The Secret Marriage

Chapter 3: Hunny Bunny Strip Club

Look how low the ex heiress has fallen. PS, those clothes are just trashy!

- @yourbabygirl.alex

    It was a long queue when Lana reached Hunny Bunny Strip Club. Most of the men were looking forward to watching the dancers. She went through the back door to get to the ladies changing room. 

    It was hectic with dancers preparing their makeup and costume for the opening act. Following the name of the club, she had to wear a white one-piece with a fluffy short tail on the butt, a black pantyhose for her long legs and to complete the look; a bunny headband.

    It was her last resort to work 16 hours per day. Lana did not want to jeopardize her relationship with Kevin. The extra money that she initially rejected from Kevin was depleting very quickly. She could ask for more loans but lately, Kevin had been giving her a cold shoulder whenever she raised up that question. She took it upon herself to earn more money by taking up a second job.

    It was an exhausting Saturday night. There were plenty more customers compared to other nights. Lana kept glancing at her fancy watch hoping that her shift would end soon.

    “Bottle of vodka and rum,” she said, putting down the tray. The table was full of men in their 50s and the escorts were entertaining them. One of the men noticed Lana’s attractive face and decided to slap her on her butt. He then winked suggestively at Lana, hoping that she would entertain him as the other girls did. Instead, Lana got angry and barked at him, “Don't you ever do that again, you creep!”

    The man was furious and was ready to give her a good smack, “Why you little b-”

    His movement stopped when the sexy girl beside him interrupted. “Honey, why would you touch another girl when I'm here for you?” she said hugging his shoulder. He could feel her plump breast on his arm and instantly his anger dissipated.

    Lana was thankful that the girl helped her. She would have lost her job if she got in trouble with a customer again. The last time it happened, the manager had reprimanded her to keep her temper in check.

    “Lana,” she was at the bar waiting for the next order when she heard the manager call her name.

    “I promise it won’t happen again,” Lana blurted when she thought that the customer had complained to the management about her.

    The manager raised her eyebrow questionably, “What happened?”

    “Oh, nothing. What’s up?” Lana decided to play dumb since she hadn’t been found out yet.

    The manager looked at Lana skeptically before saying, “I have no time for your nonsense. This is very important. There’s a customer in VIP room five. He’s a friend of the club's owner, and he’s filthy rich. He wants you in the room, RIGHT NOW.” Lana had never seen the club’s owner. She only heard rumors about him. He was an entrepreneur and a successful one at that. He owned a chain of high-class restaurants and clubs.

    "Now, why would his friend want to talk to me?"  Lana thought.

    “Do I have to?”

    “Yes, or he will make you lose your job. Decide now,” she said, waiting for Lana’s answer.

    This guy is powerful enough to make Lana lose her job for merely refusing to meet him. “Okay, I will go, but if he tries to do something funny to me, then I’ll leave.”

    The manager nodded her head and led Lana to the table. Up the stairs and away from the music was where the VIP room was located. The ambiance was different and there’s an air of mysteriousness. It was on the second floor overlooking the stage. The room was dim; flashes of disco light seeping in. The silhouette of a man sitting in the middle of the sofa could be seen.

    “Hi, sir. Lana’s here as per your request.”

    “Okay, you may leave now,” a husky, cold voice filled the room. The manager left after she gave Lana a pat on the back. “Sit down,” he gestured. Lana obediently sat down at the opposite end of the sofa. “Closer,” he ordered.

    The smell of the intoxicating musky and woody cologne got stronger as she slid closer to him. It was nerve-racking; she forced herself to look at his face even though she wanted to look away. Red, blue and green lights illuminate it revealing a light shade of green eyes, grey almost. His nose was high and sharp. His lips were pink and inviting. She inhaled a sharp breath; she’s never seen such perfection. Although Lana has only seen his back view the last time, she can’t be mistaken that it’s him.  There was the same intimidating aura that she felt.

    Cameron Lance closed the distance between them. He studied her bright round eyes. Lana Sage, the girl whom the news loved to portray as a "party girl", "rebellious" and "daring", looked like a lost Bambi in his presence. He was aware of the arrangement hi" father had made for them since his 21st birthday.

    Unlike Lana, he had several years of preparation to make before the wedding could take place. All of his life was to prep himself to be the successor of Lance Properties. Now, the only thing that stood in his way was Lana. He too couldn’t inherit the wealth and chairman position in the future if he did not get married to her.

    Cameron was surprised Lana could resist her inheritances and work herself tirelessly for 16 hours for minimum wage. He decided that it was time he placed himself in this battle of psychology. Specialized in making people dance to his rhythm, Cameron was manipulative and cunning.

    Lana could feel his warm breath on her neck. His warm hand started caressing her arms. He could feel her left arm’s goosebumps. It was a small victory in his books as he knew he was getting to her.

    Before Cameron could stroke her thighs, Lana pushed him away before it got any worse. Lana never thought that Cameron was this type of man. She was wondering whether he knew that she is "the Lana Sage", or he had just taken interest in some girl at the club that coincidentally had the same name. Either way, his actions were unexpected to her.

    The sound of Cameron’s laughter echoed in the tiny room. She stopped him earlier than he expected. For a girl working at such a club, she wasn’t as hospitable as he thought she would be. He stopped laughing and said, “Pathetic. You can’t even do a simple thing and yet you want to work in this kind of place.”

    Lana was dumbfounded. She caught on quickly and realized that Cameron had been toying with her. It was a test.

    "I’m a waitress, not an escort. I take orders, deliver drinks and clear tables. My job doesn’t require me to entertain men.” Lana tried to justify her job to him.

    “Waitresses, escorts, dancers; they’re all the same. When a man set eyes on a woman he likes, he will try everything to touch her. It’s happened to you before hasn’t it?” Lance showed off his smug smile. Lana hated to admit it, but he was right. It happened twice in her first week on the job. Some other waitresses who wanted to earn more tips would entertain the customers too.

    "Don't be stupid, Sage. You can be the owner of this kind of club rather than waitressing. You're better off selling your body if you want to work in this kind of place."

    Never had she been this mad - nose flaring, and her hands were shaking with anger. This guy did not deserve her respect. She took a cup that was on the table and splashed the contents onto his face. "I have a plan, and that plan doesn't involve you in it. Please do not show your face around me anymore!"

    "If the plan involves your butt cheeks to be slapped by different men every night, then you seem to be doing it right," he said before Lana left the VIP room.

    Feeling crappy, she ran out of the club after changing to her normal clothes. She just wanted to get away from everything and spend time with Kevin. For the first time in her life, she was on her own without any financial support. The uncertainty of what the future held if her case was not successful scared her. From an heiress to waiting tables - it felt like her identity was being taken away from her.

    “I thought you were supposed to be working!” exclaimed Kevin. 

    The lady who was with him covered her lady parts with her hand. Rather than being sorry, Kevin was angry. He thought that it was rude of Lana to walk into his apartment with the emergency key without informing him first.

    She couldn’t let herself step into that apartment. The thought of her boyfriend fondling another woman’s naked body on the sofa haunted her. She ran to wherever her legs could take her. Her breathing quickened as she stopped by the street of her apartment. It was much brighter and close to Kevin’s place.

    “When did my life change so drastically?” Lana wailed as loudly as she could to let go of all the sadness and frustration that had been piling up.