Sky Rojo

PRIVATE STRIPTEASES

I happen to be a pimp's favorite hooker.

I used to be a housewife, and, before that, a biologist.

So it's kinda difficult to explain how I got here.

- - My pimp's name is Romeo.

And he's the second-biggest bastard I've ever met.

This is my club.

We spend our nights sitting on a red leatherette sofa,

trying our best to inspire some desperate lowlives

to pay to have sex with us.

Hey, handsome. Want me to suck on your balls?

Hello, Charlotte!

That's Charlotte.

Hi, sweetie.

The madam.

-What have you got there? -Just some barbecue.

You know how to treat…

The only woman in the club who gets paid not to sleep with anyone.

There always comes a day when your life gets torn in half.

And this was that day.

Although, just like an earthquake, we didn't see it coming.

You don't usually see a sign saying "Closed due to bereavement"

on the door of a brothel.

But for us,

it was the first day off we could remember in the last 15 months.

THE BRIDES CLUB

Girls, it's time.

None of the villagers came to say goodbye to Clarita.

Hey, you want me to go and get some?

What's the plan, Christian?

Bribe people to come to a funeral?

It's because of the brothels, Romeo.

-Where's the priest? -Want me to go get him?

Tenerife is an island that has a lot going on for it:

the beach, year-round summer, and tons of tourists.

So the first time I stepped foot in the club,

I knew it would be a perfect place to hide.

It says here that, uh,

you have yourself a college degree.

Mm-hmm.

In biology?

Yeah, biology.

-Have any experience as a hooker? -No, sir.

You know, people think pretty much anyone in the world could do this job.

But you need a real calling for it.

Be honest with yourself, do you think you have enough of a passion

to suck my dick right now and turn it into a masterpiece?

Well, obviously.

-But I won't be doing that. -Ah.

No?

Mm-mm.

And why not?

Because I'm not the kind of girl

who starts a career mixing business with pleasure.

["Earthquake" by Dana McKeon and Max Mayers playing]

I've always been a little bit squeamish.

So when I'm asked what it's like to be a hooker, I say,

"Imagine you don't like being touched,

that the thought of drinking out of another person's bottle

grosses you out."

"And now imagine

having to suck the fingers of roughly 25 to 30 people every day."

"We're talking all kinds of fingers, ones with long nails, short nails,

dirty nails, ones with yellowish fingertips."

"Fingers that reek of onion, or cigarettes,

or some food you don't even recognize."

"And you suck them with devotion."

CLOSED DUE TO BEREAVEMENT

Ladies,

I want you to get ready.

Today's business as usual.

The show must go on.

I'm so sorry about your wife.

Poor Clarita.

She despised the clubs.

So I bought her expensive trips,

designer clothes, and jewelry.

Anything to make her feel that my girls worked

just as much as they did for her as they did for me.

But she still suffered because of it.

I imagine it wasn't easy.

It's been a painful day.

-I need some affection. -No.

Romeo, it's not the time.

How much do you want? Two grand?

-No. -

- Romeo. -

I wanted to talk to you about something.

It's important.

I'll leave you alone.

That's the 5,400 euros I owe you.

So I'm all paid up now?

Well, let's take a look.

G…

Gina.

Here you are.

Look at that, you're right, 5,400.

-On April 14th. -Mm-hmm.

Travel expenses

and a family advance.

May I please get my passport back, Romeo?

But there are more expenses after.

"Condom supply,

2,327."

"Lubricant, 1,352."

"Hair and makeup cost, 2,490."

"Lingerie, six little numbers, 810 right there."

But that's not fair. You gifted me that lingerie.

Who the fuck are you to be gifted lingerie from me? My wife? Have you lost your mind?

Red thongs are your work tools, sweetheart.

Altogether, you owe me 6,979 bucks.

I'll take care of it.

I'll pay you back, I promise.

-Where can I sign? You want me to sign it? - What do I look like? A notary?

Romeo, I'll pay you back eventually. I just need to get away for a bit.

I feel like I'm losing it. I'm begging you. I'm really not all right.

I just need a bit of time off, OK?

God gave whores time off when he gave you all periods.

That's four days a month. Fifty days a year off guaranteed.

-Like a teacher. -Don't you get it? I'm leaving.

Like it or not.

You hear me, hijo de puta ?

I invested in you, slut! I'm the one who brought you here!

And I taught you a profession!

I paid for a college education for Carlitos

and for your mom's surgery!

You weren't calling me hijo de puta back then!

You're staying right here.

Because with this money,

I could pay a hit man to put your mom right back in that wheelchair.

While he butt-fucks little Carlitos that same day.

You can piss off when you've settled your entire debt.

You understand?

-But we could make a-- -Shh.

Just listen.

God, I love that sound.

The ice cubes, clinking in the whiskey.

Relaxing.

["La leyenda del tiempo" by Camarón de la Isla playing in Spanish]