A bit seedier

Here's one that is unfortunate, but true for some people.

Hard times

            She rushed down the street in her old car, running late for work again. She was always late on saturdays, there always seemed to be so much to do for the children on that day. And of course, it didn't help that her husband had gotten himself incarcerated.

            He had been in rental real-estate  and well respected. But he had been marking up maintenance and extermination bills, and pocketing the excess. When he was found out he was convicted and sent to prison for eight months, but money was still needed for living expenses and the mortgage.

            She had been involved on and off in stage plays, her acting skill high enough to gain her a recommendation to act other parts fairly regularly. Unfortunately she wasn't making enough for her family to get by, she had to get a more regular job. After a few days the best she had found she had to take.

            It was in a relatively small establishment all the way across town, just inside the city. The building was quite dank looking, and situated on a side street near a couple of pubs. It was always near full with people who came to see the shows, and sometimes some of them would leave tips.

            She parked her car and rushed breathlessly into the dressing room, just in time if she prepared quickly. Wincing at the far too revealing costume, she got changed then took her position on stage to do the can-can. The first and least degrading show in the line-up that she would have to perform tonight, and every night while her husband was in jail.