Chapter 9: Dime A Dozen Dames

The Dope Diamond Gentleman's Club, Forth And Parkway, The Attison District, Temple City (3040).....

Hot pink and red neon lit up the dark black backdrop of the gritty inner city as Baddwulf found himself walking up toward the front door where the bouncers were ready and willing to throw anyone out to spoil the good time out into the street for so much as looking like they were going to be trouble. He plied them with a few black pennies for their thoughts before they allowed him inside with the strict warning that there was to be no trouble from him once he'd been let in. Baddwulf smirked, it was apparent that his reputation of sorts was getting around even in strip clubs. Of all the places in Temple City to bring the conflicting classes together, The Dope Diamond was just such a place, or at least it had been the case for the degenerates across the conflicting classes at least.

The flashing pink and red neon had been a welcome staple for the darkened establishment. The place was more packed than Baddwulf had ever noticed before as the girls did their usual dance routines amid thin metal poles. Many a pretty black penny was spent in pursuit of momentary distraction from the dismal grind that life in Temple City provided. The stench of sweat, cheap cologne and booze filled the air as Baddwulf made his way to one of the empty seats in front of one of the various four stages.

The waitresses in the place had been a combination of robotically enhanced Grafite or Androids in general. All are most definitely able to perform sexual acts for extra pennies on the side no matter the preference of those involved. For the more adventurous clientele, there was "The Splicer Girls" with various aspects of genetic abnormalities that people got alone time with if the price was right. Nothing beat the classic half-naked natural girl and as a result, many of them were on stage and giving dances the moment a potential client walked through the door.

The owner of the establishment was a hideous graphite son of a bitch by the name of Slim "Croc" McDaniels. He was born with spliced crocodile DNA despite being the son of a prominent businessman who had been quite taken with exotic strippers. His kind was always roaming about Attison District but everyone more or less had been pleased by his keen intellect in comparison to his belly-crawling counterparts. He was a flashy bastard, large with a vile temper to boot, people thought twice about making trouble in his place, lest one risked him biting their head off with his vicious jaws.

He was partial to gold chains, expensive rings, and silk suits with gator shoes when he strolled about flashing his ill-gotten gains and keeping the girls of Attison oppressed via his sex ring and pony shows.

Baddwulf took a drag from his freshly lit cigarette and stared up at the stage at one of the premiere dancers. She was a slim thing with curly blonde locks down to her shoulders, with long legs and poise as she twirled and shimmied in front of the onlookers. She was a young thing, with green cat-like eyes which made sense as she was spliced via the DNA of a cheetah and even had the spots that lined her light fur-covered flesh despite having the beautiful face of a woman and full lips. Her slender tail flicked as she moved across the small violet-colored stage amid the darkened neon lighting.

She wore a silk burgundy set of lingerie as she moved her thin hips to the latest sleaze beat that the DJ happened to throw on as the lights danced along with her further enticing all that got caught up in the show.

The puff of smoke slowly escaped Baddwulf's lips as he sat back in the chair watching her nimble half-cat body move to the beat. His eyes flickered with something akin to lust in the darkness and smoke as he saw his way to enjoy the show. He ordered a drink, some watered-down beverage that only Croc knew how to obtain, from the smell it was a whiskey from Beverland that he put water in and served at expensive rates.

Baddwulf had been venturing to the seedy establishment for some time following his move to Attison and his very hurtful breakup with Amanda. He found the booze and the girls a welcome substitute for heartbreak and depression, especially when it came to everyday life in Temple City.

The blonde on stage had been done with her number and ventured toward the floor where she immediately approached Baddwulf, who had been her favorite client. She squealed in delight when she landed in his lap, the bubbly girl he'd gotten to know ever since she started dancing in this place, he'd been her first customer and treated her better than anyone she'd ever known. She had no idea it was his need to protect her that made him seek her out but it was all the same as far as she was concerned.

"Hey Big Bad," she said in a bubbly tone with a smirk. "Missed you lots."

Baddwulf resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He gets into a couple of drunken brawls with tryhards and he's the big bad wolf all of the sudden.

"Never mind that," he growled not hiding his annoyance at the absurd nickname. "You got time for a dance?"

The lovely blonde smiled.

"And they say dogs hate cats." she amused.

"I ain't no dog," replied Baddwulf still offended by her references.

"And yet you chase the cat just the same." replied the blonde.

Baddwulf smirked at this before puffing on his cigarette once more and following her as she led him by the hand toward the backroom where many a lapdance had taken place. The darker lighting and thin white smoke seemed to add to the effect as the already stressed detective found himself sitting in the soft pink fluffy chair where the blonde intended to dance for him.

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The Backroom, Dance Lounge, The Dope Diamond Gentleman's Club, Forth And Parkway, The Attison District, Temple City (3040).....

Baddwulf had been like any other man that entered The Dope Diamond, seeking escape from the pressures and bleakness that had been Temple City, especially as his cases began to pile up and the added humiliation of failing to apprehend the stranger on the street following the chase near the body. He couldn't get the strange stench out of his mind even as he was surrounded by cheap perfume and cigarette smoke. The blonde had done her best to offer distraction, her small pert breasts bouncing before his unfocused eyes as she slid her nimble young body along his own swaying to the music that filled the background.

Once more Baddwulf found himself with his mind back in the alley and the missed mark that plagued him ever since it occurred.

"You enjoying the dance, Wolfie?" asked the blonde leaning her back against his chest as she continued to grind in his lap while he held up his hands ensuring that everyone patrolling the corridors knew he was abiding by the No Touching Rule that came with getting private dances.

It didn't take Baddwulf long to deduce that old Croc had been well-versed in the old digital files of seedy joints like this and even managed to keep the strict policy rules enforced via his ironclad jaws and several well-armed associates with violent tendencies. Baddwulf as a result went out of his way to comply, as The Dope Diamond had been one of the only strip joints in town, and being banned for life wasn't ideal.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Baddwulf settled into the chair and allowed the cheeky blonde to distract him from his problems one dance at a time. The music was still garbage but the friction from the younger lovely body grinding against his lap was all the stimulation he needed to have a good time all things considered.

As he enjoyed his dance, he had not been privy to the redhead who had come from the exotic room and peeked in on his session briefly before taking off out the back door and down the alleyway long before he looked up to notice he'd been watched from afar.

If he had looked up he might have recognized the redhead, he ought to have in any case considering had she made different choices back in the day, she could've been his wife. Sadly, she chose the road more traveled and ended up being like any other dime-a-dozen dame that found employment at The Dope Diamond.