i've been thinking a lot about stripper!reader x pricenik so here's price and reader meeting for the first time
you're tired.
you're always tired but especially tonight, bones aching, legs sore, face strained from smiling at men whose eyes veer lower. it's a good thing though, while the half-lidded gaze on your face may come off as seductive it is nothing but pure exhaustion.
as your hands trail over patrons, curving your body this way and arching it the other, you run through the night. playing through it to see how much money you made. you got called over to a group twice, letting them tuck various bills against the waistband of your panties. they brought you on stage, albeit in a group. the newcomers got better tips than you, and you swore you heard one of the regulars say you needed to retire (which is ironic because he looks like he has one foot in the grave).
all that on top of the barest of bare minimum wages, your total for tonight is: not enough.
the loud bass of the club hides the grumble of your stomach, trying to sway to the music as if you aren't about to topple over. there are less people than they were an hour ago, men retreating back to their wives as if they weren't squirming under someone else's stare.
briefly, you think back to earlier on stage, and maybe that man has a point. you should retire. well. quit in this case. unlike him, you're nowhere near the age to retire. you can't imagine living out the rest of your days like this, performing till the day you die. breaking your neck taking a wrong step in your heels, slipping in the middle of a performance.
the calling of your name, stage name, breaks you out of your morbid mindset. the bouncer by the private rooms nods at you, gesturing for you to go inside. it's a distraction from your head, but not a nice one.
as you pass the man, he tells you the room number. four. not your usual station, but the couch there is a bit nicer. and velvet.
pulling back the curtain, you find him already waiting. he's a decent lookin man, mutton chops connecting to a ‘stache, with a slightly receding hairline. where his looks excel is with his body, a stereotypical show of masculine faith. if you were new, you'd find him charming.
if only.
throwing on a coy smile, you drop the curtain behind you, feeling it brush your exposed body, "usually i'm the first one in here.”
his eyes meet yours, a light color unknown due to the harsh violet that shrouds the room. his mustache curves, eyes crinkling at your statement, “i was eager to sit.”
funny. so were you.
you slowly move towards him, hips swaying in that way most guys love. his eyes watch you carefully, one of his hands resting on his leg, fingers drumming against his knee cap.
the space between his legs is filled by you, looking down at the man before you, "mind if i take a seat?' a classic. men love having a pretty thing perched in their lap, to have something so beautiful within arms reach appealing.
"not at all," muttonchops shuffles in his seat, moving to the side and patting the space next to him.
for a moment, you wonder if you're seeing things, if his hand meant to gesture there instead of his lap. that being said, you don't get paid to wonder. hiding your confusion, you take the seat beside him, leaning against the back of the couch.
"so, what brings you here mister.." the word hangs off your tongue as you tilt your head, elbow pressed against the couch while you brace your cheek against your fist. even as you shift in your seat, his eyes never leave your face, haven't left your face since the moment you walked in. "john," he responds, repositioning himself so he doesn't have to twist his head to the side to stare, "and you are?"
you shake your head playfully, "i asked you a question first. think it's fair you answer it before you ask your own," the toe of your heel pokes at his leg, eyes darting to the appendage smoothly. so he can look elsewhere.
he shrugs, "fair. well," he crosses his arms, staring at the ceiling, "i'm here 'cause.. i want to be," it's cheeky, his answer and the stare he sends your way after.
"that's pretty vague," you pout, leading him to chuckle, the baritone echoing in your ear, "i s'pose it is. now," he mirrors your pose, opting to rest his arm on the back of the couch. "your name?"
a part of you doesn't want to give it to him, extend more of this banter, but guys are only here for one thing, and you'd rather get it over with, "dolly." one of his eyebrows raise at that, "dolly?" he parrots it back at you, and you nod.
john hums, staring deep into your eyes before breaking out into a smile, "that's pretty," and his smile is warm enough to almost flatter you. almost.
"you say that to all the girls, john?" his name is said in a huskier tone, slowly beginning to closing the distance as you lean towards him. john remains unphased, not moving an inch, "only the pretty ones," it comes off more matter the fact than cheeky, but you don't let it dissuade you.
instead, you just grin, inching closer to him, "well, i'm glad you think i am," a hand comes up to caress his face, brushing his cheek. there's something in your eyes, it being hard to read due to the lights. you get even closer, your chest nearly touching his-
"think we can save the touchin' for some other time, dolly?"
your whole body stills, the request taking you aback but john just looks down at you sweetly, like a parent gently chiding a child. slowly, your hand retreat from his face, sitting back a little. the shift earns an approving hum from john, "good girl. now," he adjusts in his seat, arm laying over the back of the couch again. this time it brushes your shoulders, "heard them say y'were a good listener. that the truth?" he fishes a carton of cigarettes from his jacket pocket, opening it with one hand and grabbing a cigarette.
"..yes," a meek response, all your focus on him. like how he places the cigarette between his lips, fetching a lighter from his coat. the sound of it igniting echoes in the small room, the warm light of the flame letting you see the detail of his lips.
capping it, he tucks the lighter back into his pocket, inhaling before prying the cigarette from his lips, smoke billowing past his lips.
what feels like hours becomes seconds as his eyes are back on you, an easy smile on his face, "think y'can listen to an old muppet and his woes?" it's teasing, like he's daring you to say no.
your head begins to nod, but his eyes narrow, only softening when you reply with an audible "yes."
"good," is all he says before bringing the cigarette back to his mouth, taking another puff before recounting his grievances.
----
you're having one of those weird dreams again.
you got invited into one of the private rooms, but the client didn't want to touch you, nor the other way around. all he wanted to do was talk, ramble on about his miseries, how his marriage is falling apart and the domestic life isn't made for a man like him.
what an odd character for your mind to make up. usually, it's someone more violent, cruel. but for once, he seems normal.
dolly.
maybe even nice.
dolly.
slowly, your eyes blink open, someone rousing you form your stupor. looking to the side, there's a man beside you. he matches the man from your dreams; bushy mustache, thick muttonchops, caterpillar eyebrows and-
this man isn't from your dreams. he's from the club. from the present.
you jolt awake, leaning away from him. hands automatically come to fix yourself, your lips stumbling over apologies -i'm sorry i- i'm so so sorry i didn't mean to.
you don't know how it happened. one moment, you were nodding along to his words and the next? you nodded off. fuck, he's probably going to complain to the manager, make him cut your pay for being so negligent with a client.
you can hardly hear john over your own frantic apologies, having to direct your attention back to him by touching your shoulder, "hey, hey, stay with me pretty, you're okay."
it takes you longer than you like to calm down, john guiding you through a couple of breaths. once your breathing is even, he speaks again, "do you want to sleep?"
guilt gnaws at you because yes, you do want to sleep, desperately. you're exhausted, having worked endlessly for little to money, but you also don't want to lose it by literally sleeping on the job.
"no," the response makes john's stare harden, like earlier, and you know there's only one way to revert it, "..yes."
like clockwork, his gaze softens, his hand falling from your shoulder, "okay," is all he has to say.
he readjusts the two of you, positioning yourselves like earlier. your head rests against his shoulder, and you realize john has to slump a little more in his seat to make it so. swallowing down the lump in your throat, you begin to open your mouth but john beats you to it.
"don't want to hear a peep from you, understood? just sleep, dolly," it's a command, albeit a gentle one. you're tempted to argue, to tell him that this is weird, isn't what you're meant to do, but your eyelids get heavier and heavier with each passing second, and you pass out against his shoulder.
----
the following morning, you leave work well rested, a hand on your back guiding you to your car,
and a fat wad of cash in your pocket.















