Chapter 1

The whole room was lit brightly, Sofia sat down in front of her mirror, her eyes closed as she inhaled and exhaled nervously. For the past year, this has been her hell. And is the worst time and place of her life. Her body still hurts  as though she just started this a few days ago.

Another night to dance as a stripper in front of men old enough to be her father or grandfather,she felt knots tied in her stomach and she wanted to puke as images of these men touching her body flashed through her mind. 

She wished she could be anywhere but here,if only she could turn her wishes into reality. It took every self- restraint in her not to scream out in frustration and anger.

Ever since her mother died a year ago, it has just been her fending for her sick grandmother and herself. Life was extremely hard when she found out her mother was owing a businessman a large amount of money. He had asked for the full payment, but where would she get five hundred thousand dollars to pay? Where would a teenager get such an amount of money?

He had asked her to work in his club without any payment, she had to look for another job to earn and cater for her sick mother. She was an amazing ballet dancer, another dream she had to halt to repay her mother's debts. The bills were piling up, she had applied for other jobs, but never got employed it seemed the universe was against her.

“Why aren't you ready?” Cassie, her colleague asked. Snapping her out of reverie. 

Sofia opened her eyes, her eyes darting around as she realized she was alone in the dressing room. 

She gave Cassie a faint smile, “I'll be ready soon”.

Cassie gave her a broad smile, and pinched her cheeks as she sat on the dressing table next to Sofia.

“Hey, love. I know you wouldn't be here if you had a choice, but you have to come to terms with it. You still have the debts to pay, the faster the better for you. You're not like the rest of us here, I'm rooting for you darling” she said, patting Sofia's shoulder. “Now let's get you dressed and ready for work”.she said with a grin.

Cassie was nicer to Sofia than the rest of the matured strippers. The first day she got there, they hated her, maybe because she was younger and they were threatened by her beauty and shape. Cassie was her only friend in the club, she was more like a big sister to her.

“Let me fix your makeup,” Cassie offered as she helped Sofia. Sofia allowed her to work her magic on her face, Cassie was her special make up artist in the club.

By the time she was done, Sofia looked at the mirror. She admired herself, she was radiating that she could barely recognize herself. She no longer wore that worried, depressed face. 

“Cassie, you're so talented. You should try it as a side hustle”. Sofia complimented her, with a smile on her face.

Cassie smiled as she flipped her hair with a smile on her face as she looked at Sofia “Is that a smile I see on your pretty face?”

Suddenly the door opened, two other ladies walked in, sweat dripping their bodies.

“Hey, what are you still doing here?” the red haired lady asked. “Sofia or whatever you're called, the men are waiting for your performance” she said, taking off her wig as she laid on the couch.

Sofia always wondered who the boss was, the dressing room was giving luxury and comfort, probably that's why the ladies took their jobs seriously. She has heard people talking about this club when she was in high school, she thought it was mere rumors until she got here a year ago.

"Hey kiddo, boss is here today and there must be no mistakes and messy performances" the second lady, chorused as she eyed Sofia from her head to toe like she was some low life beggar, begging her for money.

Boss? She has never met the boss. She only heard from the others that he was young,handsome, and very ruthless. No wonder he asked a teenager to work in his strip club.

"Hey, take a chill pill”.Cassie said with a sigh."Sofia has never messed up and she won't. Stop being so hard on the poor girl" she added with a frown.

“Oh, please. Stop playing games. You're not different from the rest of us who hate her, “ the red haired lady said.

“You know what the boss can do, if you care so much about her. Tell her to do her best” the second lady added,as she removed her wig and was looking at the mirror.

“She's a teenager for Christ sake. If you don't know how to encourage someone, just shut the fuck up!” Cassie barked, her voice laced with anger.

“She should be working with her mates, not dragging clients with her seniors” the red haired lady said.

“You think she's here because she lacks education or proper home training like you? I shouldn't even waste my time responding to you” Cassie shot at the red haired lady.

The second lady quietly walked to an empty chair and sat down without saying anything else. Cassie wasn't someone to mess with, she had an upper hand in the club. She could badmouth you into depression.

 “Sofia” Cassie began turning to face Sofia, "You will do great tonight. Go over there and show them what you are made of. I'll be cheering for you, darling"

Sofia smiled, no wonder she loved Cassie.

“Thank you,big sis”. Cassie had taught her to ignore the other ladies, since she was there to pay debts. If they fought, the boss wouldn't handle things in her favour.

Sofia took in deep breaths trying to calm the torrents of nervousness coursing through her and stared at my appearance in the mirror. She stared at my nude self from her laced underpants to her red lingerie and dagger heels.

Then her eyes darted to her face and the breathtaking makeup Cassie applied on it.

Satisfied with her look, she sighed. Damn! She really looked like a certified stripper. Her only wish was that her grandmother shouldn't find out about her line of work. She lied that she waà working as a waitress in the creditors restaurant. Her grandmother would die of heart attack if she found out her darling teenage granddaughter was a stripper.

"Babes, once you're out there, free your mind and relax. You look so tense. Do your thing and get the money flowing". Cassie urged with a chuckle.

Sofia gulped and nodded her head. She took one last glance at the mirror before walking towards the door. She opened the door but not before giving Cassie a soft smile whilst the other two girls exchanged glares at them.

She began walking down the narrow walkway. Loud deafening music and the rush from the crowd could be heard from the hall.

She approached it briskly. Once she got to the blue coloured closed curtains, She took in deep breaths and tried relaxing herself

.

Soon enough the curtains were pulled open revealing a hall bustling with life. A dimly lit, pulsating atmosphere with flashing lights and loud music.Patrons were sitting at the other end of the bar, sipping drinks. The air is thick with anticipation for the next dancer. Loud music was blasting from all corners of the hall.

Some men were dancing shamelessly with multiple half nude women and an endless swarm of waiters buzzing around filled the entire atmosphere with the stench of sex, drugs, perfumes mixed with sweat and alcohol. She still hasn't gotten used to the smell in the club, everyday she felt the urge to puke.

There was no time to stop and think as she was already on the stage with poles. sprouting out of them.

A new song was played by the DJ and the crowd went noisy, cheering and expecting her to dance whilst feeding their eyes on her body. The men were yelling that she should strip herself naked. Sofia suddenly  felt like running back but she couldn't. She had to do this to pay her mother's debts.

Immediately, she began moving her hips, her hands ran down her body seductively in accordance to the beat of the song. She grasped a long pole as she swirled her body around it.

The men were howling as they fed their eyes hungrily on her body.

"Damn! 

Girl, you're sexy!"

"Come naked,darling!"

"Give us that ass!!"

“Slip your finger into that pussy!”