Anastasia by A. Marie
Anastasia
“Where are you going?” Alex asked.
My sister had a gift for telling when someone was lying, but that didn’t stop me from filling in every blank with a fib. I knew telling her the truth would tempt her to try to talk me out of it. So, with all of that in mind, I plastered on a fake smile as I leaned down to kiss her on top of her head.
“I have a job interview today,” I answered.
Alex nodded her head slowly just as I was beginning to pull away. What she didn’t know was that I was wearing lacy pink lingerie under my outfit. Janice had let me have it since it was too small for her, and it served as a reminder of what I would have to do.
“Why are you getting a different job? I thought you liked working at the diner. Lord knows I miss the food you always used to bring home,” she said, laughing slightly. I looked down at her and tried to conceal my every emotion. As much as she tried to hide it, she looked drained.
“I want a second job,” I muttered.
“What? I thought you were going to go back to school and work on a degree. I hope you’re not getting a second job because of me, Nana. I promise that as soon as I am done and out of here, I’ll help pay for everything. I’m tired of you having to sacrifice so much for me and Mum,” Alex said, a sternness shedding off her tone.
I was sure she didn’t want me to notice how her eyelids drooped, blinking long and slow. I knew she was drifting off to sleep.
“Go to sleep, Alex. I’ll be back,” I told her.
She was nodding her head slowly. I gave her one last sad smile before walking out of the hospital room.
The first thing I noticed was Alexandria’s oncologist. He seemed busy talking to a family, but then he momentarily made eye contact with me. It looked as though he had something to tell me, but he was forced to turn his eyes back to the couple.
Walking out of the hospital, I hurriedly made my way to my car. I didn’t want him to follow me because I was too afraid of what he might tell me.
* * *
Lookingaround the dimly lit club, I quickly noticed that it wasn’t packed with too many people. A girl was dancing on the pole in nothing but a pair of panties, and a few men were standing around watching her. My face flushed I was watched them, wondering if that will one day be me up there. The music was soft and the sound of glasses clinking together echoed through the room.
I turned back to the bartender. She had her black hair up in a high ponytail and lips painted in red lipstick. I could only watch as she began to walk toward me.
“Anastasia?” she questioned, a smirk lifting the side of her face as she gave my body a once-over. I watched as she nodded her head in acceptance of my physical appearance.
“I’m assuming you’re the woman I spoke to on the phone,” I replied.
“Yes, the name’s Kayla. Walk with me, I’ll be taking you to the employment director,” she declared. Kayla didn’t even provide me with the chance to say anything as she turned around and began to walk me backstage. I hurried behind her, just before the automatic door could close. The hallways seemed to last forever. It took a good couple of minutes before we finally made it to a door. She twisted the doorknob and opened it up.
“Valerio, it’s that new girl we were talking about,” Kayla said.
I stepped into the room to see a man with chestnut blond hair. The room was empty for the most part. A stripper pole was centered in the middle of the room with a few seats and couches surrounding it. I was sure the room was used for parties. I glanced up toward the stripper pole. My heart sank at the realization that I was actually going to do this.
“Okay, Kayla, you may leave,” he urged her.
She sent a small smile my way, whispering lightly, “Good luck.” I gazed at her until the door shut, leaving us inside of a room all by ourselves.
“Your name is Anastasia, correct?” he asked. I could hear the slightest Italian accent in his voice. I wondered if he was the Romano guy everyone was talking about.
“Anastasia Smith.” I grinned.
He smiled slightly, nodding his head as he looked down at my body. His eyes settled on mine once again. It was the look he gave me—almost as if a lightbulb flicked on in his head the more he looked at what I’ve to offer. For some strange reason, I was not as nervous as I thought I should be.
“My name is Valerio Vitali, the girls all call me V.V. Now, this interview is more like an audition. It isn’t going to be something you may be used to, and if at any point you feel uncomfortable, please be sure to let me know,” he kindly replied.
Nodding my head, I felt relief flow through me.
“I am going to have to ask you, do you have any experience in pole dancing?” he quizzed.
“No, I’ve only worked as a waitress in a diner.”
My heart pumped in my chest as he examined me. I wondered if he could see through me right to my thoughts. What if someone saw me out there on stage, what would they think about me? Would they think I was some disgusting girl who lacked intellect, that the only good thing about me was my body? Would my sister see me and shake her head in disappointment? Was I just Mum—a disappointment?
My shoulders tensed up and my heart began to hammer in my chest. I wasn’t sure if I could do it anymore. There was this urge to hurry and leave, but I kept thinking about my sister in the hospital. She needed me, and I didn’t want to fail her.
“Perfect. Let me tell you something, dancing is the body’s way of releasing emotions without words. It is neither dirty nor scary, but it is beautiful. So, I am going to dim the lights a little and play some soft music. All I want is for you to convince me with your body that you, Anastasia, are beautiful,” he affirmed. The tension in my shoulders began to ease as I took a deep breath. I removed the t-shirt I was wearing as slowly as possible. My goal was to be seductive, but I was sure that awkwardness coated my every action. Hairs on my body stood at attention, even my mind was racing off in every direction. I was nervous, and I was sure that Valerio could feel it.
“Eye contact. Eye contact shows confidence, as if you own what you are doing,” Valerio suggested. My eyes reluctantly met his, where I could see the interest lurking behind them. While never looking away, I slid my shorts down my legs and let them pool at my feet.
He smiled proudly as I anxiously walked up to the pole. My back was turned toward him at first, but I quickly grabbed onto the pole and tossed my head back to look at him. I did every move Janice taught me, including a freestyle of my own. The more I danced, the easier it became. I found confidence cheering me on and loved it profoundly.
When I finished, he was clapping his hands. I watched him as he got up from the couch and walked toward me.
“I love this pink on you,” he said thoughtfully. “As you were dancing, I was thinking about something that will especially set you apart from the rest of the girls. The pink, blonde hair, blue eyes―the thought of a Barbie doll comes to me.”
“As long as I get the job, I don’t mind being Barbie.” I chuckled.
“You’ve convinced me―you have it. Let’s talk about money. Most of our women here rack up on tips, and we men have money to spend. You also get paid twenty dollars an hour. If you keep practicing, based on the way you look on that pole, you could end up walking out of here with no less than a grand a night. Since you are only beginning, I’m going to start you out at six o’clock in the evening to two o’clock in the morning on Saturdays and Thursdays. If the men here want to see more of you, I will simply add more days,” Valerio explained.
I nodded my head with a smile. I never even made close to a thousand per check from the diner, and he was saying that I could end up with no less than that per day. It was way more promising of a deal than my other job.
“Great. It was really nice meeting you, Anastasia. When you arrive on Saturday, just go up to Kayla and she will get you started,” he added.
I looked down at his outstretched hand before giving it a firm shake. After a curt nod, he exited the room, leaving me by myself. As soon as the coast was clear, I let out a loud squeal as I picked up my clothes and began to redress myself.