The music had a heavy base as she looked out at the stage from behind the curtain. Anik was nervous. "Ochen."
"
I'm hungry,
" Ochen said in her voice, the tones lower and toneless.
"I don't know how to dance like that," she protested.
"
I'll help you, my love,
" Anik said, but it was Ochen who was speaking. Red splashed behind her eyelids. "
Listen to the music.
"
#
A week later, a man on the edge of the stage held up a hundred dollar bill.
"
Beautiful,
" Ochen said, his lust tinging her vision red, her lips moving. It was nothing the men could hear over the thudding beat. Ochen sang to them. "
She's so beautiful.
"
The men were getting more excited around her. Ochen was drinking it in, a deep sound coming from her throat. She turned around as a man threw a bill onto the stage, Anik contorting, her bottom moving. Her hair fell around her, straight, dark brown and thick.
"Fuck," another man said from the edges, his face red. "Beautiful. So beautiful. Come here, sweet baby."
More men came to the edge, throwing money and then they were reaching for her, long arms. She moved away. Not dancing anymore, she tripped a little on high chunky heels to stay out of their hands.
"Denny," Corret yelled. "Get in there."
The big bouncer was already moving, a man in front of her scrambling onto the stage. Another followed. Denny waded in, vaulting onto the stage and grabbing her. He pulled her offstage and into the back. Putting her into a room, he closed the door behind her. "Jesus fucking Christ," Denny panted. He put his back against the door. "Second time this week."
#
Corret shook his head. "You bring the customers in, sweetheart, but you also drive them a little crazy. I never seen anything like it. I'm going to try something else."
Anik was wary. "What?"
"I'm going to put you in one of the cages and hang you high. You can dance your little heart out there."
"Thanks, Corret," she said, her shoulders relaxing.
"I look after my girls, sweetheart. You know, you could make money on your back. I'm not saying you should, you understand. Your dancing brings them in. But if you wanted to, you could make good money because of how beautiful you are. I haven't ever seen a girl as pretty as you before."
"I have someone. He wouldn't like that."
"Oh yeah? I didn't know you had a guy. How come I never seen him?"
"He's around."
#
Three weeks later, the music stopped, her shift over. Anik stood in the cage, waiting to be lowered. She was wearing a shiny silver metal mesh top with chains holding it up. A short stretchy metal mesh matching skirt was under it, going across her hips. She had no underwear on, wearing thigh-high white vinyl boots with a tall heel.
Three men came, looking up at her. The rest of the place emptied as they waited, Denny herding everyone else out. When the bouncer turned to look at her, their eyes met. Denny winced and hit the door with his shoulder, exiting, closing it behind himself. She heard it lock.
"What's up, Mr. Andro?" Corret said below, sounding nervous. He had his bat in his hand, the one he kept behind the bar.
"What're you going to do with that?" one of the men said, gesturing at the bat.
Corret looked down at the bat like he'd never seen it before and walked to lean it against the bar. "Nothing."
The man in the center pointed at her. "Bring her down here. What's her name?"
"Anik?" Corret said. "She's just a dancer. "
"A whore's a whore. Who invested in this dump?"
Corret put his hand behind his neck, rubbing. "You did, Mr. Andro, but she's really not--"
Mr. Andro made an impatient noise. "Get her down for me."
Corret hesitated and then walked to the mechanism. The cage began to lower, Anik watching the men. Her hands went to the bars, wrapping around them.
"Hey, Anik," Corret said in a low voice when she'd reached the floor. Taking out a key, he opened the cage, giving her a smile that looked sick. "There's someone who wants to meet you. Some extra work."
She didn't come out. "I don't do that, I said. I'm done for tonight, Corret. My shift's over."
Corret looked away from her, grimacing. "Yeah, well. Some things, we can't stop them."
She lowered her voice, leaning in. "You said you'd look after me."
"I can't do anything about it," he said under his breath. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Just get through it."
"Introduce me, Corret," Mr. Andro said behind them.
"This is Mr. Andro, Anik," Corret said, avoiding her eyes. "He's a big man around here, you know?"
She swallowed, her eyes shifting to the men, taking in their suits, the men older and big.
"Hey there, honey," Mr. Andro said, walking toward her. "I've been watching you for a couple weeks and I drove down here special just for you, you sexy little bitch. Do you like to party? Do you get high?"
"No." Anik backed up. "I have to go home. It's getting late."
"Aw. Look at those eyes, like you weren't just shaking your shit a minute ago. You got such a body, baby. It don't quit. You're going to stay and have some fun with my boys and me. This is Joey and that's Rollo. You're my little gift to myself and to them for working so hard the last few weeks."
Corret stepped forward. "I could take her home after, Mr. Andro. She's a good employee. People come just to see her. She never calls in sick, she's always on time--"
Mr. Andro turned to him. "Why don't you take a walk, Corret? I'm tired of listening to you. Give Joey the keys."
Hesitated, Corret fished into his pocket, handing a fistful of keys to one of the men. "Yeah, sure. Sure, Mr. Andro."
Anik watched as Corret left without looking at her, her gaze coming back to Mr. Andro. "What are you going to do?"
"Why don't we start with a little private dance, huh? Don't worry about the stage. Strip and get up on that table right there. Joey, get some music going."
"But I--" Anik said.
Without warning, Mr. Andro grabbed her by the hair on the back of her head. He marched her to the bar, throwing her front down and pinning her. Dragging down her skirt, he smacked her bare butt, hot and hard strikes, Anik crying out. He didn't stop until she was crying.
"Bad girl," he said. "Strip and do what I said, you stupid little whore, and don't argue. Leave the boots on." He released her and shoving her toward the table.
Stumbling and then finding her feet, Anik looked at them in turn, her eyes wet and her hair wild. The men laughed as she pulled off the gold outfit. She went to the table and stepped onto a chair and then onto the top of the table, getting her balance. The music started.
"That's right," Mr. Andro said not much later, sitting at the table, Joey and Rollo on each side of him. He was breathing heavily. All three men were. "Shake it, baby. Now finger yourself. Look at me. That's right, little slut. Fuck yourself with them."
Anik's fingers were between her legs, fingering herself slowly, and she was crying.
Mr. Andro smiled at her. "Get on your knees, honey, and lace your hands behind your head. Spread your legs."
Dropping to her knees, Anik did what he said.
"Don't move, you understand?" he said.
Nodding, Anik breathed quickly as his fingers came and touched her breasts and then her nipples, rubbing and squeezing. He began tugging rhythmically, his eyes on her face, and then he was pinching. She cried out. The other two men's hands came, under her, touching her. One was rubbing too roughly between her legs, his fingers digging into the tender flesh. The other was pressing his finger into her bottom.
"Don't fucking move," Mr. Andro warned her, twisting.
Her face got red and she whined, but Anik didn't move as one of the men spanked her butt.
"That's right," Mr. Andro said, slapping her breast. "Lie down and spread your legs for me, right here. And don't think about hesitating or arguing. I'll tell Rollo to violate your ass right now, you understand?"
Anik sat, still crying, and then lay back.
"Spread them good," Mr. Andro said. "Heels up."
She did that, completely spread, waiting. She felt hands grab her hips, pushing her, her head back, her hair falling behind her. One of the two men put his fingers in her mouth and she gagged, the other man squeezing her breasts, pinching her nipples.
"That is a sweet little pink cunt," Mr. Andro said, opening her with his fingers. "Puffy little pussy. Fuck, that's pretty, all plump." He touched her clitoris, rubbing. "You fucking whore. You're going to get as much cock as you can take tonight, I promise. Do you want it? Do you want us to fuck you?"
She shook her head so her hair flew. "No. Please. Please don't."
"Don't move. If you move, I'll punish you real bad. You understand?"
She went still and nodded, her thighs trembling, spread wide. She didn't feel anything, waiting for it. Between her legs strained when he touched the tip of her clitoris.
"There we go," Mr. Andro said. He smacked her between her spread legs, Anik crying out sharply. He did it again, five sharp slaps. "That's to get you ready. Get down, honey. Rollo, bring it out. You know what I want."
Rollo disappeared into the back room as Mr. Andro stepped back. Anik closed her legs and slid off the table, sniffing, wiping her eyes and backing up. Rollo came with something that he unfolded. It had a flat bench on long legs, stable, with two supports in front and two lower supports in back, straps hanging open all over it.
When she looked back at Mr. Andro, he was watching her face and then his eyes went to her body. "Do you know what that is, honey?"
She shook her head.
Mr. Andro's hand went to his belt, thick leather, unbuckling and pulling it out of the loops. He wrapped it in his fist. "That's for whipping little cunts like you. Then I'll fuck you, and then they're going to fuck you. If you don't get on the bench right now, I'll strap your pussy too. That'll really hurt. You'll cry every time you piss."
She couldn't move. "Please."
"You're making my cock so hard. It's not the last time you're going to say that tonight, slut. I don't hold back. But I'll pay you when we're done, a cool thousand, you understand? Put yourself on the bench. Now's your chance or I'll punish your pussy."
She turned, walking toward the bench, speaking under her breath.
"
