Part Four - The Mask

Part Four - The Mask

“WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO!?!” Dave screamed at the woman sitting in front of him.

Dave Miller, proud owner of the lap dancing club known as The Pearl, could be seen in the middle of his office pacing back and forth in an animated fashion. Clearly agitated, he stopped pacing to resume his shouting.

“I mean for fuck’s sake, Lara. You broke his god damned nose! What the hell were you thinking?” he said with irritation evident all over his face.

Lara was sitting with her hands clasped placidly in her lap, as she listened to Dave chew her out.

“I was thinking that considering that he...” she started to say before Dave cut across her.

“It was a rhetorical question, Lara,” he said, his voice now lower and dangerous. His eyes shot daggers at her for a moment longer before softening his expression somewhat and letting out a deep sigh.

“Why did you do it?” he asked, his manner now calming slightly. Lara didn’t answer straight away and just continued to sit there. Eventually, she spoke up.

“Is this question rhetorical too or do you want me to answer?” she said, not being able to hide the sass in her tone. He glared at her again before answering.

“Yes, I want you to answer,” he said gruffly.

“He stuck his fingers inside me, Dave,” she said, her voice rising as she said it.

“So what? It’s just a little fingering! Big fucking deal!” he said matter of factly.

“I warned him. No means no,” she replied back firmly, the demure look on her face now replaced with one of steely determination. Dave waved her comment away dismissively as if the term “no” was an alien concept to him. His pacing had slowed a little and he was visibly calming down the longer the conversation went on. He turned back to the beautiful brunette sitting in front of him.

“Lara, customers push their luck all the time. You know this already! You can’t just go around beating them up. We have security. Why didn’t you just call out for them? Jack or one of the other guys would have been there in a flash and thrown the idiot out,” he uttered in exasperation.

Lara couldn’t argue with that. He was right. She could’ve called for security. It wasn’t that uncommon. But she hadn’t. Why?

No means no.

The phrase kept creeping through her mind. If she was honest with herself, the reason wasn’t exactly a mystery.

The pool party.

She had been badly affected by it. She had taken the following two days off while she recovered. Physically she had been bruised and sore and her pussy had ached for over a day. But it was the mental aspect that had lingered longer. Not being able to remember large chunks of time was a new experience for her, one she did not enjoy at all. It had dominated her thoughts for days. It had been nearly a week since the party and she still couldn’t remember most of the night. She had started seeing flashes of memories during her dreams but was still trying to piece the night together. She remembered arriving there with Lenny. She remembered talking with Alan, Rob and Will. She remembered downing some tequila. She vaguely remembered dancing. Maybe. She wasn’t sure with who. And the image of a giant cock kept showing up. She wasn’t sure if that last part was real or just imagined but the image wouldn’t go away.

The one thing Lara knew for certain was that at some point she had experienced some sex. Some rough sex. She was guessing with Will. Or perhaps Rob.

Or both, she thought with a revolting shudder.

But ultimately she couldn’t be sure. It could have been somebody else entirely. She couldn’t go around accusing people without knowing for sure. Having thought about it some more she was now fairly positive it hadn’t just been the tequila. She had gotten blackout drunk on tequila before. No, this was something different. Someone had dosed her with something. Slipped something into her drink when she wasn’t looking. What, if anything she was going to do about the whole incident was still up in the air.

She had hoped returning to work, returning to normalcy would help get her mind off the entire event. It hadn’t really worked that well. Lara had to admit that she hadn’t been at her best lately. She had been phoning it in a little. Dancing distractedly and not in her usual attentive style. Throughout today she had kept thinking about the party, the frustration of not remembering festering in her. Making her more and more angry. It had culminated an hour ago when that creep she had been giving a lap dance to had jammed his fingers into her. She had snapped and punched him squarely in the face. His nose had practically exploded and there had been blood all over the couch and his clothes. The man had been furious, threatening all sorts.

All this and more went through Lara’s mind as Dave waited for her to answer. When she didn’t, he continued, his volume and tone softer now.

“Look, Lara. You know I like you. How could I not? You’re fucking gorgeous and you do your job well. Or at least you did. That was the girl I hired but she has been nowhere to be seen lately. You no-showed Monday. You called in sick on Tuesday and then you were late on Wednesday. Your dances per shifts are down and so are your takings. And today you punch out a customer. Lara, he says he is pressing charges. That he’s going to sue the club. Do you have any idea the headache this causes me?” Dave asked her, his arms starting to gesticulate about dramatically. Lara simply shook her head at him.

“I’m going to have to go begging Captain Price to deal with it. Make sure no formal charges are brought. And if he does sue, I’ll have to pay for a lawyer. You know how much those fuckers cost these days? You’re worth a lot to this club Lara, but not lawyer money, do you understand?”

“Sorry,” she said in a conciliatory voice. “It won’t happen again.”

“It had better not. You are on thin ice. I expect perfection from here on out. No excuses and no exceptions. Do you understand?” he asked. Lara nodded.

“I get it. I do. It’s just been a shitty week. I’ll get over it. You won’t have any more problems from me. I guarantee it,” she said, actually meaning it. Dave gave her a rare smile.

“Good girl. Go take your break and then get back out there. We’re busy tonight.”

“Sure thing,” she said, pleased to escape the meeting with her job intact.

“Oh by the way, I ordered some of those masquerade masks we talked about the other day, for the lap dance tutorial video. They arrived this morning. They’re in your cubby in the changing room. Take a look at them at some point and pick one you like. There is one that looks like a Zorro mask but made of lace and feathers. It’s pretty sexy,” Dave said.

“Nice. I’ll take a look after my shift,” she said while getting up off the couch and heading for the door.

“Hey, Lara,” Dave called after her with a grin on his face. “Jump!” he said with a snigger. She laughed back at him as she reached the door.

“I’ll know where to land, don’t worry,” she fired back at him, revelling in their private joke.

Dave stared at her as she left the office.

She’s been way off the last few days. Maybe it’s her time of the month or something, he thought to himself.

Better put the “fuck Lara” plan on hold for a day or two. Don’t want her bleeding all over me, he concluded as he returned to his desk.

---

Lara walked gracefully down the stairs, away from Dave’s office and headed towards the bar. She’d take her break there and have a drink. It might cheer her up a little.

I’m fucking up at work. I’ve gotta snap out of this funk. Let the party go, for the moment anyway. I’ll deal with it later.

Easier said than done of course but Lara knew she needed to perform better for the rest of her shift and more so over the next few days. Remind Dave how good she was and all would be forgiven and forgotten.

At least don’t lay out any more customers, she thought to herself, unable to suppress a mirthful laugh as she remembered the look on the fuckers face as blood streamed down his nose.

She approached the bar, and slid onto the stool near the end and out of the way. Enrique, one of the bartenders at The Pearl, was nearing the end of his shift and preparing to hand over to his replacement. She liked Enrique. In fact, nearly everyone liked Enrique.

He was the life of the party, so to speak. He had jet black hair, on the long side for a guy. But it worked for him. He was from somewhere in South America, she wasn’t sure where. She thought he looked a bit like a young Antonio Banderas. If Antonio had been 5’5.

And gay as Christmas, she thought to herself, borrowing a phrase her mother often used.

Nobody would mistake Enrique for a straight man. He was loud and flamboyant, his dress sense mirroring that. If you wanted to make sure that your barman wouldn’t mess with the girls in a strip club, hiring one that had zero interest in them, and was super obvious about it, was a smart move.

“Hola, mi amor,” he said to her as she sat down.

“Hey, Enrique,” she greeted back.

“Do you want a drink, Lara?” he asked her in his heavy accent.

“Yeah. Get me a gin and tonic.”

She didn’t smile her usual smile at him as he placed the drink in front of her. It didn’t go unnoticed.

“Why so glum Lara? Beautiful people should be happy! And you are beautiful people. No, we are beautiful people!” he declared with a cheerful exuberance as he started to dance behind the bar. Lara couldn’t help but laugh and smile back at him, her mood improving instantly.

She sipped her drink, feeling better about herself as she noticed Jack approach the bar. She assumed he was there to relieve Enrique. Jack’s official job title was head of security. He organised the bouncers, their schedule and positioning around the club. Lenny had the camera system automated so Jack could see everything on his phone at a moment’s notice. He also took shifts behind the bar. Jack had mentioned to Lara before that he enjoyed it more than his official job. He had apparently taken a mixology course and now fancied himself a professional. She didn’t have the heart to tell him he had a lot of improving to do and to not quit his day job.

“Handsome Jack!” Enrique said, greeting him loudly.

“You can head home now, Enrique. The expert has arrived,” Jack said with confidence. Enrique put his hand on his chest in mock indignation before replying.

“I am the expert here. The only thing you are an expert at is dropping ladies panties, I think.”

“You wearing any, Enrique?” Jack fired back.

“You would have to date me to find out. And you couldn’t afford me, Jack. You couldn’t afford me,” Enrique said over his shoulder, as he headed towards the exit with a sashay of his hips that would put most of The Pearl’s dancers to shame. Lara laughed at the pair of them as Jack rolled his eyes.

“Evening, Lara.”

“Great to see you, Jack,” Lara said. “How is Sophia?”

“She’s doing much better now. Thanks for the advice the other day. I had a long chat with her about how boys are less mature at her age and don’t know how to express themselves.”

“So, boys are dumb?” she asked.

“Boys are dumb,” he replied with a smile.

Through repeated discussions with Jack over the past while, Lara knew that Sophia was Jack’s seven year old kid from his previous relationship. Sophia had a crush on a boy in her class and, apparently, he didn’t like her back. Jack had confided in Lara that Sophia had come home crying and he wasn’t sure how to handle it. Lara had told Jack to explain to Sophia that at her age....well....boys were dumb.

“She told me she will wait for him to grow up,” Jack said.

“I wish her luck with that plan. I’m still waiting for boys my age to grow up too,” she said dryly.

“Hey, I’m grown up! I have a mortgage. I wash my own clothes. I have a kid and everything!” Jack added with a hint of indignation.

“Yeah but you are like, 28, right? I said guys my age,” she replied. She paused as something occurred to her.

“Wait. Wait. Hang on a second. What are you implying here? You don’t honestly think we are the same age, do you? You have years on me. Exactly how old do you think I am?” she said, sounding offended. Jack looked at her, his face filled with panic.

“Uh...maybe...uh...” he stammered, trying to find an answer that would get him out of the hole he had dug for himself.

“I’m 22, you old fart!” she said, pretending to take offence.

“Yeah, of course. Twenty-two years old. I was just about to guess that.” Jack replied, looking relieved that he had waited before answering. A customer signalled Jack from the other end of the bar. Jack took the opportunity with both hands and fled from the conversation with Lara to go serve him. Lara chuckled to herself as she watched him go.

God damn, he is so cute, she thought to herself as she watched him stretch to grab a bottle for his new customer.

“Well, in my opinion you don’t look a day over twenty-one,” Jo said, sidling up to her at the bar.

“You too,” she said, returning the compliment to the blonde taking a seat next to her.

Jo was one of the few girls that Lara had befriended at The Pearl. Most of the girls seemed standoffish and rude to her. She attributed it to a combination of jealousy, fear of competition, and believing the rumours that Sarah had spread about her. But she had clicked with Jo instantly. Lara put it down to the fact that they were both disliked by the rest of the dancers.

Both the dancers and the regulars had a nickname for Jo. “No Blow Jo” they called her, alluding to the fact that she was unwilling to “go the extra mile” so to speak, during her dances. She wouldn’t even use her hands. She would dance and grind. That was it. If the men came, they came. If not, well, she considered her job done either way and would just leave them hanging.

Jo was the only dancer at The Pearl who had this attitude and as such, earned a lot less. Lara secretly wondered why Dave hadn’t fired her for this yet. She guessed that it was her look. She had short blonde hair to her shoulders and was slim, taut, and lacking in the chest area. At least lacking compared to the rest of The Pearl’s stable of girls. The vast majority were large chested and Jo came to a 34B at most. She figured Dave kept her around to cater to the demographic that was into that sort of thing.

But it put her at odds with the rest of the girls. Jo’s decision not to follow suit with the rest of them regarding sexual favours made it seem like she thought she was superior to them. As if Jo was somehow judging them and that she was morally superior. And they hated her for it.

Lara didn’t agree with them at all. Jo seemed nothing like that and Lara was just glad she had a female friend in the place.

Jo gave Lara’s arm a quick squeeze as she sat down. Lara returned it and turned back towards Jack. Lara stared at him with a dreamy look in her eyes, her head resting in her hands as she did it. Jo noticed and scoffed.

“Never going to happen Lara,” she said, giving Lara a knowing look.

“What?” Lara asked, confused about what Jo was talking about.

“You and Handsome Jack over there. You’re wasting your time. He’s taken.” she said, matter of factly.

“I wasn’t....I mean...I am not..” Lara said, stumbling over her words. “Anyway, he’s single,” she said, correcting Jo.

“I didn’t mean he was seeing somebody. I said he’s taken. His kid, Sophia?” Jo responded.

“Having a kid doesn’t mean you can’t date,” she said, returning her stare towards the other end of the bar where Jack was laughing at some joke the customer had told him.

“It does for him. Didn’t you hear about what happened with Sarah?” Jo asked, in a low conspiratorial voice, clearly thrilled at the thought of imparting some juicy gossip about the girl they both hated. Lara turned towards Jo, her face full of intrigue.

“The flame-haired bimbo bitch? What happened? What did she do?” Lara asked.

“She practically threw herself at Jack. Like, she really went for it. And you know how she is. Strolled up to him half naked, shoving her huge tits in his face. She practically told him to take her home and fuck her,” Jo said.

“The whore,” Lara spat.

“I know,” Jo agreed.

“So what happened?” Lara asked.

“He turned her down on the spot!” Jo crowed, her voice and face filled with glee. Lara beamed from ear to ear.

“Of course he did. He has class. He’s a gentleman,” she gushed, returning to stare at Jack, admiring his massive arms.

“He has a kid. That’s his priority. He told her so. She didn’t take it well. She’s telling everyone that he’s gay,” Jo said with a chuckle. Lara snorted back.

“Only way she knows how to save face now. She can’t comprehend the notion that somebody would turn down her skanky ass,” Lara said, her distaste for the redhead readily apparent. “I’d bet all the money in the world that she really believes it too.”

“Speaking of all the money in the world, has your brother made up his mind yet?” Jo asked Lara. Lara shook her head.

“My parents want him to go to college and use the rest of it to buy a house. He says he is considering it but doesn’t want to rush into anything yet and make a rash decision,” Lara answered. Jo nodded.

“Probably smart. There is no rush I guess,” Jo said while still nodding as if it was a good idea. Lara wasn’t so sure.

Lara had confided in Jo that her younger brother, Shawn had recently won a large monetary judgement in a lawsuit. Actually, “large” may be underselling it. He had been awarded 1.2 million dollars. Shawn had been in his last year of high school and a football star. Set for a full ride scholarship at the university of his choice, and with a lot of luck, a career in the NFL. Lara had told Jo that his life had been mapped out before him. That was until some dumb Karen had smashed into him with her car while he walked home from football practice a couple of years back. He had broken both his legs and smashed his hip to pieces.

His legs had mended fine and he had a titanium hip. He could move about like a “normal” person now but the chances of him having the type of sporting career he wanted was over. Shawn had insisted that he could still play. He clung to the notion that there had been a couple of players in the NFL with artificial hips. It had been a pipe dream. The scouts stopped visiting and the scholarship offers were rescinded.

Lara’s father didn’t want to sue, he figured the woman hadn’t done it on purpose and it was just one of those things you experience through life. Lara’s mother had disagreed. Strongly.

“We are taking that dopey cunt to the cleaners,” were her exact words. And they had. Shawn now had something to take from the whole sorry situation. It wasn’t football, but it was something. But Shawn had not taken the loss of his footballing career well. He had become angrier. And bitter. He had broken up with his long-term girlfriend and started staying out until the small hours of the morning, sometimes not returning until the next day.

Lara felt devastated for him that his dream was gone but she was relieved that he at least had something to show for it. Many people were not so lucky. The money would set him up for a new life and career. But she was wary. It was a lot of money for somebody to handle. She turned back towards Jo and raised her concerns.

“I just don’t want him to piss it all away. You hear the stories of folks who come into an inheritance or win the lottery or something and then a year later? Poof. Disappeared in a flash and they are broke again.”

“You told me he had a good head on his shoulders, though?” Jo asked.

“He’s 19 years young. And remember, boys are dumb,” she said with a giggle.

“What?” Jo asked confusedly, not being privy to the full conversation Lara and Jack had enjoyed earlier.

“Never mind,” Lara said chuckling to herself. She looked to her right and was surprised to see Dave approaching them.

“Lara, there is a kid in the VIP who just bought our premium bottle service. That’s 2,200 plus whatever he spent making it rain for Jessica on the main stage earlier and he looks like he’s just getting started. Go milk him for all his wallet has got.” he told her. She nodded and moved to get off the barstool.

“Remember what we discussed earlier. You do this and do it well. No excuses. And no ****,” he said, the warning clear.

“I remember Dave. No worries. This guy will spend so much money on me, you’ll be able to buy a boat,” Lara said confidently over her shoulder as she walked towards the VIP.

“I already have a boat,” he called after her.

“I’ll take the boat!” Jo interjected with a smile. Dave turned to her as if noticing her sitting there for the first time.

“Jo, you won’t even motorboat the customers,” he chided her, as he walked away.

Lara approached the door to the main VIP room with an air of determination. She steeled herself as she opened the door, aiming to give this guy one of her best performances. Instead, what she saw shook her to her core.

Sitting in the luxurious VIP room on its plush couch, buried in his phone, was her very own younger brother, Shawn.

---

Lara stood there as if a deer in the headlights as she stared at Shawn playing with his phone. Her body froze in complete shock for several seconds before her brain kicked her body into action. She stepped back out of the room and slammed the door shut behind her.

“Hello?” a muffled question came from within the room.

Lara was panicking. She didn’t think he’d seen her but he might get up to see who had slammed the door. She affected a fake voice and answered him.

“Just one minute, darling. You make yourself comfortable and I’ll be right in,” she said, disguising her voice as best she could.

FUCK FUCK FUCK! What the FUCK is he doing here?

Lara tried to calm her breathing as she realized she was close to hyperventilating. She slowed down her breathing as best she could and started to think.

He’s a horny young man, now with money to burn. Where else would he be? A library? Accepting that fact, Lara still cursed her own bad luck that he had wandered into her club. Even at that, she knew she wasn’t being entirely rational. It wasn’t really that much of a coincidence. The Pearl was fast becoming known as one of the best clubs in the state for high mileage dances.

Still, this was terrible timing considering her recent transgressions. Any other day and she would just leave. She would feign sickness. Shawn wouldn’t see her and somebody else could deal with him. Problem solved. But that wouldn’t work today. If she left, for any reason, Dave wouldn’t let it go. He’d fire her on the spot. So leaving for the night was out.

She could quit. Just outright walk. But she knew what that would mean. Dave was a vindictive fucker when he wanted to be. He’d use his connections. She’d be blackballed from every decent club out there. And he’d do it just to spite her. She wouldn’t be able to find a reputable joint to dance in. It would be the end of her career, such as it was. And she still had a lot of debt.

No, I’m not doing that. Quitting is not an option.

She considered for a moment going in there and leveling with Shawn. Tell him the truth. That she wasn’t a waitress any more, she did this for a living instead. Hope he’d understand and keep it to himself. The issue with this plan was that she wasn’t sure if Shawn would, or even could, keep this to himself. If he told their parents, her mother might understand but there was zero chance her father would. It would ruin their relationship. Permanently. Even if Shawn didn’t tell their folks, he was a blabbermouth. He couldn’t keep a secret to save his life. Everyone knew it. He’d tell someone. And a secret isn’t a secret any more when more than two people know it. Eventually, everyone would know.

No, I’m not telling him. But I can’t leave either. What other options do I have?

An option walked right past her.

“Jo! Jo! I need your help,” Lara said with desperation as she saw the blonde walk past her. Jo reacted with surprise as she approached Lara outside the VIP door.

“What’s wrong?”

“Jo I need you to take the customer in the VIP. I’m....sick. I can’t do it,” Lara pleaded. She wasn’t thrilled about lying to Jo but she also wasn’t ready to admit the truth. Jo hesitated, with a look of clear **** on her face.

“Lara, normally I’d help. You know I would. But Dave told you to do this. If he finds out you fobbed it off to me, he’ll fire you. You know this already. Hell, he might even fire me for helping you go around him. And Lara, I need this job,” Jo said. “Besides, you know me and the VIP. This guy is spending big. He’s expecting......services that I don’t perform. It’s awful that you are feeling unwell but I think your only option is to put on a brave face. You’re going to have to suck it up,” Jo said sympathetically.

Lara winced at the unfortunate turn of phrase.

There will be absolutely NO sucking of any kind going on.

But Lara knew Jo was right. If she pawned this off on someone else and Dave found out, he would go ballistic.

“You’re right. Sorry for asking Jo. You go on. I’ll be fine,” Lara told her, not really believing her own words. Jo gave her a weak smile and continued on through the club.

I can’t tell him, I can’t pull a sickie and I can’t get somebody to replace me. What the fuck can I do?

The answer hit her like a lightning bolt.

The masks!

Dave’s new pet project was selling instructional lap dance videos to other clubs that wanted to improve their dancers. Lara had reluctantly agreed to star in them but only if she could cover her face. Dave had told her the masks he had bought were in the changing room. A plan was starting to formulate.

I’ll wear a mask. I’ll put on a voice too. With a bit of luck he won’t recognise me. I’ll go in there and convince him to pick another dancer.

If he asked for somebody else, she’d have a ready made excuse. Nobody had ever asked for Lara to be replaced before. It would look bad. But it was better than the alternatives. Dave would be pissed she hadn’t performed to her standards but it might just be enough to save her job.

Lara moved with a purpose towards the changing rooms. When she arrived, she quickly picked up one of the masks. It was a black lace eye mask with some pretty lace patterns. It didn’t cover much but it would be enough. She put it on and hurried back to the VIP entrance. She had to decide on an accent. Her go to was posh British but she wasn’t sure if Shawn had heard her do that one before. It wasn’t worth the risk. She’d go with Texas south. Add a bit of a drawl.

Lara opened the door, her body trembling slightly, and entered the VIP once more. This time, she closed the door behind her and walked into the room.

Shawn looked up from his phone this time at the woman in front of him as she walked towards him.

Damn. Just look at her. This is going to be fucking amazing!

He grinned at her and stared up and down her body as she closed the distance between them.

Lara had to fight the urge to turn and flee the room as she watched her own brother ogle her body. She stopped in front of him, and stood there while he put his phone back in his pocket. She noticed the untouched bottle of Cristal sitting in a bucket on the table to her left. She also noted, oddly, that there was a second phone also on the table. The previous patron had clearly left their phone behind. Her mind was snapped back to the problem in front of her as Shawn spoke.

“Hi there. What’s your name, gorgeous?” Shawn asked, his eyes filled with lust already.

“I’m......Lyla,” Lara answered.

“Well Lyla, I was told I’d get the best when I bought this package. They weren’t kidding,” he said as he gazed lecherously at her body. “Why don’t you hop on board and show me what you can do,” he said with more than a hint of bravado.

Lara was shocked. She had never heard him behave or talk this way before. Although, she had never been with him to a strip club before so maybe this was how he behaved there.

I obviously don’t know him as well as I thought, she admitted to herself. Lara tried to stall.

“Why don’t we sit and have a chat first? Get to know each other,” she said, her voice lilting in her best attempt at what passed for a southern belle. Shawn just laughed at her.

“I didn’t pay all that money to just chat,” he said as he pulled her down onto his lap forcefully. “Besides, we can get to know each other as you do your thing,” he said.

Lara felt a little helpless as he yanked her down roughly onto his lap. She was straddling him now and she could immediately feel his hardness under her. It made her want to wretch. Every fibre of her being screamed at her that this was wrong. To get up and run away. But she knew she couldn’t.

Give him a little dance. Tell him you have a friend you think he’d like. Then get the fuck out of here.

Lara started to move. She put her arms around his neck and started to roll her hips, barely making contact with him. She needed to distract him. If she got him talking, he might not notice that they weren’t actually doing a whole lot.

“So what’s your name....handsome,” Lara asked, loathed to add the handsome part but feeling like she needed to play her role.

“Shawn,” he answered simply.

Idiot is using his real name, she thought to herself. Uh, hello? You’re one to talk. You strip under the name Lara, genius, she reminded herself. Dave had insisted on the girls using their real names for the more authentic experience.

“That’s a nice name,” she said, still dancing an inch above him and hoping he wouldn’t notice. “So, what do you do?”

Shawn brought his hands to her waist and gripped her. She had to fight the urge to slap them away.

“Oh, I’m in investments,” he said. “One of my investments recently came in and I’m flush with cash right now,” he said, arrogance permeating through him.

Lying little shit. Investments my ass. You are in here spending your future away.

Shawn’s hands were still holding her waist firmly. He pulled her down onto his groin. Lara gasped as she clearly felt his hardness against her. She knew she couldn’t just stop so she continued to grind against him.

This is so fucking wrong. I have to end this.

“You know, I have a friend you might like. She’s a real good dancer and I’d bet she would take extra special care of you,” she grinded into him on the word “extra” as if to accentuate her point.

Shawn raised both his hands up and grabbed both of her tits in his hands and started to feel her up through her bra.

“Does she have tits as nice as these?” he asked as he groped her.

Lara sat there stunned at his forwardness and at what he was doing to her breasts. She wanted to grab his wrists and yank his hands off her. She wanted to scream at him. But she didn’t. She knew she couldn’t.

“Oh, hers are even nicer!” she said, trying to sound convincing.

“I highly doubt that,” he said as he continued to paw at her. He started to play with her nipples through her bra.

I’ve gotta move. Gotta switch positions. Any other position but this one...

Lara rapidly extricated herself from his lap, and stood up in front of him. A look of irritation crossed his face as he lost access to her chest. In a moment of panic, and not knowing what to do, Lara turned around so that her back was to him, and bent over at the waist so that her ass was in front of him. She started to jiggle and twerk it for him.

“Like what you see, darling?” she said, trying to maintain the illusion of seductive dancer even though she would rather be anywhere else.

I’m going to hell.

“Yeah, I do,” he said as he reached out and gripped her ass cheeks in his hands. He didn’t stop there though. He reached further, got a good hold of her and pulled her back down into his lap. Now back on his lap but facing away from him, she merely sat there for a moment before he gave her a clear instruction.

“Grind on me,” he said. It was not a suggestion. She complied.

Lara **** herself to grind into him. She could feel how hard he was. How his cock was throbbing against the thin fabric of her g-string panties. With each pass of her ass against his clothed cock, she felt angrier and angrier at herself, Shawn, Dave and just the world in general for putting her in this position. She suddenly felt hands at her back. Shawn had slipped his fingers beneath the straps of her bra and was attempting to undo her clasp.

Oh my fucking god. I can’t believe this is happening.

He deftly undid her bra, and slipped it off of her. She was now completely topless. He pulled hard and dragged her body back into his until their bodies were flush together. He then wrapped his arms around her body and resumed his earlier mauling of her, now bare, breasts. His fingers sank into her soft flesh. She gasped as he squeezed them roughly. She stifled a moan as he started to play with her nipples, pinching them lightly and rolling them between the tips of his fingers. They hardened as a result of this, involuntarily and against her will as her body betrayed her.

Lara knew she needed to retake control. To stop Shawn’s manhandling of her tits but she couldn’t think how. Her normal procedure would be to escalate the dance. She could keep men like him on a leash. Take them to where she wanted them to go and if she needed to, get them off quicker in a manner of her choosing. But the thought of doing that with him made her want to vomit. She felt like she was stuck between a rock and a literal hard place. That hard place had started to thrust up into her now.

“God your tits feel amazing,” he said with clear lust in his voice. He suddenly let go of her breasts and moved his hands to her back and shoulders. He leaned forward and started to push her onto the floor before him. Lara slid off of his lap and turned to face him while on her knees between his legs.

“I want to fuck them now,” he said, his gaze boring through her.

Not a fucking chance. No way. Not happening.

“My friend Jessica gives the best titfucks around. I’ll go get her for you and you can really enjoy yourself,” she suggested, starting to get up off her knees. Shawn grabbed her arm and pulled her forcefully back down onto her knees.

“No, I paid for you. I want you,” he said, his resolve clear.

Stubborn little shit, was all she could think to herself.

“Maybe I’ll try her next time,” he said, thoughtfully.

Paid for me....try her next time? Who the fuck was this imposter pretending to be her brother?

Lara barely recognised him. She should have noticed this change before and tried to help. He had clearly taken the accident worse than she realized. The polite and considerate boy she knew was gone, replaced by this nasty piece of work. She promised herself she would try and get him professional help when this was over. He clearly needed to talk through his feelings on the accident.

But that was for later. It didn’t help her current problem. She knew she couldn’t just sit there. She had to do something. It sure as hell wasn’t going to be that, though. Titfucking him was a line she was not going to cross. She resigned herself to what she knew she had to do. The next best thing. Or rather, the least worst thing. She’d have to jerk him off.

“Sure thing, sugar. But lets get you nice and....hard first,” she almost gagged as she had said the word hard but had maintained her composure and her seductive veneer.

“I’m already plenty hard,” Shawn said gruffly, not pleased with any delay to having his dick bathed in titflesh.

“Oh, I can make you harder,” she said and **** herself to lick her lips lasciviously. She reached out and unzipped his fly. She then hesitated at this new precipice. Loathed to cross a boundary she had never in a million years considered crossing.

Just fucking do it. Get it over with and explain it to your therapist later.

She closed her hand around his cock and fished it out of his slacks. She had turned her head away. She could feel it, but didn’t want to look at it.

“What do you think?” Shawn asked, sounding prideful. She couldn’t look away any longer. She turned to face it.

Shawn’s cock was thick and girthy. He wasn’t especially long, she would guess he measured about six inches, but his thickness made it look larger. The head of his cock was swollen and almost a shade of reddish purple. It had a flared rim and the head tapered out to his underside somewhat. The room started to fill with his musky scent and she noticed that the head was glistening slightly with a dollop of his pre-cum.

Lara rubbed her thumb over the head to catch the pre-cum and used her hands to smear and spread it around his dick, moistening it. She then reached out for the bottle of flavoured lubricant that the VIP provided and used it to lather his dick some more. With that, she started to move her hands.

Lara attempted to ignore the way it felt in her hand. The way it throbbed and pulsed as her delicate fingers worked it. Lara hated herself for what she was doing. Despite this, she tried to focus on her technique. A practised technique that she had honed during her short time at The Pearl. If she was going to do this, she would get him off as quickly as possible. She quickened her pace, with enthusiasm. She had expected to see the tell-tale signs of his orgasm approaching, both on his dick and on his face. She was left disappointed.

Why the fuck isn’t he coming yet? She thought to herself, a little perplexed.

They had shared a wall for most of their childhood. She could tell when he was “relieving himself” and there were days when he had done so several times. She knew his sessions lasted only a few minutes. Where had he gotten this stamina from?

Did he take a pill before coming in here? It was the only explanation she could think of.

She redoubled her efforts, now using both hands and adding a twist at the top. His face displayed how much he was enjoying it, but it didn’t look like he was near the edge yet. Shawn then uttered the words she had been dreading to hear.

“Lick it,” he commanded, simply. Lara felt the colour drain from her face completely. The idea of tasting her brothers length filled her with dread. She desperately tried to think of a way out of it.

“Come on, do it,” he said impatiently as he took a firm grasp of her hair. Lara hadn’t come up with anything. Her stomach churning at the thought of what she was about to do, she leaned forward until her face was only inches from his erection. She opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. She bathed his dick in her saliva, as she ran her tongue over the head and then started to tongue the entire length of him. He groaned as she did it. She leaned back and started to pump him with her hands again.

If he asks me for a blowjob, I’m putting a stop to this. Dave can fire me. So be it. I don’t care if I have to declare bankruptcy and live out of my car, I’m not blowing my own brother.

She looked up at him as she jerked him off. He had a satisfied and smug look on his face.

“Lick me again,” he demanded.

She sighed as she leaned forward and licked the head once more. She opened her mouth slightly and started to flutter her tongue quickly. This caused him to groan again, louder this time so she kept doing it, hoping to get him there. She did not anticipate what would happen next.

With his hand, still resting atop her head with a fistful of hair, Shawn suddenly and aggressively slammed her head down on his cock. With her fluttering technique requiring her mouth to be open, she had no defence. She had inadvertently swallowed his length in a split second. Before she had even realized what he had done, he was lodged deep in her throat.

This is NOT fucking happening. NO. STOP THIS NOW! She screamed to herself.

Lara felt a strong rush of revulsion and panic surge through her. She tried to pull her head back but his grip was good and he was simply too strong. She batted her hands at his legs but he simply ignored her as he enjoyed the feeling of her mouth and throat around him. For a split second she considered biting down but discarded the thought just as quickly.

If blowing your brother didn’t send you to hell, biting his dick off certainly would.

And so she did the only thing she could do. She relaxed her throat and she took it. She fought back a sob as she felt him slowly start to forcefully move her head up and down.

Lara had read about how spies could disconnect their minds from their surroundings, detach themselves from their experiences if they ever got captured. Send their minds to a happier place to endure something deeply unpleasant. She knew it was possible. But she had no idea how to do it. Lara wasn’t a spy. She was a stripper, on her knees with a cock in her mouth.

And so her mind didn’t go blank. It raced with the thoughts and implications of what she was doing as Shawn shoved his dick into her mouth and throat. She could feel him. Every ridge. Every slight peak and valley of his dick. And there wasn’t a thing she could do about it at this point.

Shawn loosened up his grip slightly, hinting that he wanted her to take control.

“Be a good girl and blow me, Lyla. Show me how good you are,” he said softly.

And she did. She worked her tongue in circles around the head as she started to blow him. She took the head back into her mouth and started to work him in and out. She could taste more of his pre-cum leaking out of the tip and onto her tongue as she did it. Her lips stretched around him as she bobbed up and down. She sucked hard, hollowing her cheeks as she willed this nightmare to be over. Shawn sat comfortably on the couch and looked down at the masked goddess before him.

“God damn. You really know how to suck cock,” he remarked, pleasure all over his face.

Lara’s face stung from the comment and she felt a complex mix of emotions. Shame. Disgust. And a few others. But the worst one was a twinge of pride, at knowing she was doing a good job.

Fuck therapy. I’m going to need a mind wipe after this. Call in the Men in Black. I need to be neuralized. Or failing that, lobotomized.

“That’s it, Lyla. Take all of me,” he said as he now stood up off the couch and thrust into her again. Lara whimpered around his cock as he towered above her, fighting the urge to gag as she **** herself to take him back all the way in. She could feel him hit the back of her throat and hear him groaning as he did it. There was no point in holding back at this stage. It would only prolong it. She went deep a few more times and then resumed bobbing up and down while using her hand in time with her mouth. She continued to run her tongue along his underside as she sucked him.

“I think I’m about to come,” he said with his voice ragged. “My girlfriend never used to swallow. I’ve always wanted to know what it feels like to come inside a woman’s mouth and have them swallow it all,” he said.

NOPE. No way. Not happening. You can keep fucking wondering.

As Lara felt him tense up, she took advantage of his now weaker grip in her hair and pulled off of his cock. She pointed his cock up and away from her face, while she jerked him quickly. But Shawn was not to be deterred from his prize. He used both hands to **** her mouth back onto his cock as he erupted. Lara tried to resist but she was no match for him.

Lara felt herself retching as the first spurts of his orgasm flooded her mouth. He held her head completely still as he shot load after load into her and as it kept coming, she realised that holding on to it in her mouth and spitting afterwards wasn’t an option. There was simply too much. She had to swallow. There was no other choice.

She swallowed it down, hating herself more and more with each gulp. He emptied his balls and she didn’t spill a drop. He pumped a couple more times into her, as he came down from his mind blowing orgasm.

Eventually, he released her head and sank back into the couch with a contented sigh. Lara rocked back on her heels, as she stared at him, wondering whether she would ever be able to look at him the same way ever again. It had been horrid. But at least it was over. Or so she thought.

She noticed, with a hint of alarm, that he wasn’t getting soft. He wasn’t even a little deflated.

Did he down an entire bottle of Viagra or something? Lara wasn’t about to hang about for round two. She got to her feet and turned towards him.

“Well, I hope you enjoyed yourself, sugar but I have to be getting back out there,” she said in her exaggerated southern drawl.

“I paid for the hour, I’m taking the hour,” he said firmly as he got up and approached the wall to his left that contained a variety of sex toys. He picked out what he wanted and returned to Lara.

“I want you to put this on,” he said holding up a large black ball gag with straps attached to it. Lara’s eyes went as wide as saucers.

“I really don’t think that mmpmhpm....” she tried to say as he shoved the ball gag into her mouth and snapped it into place behind her head with impressive speed. He then proceeded to grab her and bend her forward at the waist, over the arm of the couch while holding both of her arms behind her back. She tried to resist but nothing had changed. Her strength was no competition for a young and fit man.

NO, Jesus fuck NO! STOP! I’ve got to STOP this NOW, she thought as dread and panic flooded through her. She was trying to call out but the ball gag made it come out as a muffle and there was no chance she could overpower him.

I can’t believe this is happening....

He pressed his still rock hard erection to her entrance. With one hand on her shoulder and the other with a vice grip on both her arms, he prepared to take the gorgeous brunette from behind.

Before he could, his head snapped to his left as the door to the VIP swung open. Lara followed his gaze as she stared at the voluptuous redhead standing in the doorway, surprise on her face.

Sarah! Lara thought as she stared at the young woman. She had never been so happy to see that bitch in her life.

“Don’t mind me,” Sarah said with a sweet voice as she approached them. “Just need to pick up my phone. Accidentally left it here earlier,” she said as she collected the errant phone from the table that Lara had noticed earlier. Sarah gave Lara a sneering smile full of mirth as she watched her, bent over the couch about to get fucked.

Now she will really think we are the same, Lara thought. But she had bigger issues at the moment than her image at the club. Like the dick poised at her pussy lips.

The unexpected arrival had tempered Shawn somewhat, and his grip had loosened on Lara. She took the opportunity to free her arms, tear the ball gag from her mouth and slip away from his grasp.

“Now wait just a minute, I’m not finished!” he started to say before Lara cut him off.

“Don’t worry sweetie, we’ll be right back. Promise. Just need to have a few minutes girl talk,” Lara said over her shoulder as she practically dragged Sarah with her out of the room.

“Get off me you lunatic!” Sarah shouted at her as they left the room and Lara closed the door behind her. “And what the fuck was with that accent? Are you role-playing?” Sarah asked, with a quizzical look on her face. Lara stared at the angry woman in front of her and immediately knew what she had to do.

“Sarah, I need you to take over for me in there,” she said, trying and failing to appear breezy and normal. Sarah stared back at her in surprise and then with a look of contempt.

“No fucking way. You take all the money and I finish him off?” she spat back at Lara.

“You can keep it, Sarah. The dance fee, the tips, even the cut from the bottle service. All of it.”

Sarah eyed her warily, clearly thinking this was some sort of trick.

“Why? What’s wrong with him?”

“Nothing’s wrong with him. You saw him yourself. Fit, young guy. And loaded too! You’ll make a bucket of cash with a few minutes work,” Lara said.

Trying to convince my mortal enemy to fuck my brother so I don’t have to. Things I never thought I would ever do for 200, Alex.

“Well if it’s such a good deal and he is such an easy mark, why are you giving him up?” Sarah asked, still suspicious of a deal that seemed too good to be true.

“Oh.....I have to go. I have a family emergency,” Lara said, the truth of the statement not lost on her. “Listen Sarah, I know we haven’t seen eye to eye since I started here. Maybe that’s partly my fault,” Lara said.

Sarah scoffed when Lara had said the word “partly”. Lara had noticed.

“Okay, it’s totally my fault then. I’ve been a real bitch. But you would be doing me a huge favour by taking this one, letting me leave and keeping this entire thing between us. I’d owe you big time,” Lara said, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice.

Sarah considered the offer for a moment.

“You’d owe me?” she asked.

“Big time. I’ll swap shifts, cover for you whenever you want, give you the prime slots on the pole, whatever you want,” Lara said, feeling some faint hope that she might actually be able to get this deal done. Lara watched the redhead think and could see the cogs clearly whirring in her head.

“Okay well, there is something you can do for me. Go fuck yourself,” she said with glee.

“Sarah, please. I need this,” Lara said, practically begging.

“Yeah I know I just wanted to see your face as I said it,” she laughed, her mean girl persona sitting front and centre. She sighed.

“Alright I’ll do it.”

“Thank you, thank you,” Lara said, relief all over her face. “What do you want in return? Whatever it is, I’ll do it.”

“Well, I have this regular. Really good tipper. And he mentioned last week that he wants to bring his old man with him next time as kind of a sixtieth birthday gift kind of deal. I told him groups cost extra and he agreed to pay. I need somebody in there with me who can keep up with me. Somebody to entertain the old man. Nobody has agreed so far. This guy is pretty demanding so I assume his Dad will be too and...”

“No problem. I’ll be there with bells on,” Lara said reassuringly.

“I’m keeping the cash, Lara. All of it. You pro bono his boner,” Sarah told her.

“Sure, sure. Absolutely,” Lara agreed while nodding profusely.

“Okay then. I’ll let you know when you are to be expected. It will probably be sometime next week.” Sarah informed her. “I better get in there before your boy starts looking for us. What’s the situation in there? How far along is he?” she asked Lara.

Lara grimaced as the thought of giving specifics made her stomach turn again.

“He is....one down. Working on his second one now,” she said simply. Sarah nodded and grabbed both her breasts and gave them a quick squeeze and lift as they sat high in her skimpy dress.

“Oh, and Lara. Give me that mask. I’ve never worn one before in here. It might be fun,” she said with a sly grin.

Lara practically threw the mask at her and watched Sarah put it on as she opened the door into the VIP. Lara ducked away from the door so as not to be seen as she heard Sarah enter and boisterously announce herself to Shawn.

“Okay, lover-boy. The lacklustre starter is over. The delicious main course has arrived,” Sarah said as she entered and shut the door behind her.

With the door now closed and her ordeal now over, Lara leaned against the door and closed her eyes in relief. It had been a complete shit-show but she had gotten through it. As long as Sarah did what she promised and kept her mouth shut about it, which admittedly was a big if, Lara would be okay. And all it had cost her was a favour to her worst enemy and a good portion of her self respect. At least she had escaped before.....that...had happened.

Lara opened her eyes back with a start as she heard noises from inside. Loud and obnoxious moaning noises.

They are in there fucking. She really didn’t want to stay here and listen to this. She didn’t care about her bra. She’d get it later.

Or burn it later.

Lara endeavoured to grab her coat from the changing rooms and head home. And make sure this could never, ever happen again. Tomorrow, she would go to Jack and get her brother banned from The Pearl. She wouldn’t tell him why. She was never telling anyone about this. Ever. But she figured Jack would do it as a favour to her without asking why.

Lara headed for the changing rooms and couldn’t help notice the irony of her current situation. She had gotten fucked at a party and couldn’t remember a thing, as much as she might want to. And yet this was a night she would gladly purge from her memory completely and couldn’t.

The universe is really fucking with me.

---

Detective Mike Hawthorne sat at a secluded table in the all-night cafe located across the street from The Pearl lap dancing club. He stared out the window which had a decent view of the entrance to the club. Mike played with his unappetizing plate of overcooked chicken as he scrutinized the customers going in and out of the stylish, but still seedy, establishment.

He was waiting for his partner to arrive so they could go over the latest intel. They were meeting here and not at the station because Mike was determined to keep this investigation out of the reach and eyes of Captain Price.

Mike knew Price was dirty, he just couldn’t prove it yet. But he would. Price would get what was coming to him as soon as Mike had enough evidence of illegal activity to get a search warrant for The Pearl. Once he had that, the domino’s would fall. The IT guys would pore over their system, he would sweat the girls to flip on the boss and once he had that sleaze bag Dave Miller in an interrogation room, he’d get him to spill on all the payments and backhanders that Captain Price and his men were taking.

But he had to be careful. The Captain had eyes everywhere, including inside Internal Affairs so going to them wasn’t a viable option. Mike didn’t want to torpedo his career by confronting him without having his ducks in a row first. If he was going to do this, the case had to be airtight.

Mike put the plate of food to the side as he saw his partner approach.

“You’re late. So, where are we at?” he asked her as she slid down in the seat opposite him.

Jo pulled out a folder from her purse and opened it. She flicked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear before she answered.

“Sorry, my shift ran late. Here is what I have so far....”