The Audition

I'm a closet peeler. The only people that know are my boyfriend and close friends and family. I.E. those who are on a need to know bases. Why cause needless worry? Family drama is already unavoidable in my upper middle class liberal bubble. Don't burst the bubble man! I already have the reputation of the family bubble burster. If I told them all at Thanks Giving I'm a peeler I doubt they would bat an eyelash. Why do I strip? Money. duh.

        

 I auditioned for the day shift manager who said he’d ‘take me on’. I had never stripped before. The day shift manager said since I lacked experience he would only commit to giving me three shifts a week. Two slow days and one really good day. I was hoping the situation wouldn't last long and I could prove myself as a competent sales person quickly. I’d heard some real nasty rumors about the day shift girls and the day shift clientele from the night shift girls. Ah, well…I have to start some where and dancing is where the money is.

My audition went by so fast. Getting ready in the dressing room I felt like I was going to throw up. The day shift house mom wasn’t that supportive either. I think she kept forgetting that I already worked at the club since I never worked a dayshift as a cocktail waitress. She went over the rules of my audition briefly and then ignored me leaving me shaking infront of my dressing room mirror until it was time to approach the main stage. She walked me up to the DJ Booth and made a hand gesture to go up and talk to him.

“What kind of music do you like?" He asked.

“Can you play something fast by Nelly Fertado for the first song and the second song can you play Heartbeats by The Knife.” The second song was important to me because that was the song I had to dance topless to.

“I can’t do any more Nelly today but Heartbeats hasn’t been played yet so you’re in luck.”

The house mom then walked me up to the stage entrance and instructed me to meet her on the other side after I was finished. 

“Remember, she said, do not leave the stage until the next girl has arrived and do not except tips from the tip rail without putting your top back on.” Then she left me standing there alone waiting my turn watching the amazing dancer before me spin around the stage and crawl up and down the pole showing off her amazing boob job. I was hoping there wouldn’t be many customers that early but for 6pm on a Tuesday the house was packed.

“Everybody put down your drink and clap your hands for our newest auditioning dancer, the lovely Ruby!” 

At least the DJ thinks I’m lovely, I thought miserably as a took a shaky step onto the stage in my dangerously high strappy heels.

It was over before I knew it. You know how people say time just stops when your nervous? Well, once I got on stage and strutted around the pole I just had fun. Erotic dancing is just real slow with your body weight centered around your ass and your pelvis. It's not hard to do. Men aren't that complicated. They just want you to bend over until your top comes off. All the butterflies in my stomach  managed to fly away and before I knew it my last song was over. One more week as a cocktail server and it was official. I was Ruby.