“Who said there’s going to be an after me?” she whispers, a tender smile on her lips. She looks so fucking sweet right now, still glowing from the pleasure racing through her veins. But she’s right; there’s not going to be an after. From the moment our eyes met the first time, I knew I was in for something special… Now I know what that something really is: a whole life of love.
And dirty sex, of course.
I just have to find a way to tell her how I feel.
Why am I so fucking worried about that?
18
Out and About - New York City
Bringing you the skinny on the hottest attractions in and around Gotham…
New Yorkers were stunned today to learn that famed gentlemen's club Dirty Destiny's was raided by NYPD in a broad business-hour assault that arrested many of the dancers and patrons but failed to locate Destiny Renee, the controversial owner of the club.
"For some time now, Dirty Destiny's has been a front for organized crime and prostitution," announced Police Commissioner Lester Vicks during a live press conference. "Today's raid was designed to remove the blight that it was putting on the surrounding community. We hope that with the police action that shut this club down, New Yorkers will now be living in a cleaner, safer city."
Over the years, Dirty Destiny's has become a New York cultural institution. Founded by noted porn star Destiny Renee, the club has had a short but colorful history.
It's played host to world leaders and celebrities, and created a cross-roads between the worlds of politics, sex, money, and celebrity.
Destiny Renee, the 26-year-old founder of the club, was last seen in the club at the time of the raid but was not apprehended by police.
"We believe that this woman is at large in the community," Lester Price announced. "She is armed and should be considered to be extremely dangerous. If anyone has any information on her whereabouts, please contact the NYPD."
Many long-time community residents expressed skepticism at the NYPD raid however, with several business owners stating that they had seen Lester Vicks frequenting the club on many occasions.
Other community residents also recalled the efforts of Dirty Destiny's to add to the surrounding neighborhood, with charity food drives, neighborhood cleanup programs, as well as business alliances.
"I don't really see organized crime and Destiny Renee going together," a local merchant commented when asked about the raid. "Organized crime and Lester Vicks? I can actually see that happening more."
19
Destiny
Sixty-seven.
Dirty Destiny has been closed for sixty-seven straight days, and I can’t help but wonder if it’s going to ever open its doors again. I think of it day and night and, if it weren’t for Austin, I don’t think I’d be able to sleep at all.
I tried calling Lester but, of course, that didn’t solve a thing. “I warned you,” he told me, and I could almost sense his satisfaction over the line. “You should've taken me more seriously, babe,” he continued, going off on an endless monologue about how I was covering for Austin and how I was being a complete fool for trusting a man like him.
“You know what I feel about you, Destiny. Just cooperate and I’ll make it alright… Trust me and I’ll make it worth your while.” Those were his last words to me, and you can already imagine what I did; I hung up on him, seething at his arrogance. He ruins my business, messes with my girls, and then has the nerve to ask me for my help again? “Fuck you, Lester,” I told him right before I slammed the phone down.
It’s not like I could help him, even if I wanted to. I’ve never seen Strokes or whatever her name is again, and Austin isn’t talking about her.
Not that it worries me, even if I knew where she is, I wouldn’t tell Lester. I don’t care about what he does, I’m not helping him, even if that means my ruin. And let me tell you, since he closed down my club that ruin seems like the perfect word for what’s happening.
The first few days after Lester shut us down were the hardest ones. I barely left Austin’s house, completely glued to the TV and the laptop, soaking every bit of information I could get. Most of the girls working under me managed to get away an
d I owe that to Lux, but some of them were held up at the police station for days. It seems that Lester tried really hard to screw me over; he checked for work visas, immigration status, and all kinds of STD tests. Of course, in the end he got nothing. I didn’t open Dirty Destiny to make a quick buck; I did it because I knew how the industry worked, and I thought that women needed a safe place where could they could work, make money, and still keep a regular life. Sure, it helped that I made a lot of money with the club, but that wasn’t really the main purpose behind it.
And now that bastard is stepping all over my dream. You wanna know how much money I invested in that club?
Yeah, let’s not even go there, hun. Let’s just say it’s more than 99 cents, or 2.99 if you bought this book at full price.
Twelve.
That’s how many proper dates Austin and I have had. No strip clubs or bars; we agreed on that pretty early.