Chapter 2 Baring It All

TWO

Anabel

I sat in the room, cleaning my makeup as I stared into the long mirror I was sharing with three other ladies who were doing the same.

I didn't dare take my makeup home like that, looking the way I was. That would be unless I wanted my grandmother to die early of an heart attack and I didn't want that. She was the only one I had left on this earth as family as I had lost both of my parents when I was five. She had been the only one left for me and I couldn't break her heart that way.

I had already removed my sultry white dress. I always wore white for my strip dance as it meant purity and I'd realized that it turned the men on watching me dance as provocatively as that in what was meant to be pure. I could have worn red to be a temptress or black and be a bad vixen but I didn't want that as I felt those colors were too common.

I wanted something different, a trademark that I would be known for and was glad when the management agreed to sew my own dress with a white material.

I changed into my usual attire of shirt and a pair of jeans. That was what I wore whenever I left the house and got back in.

Of course, she was concerned that I was working only at night but I had been able to convince her that I was a sales attendant at a twenty-four-hour convenience shop.

I had told her that it was far from home and she would only stress herself when she had said she wanted to follow me to work to see how it was.

She had agreed to stay back, considering her age and I had been so relieved. I had found a picture of a convenience store online and showed her, telling her that was where I worked and prayed that she believed me and didn't ask for more proof.

She had believed me and that was how everything got resolved. I was baby girl and I was sure that she didn't think I could have done anything wrong.

She was a believer of all that was good and wouldn't ever have assumed that her darling granddaughter would be dancing almost naked to feed the two of them.

She would die immediately and continue blaming herself even in the grave. I didn't want her to feel that bad. I loved her too much that I didn't want her feeling bad that she had failed me or did anything wrong in raising me.

That was why I had made sure the club I was working in was far from home. I didn't want to accidentally run into her on days she decided to take a stroll in the street and have her see me come out of a club.

It wasn't like I wanted to work at a club, dancing as a stripper and keeping secrets from my grandmother but that was the fastest way for me to make cool cash. I had applied to various companies after I was done with community college but I didn't get any job. The jobs were quickly snatched up by the bigger sharks with advanced degrees.

I couldn't sit still and do nothing as the bills were getting higher and freaking me out. It was a relief when I had found the job in this upscale club and it had promised me a hell lot of salary and bonuses that I couldn't have ever dreamed of.

The club had wealthy clients who were ready to splash money all around for their pleasure and the owner of the club didn't hold back from paying his employees well as well. He believed that happy employees provided better services and better services equaled satisfied clients and more money.

After learning of how much I could save and earn, I had quickly thrown away my shame and reluctance, jumping into my newly found life with vigor. I had been working and saving all these while and in a few years time, I was going to be rich enough to start my business and do something that I could boldly tell my grandmother that I was doing. I would be able to stop lying to her and do what would make her proud.

Asides the fat salary and bonuses, I got tips from the clients sent to me through the bouncers as they were leaving the club. Even though I gave the bouncers a percentage cut of the tips, the money was always still okay for me. I always had enough to sort out my bills with the tips from the clients and bonuses from the club that I didn't need to touch my salary.

I smiled as I thought of the huge dump of money resting in my account and growing. "Is something funny?" Adaline, a colleague, said as she sat beside me, breaking into my thoughts.

I blinked and turned to her. I had totally zoned out of this room. "What?" I asked her. "You were smiling." She said as if I didn't know that I was smiling. I was asking why she was bothered that I was smiling.

"I know." "Lucky girl." She smiled and winked at me. I frowned. What was that for? Did she come to work this evening with the intention to tease me? "You seem confused." She said, noting the expression on my face. "Of course, I am." I nodded, looking at her. "Do you care to explain why you are teasing me? It's too late for that."

Tonight was when we were meant to get our salary and that was why we were all waiting and not home yet.

If not, I would have been out of this club once I was done dancing. I hated to leave granny alone at home and it was only when I was with her that I felt my heart beating in peace. I worked in the morning at a bakery to keep myself busy during the day and then at night here.

Tongues would wag if the only time that I left home was in the night. Neighbors who were gossips would tell my grandmother that I was a prostitute and ruin her mood. I knew that I wasn't a prostitute but that was as close to it to my grandmother and she would be broken all the same.

That was why I had to work at a bakery in the day even though I didn't need the money and the stress and also lie to her that I worked in a convenience store till the late night shift to cover up for why I wasn't coming home by five in the evening like the children of the neighbors and getting home by twelve or latest by one.

"Didn't you see that guy who was looking at you while you were dancing on the pole?" Adaline asked, her black eyes twinkling with mischief.

I sighed. Not this, please. I had thought that I was done with thinking of that black sexy man when I had left the stage. I didn't want to be reminded of him and his allure.

Adaline thought she needed to jog my memory and supplied information that I didn't need. "The black man at the back of the club." She turned to the others who were already turning to her, eager to hear the story.

Nice. I sighed as I rolled my eyes. I was the topic for tonight and unfortunately, Adaline was a great storyteller. I wished Sean would come here quickly with our paychecks so I could leave here. It was getting uncomfortable with the way the other ladies were wagging their eyebrows at me as if I had won a jackpot.

I snorted. They knew that I was never going to sleep with a client so why were they acting like this?

Adaline continued. "He had his eyes all over her as she was dancing on the stage and didn't look at me at all as I was pouring his drink.

I could have walked away without pouring anything in his glass and he wouldn't have minded. I think he already undressed her on that stage. I know men go crazy when Anabel danced but this man is different. I know desire when I see one. This man wants Anabel." "Oh!" The others cheered, grinning at me. Adaline turned to me. "Did you really not notice the man as you were dancing?" She asked. "It's hard to not notice that intense kind of look." "I didn't." I shook my head and lied but my face gave me away. Adaline snorted. "You saw him. Why are you lying that you didn't? You wouldn't be blushing if you didn't see him." I sighed. This face of mine that easily blushed would be the death of me. I couldn't even lie to save my life. I would be dead in an instant.

"I noticed him," I confessed at last. "but I don't think that he was looking at me with desire as you believe. He was only looking at me with lust as the other guys did in reaction to my provocative dance and his lust would pass. You don't have to make a big deal out of it."

She obviously didn't agree and was about to say something else when Sean walked in. I breathed in in relief and for the first time in days, I was happy to see Sean's face.

"Hello, ladies." He said in his usual way of greeting us when we were together. He glanced at me and I quickly glanced away before Adaline noticed his lusty look and started teasing me that I was lucky again to have the manager want me as well.

He handed over the paycheck to each of us and bid us a good night rest. The girls cheered as they stared at the fat envelope in their hands.

"Who wants to party tonight?" Mia asked. "I know a good club few blocks away." "Yaay!" Some of the girls cheered. "Are you going, Anabel?" Adeline asked. What? And have them tease me all night if another man smiled at me in the club? No, I wasn't ready for that.

"Come on." Adaline whined. "It would be fun." I nodded. Of course I knew it would be but I still didn't want to go. I was thinking of an excuse to reject them when my phone rang and I hastily jumped at the rescue.

I picked the phone out of the bag and smiled as I glanced at the caller ID. "I have to take this." I said to them, picked my bag and walked out of the room.