Page 1 of Sling’s Awakening

Chapter

One

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“I’m heading out, Gin,” Hex says from the doorway of the office, making me look up from the inventory sheets I’ve been going over for the last three hours.

Shit.

Is it already that time?

My eyes slide to the naked lady on the wall who has her legs spread open, and a clock placed between them.

4:00 a.m.

No wonder my temples are throbbing.

“You tipped everyone out?” I ask as I set my pen down and lean back in my chair.

“Yeah.” Hex nods. “It wasn’t my best night. I feel kind of bad because I don’t have much to give Big Jack. He was yelling at the sleazebag bachelor party all night.”

God, they were the worst.

Every time I see we have a bachelor party on the books, I want to stab myself in the eye with a letter opener. They’re always the most entitled pieces of shit who think women are objects they can have their way with. And to make matters worse, they think it’s a free for all. Big Jack always has to remind them that the cover charge only gets them in the door. If you can’t put your money where your mouth is, then get the fuck out.

“Big Jack knows the score, babe. It’ll come back around. Get him to walk you out to your car.”

“I will.” Hex smiles as she pushes off the doorframe to leave. “Have a nice night, Gin.”

“You too, babe.”

An exhausted sigh leaves my lips as I slouch down in my chair. It’s disgusting to think that in twelve hours I get to be right back here doing the same shit all over again.

When I took the manager position, I saw it as an opportunity to make a steady income and finally buy the house I’ve been dreaming about since the day I turned eighteen. And to be honest, I was over showing my cat every night.

Stripping had never been my passion or my dream job. I happened to fall into it during an amateur event when I was out drinking with my friends. The money from that hooked me in. It stayed that way for a good ten years.

But I was over it.

When the previous manager ended up leaving, Russ, the owner of Losti Ravn Gentleman's Club, made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I had been there longer than any of the other girls, so I knew the place inside and out.

So stupidly I took it, not realizing I'd end up working twice as many hours as I had when I was stripping. And the kicker is, the only thing I’ve accomplished is moving out of my shitty apartment and buying a home in Virginia Beach.

I still end up picking up a shift on the pole a couple times a month to try to replenish my savings account when it’s available, which I drained for the down payment. But lately, with the way the vibe has been around here, I’m trying to budget so I don’t have to do that.

And I’m just fucking exhausted at this point.

I need to go home and get some sleep.

It’s not like the fucked-up inventory is going anywhere.

Just as I shut my computer down and gather my bag, Big Jack pops his head into the office.

“You stayin’ much longer?” he asks.

“No, I’m heading out right behind you.”

He nods as he waits for me to turn the lights off and lock the office door behind me.