Ava Adore

Turnover Rate

I guess it happens sometime to all of us who stick around one place too long. You look up and suddenly you don’t recognize anyone. All the faces you came to know, laugh with, worry over—they’re missing from the life of the place, faded to decor and then gone.

It’s not all sad, of course. You get girls like Ag. and Rv. who go on to other things, life progress, moving up and moving out and moving on. You get girls who’ve left, hoping for greener pastures at other clubs in a down economy. You get girls fired over stupid shit they didn’t do. You get girls fired over stupid shit they did do.

And you look up and suddenly Ry., Lo., Ls., Ag., Rv., Sk.—they’re all gone. Ah., Cr., they never hacked it past their first month. Ev., Gi., Ri., Br., Dy.—haven’t seen them in weeks, I don’t know where they are or if they’re still with us. Instead I’ve got a ton of girls I have to learn the names of within 2 weeks if they manage to stick around.

And part of that makes me miss the girls I started with terribly… and part of it, oddly, feels a lot like college. It reminds me of my years in university when, each year around this time, your seniors aren’t on campus any more and the freshmen are instead. It feels a lot like that, a mix of forlorn and hopeful.

It’s somehow fitting that the gone girls were my seniors. But it’s also that mixed feeling you get at graduation: you know at some point, it’s going to be you doing the long walk. And you can’t see yourself doing it and you don’t know when—but you know others have gone before you, so you will follow, in time.

Stripping is a business attached to a body clock if nothing else. Circadian rhythm, lunar cycles, and the pull of gravity on the weight of our bones.

Obs: Camaraderie

The girls at the House are really unusual. Not only are we all really, really good looking (and if you didn’t say that in a Zoolander accent, shame on you), 98% of us are total sweethearts who actually care about and look after one another there.

We all have those nights. Nights where you will feel ashamed that you’re crying in the locker room. It will be rare, but it will happen.

Nights you just got into a huge fight with your roommate and its irreconcilable and you used to work together and now you don’t. Or maybe the night your exboyfriend calls and threatens your life. Or maybe the night your kid is sick and you feel helpless.

Sometimes it feels like a sorority of skin, these girls, your sisters. You don’t start out knowing them, but you do in time, these girls slow to unfurl; and when they are gone a few too many days, you start to worry about them. I care more for these girls than any other coworkers I’ve had.

I think it’s because we all share something deeper: there’s something to this that I just can’t explain… and I do wonder if it’s a culture particular to the House. I hear about some catty clubs, some cutthroat clubs. But not ours, and that’s why Lilah and I chose it.

I do hope that somewhere, in other clubs, is a drunken cuddly Ds. ready to help and to listen; I hope there’s an Ag. to talk some loving common sense into a dramatic situation; a Da. with a smile and tight arms for hugging.

I hope for a club where not only your bouncers and managers protect you, but you feel protected by the very bond you share with your coworkers. As Da. said last night, “I don’t know if it’s different other places—but I know I’m happy for it here.”

Shift: 07.11.10, 8pm-4am.

Thanks, new followers!

Okay, I’m a bad human being. Or bad blogger. Your choice. I went into work Friday too, but my weekend was so busy that I didn’t get to write up a summary. You didn’t miss much. Friday was uneventful (for me) and pulled in a grade of B- for the 6-2 shift.

On Saturday, Lilah threw Ry. a birthday party, which was awesome. Dy. and Ag. came as well, and Jo. did too for a hot minute before her ride had to chauffeur another girl. So that left me pretty wiped and I slept until 6pm Sunday, whereupon I woke up and hauled ass into the House.

We were all ‘miserable’ together, so it wasn’t so bad. I think Jo. was the only one mentioned who didn’t work the shift last night. Until about midnight, I had no relevant customers. I had one gent who woulda been a douchebag if I’d given him the time, but somewhere in between all his backhanded compliments, I walked away.

I sat with a kind gentleman, Andy, who had an interest in my gear: that is, I was wearing Lace Domme and he liked the idea of being put into handcuffs, so we got a 15 minute private. A few stage sets later and I danced with Chris, who was drunk but very fun. He was an ideal customer: knew what he wanted and was pleased with what he got.

So he got 1 dance from me, and then later did two double dances with both Lilah and I. “Vegas” Jeff came in for a visit, so we caught up with him, and I also had the pleasure of sitting with a young couple who was a friend of the bartender’s. They treated me to a glass of champagne, a shot, and tipped me well for talking with them.

Costumes were Cherry Kirsch, Lace Domme, and Miss Muppet. No new bruises. Got a lot of good stage tips last night. Gonna head into the House tonight again because Ny. is starting her first shift.

Douchebag Count: 1.
$hift Grade: A-

Shift: 07.06.10, 6pm-2am.

I had fun tonight, even though I didn’t make a lot of money. I should say that was definitely by choice. There were people; I just wasn’t in the mood to hustle. I had one client and I was pleased with said client and that was that.

Hue, alias “Tiffany Bond,” international man of mystery, knighted last evening and gone to school in Moscow (“I meant St. Petersburg! St. Petersburg! Damn. Now I have to kill you. You know too much.”). Obviously, apart from the name Hue, all of that was horseshit. And it was amazing.

He was full of so many funny stories; apparently he comes to the House on an off for something ridiculous like twelve years. No kidding. He looked like Ken Jeong, but balding. He told me about the “Sasquatch Years” and horrible tales concerning his old boss’s breasts and more.

He was friends and a regular of Ag., but she came on after I’d already been sitting with him, so he kept us both and we had a great time. I love hanging with Ag. anyway—and she is a master on the pole, so graceful, and definitely one of our best trick dancers, possibly the best (torn between her and Kt.).

So Hue spoiled us rotten in tips, shots, drinks and dinner. I’ve never had a client buy me dinner at the House before (we have a great kitchen) and it was just really nice and fun and relaxing, which probably set my mood for not feeling like hustling the rest of the night.

After he left, I spent some time with Brey, who came in; she’s Lilah and my other best friend, as I’ve mentioned. Well, now she’s joining us! I showed her around, chatted her up with management, left her to the whims of our house costume designer, and she starts Monday as Nyx (henceforth Ny.).

So I spent the rest of the night bullshitting with Ny. and Sk.; Ny. met the girls and really enjoys watching Ml., her strippercrush, so we made sure to be around whenever Ml. went on stage. Ml. doesn’t do a lot on stage, strictly speaking, but she is such a graceful and elegant dancer that she is just a pleasure to watch.

The fire alarm went off last night… More on that later.

Costumes: Yellow Card and Miss Scarlet. Tried out 2 of the 3 new outfits. I’m on the fence about Yellow Card specifically because I tend to shy from bikini-style tops, but I got compliments on it. Music: Ditching some new ones, thinking of adding Heaven’s a Lie by Lacuna Coil. It’s slow for me, but I love it.

Douchebag Count: 0.
$hift Grade: C