Chapter 1 A virgin

*JANELLE*

“One hundred and fifty thousand dollars?!”My friend, Esme let out looking shocked.

I buried my face into my palms, helplessly.

"She needs the surgery urgently. The doctors have been trying their best to keep her stable while my mom and I tried to raise the money, mom’s working two jobs, I’m working three but we’ve only been able to raised 10,000$, if we don’t get her the treatment soon, something bad is going to happen.”

“I know you don’t like talking about your father but right now, his help is needed, have you reached out to him?”

“I’ve swallowed my pride a lot of times and gave him a call, he picked up once and told me not to bother him. After that, he stopped answering my calls.”

“That father of yours is really something. I have some money saved up, I’ll send it to you.”

“Do you have up to $150,000 saved up?”I joked, but it came out, miserably.

My heart was filled with great bitterness at the moment which made me feel like I was losing my mind by the minute.

I found everything unfair. Why me?

Why my family?

Why was my sister going through this?

“$150,000.”Esme let out as if she still didn’t believe the amount.”There has to be something we can do.”

I lifted up my head and stared at her.

“I heard strippers get tipped off nicely if they perform well.”

Her eyes widened at me.”You’re going to be a stripper?”

I nodded.”I’m considering it.”

“Elle, can you even pole dance and no, no. That kind of job doesn’t suit you. Heck, your mother doesn’t even like the bartending job you do here talk more of becoming a stripper.”

“I’m running out of options, Esme.”

“Janelle, what are you doing chitchatting during work hours?!”My manager’s voice sounded.

I flinched as I turned around to face him.

I had come out of the bar to meet up with Esme when she told me she was around.

I had badly needed someone to talk to.

“You should go in now. I’m going to find a way. I’m going to go ask some friends, even take a loan if I have too.”

I nodded and quickly hugged her, then I hurried back into the bar.

I had no faith in what Esme had just said.

Esme was a struggling young girl like me, there was no way she could get that sum of money and I wasn’t expecting her to either.

I was just hoping for a miracle.

My sister, Danica was just fifteen, she had her whole life ahead of her and I had promised her a good life someday.

She’s had a heart disease since she was nine and right now, it has gotten worse.

She needed it operated on and I had to get the money.

But how?

I felt confused, sad, angry at the same time.

Ten minutes later, I was standing beside the bar stand, in a crisp white shirt and a maroon vest, watching wealthy and average looking people at the dance floor.

“Two martinis, one dry, one dirty please.”A man called from one end of the bar.

“Coming up.”I retorted and got to work.

The night dragged by painstakingly slow.

I watched as a woman came to sit at one of the barstool.

She must be in her late thirties or early forties but either way, she looked sophisticated.

She was a beautiful redhead, wearing fashionable white rimmed glasses.

She smiled at me and I nodded, curtly at her.

I couldn’t even force a polite smile back if I wanted to. I was too drained to.

She ordered a frozen margarita with some slices of lemon on the side.

“Why do you look so sad?”She suddenly asked me.

I blinked.”I’m not.”

Even if I wasn’t in the right state of mind at the moment, I still had to abide by the bar’s rules and regulations, to be polite to customers and keep them always happy with our services.

“I know sadness when I see one, honey.”

I nodded, curtly at her again hoping she’d stop trying to make small talks with me.

I didn’t want to share my problems with strangers right now.

“Let me guess, you have money problems?”

“Who doesn’t?” I let out before I could stop myself.

“What if I tell you that I have a job offer that will earn you $50,000 tonight?”

I frowned at her.

According to the bar’s rules, we couldn’t really talk about money with customers.

We accept tips, discreetly.

But talking about this kind of amount was unheard of.

But I was desperate and even if I knew nothing about this woman.

I was interested in her offer.

“How?”

“Firstly, you have to answer this question. Are you a virgin?”

Why was she asking that?

I answered truthfully by nodding.

“Great, and because of that, the amount is doubled, I’ll give you $100,000”

My jaw dropped.

Was she being for real right now?