003

Nicole Harper

~•~

The week passed by in a blur. I spent most of my time in front of my mirror. It didn’t take long for me to move as fluidly as I used to back in my freshman year. Clara showed me a basic choreography which I learnt in no time.

On the night of the gig, I was pretty nervous, but Clara assured me that I’d be alright. Even if I wasn’t dancing properly, as long as I seemed confident, I was okay apparently. I took her word for it.

I followed her to the club she worked for and we met with her boss and three other girls. I wasn’t entirely sure what Clara said to her boss but I was the only new face and they weren’t even scared I’d fuck it up. If this ended well, I’d owe her.

We got a whole speech about how we couldn’t be forced to do anything and could say no if we weren’t interested which reassured me that her boss genuinely cared about our safety. Then it was time to leave.

An SUV took us to the location. The girls chatted during the ride while I stayed quiet, looking out the window. They didn’t seem anxious. Then again, it wasn’t their first rodeo. I could only hope I didn’t fuck this up for them.

The SUV pulled up behind a high-end apartment. It was in the area where all the buildings were tall. Six of us filed into the elevator; me, Clara, her boss, and the two other girls. All five of us girls were dressed in identical lace sets as well as lace masks that made it hard for anyone who didn’t know us to recognize us later. The lingerie was covered with a long coat.

When I caught my reflection on the mirrored wall, I could barely recognize myself. My blonde hair was loose and had a wet-hair vibe. My lips were painted dark red. I looked like I belonged, like I’d been doing this for years. That made me a little more confident.

Clara bumped my shoulder slightly. “Breathe, Nicole. You’ve got this.”

I nodded.

The elevator ride was quick and in no time, the doors opened into the penthouse. My eyes went straight to the round couches arranged over a raised platform with poles. Five poles to be precise.

The room was huge and dimly lit. Low laughter filled the air. Cigar smoke curled towards the ceiling. There were seven men. All in suits. Even if their backs were to us, they felt imposing already. It was obvious they heard us come in. It was hard not to, but they didn’t bother to greet us.

David, Clara’s boss, led us around them to a room directly beside the platform. There, we touched up our makeup and let go of our coats.

I waited for the girls to pick their poles before making do with the last one at the corner, right next to Clara. Standing in front of them was even more nerve-racking. The chatter had died down by now.

Unable to help it, my gaze ran through the semi-circle. Six out of seven of them were staring at us, waiting for us to start, but the one in the middle caught my attention immediately.

He sat dead center, legs spread, and arms draped over the back of the couch like he owned the space. Was he the groom? He didn’t look up right away. He just stared at the platform, his jaw tight, his fingers drumming against the back of the couch.

Then his eyes lifted and locked on me like he knew I was already watching him.

I averted my gaze immediately.

Clara gave me one last nod, then the lights dimmed even further. The music shifted to something slower and much sultrier.

I started along with the other girls. We all rolled our hips, dropped low, parted our thighs, and rose again in a slow grind. Some of the men whistled. Bills fluttered onto the platform immediately. My lips almost broke into a smile. Was it that easy?

Having experience in both ballet and pole dancing, it wasn’t hard for me to spin around the pole. I stopped thinking and let my body take over.

The man at the center never looked away. His eyes tracked my body like he had the right to. I caught his gaze through my mask. Being a lot more confident than when we first started, I held it for a while, then I smiled.

His jaw ticked.

I laughed to myself and continued dancing. There was something incredibly thrilling about making a man lose control. Especially the ones that appeared to be dark and brooding. Unlike his friends, he hasn’t said anything since we stepped on stage, and that made me want to tease him even more.

One of his friends leaned in to tell him something, but he didn't respond. His friend merely hit his shoulder lightly and laughed. Not once did he take his eyes off me. Was he interested in me? Did he want more than a pole dance?

On the other hand, was I interested in him? I’d been staring at him since I started dancing and there was no way he didn’t notice. Was he going to do anything about it? It was almost like the world blurred and it was just him and me in the room.

I’d never been attracted to older men, but there was something very hot about this man, who seemed at least fifteen years older, who looked like he was forced to be present.

There was something about him that made my thighs clench. I couldn’t entirely tell if it was the song, the mood, or his intense gaze.

I watched him as he raised a finger. David ran straight to him. He said something to David while watching me and in the next second, David was walking straight to me.

My heart was pounding as I watched him approach me.

“He wants you,” David said to me, his voice low. “Private.”

I didn’t even have to ask who.

Clara had told me I could refuse, but did I really want to?