Penelope Pt 2
(All characters, places and events depicted in this story are 100% fictional)
---Continued from Pt 1---
Rhonda promptly picked me up at seven after I had settled my account with King's Inn. She looked sleepy. I asked her,
"You look tired. Was it a busy night at work?"
Rhonda said, "I may as well tell you. Wendy and I are exotic dancers at the C-All club."
I asked, "You teach dance lessons there and why at night?"
Rhonda laughed and said, "No, silly. We strip there at night. Men watch us while we take our clothes off and stuff dollars in our panties or garters."
I was shocked but I quickly recovered. This was going to be my new normal? I had heard of strippers in Vegas but never knew in detail what it meant or what they did. NaΓ―ve me!
We reached our place. I unloaded my suitcase and started putting things away in my little room. At last I felt a little bit of security having my own place, albeit I shared it with two others.
I started getting ready for work. There was no point wearing good clothes to work if I would be stuck doing menial jobs. So I put on a pair of jeans and a simple white blouse which I tucked in and wore sensible shoes. I walked to work and was there before eight. No one was there yet. So I unlocked the front door and got the coffee machine going. On the front desk was a note for me asking me to go to the Donut Haven in our block and get a dozen glazed assorted donuts. There were two dollar bills clipped to the note.
I marched to the Donut Haven and got my dozen for $1.80 and came back. By that time, there was a girl waiting outside. She said her name was Misty and she was an actress. She had on jean shorts and a white top which was tied at the waist revealing her belly button. She wore white heeled shoes.
I let Misty in who said,
"You are the new girl, huh?"
I said, "I just joined yesterday. Greg put me in charge of the front desk doing office work and cleaning."
Misty said, "There is more money to be made in acting."
I didn't say anything. By that time, Monique arrived wearing a jean skirt and a green halter top. She wore white sneakers. Misty introduced me to Monique. The two girls went into the studio.
Then, Greg walked in with another man called Mike. Now it became clear to me that these three, Misty, Monique and Mike were going to be part of the movie called "Heaven," a porn flick, not a religious movie!
All were glad to see the coffee and donuts. Greg said,
"Good job, Penny with getting the coffee going and getting the donuts."
I said, "Here is the fifteen cents change from the donuts."
Greg said, "Keep it. Do you want to get going with setting the props? It is pretty easy. Here is the key to the video and props room. Get prop set marked 2. In other words any objects you see in that room with a label of "2," bring it or wheel it over to the studio room, OK?"
I took the key and proceeded to the prop room and unlocked it. I was at least glad that I had some work to do rather than cleaning and mopping. I felt good that I was making myself useful.
A prop with label 2 was a vertical standing screen-like structure with the picture of a window and blue skies and palm trees behind the window. I wheeled it into the studio and parked it in front of the wall that had the backlit fluorescent tubes. Much of the other props were just thin non-shiny plastic sheets, bed sheets, pillows, vases, etc. that would quickly brighten up a dull room and make it look more welcoming.
By that time Mike came in saying,
"Looks good. You learn quickly."
Then he brushed past me and on his way to the wardrobe room he squeezed my right buttocks. I was shocked and I immediately moved away saying,
"You can't do that!"
Mike laughed saying, "It comes with the job. Greg says he is paying an extra $2 per hour for additional duties. Getting your ass or other body parts squeezed is part of your additional duties."
This time period was decades before the advent of the MeToo# movement and sexual harassment awareness and training in the workplace.
I regretted not clarifying with Greg the previous day regarding my extra duties. I had been observing how my old normal was getting quickly replaced by the new norm -- living with two strippers, working in an X-rated movie studio and letting men touch you inappropriately.
Greg came in to assess if the set was ready. He said, "Good job."
He then proceeded toward the costume room and on his way took his right hand, slid it quickly between the buttons of my blouse and gave my right boob a squeeze through my thin white bra. I said,
"What are you doing?"
Greg said, "You asked for it. If you don't want to be a prop girl, you can be part of the movie if you like. It pays more."
With that he vanished into the costume room. Mike returned wearing a pair of silk shorts and a sleeveless tee shirt. It looked like he was ready for movie action. Soon, Greg returned wheeling video camera equipment and portable lights. By that time, the studio door opened and Juan came in saying,
"Hey, Penny. How are you doing?"
I wanted to punch Juan for lying to me. I said,
"Juan, you lied to me. You said I was going to be a movie star and now I am in a porn studio!"
Greg said, "Relax. I never lied to you. You see Misty, Monique and Mike. They are professional actors in their 20's and they are going to be acting in a movie. I never lied to you. You did not ask enough questions and that's your fault. Greg is the director. He can give you a part in the movie if you ask him nicely. I am just the camera guy."