Victoria

Victoria 

I hate to lose. I’m very competitive. “You’ll be good at it!” My friend said. “Yea right…I would never attempt and no one would hire me anyway. I don’t even have boobs!” I responded. Then he says…”Bet.”

So that Saturday, I drove an hour away to the first place we found on Google. I told him I’d be back after I got rejected. He seemed to think otherwise and he was right.

“You ever done this before?” Dom (a bald headed buff Italian man) asked me. He looked like a bodyguard but he was the manager. I told him absolutely not. “Get on stage and dance.” I had on my everyday heels from home and did as he asked. I chose one of my favorites “That’s The Way Love Goes” by my idol Janet Jackson. 

Before the song was over Dom told me to stop. “Do you have shoes?” He asked. I told him I didn’t. He told me the cook would drive me down the street to get some. So there I was… sitting in the passenger seat of her pick up truck in complete shock. I had lost the bet.

I filled out the application and was told I was hired. “What’s your name going to be?” Dom asked. I had no idea. I hadn’t even thought that far. Nothing sounded good. I could tell he was getting impatient, so I blurted out “Victoria! Like Victoria’s Secret since it’s a secret I’m here .” Dom was fine with that.

I made a few hundred dollars that night and I worked until the club closed. I don’t know how I got through that night. I wasn’t 21 so I couldn’t drink. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing, but it was fun. The “Veteran” dancers were nice and the customers were as well. Everyone was happy and having a great time. 

It was easy to tell who the top girls were and who were trash or visitors. But there was respect all around an no one broke the rules inside. There really was no sex in the champagne room back then. If a girl wanted to take things further, she did it outside the club after her shift. I still can remember the first night I made over $1,000. The guy was obsessed with me and had plenty of money. So of course I made sure my friends joined us during the “dances” so they made money too. He spent money well and all he wanted to do was drink and have us listen to him brag about himself.

Bachelor parties were the best. I was too afraid to do them outside of the club, but I had a lot of fun when we did them there. It was a guaranteed money making night if the groom liked you because that meant all of his friends liked you too (and of course they were footing the bill). I was always looking out for the men I met. Reminding them not to get too drunk and to remember they have lives outside of those doors. I had to let them know the night wouldn’t last forever but mistakes would.

I ended up quitting my other 2 jobs after about 3 months because I was making more money on a Friday and Saturday night than I would all week! I would literally hide money in my glove compartment and trunk because I didn’t know what to do with it. So for a few months, I spent most of the “work week” going out to eat and hanging out with friends. Then once the weekend came I was getting paid to socialize and dance. It was perfect.

I’ve always been a very openly sexual person, so dancing truly was fun for me. It was like an outlet without having sex. I wasn’t even sleeping with anyone in or outside of the club and I didn’t have the urge to. I supposed working in a sexually charged atmosphere can do that. I would still be surprised and humbled every time a man or woman came to tip me and compliment me. I was appreciative inside but exhibited pure lust and control on the outside. “Victoria” was who Janee was behind closed doors. The lady that only a few lucky people got to see in private in the real world was on display on that stage.

One night, one of the D.J’s asked me if I would ever work the day shift. I didn’t even know that was a thing. I couldn’t fathom who would come to the club during the day. I couldn’t imagine there being any money to be made. I wasn’t doing anything during the day but spending money and sleeping. So I told him I’d give the day shift a try.

Yes, you’re right. I loved it! I started work at noon and would finish by 5pm unless I decided to work the night shift. It was intimidating at first because I was unfamiliar with these ladies and they had their own regulars. I ended up bonding with them and developing my own clients. Of course it wasn’t as busy and the atmosphere was more quiet and intimate, but I enjoyed it. I spent a lot of time talking to businessmen, doctors and wealthy clients. I learned all I could from them and made genuine friendships. 

One guy bought me lunch and snacks for the other ladies at least 4 times a week. Another always stopped in when he was in town to talk to me about his wife and to make sure my bills were paid for the month. Another was a man who had low confidence, but I became his cheerleader. He ended up introducing me to his girlfriend and she thanked me for giving him the confidence needed to finally ask her out.

I dated 2 men while working there (not at the same time of course). They both met me there and understood that work stayed at work and that I was extremely loyal. They even came to see me while working which I didn’t mind. I just hated for them to see me dance on stage. I was self conscious when they were in the crowd. If they asked me to dance at home one on one, I was too shy. I’m confident, but sometimes not as confident as people think. I’m more confident in front of strangers than I am with people I actually know. I care about the opinions of people that I know personally, as opposed to strangers.

I love those girls to this very moment. We looked out for each other and spread the wealth. It was a beautiful sisterhood. All different types of young ladies, all different shades and body types. We were a team. Many of them now are doctors, teachers, nurses and have families. We’re all Facebook friends! Working at the club was a fun temporary job for all of us and we used it for what we needed it for. I told myself I’d stop after 2 years and I did. I gave myself a time frame because I didn’t want to become a “lifer”.

I don’t think there should be any judgement if the job is done right. You’re there to dance and entertain. Not to sell sex and get involved in drugs and human trafficking. The exploiters, thieves and criminals give the business a bad name. But the ones who do it right would tell you they enjoyed it as much as I did. This job set me up for the perfect getaway that I needed away from the prior toxic relationship.

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