Reginald was already transformed by the time he left the stage on the night of his first show, but it took three days for the modifications to cease. His curves expanded beyond the need for padding, his posture locked into its overly-feminine place, and his hair at one point bursting and weaving through the wig. There was little to no evidence of Reginald left and Natasha’s spotlight had grown large.
As Natasha performed and money from the club came in, Reg dreamed of fleeing but still had little hope of escape. Even if he could get in contact with his coworkers from his former life, having Reginald’s identification wouldn’t clear his name and would only raise more questions why this dancer had the papers of a missing banker. The police officer woman made herself known around the club, checking in and making sure Natasha kept up her employment, and the more the club owner covered for her, the more indebted Natasha was to her shady bosses. The only thing Reg had to be thankful for was the support he received from the other club workers. There was no jealousy as Natasha became the star and the ladies pushed Reg to use his fame to find a rich guy. Reg steadfastly turned down suggestions of a relationship and the ladies laughed. Nobody was talking about a relationship! Being a mistress is just a financial transaction, hun. The pressure mounted and the more time that passed, the more Reg planned for finding a place of his own. The housing options for a woman with Natasha’s spotty legal record were limited but Reg worked with the M&J Realty Group to find apartments.
Reg walked around the room and admitted to the realtor that it was a nice space. Unsure why every room had dim mood lighting and why the lease forbade him from painting over the pink and purple walls, Reg did have to admit that the hot tub was a nice feature. He didn’t even have one of those in his old banker life. But he looked out the window and sighed. Wasn’t this building supposed to be in the park district? The realtor smiled and nodded her head vigorously. It definitely was! This side street was just jutting out from the park district. Sure the other side of the street was part of the docks district, but this apartment was technically in the park district! Reg grumbled but his phone buzzed. Opening the pink phone the club gave him, Reg pushed the fake jewel button to open his messages. One of the other dancers had sent over a picture of the guys they were with that evening and promised Natasha that if she said the word, they’d save one for her. He was a politician so he had plenty of money! Reg shuddered and agreed to take the apartment; he couldn’t go back to living at the club knowing one of his coworkers might show up at his door with a lonely guy at any moment.
Things were stable and Reg went to the club early to collect his week’s pay. He grabbed the employee door but squished up against it before bouncing back. Grabbing the door once again, Reg shook it but it remained firmly in place. Running around front, Reg grabbed that door too but it also remained stuck. Pressing his face up against the tinted glass, Reg could just barely make out that the club was dark and appeared empty. Looking around, Reg finally noticed that the posters were all gone and even the sign and lights were missing. Quickly digging out his phone from his purse, Reg dialed number after number with no answer from any one of them. As he dialed again, the phone buzzed and then went completely silent. Reg powered it up again, only to find his contacts list wiped, his messages empty, and the phone showing power but no service.
For several more days, Reg returned to the club but it remained a ghost town, day or night. Stalking the spots Reg ate at or shopped with his coworkers, he couldn’t see or contact anybody he worked with. After another night’s fruitless search, Reg shuffled back home, only to find the landlady glaring at him as he approached. She sternly pointed out that Reg was late on rent. He pleaded that he was having trouble getting paid from work but she wasn’t hearing it. Dressing down Reg in the street, she threatened that if she didn’t have rent by the end of the week, Natasha was going to be out on the street. Reg slumped before heard a boisterous “ ‘Tasha!” from across the street. He spun around to see three women happily running towards him. They hugged and cuddled him close as he strained to remember why they looked familiar. The blonde grinned and clapped her hands, Natasha looks so much cuter now that when they all met in the cell. Reg finally realized that he met the three at the police station on his first day as Natasha. The brunette pulled him in close and said they overheard what that mean landlady had said to him. Reginald felt like he was going to break down and he spilled out his story of working at a club and doing well, but then it mysteriously shut down and now he had nothing. The ladies hugged him again before clasping his hands and walking him down the street. They knew exactly who could help Natasha get on her feet!
The trio walked Reg through the streets before stopping in front of a small hotel. Reg looked it over and expressed that he couldn’t afford a night in a nice place like this in his current situation. The women laughed and said it was the other way around, they got paid here. Pulling Reg inside, they pointed Reg to an attractive business woman sipping coffee in a dining area made to look up like a fancy living room. The women excitedly waved to the woman and she set her coffee down before slowly walking over. The trio happily introduced the woman to ‘Tasha and then introduced Reg to their madame. It finally dawned on Reginald why they brought him to this woman and location. She looked Reg up and down and agreed that he would be a wonderful employee. Reg dropped his head. The woman gingerly lifted it was a finger lightly touching his chin and assured him that the work was nothing to be ashamed of. She cared for all her ladies, the hotel was safe, and she only served vetted clients that could be trusted. That was, if Nastasha agreed to join the organization. Reg was silent. He had nothing. He finally agreed and the women at his side cheered. The madame smiled and congratulated him on making the good choice. She took Reg to the front desk and retrieved an item from the woman sitting there. She placed a key in Reg’s palm and told him that a client was waiting upstairs that could serve as the job trial. Reg stammered, trying to spit out that he wasn’t ready right now, he didn’t think he’d be starting tonight. The ladies pushed him to the elevator and hit the button, smiling and giving him thumbs up as the door closed.
Reg stumbled out onto the floor and gingerly made his way down the hall as the elevator closed and retreated. Reg looked at the number on the key and made his way to the proper door, sighing and steeling himself before inserting the key. With one final silent push, Reg entered the room before the door shut tight behind him. He gawked awkwardly at the two women waiting at the table, expecting a different kind of client altogether. The women were posh and dressed well, like they were ready for a night at the theater, not a dalliance at a hotel. The first woman rose and approached with her arms wide. Oh, Natasha, such entertainment this has been! Reg backed up against the wall, greatly confused. The second woman rose and concurred. They hadn’t been bored for weeks! So much planning and the show they got in return was worth the effort many times over. Reg couldn’t speak, he just looked at the pair back and forth. The ladies remembered their manners and introduced themselves as Margaret and Juliette, and they were big fans of Natasha. Oh there were times they thought the game would be over much quicker, but what resolve Natasha kept. The side bets they ran between each other each step of the way! Juliette laughed, oh she lost deep when they had to scuttle the club to get Natasha to move on, but rather worth it! Margaret grinned, the money meant little and it was the joy of the victory with her winning bets. But that’s not for Natasha to worry herself with, now is the time to enjoy the spoils a game well played. The women pushed Reg to a seat at the table and poured him a drink. By this time tomorrow, the three of them would be arriving at the estate and Natasha could finally relax. Reginald took the glass with a shaking hand and downed the drink. Juliette poured him another glass and nodded. Natasha was free to take her time adjusting to the pleasures of the estate, and speaking to other winners of their games would be helpful. Reg downed his second drink. Margaret concurred. Everybody has a good laugh about their adventures once time has passed. Why in the future, Natasha may even join in as a planner or actor in another game! But until then, the estate had many holdings and investments to watch over, so a few hours of financial management a week seemed like a small price to the life of luxury Natasha would soon lead. Reginald’s head was spinning and he was suddenly overcome with a deep need to sleep. He looked at his empty drink glass and the ladies smiled. Wait, how did they know he worked at a bank?