He looked at his reflection in the mirror, after a whole month training at the gym, some of his features had changed. He gained weight, muscles, his waist slimmed. Bradley just told him that he was going to advance to the choreography training. It's been grueling, especially because he had to work nights as a bouncer at The Silver Tongue and spent the entire morning until afternoon at the gym.
The real work hadn't even started, he'd only watched the shows from the sidelines and learned what it was all about. He was not one who shied away from being in the nude, he doesn't mind to be completely naked and being displayed on a stage. The only thing that worries him was what Charlie might think about his new profession. People were not allowed to touch him, but some of them would want to. People were not allowed to offer him money to have a private session with him, but they tried.
"You'll be offered money ... more money than you've ever seen, probably, to do all sorts of things you've never even heard of ... they'll give you drugs to enhance your performance, they'll sell you out to people you'd never imagined would even meet in your lifetime ... they will show you wonderland ... but you get to choose, you always get to choose ... to go with it or stay focus on what you're really doing here ... this is a job, a legalized male stripping job, but a legal and decent way to earn a living nonetheless ... it's entertaining, and it pays well, you don't have to be a prostitute just because you're being paid to take off your clothes ... you have that choice ... never forget that!!" Simon told them at the briefing.
He wondered how many people would see it as a decent job, he hadn't decided that himself. Charlie was always on his mind. With the looks of things, he was not going back in two months. He had no idea how he can possibly contact her to let her know that, he couldn't get out of his schedule, he needed the job, but he also needed her to be okay.
The gym was a good distraction from his frustration, the work was good. Goldstone is a city of temptations, and being in the center of the city's nightlife meant the temptations was five times harder. The booze, the drugs, the girls, the sex was all around him everyday. He was learning his place in the middle of all that. He reminded himself all the time, why he was there in the first place, he wanted to do more, because he wanted Charlie.
Jeremy was a good friend to have, he had his own struggle in Goldstone. He had been there longer than him, and he never left. Jeremy always had his feet on the ground, focused on his goals, he had his girls from time to time but he didn't have a steady girlfriend. But then again, Jeremy had never been a stripper. Tom knew this was just the beginning, or at least he tried to convinced himself that it is. As he watched all those men performed a show on stage, stripped down naked at the end of it, he braced himself for the next time, it would be his turn
**********
"Brad ... I have to go back for Christmas," he pleaded as soon as he heard his contract was going to be extended for another four months.
"What are you talking about? Tom ... this is your first night on stage and you're already talking about going back home?" Bradley said. "Christmas will be the jackpot! Believe it or not, there are tons of people who don't celebrate the holiday with their families ... they'd rather hang out here and watch you stripped down to your bare bottom," Bradley continued. "Besides ... what are you going back for? You'll make a ton of money here and then you can go back and spend it all in Spring," he added.
He knew it was asking too much, but he had to try. He shook his head in frustration, he won't be back to Bluebridge until April. "What is it Tom? Is there a girl back home?" it was almost always the case with the new boys. Tom didn't have to answer to confirm what he already knew. "You're young Tom, in fact, one of the youngest we've ever had, we had to make a fake ID for you ... the only reason why we do that is because I have faith in you, you got the looks, the body, the IT factor that most guys here don't have, I see potential in you and you should use that to your advantage."
Tom sat on Brad's office chair staring blankly. The only thing he could think of was how much he had disappointed Charlie. "Loose the girl, Tom, or you'll loose your opportunity here," Brad said. Tom covered his face with both his hands, wondered if he had probably already done that single handedly.
"Look, you should go change 'cause Maxine Roberts is coming, she always come to asses the new line up before you go up the stage." Bradley sat back on his chair and put up his feet on the desk.
"Maxine Roberts? The producer?" Tom recognized the name.
"Oh yeah ... she loves the boys ... she comes here and handpicked them herself ... for all kinds of purposes, she's very frisky, I have to warn you," Bradley laughed. "But if she likes you ... she likes you," he added.
"And she's just one of the names I can give you ... you've seen our guests, right? They all work in the industry, they're high up in the industry ... use this opportunity to go where you wanna go, that's all I'm saying," he tried to convince him.
He was now more nervous to meet with the Producer than actually going up the stage for the first time. "I guess I'll go change now," he said.
"Great! I'll meet you at the backstage dressing room in a few minutes than ... good luck, Tom," Bradley stood up and tapped him on the back before he went out the door.
*********
MAXINE ROBERTS
They stood side by side in the dressing room. The fresh new batch of the Silver Tongue Chippendales. There were five of them, all wearing the same sailor's uniform, a very skimpy underwear underneath and toned muscles that's been smeared with oil before they put on their clothes. Bradley had told them to wait for him in that formation because he was bringing a special guest to meet them before the show.
Bradley entered the room with an eccentric looking middle-aged woman, dressed in a glittery silver suite, her hair was silvery white, dyed, she wore an ellipse shaped sunglasses, bright blood red lipstick and silver stars earrings that dangled from her earlobes almost touching her shoulders. Her skin tone pale white, a contrast from her bright red lipstick. When she took off her shades, she didn't looked as old as her hair would suggest.
Her expression stern, her eyes sharp, one look at her, anyone would be convinced, she's a woman of power. Her slim figure suggest that she stayed in shape. The way she entered the room made everyone stopped and looked and realized she's the one everyone was waiting for.
A smaller figure followed behind her, another very distinguished woman that turned heads, mostly because of the way she dressed. A kind of Burlesque fashion meets vintage 1920's, all wrapped in a petite body of Deeta Lee Rose. She smiled at Tom as soon as she spotted him in the middle of the row.
Maxine Roberts didn't say a thing, she just looked at each and every one of them in the eyes with cold stare. She took off her silver gloves and brushed them on their cheeks as she walked pass them. Once she got to the end of the row, she turned around and walked back. This time she touched their stomachs and felt their chests. No one dared to return her gaze, except Tom. She stopped in front of him and stared him down, he didn't blink. She smiled with the right part of her lips, and turned to Bradley, "I like this one," she commented.
Tom finally shied away from her gaze and looked down. She put her hand on his stomach and traced her way up slowly through his chest and neck, and cupped his face. Turned it to the left and right.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Tom Raven."
"How old are you?"
"Twenty one," he remembered.
She raised her eyebrow. "I'll be looking out for you," she said and walked away. "A fine batch you have here, Bradley, we'll talk later," she said before leaving the room. Deeta followed behind her and gave Tommy a look and a knowing smile.
He let out a silent sigh of relieve, his heart was beating fast. Maxine Roberts was on the top hierarchy of Goldstone movie industry, everything she touched turned to gold. She produces more than half of the box office movies in the past ten years. She handpicked everyone and everything for the production of her movies. To be able to meet her in person and be acknowledged by her was a stroke of luck. She was well known for her eccentricities, perfectionism, hard work and high quality of her works. He felt a boast of confidence from that meeting. That night he performed for the first time on the stage, under the watchful eyes of Maxine Roberts.