C.U.C.K.E.D H.E.R.O Ch:18

“So which one did you want to show me?” Hailey skipped over to the quest board. Her outfit swaying with the motions of her body. Always on the verge of showing off something she shouldn't, but never quite going that far. Was that some magical effect placed on the garments? Something to preserve the priestesses modesty while wearing such a… provocative outfit.

“You seem to be feeling a lot better today.” I noted. “I don't think I've seen you smile like this since we got here.”

“Am I?” Hailey cocked her head. Still smiling from ear to ear. “I guess I’m just getting used to this place.”

“I’m really glad you are.” I said, pulling Hailey into my arms. “I’ve been really worried about you lately.”

“Well you can relax mister!” Hailey giggled, nuzzling her head against me. “I’m feeling just fine. Better than before, actually.”

“Really?” I asked. I was a little surprised to hear that. “Why do you think so?”

“Because…” Hailey looked away, deep in thought. The smile began to drop from her face, but before it was fully gone it turned into an impish smirk. “Because I’ve never felt this free before.”

Hailey spun herself out of my arms, laughing softly as her clothes twirled around. Drawing the eyes of every man in the bar. It was strange seeing her flaunt her body in public when she was normally so shy. Hiding herself under layers of baggy clothes.

“Which one is it, Mason?” Hailey cooed as she eyed up the quest board.

“That’s the one I want you to look at.” I told her. Pointing at the safe gather quest. While Hailey read the description of the quest, I thought about what she said. About being freer here.

On the one hand, she was definitely right. Starting our lives over in another world meant that we had no responsibilities. We could go wherever we wanted. Spend the day doing whatever we wanted to do. But what I think Hailey really found freeing, was that there were no expectations. Nobody knew who we were before, the boring lives we’d lead. We could be anybody we wanted to be. She didn’t have to hide herself from anyone, because nobody knew who she was, and the shyness she normally felt about her body must have evaporated away. Not only was her new body ‘hot’, to put it bluntly, but it was exactly what it was. New. I imagined it might have felt like having an MMO character wearing skimpy armour. It wasn’t actually her body being shown off, so she couldn’t feel shy about it?

But then, on the other hand.. While all that freedom was nice, it made me uneasy. If nobody knew who we were, then we had no fall back. We were technically free to do whatever we wanted each day, but hunger, thirst and the need for shelter had been constantly keeping us busy. Not even to mention the fact that we still didn’t know why we were here, or how even. All those unknowns weighed on my mind. I couldn’t feel free until we had more answers.

But if Hailey was feeling good? I wouldn’t bring her down. Not when she was only just starting to make her peace with this place.

“This is perfect, Mason!” Hailey rushed over to me.The scrunched up quest flyer in her hands. “Can we go right now? Or do you think it’s too early?”

“No, I think now would be perfect.” I told her. The earlier in the day the more time we would have to gather everything.

“Yes! You’re so right!!” Hailey took my hand, pulling me out the door. “Let’s go!”

As Hailey rushed us to our new job, I allowed myself to relax a little. Whatever hardships we might face, with money or danger or the unknown, I felt confident that we would get through it. Together.

***

“Hailey, are you sure you know where you’re going?” I asked, getting a bit wary that we were entering that shady part of town again.

“Of course, we passed this place before!” Hailey strutted ahead of me. Confidently striding through streets, even as she drew the eyes of the thuggish looking denizens of this part of town. The men eyed her up like she was prey. A lost lamb wandering into their den.

“We have?” I kept close to her. Staying on guard. I wasn’t sure if anyone would actually try something in broad daylight, but I wasn’t taking chances.

“Uh huh! It’s just up ahead!” Hailey rushed forward, eager to get to our destination.

As I hurried to catch her, I realised which building she was heading towards. The building itself was like any other, but the sign revealed it for what it was.

‘The Beautiful Bunny Gentleman’s Club’ The sign said in big pink letters against a black background. It was accompanied by the seductive image of a woman looking over her shoulder, her tiny G-string the only thing covering her up. She was a slender girl, with a perfectly round ass. Exactly the sort of thing I would have expected to see from a strip club in our world, only this girl had real bunny ears and a cute fluffy tail instead of a tramp stamp.

“Uhhh Hailey…” I took her hand and slowed us down. “This wasn’t the quest I had in mind.”

“Hmm? But you pointed towards it?” Hailey said. Her eyes narrowed in confusion.

Oh no. She mustn’t have seen me point at the right one. The two flyers were right next to each other, so I could see how she got confused. But what I didn’t understand was why she seemed eager to apply for a job like this?

“Sorry, I should have been clearer.” I studied her face closely. Was she disappointed I didn’t want her to take this job? “But… You don’t really want to take a job at a place like this do you? Wouldn’t it be… demeaning?”

“I don’t think so.” Hailey said. Without missing a beat. “I would just be a waitress right? That’s different.”

“I guess…” She was right about that, but I don’t think she fully understood what this job would be like. “But you’d still be ‘eye candy’ for the guys. And what if somebody tried to touch you?”

“You think they’d still want me, even with a professional dancer on stage?” Hailey looked at me with a soft smile. “That’s so sweet!”

“Well… of course they would. You’re beautiful.” I told her first. “But what I mean is you might get harassed.”

“Hmmm… but nobody will be trying to kill us? Right?” She countered.

“I guess not… but-”

“And we need money right?” Hailey kept going. Pushing her points.

“We do.”

“Sooooo maybe I should give this a try? It’s the only way we’ve found to make money that’s completely safe.” Hailey put her hand on my shoulder. Staring at me with eyes that had a pinkish tinge to them.

Something strange was happening. Hailey was making some good points, but logically I could still find flaws in them. There had to be other safe ways of making money. Ways that wouldn’t involve Hailey showing off her body, or potentially getting groped. Yet despite this gut feeling that this was a bad idea, I found myself being completely convinced by her words. I was being swayed more by the sound of her voice than the actual argument she was making…

Was that just love? It must have been. If my girl wanted to give this a try, then we could at least go in and get some more information.

“Alright, let's check it out.” I reluctantly agreed.

“Yay!” Hailey bounced on the spot. Pulling me towards the ‘gentleman’s club’. “This is going to be so much fun!”

Fun… Would it be? Guys had been staring at Hailey since we got here, and so far it had only made me more uneasy. Maybe I was the problem. Maybe I just needed to relax. Surely a place like this would have rules against touching any of the girls? I was probably worrying about nothing.
At this time of day the place was deserted, no bouncer or customers hanging around outside. We went straight through the doors and entered the main floor. The set up was pretty much what I expected, a stagehand runway leading to a pole in the centre of the room. Plenty of tables and booths around, with a bar in one corner and stairs leading to a ‘VIP’ section in the other. A few bunny girls sitting around one of the tables noticed us come in, and shouted out.

“Hey! We’re closed!” The dark haired woman wore tight jean shorts with fishnet stockings, with a punkish black tank top that revealed more than it covered. The clothes weren’t at all like the ones that most people here wore, they had to have come from our world. Or at least were inspired by it.

“Sorry for barging in!” Hailey brought out the flyer, showing it to them. “I’m here for the job!”

“Who’s he then?” The woman said back.

“Mason is my boyfriend!” Hailey hugged me from the side. The PDA in a place like this making me blush.

“Uh huuh… Sure honey.” The woman replied. “Big D is upstairs, his office is at the end of the hall.”

With that the girls went back to talking together, ignoring our presence here.

“Thanks!” Hailey still waved them off, pulling me towards the stairs.

“What did she mean by that?” I asked when we were out of earshot.

“Humm?”

“She sounded like she didn’t believe we were dating. Why?” Sure Hailey was a complete ten out of ten in her new body, but I wasn’t half bad myself. Certainly not bad enough to make a stranger doubt we could be together.

“They mustn’t get a lot of girls who come in with their boyfriends.” Hailey said. Turning around to surprise me with a kiss. “Not every man is as kind and accepting as you are!”

That made me blush even harder. I suppose she was right, not every guy would let their girlfriend come work at a place like this. I was still surprised at myself for being cautiously okay with it.

We reached the door at the end of the hallway and Hailey knocked. We could hear a muffled reply in response, but I couldn’t make the words out. The rooms must have been a little soundproof I guess, which made sense given what I could imagine went on inside them.

“I told you no!” The large, overweight and hairy man said as he opened the door. He wore a wife beater and jeans in a belt. Normal clothes in this abnormal world. I would have felt comforted by it if it wasn’t for his intense demeanour.

“Oh, who are you?” The man softened up as he noticed we weren’t who he thought.

“Hi! My name is Hailey! I’m eighteen years old and I’d love to work here!~” Hailey stepped forward from me. Putting her hand on the man’s chest.

“Heh… An eighteen year old elf wants to work at this crapstick place, eh?” The man stared at her. Intent clear in his eyes as he looked her body up and down.

He waited a moment. Maybe expecting us to run off or to laugh and say this was all a joke. But Hailey kept looking at him with eager eyes, and that seemed to be enough to convince him she was serious.

“Alight, come in and we’ll get your interview started.” He opened the door wider, letting Hailey walk in but closing it in my face as I tried to follow her. “Nuh uh. This interview is one on one. Get me?”

Oh come on. Did this guy really expect me to leave Hailey alone with him? If this was how this place operated, then there was no way-

“It’s okay Mason, I’ll be fine.” Hailey’s voice soothed me. I could see her through the crack in the door. Standing behind the man with her arm on his shoulder.

Well… I trusted Hailey. If she thought this would be alright, then I guess I did too.

“I’ll be right out here.” I told both of them. Stepping away while watching them.

“Don’t stray far.” Hailey said, licking her lips as the irises of her eyes glowing with a pink energy.

“This won’t take long.”