Tips seemed pretty meagre but Eddie assured us that they would improve later in the night. After an hour or so, the music and the house lights faded and the stage was suddenly spot-lit. Michelle stepped forward to great cheering. She was wearing the same emerald dress we had seen her in last week. It shimmered in the spotlights as she gave the room her dazzling smile.
"Good evening, gentlemen. I hope you are all having a great evening. We have a real treat for you tonight. A young lady who has only just turned eighteen. She has never performed here or anywhere else before. So please be very gentle with her and give a warm welcome to Sophia."
After the applause died down, the room became very hushed. I didn't recognise Lily at first. Her platform heels were at least five inches tall and she had her hair piled up in a topknot bun. She was wearing a knee length flouncy cream dress gathered in at the waist with a matching belt. Despite her height, she looked very slight and vulnerable. 'Take my breath away' began to play as she walked serenely across the floor and stepped up onto the stage.
Staring into the distance, she started to sway with the music, using the pole to swing around. She spent some time sliding her hands down her sides and over her hips. She caressed herself and then slowly pulled the bow from her belt. She twirled it nonchalantly a few times before wrapping it around her wrists and raising them the pole to make it look that she was tied to it. She struggled, twisting one way then the other trying to break free. She finally tore it from her wrists and cast it to one side.
