I faced the portrait before me and began to paint. As I used the colour palette close to me and drew, the next minute I was done, I looked at the beautiful painting before. It was a naked portrait of a woman in tears. Close to her were two men with double spears trying to attack her and her baby.
The portrait best described me and how life was for me. I was always fond of doing new paintings anytime I was depressed or bothered with anything. I headed to the bathroom, switched on the shower, as the water spiraled around my body I remembered about my encounter last night. As I washed my body, I didn't even realize I started crying, I was in so much pain. I fixed myself something to eat, thinking of how I would visit the supermarket to get new colour palettes. Painting was the best thing I knew the best other than dancing. Back before I lost my parents to a ghastly car crash, I remembered I was so good at painting. I even painted a caricature portrait of my parents and I. My thoughts were distracted by the chiming sound of the kettle. As I turned the hot water into the mug, there was a knocking sound at my door.
It was Rochelle. Rochelle was my partner and best friend. I met her six years ago at the clubhouse. She taught me most of the moves I knew. She was a good dancer and her moves intrigued the men at the clubhouse, but after she taught me her killer moves and steps, I got more attention. Other girls from the classical team expected Rochelle to hate me, but she didn't, she was close to me, and we spent time together.
"What the hell happened Khloe?"
"The manager told me what happened to you last night at the club", Rochelle asked as I opened the door for her to get in.
"Are you hurt?" She asked.
"I'm okay Rochelle" I replied as I closed the door, walking back to the kitchen to make my tea.
"Those rich dumbfuck better stay away from you. You see why I always tell you to stay strapped," Rochelle said, protestedly
Rochelle always advised me to stay strapped while stripping with a private client. She always keeps a pocket knife close to her inner girdle as she dances, so no one plays a game with her. She adviced me to do the same, but I never really thought about it. Perhaps if I had a pocket knife with me, I would have fought those monsters who tried to make their way through me last night, but thanks to the pepper spray.
"Can I get you tea?" I asked Rochelle.
"Please do. I'm so tasty, the weather today is hot", she replied.
I served her tea and some biscuits while she told me how she slept with her previous client from the last VVIP lap dance section.
"That's a beautiful painting" Rochelle complimented.
"Thanks" I said as I looked back at the painting, as it made me sad.
"You know Khloe, I think you should show the world your painting instead of keeping it to die down here in your sitting room and flipping your ass on a pole for the rest of your life," Rochelle said.
"I know Rochelle. I'm saving up for...
"You have been saying this for the past six years. Who the hell are you saving for? Rochelle asked disrupting me
The question rang like a bell to my ear. Rochelle was right. Who the hell was I saving for? I ignored her question as I stood before my painting checking to see if it was now dried.
"It's not like you don't get enough money at the club, they tip us so well. As for me, I'm okay working there, but, girl, you are not happy working there. So Khloe, tell me where is all your money going? Rochelle asked again, looked at me, we looked at each other. I knew it was time to let the cat out of the bag, it was time I told her my secret.
"Come on girl. Tell me, is someone blackmailing you? Does anyone have your nude pictures or videos and is using them against you?" Rochelle asked these different questions calmly hoping for an answer.
"My son" I answered truthfully.
"What? Rochelle asked with a serious look on her face.
"I spend all the money I earn from the clubhouse on my son in Colombia"
The look on Rochelle's face was that of shock. I told no one I had a son. It was a secret I kept to myself for obvious reasons.
"You have a son? Rochelle asked
"Yes Rochelle, I have a son. He's eight years old".
*****************************************************
There was an abrupt silence in the room. Rochelle was still in shock. I expected it because it was a secret before now.
"Yes Rochelle, I have a son" I said, recalling the whole scenario of what happened. I got pregnant by my ex-boyfriend who I once loved, who promised to take care of my baby, but while I was six months pregnant he ran away with a rich woman who I later discovered to be his wife. I also heard he died of cancer two years ago, so unfortunate, I said to myself out of pain.
"Khloe, so you have a son!" Rochelle asked again, still in shock.
"Yes"
"Wow, so. So what's his name?"
"Daniel. He's eight" I replied.
"Wow eight. Who's the father?"
"He's dead. But he left me, he abandoned me". I said as I cried out of control. Rochelle held on to me, consoling me.
"But why did you keep it a secret?"
"I couldn't bear the pain that came from it. I don't want my child to know his mother's a whore"
"You are not a whore. You are a dancer". Rochelle said.
"A stripper", I corrected.
"I'm a stripper Rochelle. I don't want my child to know what I am doing. That's why I took him far away from me. I send anything I earned from stripping to him. I want him to lack nothing, I give him all the comfort". I said as tears continued rolling down from my cheeks. Rochelle held on to me, placed my hair on her shoulders as she patted me.
"Everything is going to be fine" Rochelle said hopefully as she patted my hair this time.
"When?"
"When's everything going to be fine?" I asked.
"Soon I promise. Everything is going to be okay" she said. As I cried on Rochelle's shoulder I knew everything wasn't going to be okay, not now, not soon.
FELIX’S POV Beverly visits Felix in prison. She watched how he was brought into the investigating room in cuffs by a cop. He was also dressed like a prisoner. Beverly watched in disbelief. She let out a smile and grinned as she watched him take his seat. Felix looked at Beverly as she sat crossing her legs feeling like she was a queen in her castle. “Have you come to gloat?” Felix asked Beverly as soon as he sat “You are a shame and disgrace” she said to Felix after they were left alone to talk. “How is father?” Felix asked Beverly, that was his only concern now. "Like you care”, Beverly huffed. She looked at Felix disgustingly, then she smiled gravely at him. Felix noticed her smile. He knew Beverly wasn’t just smiling. “Did you do this, Beverly?” Felix asked Beverly with eagerness, “Why would I do it?” She replied, looking away as she tapped her fingers on the table. “I gain nothing by such a thing” she added, as she continued tapping her fingers. Felix knew something was wr
FELIX’S POVFelix was placed in the investigating room, his hands were still cuffed to the table, he was seated reflecting on thoughts. His thoughts were of two things. First, he thought about his fate. Secondly, he thought about how he made love to Khloe. He didn’t expect he would have anything with Khloe. He reflected on the two thoughts, but the one he thought about the most was that of Khloe.Felix looked around the place. This wasn’t his first time in an investigation room. The first time he was arrested was in Manhattan, for smoking weed. Weed was banned in Manhattan.“Fuck” he said, hitting the table. He knew he was being watched on camera. He tried to remain calm. The door was pushed open by a man. Felix recognized him to be one of the men that cuffed him earlier at his mansion. He had white curly hair, he approached Felix’s table, took his seat.“Hi. Mr. Felix, I am inspector Justin, I will be in charge of your case”, he said, after taking his seat.“Can you take this off? I
KHLOE’S POVThe first light of dawn crept through the sheer curtains, casting a warm glow on the bedroom. Beneath the soft covers, my eyes flapped open, revealing a confusion that mirrored the dimly lit room.I slowly sat up, then the events of the previous night began to flood down my memory.“Shit!” I said, silently hitting my head.Felix, on the other hand, was still sleeping, his face was peaceful with his dark eyes closed, they were so charming. Felix didn’t take advantage of me. I succumbed to it too. We both had sex with each other.Fear and anxiety bewildered my body as soon as I remembered my son was in the hospital. My heart raced lying beside Felix. I had slept with him, which wasn’t meant to happen. I tossed to the other side of the bed as I thought of how to leave the room unnoticed.I slowly dropped one leg, then dropped the other, took a quick look at Felix, then I started pacing slowly out of the room.“You can do better than that?” his voice said quickly as he sat up.
I woke up the next sunny morning to lots of missed calls on my phone. I tried calling back, but it was unavailable. My stomach cried, begging for food. I had skipped dinner last night, I was still scared of Felix from last night after he tried to choke me and I had no appetite to eat any food.“God. Why is he like that?" I asked myself.I was told by the cook that Felix hadn't come for dinner last night, and they were scared to take it to his room. I noticed he didn’t come out for breakfast either. Who cares. I huffed, oops. I did care about the contract to get my money and be done with all of this whole drama. Felix Bank's family was full of different dramas.I returned to my room after I was done with breakfast. I got thinking of what to wear. Stephanie had earlier invited me to go out with her today, and I was looking forward to it tonight. I really loved hanging out with Stephanie.I opened the wardrobe in my room speedily after I returned to my room with excitement. I searched fo
KHLOE’S POVFelix had been behaving oddly for some days now, he had hurriedly walked up to his room three days ago, and since then he hadn’t come out of his room. One of the cooks was fired because he went to inform him constantly that his food was ready.The cook had begged for mercy but was taken away by Felix's guard after making a lot of noise in the mansion.I wondered what was wrong with Felix. I wanted to see him and discuss getting some cash from him to see if I could sort Rochelle's mother's surgical bills. I huffed and sighed for a while in front of Felix’s room. I eavesdropped on his room. It was quiet, and it remained like that for days. I wondered if he was still alive or not.I thought about whether I could call Stephanie or not. I reached for my phone to try to call Stephanie, but I paused for a while, asking myself if I was going too far. Felix might just want to be on his own.FELIX’S POVFelix hadn’t slept peacefully for days. Whenever he slept, he saw Keisha’s body
Felix was now aware of what Beverly could do. He wondered why she would go so far using Keisha to get on him. She and he wanted the same thing, to be the heir/heiress to his father’s consortium. Felix entered Paulina Hotels and suites swiftly. He had an angry face as he approached the front desk of the receptionist. “Hello sir, welcome to Paulina hotels and Suites, how may I help you?” the female receptionist greeted him in a light accent. It was obvious she was faking it. She zoomed nearer to Felix, revealing her boobs in front of him. Felix ignored her, he described Keisha to the receptionist. “Is she still here?” he asked her. “Is she expecting you Sir?” the receptionist asked Felix. Felix gave her a cold look and she understood the look. “Do you want me to take your job?” Felix asked the receptionist. She had a frightened look on her face after Felix threatened her. “She changed room Sir?” she told Felix without hesitation. “What’s the new room number?” Felix asked the frigh