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to buy anything for else. 
     
    Spending money always makes me hungry and I ask Marcus if he knows a good place for sushi. He assures me he does, and moves into traffic. I think for a minute about what I just asked him and whom he normally drives, “Um, Marcus, do you know a good place for sushi that I can afford?”
    “Yes Miss, I know several.” However, he makes a U-Turn. I wonder where he was taking me originally, probably a place that Jonathan eats at often. I am glad I said something. After my sushi lunch, I bring Marcus a California roll and a bottle of water back to car, he looks surprised but appreciative, and I have him take me to the club. It’s 5 o’clock and I start at seven. It gives me plenty of time to have Samson make me pretty again.
     
    When Marcus pulls up to the club the doorman opens the door of the SUV for me, I thank Marcus and go into the club. I say hi to the cashier and she waves without looking up from her intouch magazine. Down I go into the club and I head over to the manager. There he is, in the same spot, still sitting on a bar stool, with a Starbucks and reading the paper.
    “Well if it isn’t the new girl Lenox. How are you? Back for more I see, and you’ve done some shopping I’d guess by all the bags,” as he gestures to my packages.
    “Yes, back again and I did do a little damage.”
    “Good thinking. While you are here let me tell you about table dances and the champagne room. Table dances are twenty bucks, no touching, you keep half and we get half. You have to ask the men in here for a table dance, they rarely ask you. Some girls really hustle for them; you need to figure out your approach. When the guy says yes, you call over one of the security men, the guy pays him, and they will make change if needed, but hand you a ten and keep a ten for the club. Any money the guy gives you after that is all yours. When you dance it’s one song, no touching him and him no touching you. If a guy touches you and we don’t catch it, stop and wave for us and we will come over and remind him of the rules.” Easy enough, I thought and I like the no touching part.
     
    “Now the champagne room is different. A man will request your presence in the room and the champagne manager will come and tell you. He will tell you what the guys wants you to do and you can agree, or not, if you agree the manager will make sure you get paid for each hour you are in there. Any tips you make inside are yours, and as they say ‘what happens in the champagne room stays in the champagne room’ is true and that’s all I have to say. When you are wanted I will let the manager fill you in more. The most important thing you need to know is that you can refuse to go, and you can leave when you want and for any reason. I don’t pressure my girls here. Got it?”
    “Got it” I told him.
    “Good, have a great shift,” and went back to his paper and coffee.
     
    When I got into the locker room, I started to unpack my new things, and found the lock I bought. I chose a locker and started to hang things up, then the door flew open and ghetto Dorothy came in. Today she was wearing a long straight red wig, a red patent leather looking dress with red boots up to her thighs. She had bright red shiny lips and long red fingernails. I wondered to myself if her bush was red today.
    “Hi.” I ventured.
    “Back again I see, well we must not have scared you away yet.” Nevertheless, she smiled a warm smile that I took to be endearing.
    “What’s your name?” I asked, “I mean your real name?” I wasn’t sure if she would tell me.
    After a beat she did, “Well my stage name is Shaniqua, white guys love the idea of messing with some girl from the ghetto. I was born Elaine though, and I am from Lakeshore Drive in Chicago, far from the ghetto.”
    “Hi Elaine, I’m Lenox but really Katherine. Nice to meet you,” and I put out my hand.
    She shook it and then started to change her clothes. “Do you know where