"Good morning to you too," Crystal said as she took her seat. "What time did you get up?"

"Actually I never went to bed. I think the night owl in me is trying to get out." Laura picked up her empty mug and walked over to the coffee maker. "I had a period once when I was writing my last book where I couldn't sleep at night for almost a month. What time do you think you'll be home tonight? I have some fresh sea bass I can defrost. Some lemon pepper and rice and it's a meal fit for a king."

"My lip looks better," Crystal said quietly. "I have to go to the club after work and see what's going on."

"I thought all you had to do was pick up your paycheck?" Laura asked as she took her seat at the table.

"I never said I was quitting, just that I would think about it. You know I make more an hour working at the club than I do working for Michael." Crystal pushed her fork through the scrambled eggs. "Maybe I can work at the club part time and keep both jobs."

"Nothing like burning your candle at both ends. Couldn't you find another job at the club besides taking your clothes off? Don't they have waitresses?"

"They didn't hire me to wait tables, Laura. My job there is to go out on stage and take my clothes off to music."

Laura tried not to let the disappointment show in her face. "I don't think working there is a good idea. Look what happened to you. Who knows what could happen if you go back."

"Well, I'm not going to know what's going on until I get there. For all I know, they replaced me and I don't have a job to go back to." I can only wish, Laura thought to herself. "I'm sure Michael will give you extra hours if you need the money. He's good about things like that."

"I can make in one night of dancing with tips what Michael pays me for three days work. That kind of money is hard to pass up." Crystal drained her coffee mug. "We'll see what happens."

"What if I lowered your rent?" Laura knew she could never afford to lose the extra money that Crystal's rent gave but thei.e.of the blonde taking her clothes off for a bunch of horny men was even harder to swallow.

"No, the rent is more than reasonable. Speaking of which, you need to tell me what my half of the utilities are so I can pay you. I'm sure you've gotten some bills in." Crystal shoved the last forkful ofeg.into her mouth. "The best time to hit me up for money is tonight after I pick up my check. Wait until tomorrow and I might have it spent already."

"Don't worry about it. I don't think your share is more than fifty dollars or so."

"Oh please. There's the lights and cable not to mention the phone. I'm sure I've made the water bill go up too."

"The complex takes care of the water bills and you never use the phone."

"I'm still responsible for half of the phone bill whether I use it or not," Crystal said, putting her fork down and pushing the plate away. "That was very good, thanks."

"You're welcome." Laura took a sip of her coffee, trying hard not to bring up the subject of the Tom Cat Club again. Finally it was Crystal that could stand the silence no longer.

"Look, I know you don't like the i.e.of me stripping"

"No I don't," Laura agreed.

"But it's what I did before you met me and most likely it's something that I will continue to do. I may not be proud of it, I may not even like it most of the time but I can't walk away from the good money it gives."

"There has to be a point where the money isn't enough to keep degrading yourself like that."

"Well if there is, I haven't found it yet," Crystal said firmly. "It's legal and certainly a damn lot better than working the alley behind the place, that's for sure."

"I'll agree with you there," Laura admitted. "Can you at least promise that you won't do that, no matter how hard things might seem to be?" This time Laura earned at least the hint of smile from Crystal.

"I haven't done that in years and I have no intention of doing it again. Those days are behind me."

"And maybe someday stripping will be behind you too."

"Maybe. Right now I have to finish getting ready for work and write in my journal before Doc has my head." To Laura's surprise, Crystal reached out and clasped her hand. "Listen, about last night" The hand retreated and the blonde looked at her empty plate. "Thanks for listening. I

I've never told anyone all of that before."

"Anytime you need to talk, I'll be here."

"I would have thought you'd be shocked and disgusted by all of that."

Laura reached out and cupped Crystal's chin, forcing the blue eyes to meet her own. "Yes, most of what you told me was shocking but as for disgust, any that I have is toward your father, none of it toward you." She let go of Crystal's chin, pleased that the young woman didn't turn away but continued to meet her gaze. "It takes a great deal of courage to survive something like that and even more to share with someone about what happened."

"I didn't tell you everything, you know. I figured if I told you everything at once that you'd go screaming out of the room."

"That'll never happen," Laura assured. "Anything you want to tell me, I'll listen."

"You know, sometimes you remind me of Patty. She was really patient with me."

"I'm sure if I met Patty that I'd like her too." Laura looked at her watch. "But you're right, you need to get ready if you're going to get to work on time. You'd better not have left that bathroom a mess."

"Your definition of a mess and mine are totally different but I made sure the towels were picked up and the sink was wiped down." "Close enough. I'll clean it later." Laura watched Crystal rise to her feet. "Can you at least call me and let me know what time you're coming home tonight?"

"Sure." She reached for her plate only to have Laura stop her.

"I'll get them. You go get ready."

The parking lot of the Tom Cat Club was blissfully empty when Crystal pulled in. After a quick check in the rear view mirror to make sure everything was in place, she walked over to the side door and pressed the doorbell. With three hours before the first show, Crystal was certain she would be able to find Rick in his office.

"Crystal!" the burly bouncer said in surprise when he opened the door.

"Hi Randy. Is Rick in?"

"Yeah, he's up by the bar talking to someone. Come on in." The muscle bound man stepped aside and waved his hand. "So when are you coming back?"

"I'm not sure. I have to talk to Rick first."

"Well talk nice. He's been a really fucked up mood the last couple of weeks. Sara and Monica both quit on him and he just found out today that someone's been helping themselves to the liquor. We're about ten cases short."

"Oh great," she moaned. Rick was hard enough to deal with when things were going well. When they weren't, he could be almost impossible to reason with.

"Just use your charm," Randy said. "After the week he's been having, seeing you will brighten up his day."

"We'll see about that," Crystal said nervously as she headed down the hallway.

Rick wasn't at the bar but rather in his office by the time Crystal found him. His door was slightly ajar, allowing her to see him pouring over the club's ledgers. Well here goes nothing. "Rick?" she called, knocking lightly on the open door.

"Crystal, what a pleasant surprise," he said, pointing toward a chair. "Come in and have a seat. I was hoping you'd stop by. I paged you a couple of time but you never returned my call. I was beginning to think we'd never see you again."

"I told you I'd be back after my lip healed," she said as she took a seat.

"Well you look great. Maybe put on a pound or two but you can take that off with no problem, I'm sure. After all, can't hide anything in a G-string, can you?"

"Um, no I guess not. Rick, about coming back to work"

"Oh man, you have no i.e.how hard it's been lately," he continued, pulling a cigarette out of his pack and lighting it. "First Sara says her boyfriend won't let her work anymore and then Monica goes and has one of her little fits and quits on me. I'm telling you, you are a gift from heaven walking in that door."

Oh great. Lay it on, Rick. Deciding that if she let Rick keep on talking he'd have her on stage in ten minutes, Crystal took a deep breath and played the carefully rehearsed lines in her mind one more time.

"It's kinda late notice but I think I can get you in tonight for a set or two."

"Actually that's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Well what? You did come to tell me you were ready to come back to work, didn't you?" The joviality he showed when she first stepped into his office was quickly disappearing.

"I'm not sure I want to do the shows anymore."

"Not sure? What the hell are you talking about?" Rick leaned forward, making the large desk separating them seem smaller and smaller. "What else are you going to do?"

"What about waitressing? Or even helping behind the bar?"

"Men don't pay good money to see your ass sitting behind the bar, they pay it to see you up on stage taking it off for them." "Well maybe I'm tired of taking it off for them, maybe I want to do something else."

"Crystal Crystal Crystal," he said in the most condescending tone she had ever heard. "Look, if you're trying to hustle me for more money it isn't going to work."

"It isn't about the money."

"Well what is it about then?" the manager asked angrily. "I don't need another waitress or bartender. What I need and what I hired you for is to put your ass up on stage and wiggle that fanny for whoever is holding the almighty dollar, you got that?"

"Yeah I got it, Rick," she replied just as angrily. "You know you're not the one up there. You don't have to put up with those greaseballs trying to touch your body. I'm sick of it."