Club Harmony

“That’s the thing about this city, it either steals your soul or you leave it before it can.” Wise words of sisterly advice run through Veronica’s mind as she contemplates what to do. Or at least her sister Reece thought it was advice as she made her once a year visit back to her younger sister in an attempt to pretend that she cares. That’s a lie, Veronica knew she cared but she needed help, needed something to go right for her for once and she was very annoyed how true those words were ringing lately.

Life was a mess for her. Not like cheerios and milk spilled on a table. More like honey and gum dropped onto shag carpet and stepped on by a herd of buffalo. “She’s so pretty, I’m sure everything is handed to her”. That was the nicest thing Veronica heard about herself through the rumor mill. If only they knew. Her life was falling apart. First her parents divorced. She was tough, she could handle it. Then her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was tough as nails, nothing could bring her down. Two years later her mom passed. Now she needed help. She sought help from a man, but as soon as that man got her pregnant he was more scarce than a fish in a desert.

A desert, that’s what her bank account was. A desert where the sand was expenses and water (or lack thereof) was a way to pay them off. She was sure she stumbled on an oasis last week. Little did she know it was a mirage. When push came to shove she knew she had to feed her son and that was exactly her intention when she joined Club Harmony.

Harmony was an antonym for what happened in that building. She regretted working there after a few minutes into the job but the same employers that didn’t want to hire a single mom had zero interest in a single mom turned stripper; she was stuck. The worst part was, today was Thursday, a day she already despised after working one at Club Harmony. Dollar drink night brought more alcoholics than you could shake a stick at. Which is exactly what she wanted to do to each and every one of them, then hit them with said stick. She had to be sweet as pie though or she’d come home with nothing to show for the horror she’d live through.

Just as she was lost in thought, which had been her goal while sitting on the lap of a putrid smelling stranger, something changed her entire night. Across the room, on the opposite side of the club was a man that stuck out like Elephant in a chicken coop. He had on dark khaki pants and a plaid black and red shirt. It was a style she hadn’t seen since she dropped out of school before her Senior year of high school. Veronica was smitten with one look. It was nothing she’d seen any customer of Club Harmony wear but it was a sight for sore, tired eyes.

Veronica knew she had a job to do but she had to at least know his name. Seconds later, an alarm went off in her earpiece, acknowledging that she was allowed to get off the burly old trucker’s lap. “Times up Bubba” she whispered in his ear. He grabbed her waist but she shot him a cold stare and he abruptly let go. If looks could kill, the look she gave would at least paralyze. Wasting no more time she strutted across the room, giving the same stare to every man who shot oohs, ahhs and misogynistic cat calls her way. But suddenly her confidence vanished into thin air as she realized this man was different. She couldn't just call him Bubba and ask which love humps he was into, she had to think of something fast, she was running out of time.

“Parts what bring you around these?” was what came out of her mouth. Veronica had never had her mouth become so dry so suddenly, had words escape her brain, had her heart beat so fast. All that was happening now, at the worst possible time. “Pardon me?” The Gentleman said. “I’m sorry, I don’t often get the chance to talk to someone like you” Veronica said. The honesty calmed her fluttering heart down. “I feel the same, name’s Bryson by the way”. “Veronica, and I’m obligated to ask you if you’d like the dollar special, a shot and flash,” she said as she chuckled. “I won’t ask what that means but I’ve come for quite the opposite” he said as he shot her a smile, his brown eyes now brightening.

Then it struck her, like a ton of bricks. Those dark brown, kind eyes staring deep into her soul telling her everything would be okay. This wasn’t just any Bryson, it was Bryson Harrison, her high school crush. He left the year before she got pregnant to tend to his father’s Buffalo farm. She had forgotten about him for nearly a decade, now he was staring into her eyes while he could be looking anywhere else at her barely clothed body. He went on to explain how his church sent him and a few more men to local nightclubs to save women from the life of a stripper. To not only talk to and understand them but also find them a job and care for them. She was already smitten, but his confidence and his kind eyes stole her heart so as soon as he explained his situation, “So are you going to buy this poor lady some dinner?” escaped her lips. She laughed, blushed and nearly snorted at the same time as she continued to look into his eyes. His only response was to get up and take her hand.

The next thing she knew she was sitting in the local diner fascinated by every word that came out of her old classmate's lips. His lips were something she couldn’t stop focusing on and soon enough she was kissing her old life goodbye and kissing him. It was a little too soon by his standards, but he didn’t reject. Days later, he told her he had felt the exact same about her in high school and wondered how she ended up. Her embarrassment by how he found her soon faded when they spent time taking walks around town trying to find her a new job. Those days would result in a blossoming relationship and turn into weeks of more laughter and bigger smiles than Veronica had known in her life. Weeks would turn into months which would eventually turn into an engagement. The engagement would make months fly by until she got to the day where Veronica would not only vow her life to Bryson but would also vow to help other girls find harmony. No not, club harmony but true, lasting harmony.