A DIRTY AFFAIR

GEMMA

    I opened the dressing room door and walked wobbling to the stage amidst loud and cheering noises. I got to the stage, climbed it and stood at the center of the stage. I closed my eyes nervously, exhaling and inhaling. I opened my eyes and stared at the large crowd cheering at me and waiting for me to start performing.

I knew how weird and irritating it felt dancing in front of men old enough to be your father because I've been working in this club as a waitress for a long time and had seen everything that's going on, but here I am, on this stage, about to dance almost naked.

This is my first time dancing almost half naked in front of everyone.

"Just do it. Just one night, if you dance well, you would get enough money to settle your debts once and for all" my best friend's words replayed in my mind.

It was hard for her to bring up this suggestion but she had seen how I've been living a miserable life and living from hand to mouth while trying to pay back the debts my father owed before dying with my little waitress salary.

I was shocked when I found out that my father was owing a certain person a huge sum of money and since I was the only family he had left, I had to pay him back. Since then I haven't stopped receiving notes on my door asking me to pay back and pay fast. But then how would one person own that amount of money?

I felt knots tie in my stomach and I wanted to puke. I wished I could be anywhere but here but I just couldn't make my wish a reality.

"What are you waiting for? Start" my manager, Stacy said as she entered the stage.

I shook my head slightly, forcing back the tears that threatened to fall. I just couldn't do this.

"The men are eagerly waiting for your performance. If you can't do it, then leave the stage and go home" she yelled at me. Thank goodness the crowd couldn't hear her due to the loud music playing.

Leaving the stage right now was something I couldn't afford to do. I needed the money badly.

"I will do it," I muttered.

"Good. Boss is here today and there should be no mistakes and floppy performances" she said and eyed me from head to toe like with disdain and walked off the stage. She had every right to be mad at me. I was the one who told her I wanted to strip dance.

The boss is here? For a strip club, I had to admit this place was oozing pure luxury and had always wondered who owned this magnificent place.

I took deep breaths and tried relaxing myself. The men were screaming at me to strip myself naked, as they were already impatient. Their hungry eyes were feeding on my body. The music changed and I closed my eyes.

I immediately began moving my hips tentatively and ran my hands down my body in a seductively and erotic way. I grasped a long pole as I swirled my body round it.

I didn't realize I had mastered how to strip dance in my head just by watching others do it these past months. I was dancing freely, putting practice to everything I had seen earlier.

The man were howling as they fed their eyes hungrily.

"Slutty bitch" 

"That's a great job over there"

"Come sit on my dick"

"I'm fucking hard" one yelled and they all laughed.

I felt so irritated hearing their nude comments but I hid my irritation and kept on swaying myself around the pole. 

I opened my eyes and allowed it to travel around the hall and then it suddenly locked with a pair of cold blue eyes, his gaze was like ice, so hard.

He locked his eyes with mine, not cheering or howling like the others. He stared at me like he knew me from before.  He stared at me like a predator would stare at a prey and I suddenly felt myself being self conscious of my performance as a result of his fiery gaze on my body.

I couldn't really get a view of his face since he sat in the shadows, surrounded by women dressed seductively and caressing his body to get a reaction. I didn't like the way he was staring at me, it was beginning to stir up some reactions in my body.

I forced myself to look away from him and kept on swaying myself around the pole while the men kept throwing money at me. The sight of the money made me dance more.

Soon, the music came to an end. I bent down and picked up my money littered everywhere on the stage, tucked them in my bra and hurriedly left the stage. The money I made just this night was huge, it was almost a thousand dollars or even more than.

I could still hear the men clapping as I walked back to the dressing room.

"Gemma, that was a nice performance. You did extremely well" Luna, a friend said as I walked into the dressing room.

"Thank you" I whispered.

"You made a lot of money tonight, keep it up" she said and left the room.

I rolled my eyes after she left. The three other girls in the room just stared at me without saying a word to me. I wasn't surprised, we don't really talk.

Keep what up? I just pray this money is enough for me to pay off the remaining debt. Luna came into the room again and began sorting out some dresses.

I changed out of my stripper clothes and wore back my normal clothes. I put all the money I made tonight into my bag. Seeing this money brought joy to me, I don't think I've ever seen this kind of money before in my life. Soon, I would be free of this huge debt.

I was about to leave the dressing room, after waving Luna bye and go home when Manager Stacy walked into the room.

"Gemma, the boss wants to see you," she said.