02

3 Months Before

I tried to fix my long and fake rabbit ears for the third time on top of my head. But, no matter how great my effort was, the accessory insisted on slipping forward, blocking my vision from time to time with a black silk bow that shaved lightly on the tip of my heavy eyelashes by the mascara. Sighing exasperated, I moved the thin fabric away from my face with a strong peteleco, crossed my arms on top of the

“Right... “ Kendall pondered, spinning a cherry between his teeth. “You were really right when you said it would be much easier if we had planned to renew the bet every first day of the month. “

Shrugging, I stole one of the cherries inside the Condiment Container and sucked my fingers loudly. “I warned you. “

Kendall rolled her eyes and snorted. “How much do you bet on the night? “

“Five hundred. “

“No chance. “

“Five hundred or nothing “ I said with an open smile. Kendall hit the lid of the container with the fruits at the same time that I stretched out my hand to get another cherry. I frowned and stared at her. “What's up?”

“I don't want to lose five hundred dollars, shit”, she replied. Dragging the container away, he pulled two napkins and offered one so I could clean my fingers.

“When did you lose one of our bets?” I asked turning on the stool and trying to hide my superb smile.

Still with my back to my friend, I noticed that the Strippers in the house were already on the small circle-shaped stage with a centered pole dance mast.

“Hmm... “ Kendall grabbed my shoulders and turned me in front, her face marked by the lines of exasperation. “Maybe in the last five weeks in a row. “

Pulling your wrists, I pushed your big nails away from my silk vest.

“It's not my fault if all the men you caught were married or didn't want sex on the first date. That's not how the bet works. You lost due to disqualification. “

Kendall creaked her teeth and rolled her eyes again. “Maybe we should change the rules of the bet. “

“None of that!” I shook my index finger. “The bet has worked very well during the almost three years we met and will stay that way. I waive the suggestion. “

Kendall challenged me to go out with one of the clients who had given me his phone number in my first week at the new job. I knew she was known for her strange manias and promiscuity, and that made me love her immediately. Whenever she thought a man was unattainable to mere mortals, we made a bet of those who could sleep with him on the first date. We never had anything that would bind us to behaviors ideal to the standards of society, so we deluded men without any guilt in our consciences. That was the first law of survival of our single woman's manual: Never being afraid to hurt a man, they deserved it.

“It's not fair”, she hit with both hands on the counter and the rings on her index and ring finger tint over the glass. “You have two advantages in front of me. First, you're a redhead. Second, nothing else matters because you're a fucking redhead person!”

“You have more experience”, I pointed out.

Kendall's face changed from bright olive color to blushing in a matter of seconds. She pulled the ice punch and pointed it towards me. “Remove what you said!”

“What? “

“You just called me a bitch!”

Not that it was some kind of title that offered pride, but that was exactly what we were. On a pure whim, we pretended that we didn't shook ourselves with the crooked looks and grumblings of other women. It was always easy to forget that when their men drooled at our feet. We gave the sex they needed to endure the tedious life with their rich girlfriends, and we collected experiences for pure fun.

I frowned. “I meant that you know better than me when it comes to attracting men. I wasn't counting on how many you've ever slept.”

Kendall narrowed her eyes and gave me a sweet smile. I almost rolled my eyes for the sudden change in behavior. It was typical of her. “All right.” She sighed. “Depending on the pace of the night, we'll decide on the amount, agreed?”

As she still held the pointed object, I just had to agree. “Of course” I smile, lightly pulling my choker with a four-leaf clover-shaped pendant.

I knew it would only take two minutes for my friend to change her mind. This was perhaps one of Kendall's best qualities. She was a woman of multiple opinions and varied impulsive attitudes.

When she grumbled a bad word, I let go of my pendant and looked in her direction. “Can you believe that we are in costume as if we were at Halloween?”

We were on the eve of Easter, and knowing that the nightclub did not work on Sundays, this was the night when all employees should wear special costumes. For strippers: tight and thin clothes of playboy bunnies. The other girls, including waitresses from the VIP area: the same crap, taking off the swimsuit I hope it falls and the needle heel. As for men, pointed ears and tie were also mandatory, but the clothes remained social shirts and tight pants.

Laughing, I slid my hands to unroll the bars of my short shorts, taking the way to pull up my fishnet tights. Overall, my uniform was just a top that reached no more than the height of my navel, high-waisted shorts and long boots.

“I liked my clothes.”

My friend laughed out loud and hit her shiny nails on the counter. “Don't talk shit... You look ridiculous. “

Open-mouthed, I turned quickly towards you.

“It's you who's wearing an entirely orange outfit!”

Kendall lowered her eyes to her own body and pouted, proving that the debauchery was good for herself. She shrugged before pulling the silk accessory above her head and grumbled a second swear word. “Have I already said how much I hate this ear shit and the damn pompom that pierced my whole ass until I found a place to fix it?”’When I laughed, she raised her hand. “Don't ask where the pin is nailed or I'll kill you.”

I disguised the laughter by tilting my head to my hands, and with the movement, almost immediately, I felt the bite of the pin against the seam of my shorts.

Despite the roughness, Kendall Reedy was the kind of woman that men used to die of love. She got what she wanted from any man with just a smile and a promise of eternal love. Her hair at the nape of the neck and brown eyes also helped a lot in the process. She had a docile appearance, but that never deceived me. For the others, it was the kind and sweet Kendall who melted even the deepest layer of ice. With me, Kendall has always been herself. Kendall clumsy and with family problems that suppressed her needs on the lap of several men.