Five

When Kachi stood up, Aria could swear her heart dipped. He was so tall and muscular, like someone who spent all their spare time working out. He towered over her, his eyes cold and his full lips in a straight line as he stared down at her. Usually, she hated the feeling of being looked down on, but at the moment, his cold gaze sent goosebumps all over her skin and made her stomach tighten.

She took a step closer to measure their height difference, finding that her head only came to the middle of his chest, and she had heels on.

"Back off!" His voice rang and she immediately blinked, getting a hold of herself. "don't come close to me, don't touch me without my permission either." She took a few steps back and stared at him.

"I wasn't going to touch you, I was just—"

"Walk," he interrupted and his brows drew together.

"What?"

"Time is money, start walking."

Aria huffed but began to move, making conscious effort to sway her hips a little. She found Kunle in front of one of the rooms and he pushed the door open, a broad smile on his face. She entered first and promptly made her way to the pole set on a small stage, leaving Kachi to figure out his seating arrangement. She selected the song she wanted from the sound system beside the stage and then returned.

Kunle came back in with a bottle of the drink the guys had ordered and two glasses. He placed them on the table in front of Kachi then scurried out.

"What are you waiting for? Some sort of whistle to be blown? Get on with it," he said from the couch he'd selected.

Aria rolled her eyes and grabbed onto the pole, twirling once around it.

"Don't fucking roll your eyes at me, it's disrespectful."

She was tempted to remind him of just who had been rude and disrespectful the entire night but decided to keep her mouth shut. He was after all a customer. Ignoring him, she let her mind go and allowed the music flow through her. She was grateful for the three months class she had taken on pole dancing, else she'd have disgraced herself.

Aria hooked her left leg around the pole with her right hand holding her right leg and began to swing round. The position had her tits almost spilling out of the tiny bra and her lace covered lady parts flashed him each time she turned. He also had a good view of her ass and Aria took advantage of all these, working the pole to the beat of the music.

"Stop," he ordered and when she didn't immediately come to a halt, he picked the remote on the table and paused the song. Aria fumed but stopped herself from glaring at him.

"It's not even up to thirty minutes, why did you ask me to stop?"

"Take off your top," he said in that commanding voice.

"What?"

"The fabric of your bra was doing nothing to cover it, so you might as well take it off."

"No," she hissed at him. Aria couldn't believe that a few hours ago she'd been excited and grateful to have met this guy again at the club. Now she was regretting it. Kachi was a bastard, a handsome one but a bastard nonetheless.

"Wasn't that your intention? You exposed yourself because you wanted me to see. Now I'm interested in seeing, you say no?"

"I'm a dancer, not a stripper. I can't take my clothes off for you."

"Hmm. You can see my face but I can't see yours. How much more do I need to pay to get you to take off the mask?" Kachi asked. "I want to see the face underneath it."

"It's against club policy," she replied, already hating where the night was going.

"Then how much to get you out of the club?"

"I'm not a prostitute."

"I never said you were."

"You just did! You offered to pay me to get out of here with you." She was fuming now, her skin felt hot and her fists clenched tightly by her sides.

"I didn't say it's so I can fuck you. I want to see the face of who I'm talking to."

"Whatever your reason may be, I can't take it off and I'm not following you out of this club."

"Get out then." He leaned back in his chair, his eyes daring her to say something.

"What?"

"Are you hard of hearing? I said get out!" He stared at her with that cold glare and she glared back. "You won't take your mask off, or your top. Your dance isn't doing it for me either, so fucking go."

"You're a jerk," she said calmly. "A big one."

Kachi said nothing else to her as she fled the stage and the private room, slamming the door behind her.

***

"I think we should ask him tonight," Azu said as he washed his hands in the bathroom sink.

"I don't think plying him with alcohol and women would be enough to convince Kachi. That man is stubborn," Bode intoned.

"I don't get it though. His father is a Governor so my guy is supposed to be used to all these. Politics is a dirty game," Azu sighed.

"Remember when Senator Duru met him and tried convincing him so he could open ghost accounts? Kachi refused millions of dollars because he's an upright citizen."

"Maybe we should have let Chike in on this. Kachi seems to listen to him more than us." Azu dried his hand before turning to look at his friend.

"Let's just tell him first. We won't know till we ask. We're his friends so he might agree to it."

"I really hope so, Bode. There's a lot of money in this for us."

"How's your night going to be like? I booked a hotel for tonight. Jes agreed to spend the night with me, mask off." Bode grinned as he thought about all he had planned for the night.

"Bliss too. I'm taking her to the Lebanon. It's close by."

"We should try and catch Kachi before we all leave then."

"I bet Kachi has scared that girl off and will return home by himself," Azu laughed.

"I won't even oppose. We know the guy too well," the other man chuckled.