After the talk with Antonio, I stormed out of his car. I couldn't believe him, and I felt aggravated.

I sat on my couch, staring endlessly at the screen on my blank Television; I was overthinking– would he harm Charlie because of me?

The satisfaction etched unto his face, the moment I had flared up, still taunted me.

The shrill ring of my phone jolted me out of that face.

"Hello," Debbie's familiar voice broke through. "Is there any reason you aren't coming over like you had promised?"

"Save me, Debbie," I drawled dramatically. "I am panicking over here."

"What's wrong?" Then, I told her about our encounter with Antonio and me.

What a bastard!

"The deal doesn't seem that bad." 

"Debbie!" 

She laughed out loud. "You know what, there is a party in town that everyone is talking about. You should dress up. Let's head out."

I hesitated for a while; this was the only way I could forget. Now, waiting for me to agree, she hung up.

“GET IN!” Debbie yelled over the loud Taylor Swift's music blaring in her car.

I climbed into the passenger seat. Looking around for the friends she had told me about. "Where are the rest?"

She glanced at me and then back at the road. "Oh, they will meet us there."

But I knew better than to believe her. Her smile revealed that she was lying. "You devil's spun, you tricked me," I laughed.

I took in her dress for tonight. She was in a pink bodycon dress and looked beautiful, the opposite of what I wore.

I probably looked out of shape in the dress I had worn to my first date with Charlie. I hated that I hadn't looked in the mirror in a hurry to stop Debbie from honking her horn multiple times. The neighbors would have filed a report to the police on how I was disturbing the neighborhood.

"We are here," Debbie announced happily. I looked outside the window at the large house that stood alone in a swarm of cars and light.  It was beautiful. 

I got out of the car, Debbie right beside me. She was like a schoolgirl on a sugar rush, squealing at every fancy thing she set her eyes on. If the outside was this majestic, I was curious to know what the interior would look like.

We stopped at what seemed to be the entrance. A dark, bald-looking man stood outside the supposed door.

"Your ID?" he asked in a gruff voice, not in the slightest bit trying to appear pleasant.

Checking our ID, he stepped to the side and gestured for us to enter.

I looked at him again before muttering a thank you and ambled inside.

"Are you seeing what I am seeing?" I heard Debbie over the music booming through the speaker.

"What?" I averted my gaze from her stunned figure and looked around. In my six years of adulthood, I had never seen anything this luxurious.

Even the people here looked different from our average public. Each of them was dressed casually and was still able to slay it. Something I never thought was possible.

"Stop looking at the people that way," Debbie whispered-yelled. Forcing me out of my trance. It was then that I noticed the colors of different eyes on me. They were watching me; not only did I look like a kid whose fashion inspiration came from her dead mum, but I was also staring around like a creep.

Eventually finding the resolve to move forward, I cast my gaze to the ground and followed the sight of Debbie's pink heel deeper into the ample space, trying as much as possible not to bump into anyone.

She stopped at the bar and took a seat on the available stool. Not knowing where to go or what to do, I joined her, taking the empty opposite stool and standing beside her.

I watched Debbie place an order for the both of us; she was always the confident one between us whenever I was not Eve.

A shot glass filled to the brim with vodka lined up before us. I glanced at Debbie worriedly; we were both aware of what had gone down the last time that she had drunk.

"What do you think you are doing?" I whispered harshly. She knew how much this night could spiral into the worst thing we had ever done.

"Relax, I stopped my pills last two months," she rolled her eyes. I hoped she was telling the truth. She had gone down into depression because of how her last relationship was.

Drinking alcohol with the antidepressant her doctor had given her resulted in her being hospitalized for a month.

I thought she was never going to come out the same, the worst period of my life.

"Here," she handed me a glass, taking one for herself. "Bottom up," she clinked both of our glasses together, and then I poured the drink down my throat. It left a burning sensation down my throat to my chest. It felt like euphoria.

Dropping my glass back on the table, my gaze connected to a pair of ash eyes, the deepest kind I have ever seen.

It reminded me of an ocean, the kind that pulls you in only for it to drown you. It felt wrong to look away from him, but I did it anyway- Antonio was here.

"I think you have had enough for one night," I said, looking at the five empty glasses sitting in front of her.

"Let's dance," she cheered. Taking my hand in hers, she dragged me to the dance floor.

Like in the movies, the DJ thought it best to change the song to our favorite.

Debbie wiggled her brows. I knew then that she wanted us to do our dance, a routine we had formed for this song. But in front of the people, it felt as though needles were pricking my skin as my nerves increased.

"I don't think I can do this," I shake my head, moving back a bit. I was a lousy dancer, and I still don't know how I became a stripper.

"C'mon, we came out tonight to loosen up, remember?" 

A bit of doubt still had its place in my mind. But I needed to forget. For a little bit, I wanted something normal. Outside of my heavy schedule and constant club gigs

Breathing in and out, I began moving my hips to the side, raising my hand over my hand; I allowed the music in my head.

And she was right. No one was watching me. Everyone around was dancing except Antonio. His eyes were on me, watching me like a predator, and I was his prey.

I looked away quickly.

"What do you think about that guy?" Debbie gestured at a huge guy, making weird hand movements at her.

I shook my head. "No way, he looks like he would eat you for breakfast," I cringed.

"You know that is what I am looking for. An aftercare sex."

"I don't mean it that way; I am talking about your flesh. He seems to have a thing for human flesh." I eyed him once more. "You have bad taste in men."

"You wish. At least I haven't been eyeing Mr party host over there."

"He threw this party?" I asked, astonished.

"Yeah."

My eyes snapped to where I had last seen him out of instinct.

"I will be back" 

She began walking towards a guy at the other end of the room. "Where are you going?" I yelled amidst the loud music.

She didn't answer me, no doubt didn't hear me, and continued walking to him.

An hour later, I stood by the bar waiting for Debbie. She was my ride home, and I had work tomorrow.

My phone beeped in my hands. As suspected, she went home with that guy.

I glanced around the room; I was the only one by the bar, probably confused.

"Is something the matter?" A voice asked. I swirled around to be met with the stranger.

"Oh, it is not much of a big deal," I waved it off. "I just don't have a ride home after my ride here left me to go have sex with a guy."

I mentally scolded myself for saying too much.

"You know, I could offer you a room over here." he shrugged like it wasn't a big, looking boyish man in a suit that was probably worth more than my life savings.

But he obviously wanted something in return.

"I am not having sex with you, no matter how rich you are," I blurted.

There with my fucking loud mouth again.

"I am not paying you to sleep with me," he laughs. "My boss would have my head."

Boss?

I scoffed, turning my head sideways to hide how flustered I was.

"Anyone would jump at the offer of sleeping here."

Thinking about it for a while. "Okay.

Nodding his head, he began walking up the stairs. I followed him, leaving a fair distance between us both and making it a point not to bump into anyone.

He stopped at a brown door, gesturing me in. When I opened the door, a strong scent of freshness engulfed me, satisfying me.

His phone rang. "I need to answer this real quick," he said. He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him, leaving me to wonder who had called him and who his boss was.