Chapter 4

The deal was signed, the check for the club was handed over and Frank and Grant now owned a run down strip club in Illinois that was in desperate need of renovation and a fresh outlook toward work given to those who chose to work there.

Frank and Grant rented an apartment nearby, just so that they had somewhere to sleep when not at the club. The apartment became sort of an office to them and Vanessa was also making regular trips to St Louis.

Now that the deal was done, the first order of business was to close the original club and start construction. He called everyone together in the big room and introduced himself.

“Good morning everyone. I’m Frank Devon, the new owner of this establishment.” he said to the crowd. The room was full of dancers, weight staff, and others attached to the club. “Mr Tate has sold the club to me and I am planning on turning this place back into a club that people want to come to. A place thriving with business instead of just barely hanging on.”

“What do you know about club life? About running a strip club?” A man’s voice rang out from the back of the room.

“Quite a bit actually. I own Club Velvet, maybe you’ve heard of it. Maybe you’ve heard of the Club Velvet Kitten Contest?” He said to them, and many of them gasped since the contest and the clubs were becoming very well known everywhere.

“Exactly.” He said confidently. “So, with that knowledge and money to back me up, I am going to take this place and turn it into something that we all can be proud of.”

“How long sir?” A woman asked, sitting just a few feet away.

Frank shuffled his feet, scratched his chin, then answered, still unsure of how to tell people the rest of the news. “That’s the hard part. This place is going to close for at least a month while the inside of this building is cleaned out. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s gross.” he said, then wiped his finger across a table.”

“What is going to happen to us while it is closed?” Another woman asked.

“While the work is going on, keeping you all from working, I’m still going to pay your salaries, but once I open again after the initial renovations are done, I will expect everyone to come back. If you don’t, then I’d consider you to quit your job.” He said honestly and seriously. “I’m going to buy the other lots that are around us so that I can expand this club, giving us space for future business.”

“What business?” Someone asked.

He smiled, “That is for me to know and you to find out.” He chuckled at his answer but went on anyway. “Seriously folks, this place is going to get busy and popular, money is going to be made here, and people from all over the area are going to come and visit us. Stick with me, I am confident in my plans for this club.”

He dismissed everyone but one petite girl stayed behind. “Excuse me Frank, Mr Devon, sir. Tate had me suck his cock when I was at work. Are you going to do the same thing?”

Frank looked her over, it was obvious that she didn’t like the idea, and seemed very afraid of having to service him as well. “No.” He said simply.

The relief the tiny girl felt showed in her posture. The tension in her shoulders went away and she seemed to relax all over.

She turned and walked away not saying another word.

What’s her story? He asked his WE.

Too much to tell, but Shannon Tate let her work in the club as a waitress if he got daily blowjobs from her.

Let her work there? I don’t understand.

She is not very good at her job, she tends to drop a lot of drinks and has cost Shannon Tate a lot of money.

Where does she live then? Surely she could get another job somewhere else.

The job market around here is not as good as it is back at your regular home. There are very few jobs for girls her age with no education and no skills. She can’t dance since she is rather clumsy and waiting tables is not something she can handle either. So, she kept Shannon Tate entertained and stayed out of the way and he paid her.

Why didn’t you stop it? That sounds like he kept her as a pet or as a slave.

Because she was here voluntarily and he did pay her.

Frank sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. What am I going to do with her?

Teach her and protect her would be two things the WE suggest.

“Fuck.” Frank mumbled.

He locked the club and left for the apartment. Work was going to start tomorrow and the dumpster was delivered while he was talking to everyone.

The next day and for several days afterward, workmen cleaned out the inside of the club and threw everything away into the dumpster. At the end of the week, the inside of the club was empty, down to the studs in the walls. The renovations began and the new stages were built with reinforced poles so that another dancer won’t get hurt like Naomi did. A new bar was built with a space for the coffee drinks as well mocktails and soda pop. The backstage area was renovated as well giving the dancers lockers for their stuff and tables with big mirrors to get ready at.

While this was going on, the sale of the other lots around him were completed so that he owned all of the land around the club. It was fenced off and signs posted saying that it is the future home of Club Velvet Truck Parking.

Over the course of a year and a half, the rundown PussyCat Club was transformed into a modern, well lit and inviting club for the truckers of the area as well as the people just across the river in St Louis to come over to Illinois and enjoy an evening of entertainment at Club Velvet.

Dancers from Illinois and Missouri were hired and were all now sitting in the main club area the day before their grand opening. The club smelled new. The tile on the floor, the paint on the walls, the HVAC was new, even the roof was new, the club had a feeling of excitement at what was going to happen and how successful they were about to be.

Frank showed them around the stages, backstage, the dressing room, the private dance area and even the VIP lounges that could be rented out for groups or very rich individuals who wanted a dancer(s) undivided attention for an hour or several hours.

Frank had found many women who were looking for something new and different to do with their unlimited lives now that they were young and healthy once again. Housewives were the number one population that came to Frank for a job. Some women who were tired of the 9 to 5 office grind came to him for a job. Even some young women who were there just to make money instead of going to college. All were given a chance to work for him at Club Velvet.

On opening day, at 10am in the morning, Frank, his dancers, wait staff and kitchen staff and all of the people who were supporting the truckers, were all in their position when the doors opened and the men who had been waiting outside came in. Some of them were just there to see what it looked like now, others wanted to see the new dancers and get a private dance, while others wanted to see if there was money to be made off of him.

Then the sheriff showed up.

Bullhorn in hand, he walked in, went to the DJ, stopped the music and then shouted to everyone.

“This is the sheriff of St Clair County and this establishment is closed! Everyone out! Failure to do so will result in arrest!” He said loudly through his bullhorn.

Frank was at the Sheriff’s side even before he could finish his statement.

“Now hang on a minute. There is no law being broken here. I have all of my permits in line. My licenses are in line. You can’t do this!” Frank said, nearly shouting at the man who was supposed to be law enforcement, not law ‘make it up.’