One night only

Mysterious man

Lillie

I had a crazy week with all my classes and several exams. I always ended up exhausted, but today was even worse. Whenever I had an exam, I would feel drained from studying for so many consecutive hours. The sleepless nights took a toll on me. Everything I did was a constant struggle. The sacrifices were worth it, and I knew that in the future, I would be proud of what I had achieved.

The most regrettable part was that I had to work today, it was already Saturday afternoon, and although I wanted to spend more time with my mother, it was impossible. I worked nights five days a week, so I couldn't take care of her. The extra time I had was limited, and I used it to be with her. She always told me not to worry, to keep doing what I was doing, but I couldn't just sit idly by while she got tired so easily with any effort she made. Ever since she started chemotherapy, her body had been weakening, and the numerous medications she took made her fall asleep quickly. She was no longer the same as before. This illness was slowly taking her away from us. I was afraid that one day she would leave us alone. She was the one who gave me the strength to keep going, even though she scolded me sometimes for staying up late or for disobeying when she told me not to worry about her. I did it because my mom meant too much to me. I loved her with all my heart. She was the best mother in the world. She always looked out for us, and now it was our turn to do the same for her.

My workplace was far from where I lived, but I was fortunate that my best and great friend, Mikaela, picked me up at my house every evening before it got dark. She had an old car, but it still ran well. She used it to get around everywhere. Mika was my closest friend and my confidante. I met her a couple of years ago when she worked at the cafe where my sister worked. She was the one who invited me to work at the club. I knew it was nothing bad since I had known her for a long time, and she had been completely trustworthy. She would never put me in harm's way. We knew each other very well, as if we were sisters.

Like every evening, she came to pick me up. I got into her car and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. She smiled at me, turned up the stereo volume, and drove us to our destination.

Mikaela was a stunning girl. She was tall, with dark flowing hair, slanted dark eyes, tanned skin, and a curvaceous body. She was older than me. She was 21 years old, and we had a two-year age difference. When she turned eighteen, she left home because she said she was fed up with her drunk father. Mika had lived for many years in a dysfunctional home. Her mother had left them. While her father drowned in alcohol, her brothers turned into delinquents. There were two of them, both older than her. She didn't feel comfortable in that environment and decided to run away from them as far as possible, leaving them in another state in the country. She struggled to find work quickly because her education wasn't very advanced. She had to leave school for a period and didn't manage to finish it. Finding something decent proved difficult. That was the reason she ended up at Julie's nightclub. She started as a waitress, but when she saw the good tips and the pay that the dancers received, she asked the boss if she could become one too and be a companion. In the club, you could either just dance or be a companion for those wealthy men who frequented it. My friend didn't think twice and jumped at the opportunity. In contrast, I agreed only if they allowed me to dance. If Julie respected my agreement to be just a dancer for the club, I would stay, but if not, I would leave.

We arrived. The building was large. From the outside, you might think it was an elegant place to have a few drinks, but it wasn't like that. We entered the club, and as usual at this time, the place was empty because it wasn't open to the public yet. Our shift started at six in the evening, and the public was admitted after seven, so we had a little time to prepare.

I didn't have to worry because my performance always started in the middle and the other one at the end. "To end the night on a high note," Julie used to say. She said I was her most prized dancer. The other girls got annoyed when they heard her say that. Many of them resented me for that reason. Mika didn't take Julie's words personally, so she wasn't offended, and she even supported her and praised me, even though Mika was very good at what she did too. The years of dance lessons I had taken helped me.

Before heading to my dressing room, I greeted my colleagues, especially the waiters and bartenders, who were my first companions and friends when I arrived. They were very friendly and knew I would never forget them, as Simon, one of the waiters, had started suggesting that as soon as I became a club dancer, I would forget them and wouldn't talk to them anymore. Of course, that would never happen; I wasn't that kind of person.

He said it because many colleagues had said it as if it were a big deal to dance for lustful men. For me, it wasn't something I took pride in, dancing semi-nude for them, although many respected it, but there were others who didn't care about the rules and, because they had money and power, believed they could do as they pleased. This was a job where you had to be very careful and not roam around when the place was in service. I rarely went out. I only moved from the dressing room to the stage and from the stage to the dressing room. Going beyond that meant exposing oneself and being fresh meat for predators.

After greeting everyone, I went straight to the dressing room to get ready. When I arrived, I noticed that almost all my colleagues were already getting ready. They were all running around. It was always like this. Even though we had an hour to get ready, we always needed more time. The place was large, almost ten times the size of this room. It comfortably accommodated fifteen girls without crowding. There was another one, but only ten girls were there, the ones who had been working here for years. So to speak, they were the exclusive ones, the ones who provided full service. They called themselves the VIPs. Mika called them the old ladies. Here, we dressed, put on makeup, and did our hair. If we wanted to take a shower, there were showers at the end of the hallway, near the exit. Julie's office was upstairs, as the place had two floors. The VIP lounges were also there, reserved for distinguished customers. It was a quieter, more private area for those who liked to have business meetings or spend time with their acquaintances. That's where the exclusive companions were kept. I wasn't interested in exclusivity or anything like that; just dancing was more than enough for me. Mika said I was right to hide my identity because many of the men who frequented the club were dangerous people. I didn't understand much when she referred to that. Still, I liked wearing a mask before going out to dance. When I agreed to dance, I told Julie I would wear one. Since she didn't object, I took advantage. Since then, I started dancing with one on, hiding part of my face.

I sat in a chair in front of the mirror. Mika arrived and stood behind me to start straightening my hair. With my hair, it didn't take much time since it was somewhat straight, although the humid weather sometimes messed it up.

"Have I ever told you that you have beautiful hair?" she asked.

"Millions of times."

"Well, I never get tired of saying it," I replied, recalling her compliment.

"What will you wear today?" she asked.

"A bra, a green sequin skirt, black open-toed heels with a platform, and, of course, my emerald green sequin mask."

"Wow, you're going to shine with that sparkling green," she commented.

"That's what Julie wants," I said with a sigh. I didn't know why she asked me to wear these clothes today.

"Oh well, we have to listen to the boss."

After doing my hair, she helped with my makeup. Then it was my turn to help her. We always helped each other. Besides, it was the only time we had to chat about our things.

"It's Saturday, which means it will be a good night," Mika said with a generous smile. "Today, I'm the first one out, so wish me luck. I hope I finally find my millionaire tonight." She winked at me.

"You don't need it; you always do great," I assured her, giving her a thumbs-up.

My performance was after hers and two other girls, so my dance would still be a while. I took the opportunity to sit in one of the armchairs in the dressing room and started messaging my sister on w******p. I wanted to know how my mother was. Whenever I had a chance like this, I spent my time asking my sister about my mother. Sometimes she scolded me for asking too much. Since I knew I wouldn't be up early for work tomorrow, I messaged her at this hour. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered her. After she told me everything was fine at home, I stopped bothering her and played a little game my niece had installed on my phone. I had to do something to pass the time I had left. I wouldn't wander around the club; I wouldn't risk it that way, although I could go out in disguise with a black trench coat and a cap to chat a bit with Tomás and Roy, the bartenders.

I got up and decided to follow my crazy head and go out for a while. At this moment, most of the girls were in the main area. Some were with clients, while others were dancing in the smaller stages, so I found myself alone in the dressing room.

I grabbed a black trench coat and a cap of the same color, which I carefully placed on my head so as not to get disheveled. That's it, I got out of there. Before arriving at the hall, you could already hear the screams, the laughter and the voices of various conversations, and that was a sign that the club was crowded with many people. When I got to the bar, I smiled at the guys and started chatting with them. They gave me a glass of water after laughing at me for walking incognito in the club. Meanwhile, they told me about Mika, about how she danced that night. The only thing I thought was that maybe she had already found her millionaire man. It made me laugh to remember that. That girl knew what she wanted and she wouldn't let it go.

Between chat and chat, time flew by and I didn't even notice. I looked at the time on the wall clock that was in the bar and got up to leave, but not before thanking the guys for the drink and for the good talk we had. I said goodbye to them and almost ran away. I turned left to leave the living room and go back to the dressing room. When I took a few more steps, without reaching my destination, I staggered on my heels when I collided with someone. When I thought I was going to land on the ground, I felt that that person I tripped over reached out to grab me by the waist and prevented my fall so as not to hurt me. On the one hand, I was relieved to realize that he had saved me, but, on the other hand, I remembered that a stranger. Still, I raised my head to see my savior. I met the most beautiful eyes ever seen in my life. He was a perfect size and gray, but what caught my attention the most was that strange something that determined his gaze, something like mysterious and danger. The man was very close to my face, too close, I would say, but that made me notice his face in detail. He was a very attractive man, with black hair combed back, with a serious countenance, with a contoured nose, asymmetrical lips and a clean-shaven and well-groomed beard. His jaw was well distinguished and was as perfect as all his features. He turned out to be very handsome, but what I liked the most was his look, his beautiful eyes, although there was a hint of darkness in it. How could I like something like that?

My body was still attached to his. He was still holding me with his arm. That look froze me and that face left me lost. He looked at me as if he wanted to record something in his mind. I couldn't move and my breathing stopped for a moment. I didn't understand why this was happening to me with a stranger, with a man who didn't know who he was. As soon as I realized that I had lost the cap I was wearing on my head, I could understand it when he detailed me with his eyes; he went from my face to my hair. And that's when I asked myself the question: "Will he be a client?». Just thinking like that made me shudder. I've always wanted to run away from this kind of man, the kind who, just by looking at his face, shouted danger.