Jessica Meadows sighed as she stared back at her reflection, her sapphire eyes lowered to examine her uniform.
It consisted of a form-fitting black vinyl body suit that hugged her already narrow waist in a way that further accentuated her curves. A sheer black pantyhose encased her toned legs, which were further enhanced by black platform heels that gave the nineteen-year-old an extra five-inches of height. Perched upon her mass of strawberry-blonde hair were a pair of black bunny ears, and the grip of the band was an ever-present reminder of her situation. She twisted the white cuffs that were wrapped around her wrists, ensuring that the cufflinks were facing outwards.
A month had passed since she had signed up to the 'Naughty Bunny', a gentleman's club that was a throwback to a period where such establishments were more commonplace. It was the go-to for men who wanted to spend big money on the casino floor and have the pain of their losses softened by the sight of scantily-clad beauties strolling by. Common decency died the moment you stepped over the threshold. The bunnies were hand-picked by the owners to ensure that only the most enticing prospects were signed on as full-time employees.
The memory of her interview was forever embedded in Jessica's mind. Invasive questioning kicked it off, a way to test and prod Jessica to determine whether she had the mettle to survive in an environment where women were objectified without hesitation. Jessica kept a bright smile plastered on her face throughout the process, giving every positive response she knew they wanted to hear, all uttered in her most sultry voice. It was the most degrading experience she had ever put herself through, forced to project the image of a simple country girl seeking cheap thrills and easy cash.
It repulsed her to resort to such a thing, but Jessica had few options available to her. She left her small town behind to attend college, moving in with her boyfriend, Jeremy. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she would be able to escape the monotony of her hometown, to leave home for the first time in her life to pursue her dreams, to envelop herself in the culture of big city life. Jessica had chosen to major in psychology to further her utter fascination with the human mind, though little of what she learned came in handy at her lurid workplace.
Her first months in the city had been a whirlwind of learning and basking in a level of freedom that was so foreign to her. But it didn't take long for the struggles of the real world to make themselves known, the bills only seemed to pile up one after the other.
Her job options were limited, and living in such a sprawling city was a seismic culture shock for a girl who had only ever known friendly faces and stores that were within walking distance of her family home, many of which were owned by friends of her family. She was a fish out of water in Chicago, having no real place to turn to when it came to finding gainful employment outside of low-paying work in restaurants and bars. By the time she had exhausted all other avenues, Jessica reluctantly turned to adult entertainment.
More than a few weeks were dedicated to looking up and researching the various businesses that Chicago had to offer, from decrepit strip clubs in the less than appealing sections of the city, to clubs that catered to what they described as an 'upmarket clientele.' Though the quality of the establishments varied in terms of investment and the sorts of individuals they attracted, they all ultimately shared the same, seedy core.
Right from the start, the shady joints were ruled out, as were the clubs that were frequented by the guys from her college. Jessica ultimately settled on the 'Naughty Bunny', which happened to be located not too far from her rundown apartment. The fact that it existed in an area she was familiar with gave Jessica some comfort, but not enough to put her fully at ease. After an intense period of agreeing on certain rules and boundaries with Jeremy, they agreed that whatever happened within the walls of the club would be kept to herself, a way to keep her job separate from their normal lives.
The first instance of Jessica wondering if she had made a mistake came during her first meeting with the co-owners, Jerome 'Flex' Rogers and Marcus Rojas. She fully expected them to use the interview as an excuse to eye her up, aware that they dangled a fairly lucrative job opportunity over the head of a woman who was desperate for the cash. But she considered herself fortunate that it never went beyond unwelcome prodding, understanding that a number of the girls weren't as fortunate enough to come away with a job offer without providing an incentive.
Having spent her childhood as somewhat of a tomboy -- doing everything she could to stray away from the typically feminine styles of fashion -- squeezing herself into a beyond degrading bunny costume was something she never quite got used to, no matter how many times she allowed it to adorn her body. She rarely wore heels, and the few pairs she did own were only an inch high, miniscule in comparison to the shoes she was expected to wear while on duty.
Walking around the club took a some time to get used to. With one hand always holding up a tray of drinks, and the other firmly planted on her hip, there was little Jessica could do to defend herself when the bolder members of the crowd took their attraction to her a little too far. In fact, she had been encouraged to respond to her violators by flashing a dazzling smile at them, using flirtation to coax those extra few bills out of their wallets.
Every night was worse than the last, no matter how much Jessica felt as if she had gained some understanding of how to deal with the brutish customers something always managed to blindside her. Whether it was being propositioned by a wealthy customer, or dealing with belligerent men accusing the games of being (which they very much were), there was always some new obstacle that Jessica had to overcome. No matter what she endured, she always endeavoured to finish her shift with her head held high and her conscience clear.
But that could only last for so long.
~•~•~•~•~•~
Jessica strutted through the gaps of the casino area, forced to reposition the drinks tray every time one of the drunken gamblers leapt out of his seat and bumped into her. She had become quite adept at dodging the more intoxicated men whenever they attempted to paw at her, able to leap to the side at a moment's notice while keeping every glass on the tray upright.
The night was no different from any other, bringing with it the same lecherous characters she had come to know and detest. Objectification was just a fact of working at the club, Jessica did her best to drown out their words, keeping her mind focused on her goal of earning what she needed to keep herself above water.
She arrived at one of the poker tables near the center of the room, a section reserved for high-rollers. Jessica dipped down and handed out the drinks, shooting a saucy smile at one of the men when he peeled back her bodysuit to slide a folded-up twenty just above her thigh. Inwardly, she wanted to scold the man for having the audacity to touch any part of her uniform without asking for permission. But there was little to gain from scolding him, the message would never sink in.
Depositing the last glass, a loud hooting from across the room drew her attention to one of the roulette tables. It was surrounded by a large crowd, all standing around one man who looked to be in his mid-fifties and dressed in an unflattering black suit that sat far too snugly around his pudgy body. He wasn't particularly interesting to look at, though the same couldn't be said about the pile of chips that he had accumulated. Throughout her first month of working at the club, Jessica had witnessed her fair share of winning streaks, but never anything like the streak the scruffy gambler was riding on. As impressive as it was, a pile of chips that size could only mean that the club was losing more cash than Jessica could calculate.
