LADY S

The next morning, happy about my freedom, I went out to look for a job. I didn’t have any particular idea regarding this.

I had been going around the city centre for a few hours, admiring the enormous buildings, the streets crowded with people and traffic, luxurious shops and so on, when, all at once, I turned up in front of a bar with a large sign. It seemed to be a type of disco. At that time of day the bar was almost empty. I noticed some little stages in the form of cubes, surrounded by those high stools that you see in many bars.

Are you looking for someone? – a big man with a full moustache and nice face asked me.

I looked at him. He seemed to be a barman.

I’m looking for a job, sir – I replied, shyly.

Now that I was alone in the big city, I had lost a bit of my nerve. I felt alone and vulnerable.

The man squared me up from top to toe, admired my beauty, then he asked me:

Do you know how to dance?

I didn’t know what to reply. I had some experience of modern dance, of disco, but I certainly wasn’t a ballerina.

What type of dance? – I asked.

Well, we’re not looking for a ballerina – he replied laughing. Then, indicating the cubes, added:

It involves moving yourself a bit, to the rhythm of the music, on the cubes. To entertain the customers. They drink and you girls shake yourselves about… And, laughing, he moved his hips. He was funny.

Just like this – he added.

Of course, better than this – he corrected himself.

Then he said to me:

We need a dancer immediately. We had four, but one went away, at high speed.

He winked at me.

The police were looking for her for some drugs business.

He said something to another barman, then added:

I’m not the owner, but in practice I run it.

He squared me up again, then he said to me:

In my opinion, you could dance on the cubes. You’re a beautiful girl and the clients pay more attention to the dancers’ bodies than their talent. Pass by later, when the other girls will be here. They’ll teach you how to move yourself and, if all goes well, you could even start today. Regarding pay, you won’t get rich, of course, but the customers give a lot of tips, above all to the prettiest, so you can make up your earnings. By the way, what’s your name?

I told him my name.

Call me Boss.

And he went away.

I went back several hours later. Boss saw me and indicated to me to follow him. He took me behind the bar, where there was a kind of dressing room with mirrors and neon lights.