Willow by Erin Osborne
Chapter Two
Trinity ‘Willow’ Walsh
WAKING UP, I rush to the bathroom in order to get sick. Today I guess I can officially say morning sickness has kicked in and I’m not liking it. If there’s anything I absolutely hate in this world, it’s getting sick. Though, I’m sure there are a ton of people who feel the same way. After losing the battle, I get up and take care of business including brushing my teeth and taking a shower. Under my normal clothes for the day of sweats and an oversize tee-shirt, I put on a pair of spandex shorts and a sports bra for the audition. My grandma doesn’t need to know what the hell I’m doing. It would break her heart to know I’m about to start a career as a stripper in order to make sure the bills are covered.
Heading down, I find my gram already in her seat. We have our normal morning conversation before I head in to make her breakfast. Today she’s going to have her oatmeal and orange juice again. My gram has to have her juice every single morning with her breakfast. She tells me it makes her pills go down easier. I’m not sure if it’s the truth or not since she uses water every other time she has to take medicine. It’s insane to think of her telling me she needs to have juice for her medicine to go down easier. Still, we both laugh and it’s a great way to start the day. At least that’s what I believe. Anything to have a good start these days is something I’m willing to do no matter the cost if I can make my gram laugh or smile.
After making breakfast and having a piece of toast myself in an attempt to make my stomach settle down, I give my gram a kiss on the cheek.
“I’m heading out for a little while. I’ll be back later on. Do you need anything before I go?” I ask her, my voice soft.
“No. I’m just going to sit here and finish breakfast while watching my morning shows,” she assures me, pulling her blanket up higher on her while adjusting her grip on the bowl of oatmeal in her hand.
Leaving the house, I make sure I have everything I need on my way to my car. I’m already saying a silent prayer it will once again start. My car is old as hell and even though I try to make sure the regular maintenance is done on it, it doesn’t guarantee it will always start. Most days I’m cursing and hitting the dash more than anything else. However, today I need to get to this audition if I’m going to have a job. Pulling out my keys, I get in the driver’s side of my car and set my purse in the passenger side before putting the keys in my ignition. With one final prayer, I turn the key and my car once again starts for me.
“Yes!” I practically shout out in response before putting it in gear and heading out.
Heading out of town, I keep my music down soft as the windows are rolled down and the air is flowing in the car. There’s a musty smell in the car because it’s so old and I don’t want it sticking to me before walking inside the strip club for my audition. The only thing I need to focus on right now is dancing my ass off to ensure I get the job. I’ve never danced professionally or had any training. All I’ve ever done is dance around the house growing up. It’s something I still do to this day. Even if I don’t play my music as loud because I don’t want to interrupt her shows or do anything to upset her. My music isn’t always kosher or something she’s going to want to hear. If there’s one thing not deteriorating on my gram, it’s her hearing. She’s still got the hearing of a bat.
Pulling into the parking lot, I take in the few motorcycles sitting in the parking lot along with a truck that’s the highest I’ve ever seen in my life. The bikes all shine as the sun shines down on them. I sit in my car for a few minutes just admiring the different colors of them. In the back of my mind, I wonder if there is someone here I met months ago. Someone I had one amazing night with months ago. A man who has no clue I have an enormous secret I’m keeping from my gram and him. Hell, I have no clue what I’d do if he just happens to be here. It’s a long shot though. There is no guarantee I’ll ever see that man again.
Now, my mind is on the night we spent together. This man, whoever he is, knows what he’s doing when it comes to pleasuring a woman. I’ve not been with a lot of men before in my life and when it comes to feeling pleasure, I thought I had experienced it before. Now, I know differently and there is nothing I can do to stop the thoughts running through my mind. Not just the thoughts though; it’s the images plaguing me keeping me up at night and making me feel more than I should. I’d give anything to stop those from happening. However, I can’t stop the loop in my mind of what he did to me and the things he made me feel. No other man will ever be able to please me the way he did.
Taking a deep breath, I push those thoughts to the back of my mind and laugh at myself wondering if I have a chance to see the biker again. He was probably passing through and won’t be anywhere near me ever again. For now, I can keep my secret from everyone. Yeah, I know it’s just a matter of time before my gram finds out I’m pregnant; you really can’t keep this type of thing a secret for very long. All I need to do is bide my time and try to figure out a way I can tell her without breaking her heart or giving her a heart attack. I’ll do everything in my power to avoid hurting or disappointing her.
Sliding my top from me as I make my way to the door, an extremely large man is standing in front of the door. He’s wearing a leather vest over his black tee-shirt as it stretches across his muscled torso. Hell, even his sleeves are stretched to the max around his massive arms. Short black hair covers his head as my eyes start at the top of his head and travel down his body. I don’t notice any tattoos on him like most bikers have. Jeans cover his lower body, molded tight to his thighs letting me see how big his legs actually are. I’ve heard the term about someone’s legs being as big as tree trunks before. Until this moment I’ve never witnessed it myself. Even the biker I spent a night with didn’t have legs as big as the man standing in front of me. Still, his gigantic body calls to something in me. When my eyes get back to his, I take in the startling blue color. It’s almost the color of a clear, brilliant blue sky but even brighter than that.
“Can I help you?” he asks, folding his arms over his chest as his voice washes over me.
His voice reminds me of a combination of whiskey and honey. It’s warm, deep, and filled with gravel. When he clears his voice to get my attention, I startle and look back up at him. A smirk covers his face as he continues to let his eyes roam over my body with my shirt in my hand as I stand in just my sports bra in front of him.
“Um, I’m here for the audition,” I tell him, trying to keep my voice strong as I look at this sexy specimen of a man.
“You can head on in. I don’t think they’ve started just yet. It seems like you’re the only one who’s goin’ to show up,” he informs me, a warm tingling feeling filling my body from head to toe.
“Thank you,” I tell him, as he opens the door for me to walk through.
The interior of the club is done up in black and red. As I take in the walls, flooring, and bar, they’re all black. Accents of red fill the room including sconces on the walls, the booths filling the room, and the tops of the bar stools. Red candle holders even fill the center of the black tables filling the floor in front of the stage and off to the sides other than where the booths sit. It’s tasteful in a dark way as I continue to look around. I can’t wait to see what this place looks like when the lights are turned off and the candles and sconces are lit instead. At least until my gaze land on several people, all men with the exception of one woman, sitting at a large table in the front of the room. Each of them turns their attention to me and stare without saying a word. My gaze rakes over each person until I see the last man I ever believed I’d see again.
My heart begins racing as sweat beads on my back and forehead. It has nothing to do with the bright lights filling the large room of the strip club. The man I spent an incredible night with stares at me, his gaze burning into me as if he’s trying to figure out who I am. Not exactly a boost to my ego as I realize this man has absolutely no clue who I am. It seems our one night together didn’t leave a lasting impression on him the same way it did on me. Well, even though I’ll tell him about my baby, there is no way I’m going to expect him to be in our child’s life. For now, I’m simply going to pretend as if there’s nothing going on. I don’t need to tell him this very second.
Two stages are in the front of the room. There’s a larger one and then a smaller one close to a hallway. I’ve never danced around a pole before but I’m sure it can’t be all that hard. Along the left side of the room, is the large, black bar. Chrome and red topped bar stools line up in front of the bar. Several shelves are filled to capacity with various alcohol bottles. I can see the glasses filling the top of the counter in stacks as they wait to be put away or used for the night when the doors open. A young man is standing behind the bar, filling and stocking to ensure everything is ready for open. He’s wearing the same leather vest but the glint of a wedding band catches my attention as he smiles at me.
“Are you here to audition?” his voice flows over my skin and holds me captive.
“I am. Am I too late?” I ask, avoiding his gaze as the woman turns around in her seat.
He eyes me from head to toe as I begin to strip out of my sweats. The eyes of the men on me don’t bother me at all. I’m not here to dance for them; I want to dance for their customers. The tips I have a chance to make here to solve all of my problems while letting me stash money away for the future. Money I’ll need once the baby is here. I need to make sure I have enough to buy what’s needed for the baby when he or she is born and then up until I can figure out what I want to do. Until then, I need to put plans in place and try to figure out what I’ll do when I can no longer dance or work for several weeks after giving birth.
“You’re not too late honey. So far, you’ve been the only one to show up for today’s audition. Have you ever danced in a club before?” the woman asks me, her tone warm and inviting.
“No. I dance at home when I’m alone. Not gonna lie to you, so there’s the truth,” I respond to her, trying to avoid the gaze still burning into me as I stand in front of everyone in my spandex shorts and a sports bra.
“That’s more than most girls walk in here with,” one of the men say as they all begin to laugh.
I don’t respond or laugh because I’m here for a job. I’m not here to make friends or be nice to the other dancers. That’s not to say I’m going to be a massive bitch to anyone else. I’ll talk if I’m talked to but that’s about it. There is no reason for me to get close to anyone here. It’s just a means to an end until I can’t dance or work anymore. Based on the job I’d be doing here, once I give birth, my time dancing will be over with. Then, I’ll be unemployed again and have to find another job. One where I can work during the day because I won’t be able to work nights once I have a baby. There is no way to find a sitter who works overnight because those are my hours.
“Is there any particular song you’d like to dance to? Or just whatever comes on?” an older man asks his voice filled with amusement as I can’t seem to keep my mind off the man still staring at me.
No, I haven’t turned to look in his direction again, but his eyes are burning into the side of me. I’ve never felt someone looking at me so intensely before in my life. However this man makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. To say it’s unnerving would be an understatement as well. There is no way in hell I’m going to be able to do anything but mess up my audition with his eyes burning holes into me. This is crazy as hell and fates way of fucking with me by seeing this man again when I least expect it and because I have no clue how to tell him I’m pregnant.
“I’m good with however you normally do things. There is no right or wrong. Based on what I do is how you’re going to make your decision,” I answer the man, my voice getting stronger as I still avoid the other man’s gaze.
“Alright. Get up on stage and we’ll get a song playin’ in a second,” the man I spent the night with growls out, his voice washing over me as the front door opens and the biker from outside steps just inside the door.
Walking around the table where everyone is sitting, I place my sweats and tee-shirt on the top step before the stage. I don’t want to trip on these clothes while I’m trying to impress these bikers and woman enough for me to get a job. I’ll do whatever the hell it takes to get this job and make the most money I can. This is in no way because I want to strip but because I need to. For my grandma and the baby. If it weren’t for them, I would be going to college and getting my degree in something. I’m not even sure what I’d want to go for at this point in my life. There’s way too much going on for me to even know where my education would go. Other than maybe some sort of caregiver or social worker.
Bad Intentions by Niykee Heaton begins playing just after I take the center of the stage. Moving my body as I let my eyes slide closed as the music takes over. The words don’t do anything to me as I let the actual beat of the music sway me. Still, the look of the biker penetrates me and makes me almost figure out what the hell I’m supposed to do in order to keep my mind on the task at hand and nothing more. The song ends and I open my eyes, trying to keep my gaze locked on the woman and older man sitting next to her. There is no way they’re not together with the way he’s got his arm placed around the back of her chair and how close he’s sitting next to her.
“Why don’t you come down here so we can talk about a few things,” the woman says, her voice raised higher than before. “I’m Tonya by the way. This is Blood the President of the Kings Vengeance MC, my son Scathe, Crave, Vanish, and Bounce. The big guy back there close to the door is Breaker and my other son, Ace, is behind the bar.”
“It’s nice to meet you Tonya,” I say, ignoring everyone else. “My name is Trinity.”
It might not be the best decision I’ve ever made, but there’s nothing I can do about it because I refuse to let Crave, the biker I now know is the man I was with, realize I’ve been thinking of him since that night we shared. I don’t want to look at any of the bikers because there is no way in hell I’ll be giving them any sort of attention because I’ll never walk down that road again. We’ll say that night a few months ago was a moment of insanity not to be repeated. As soon as I can get over knowing he’s this close and nothing is ever going to happen between us ever again, the better off I’ll be. All I want to do is make sure he knows about the child we created so I can make sure I’ve done my duty.
“Is there any reason you’re ignorin’ us, Trinity?” Crave questions, his voice low and harsh while still being sexy.
Yes, he put a slight emphasis on my name to let me know there’s a chance he remembers our night together. A tremor runs through me at the thought of being on this man’s mind since then. I don’t need to react to him at all but I can’t seem to help myself. Not. When it comes to him.
“Yes, there is. I’m here for a job. Tonya, your name was on the ad so I’m guessing you’re the one who is doing the hiring. I’m sorry if I’m being rude or not following protocol, but I’m here for a job and nothing more than that. Do I stand a chance of getting hired?” I ask, turning my attention back on Tonya and only on her.
“That’s a good thing,” Tonya says a smile lighting up her face. “Every other damn dancer I’ve hired lately seems to fall for one of these asses and I lose them from the stage. So, yes, you are getting a job as a dancer. You’ll be working with Heaven starting tomorrow morning. It’s just for a few hours a day until you’re ready to get on stage. You will be earning a wage but not getting tips obviously. You’ll need to prepare yourself as far as buying the lingerie and outfits you’ll be dancing in. We’ll provide the wig and colored contacts required while you’re here at work. It’s a level of protection for the girls so it’s less likely the men here to watch you will be able to recognize you when you’re not on stage or walking the floor between dances.”
“Okay, I don’t have a problem with any of that. My only question is how long it’s going to be before I can get up on stage,” I tell Tonya, still not looking at any of the men other than thanking Breaker when he brought me over a bottle of cold water.
“It depends on what Heaven says after working with you. She knows her shit and I listen to what she says. If she tells me it’s gonna be a week or a month, that’s what it will be unless you change her mind by busting your ass and putting in more work than anyone else,” she tells me, her voice firm and not letting me get away with anything. “Is there some reason you need to start sooner than that?”
“I’m not hiding anything if that’s what you’re asking. I just need a job and have been out of work for a while. Things have changed and come up in the last few days and this is my best option for a job and making the kind of money I need,” I tell her, not wanting to go into detail with a crowd surrounding us.
“I’ll accept that for now. All I’m gonna say is we’ll be here if you need help or something comes up. All I need you to do for now is hand over your license so I can make a copy of it and sign the rules. Tomorrow morning we’ll go over all the other paperwork and get you to fill it all out,” Tonya tells me, a small smile on her face.
Grabbing my sweats, I pull my license from the pocket of them and hand it over. Crave takes it from her and heads somewhere behind me with it. He’s the last person I need to know my damn information. However, there’s really nothing I can do about it now. He’s got it and I’ll have to accept whatever he does with it. It’s just a few minutes before he’s back with us and handing my identification back to me. I sign the rules sheet after reading it over and then prepare myself to leave.
“Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
Walking from the club, I don’t bother putting my clothes on while I’m still in there. The less time I have to spend in here with Crave, the better off I’ll be. Hopefully he doesn’t work at the club. If he does, I’ll deal with it. Unfortunately, I don’t have a choice in the matter now. This job is something I need to do and there is no way I can pass it up because of him. Or how he makes me feel. I’ll get over it eventually and everything will be good.
