The Billionaire’s Stripper

CHAPTER 12

No matter how much I tried, I could not get the encounter I had with Mr Sanchez out of my mind.

I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that I had really agreed to his demands, all in the name of keeping this job and I felt like a horrible person for it, but my hands were tied.

I could not bring myself to lose this job before I could even have started it, and I came to the conclusion that maybe I didn't have to betray the company's trust. Maybe I could stall information from Mr Sanchez; I could not dig up dirt on the company for him and while I was at that, I would get close enough to Michael McAllister up until I had it in me to tell him the truth about who I really was, then, expose Mr Sanchez for all that was worth.

That way, I'd be killing two birds with one stone. I would not have to go behind the company's back and at the same time, I would stall Mr Sanchez while buying myself some time to tell the truth to Michael McAllister.

Wow. So much for my first day.

"So, so, how was it?!" Quinn was practically dancing around me when I came back to the apartment, and as a matter of fact, she had been waiting for me to come back and I only wondered how long she must have been there, really. "How was your first day?? How are the people at Ciel?? Tell me everything, bestie!"

She couldn't have been more excited and boy, was I about to load her with the details of the entire day.

"Ugh! Quinn, you will not believe it. I had the wildest day!" I didn't even waste a single time, flinging my handbag onto the bed.

"Good wild or bad wild?" She said to me, eyes widened in excitement, "Ugh! Stop keeping me in suspense, Rach. Tell!" She was probing hard.

"Where do I start?" I said as I joined her on the bed with a groan.

"Your vibes, it's giving 'something went wrong', b," Quinn was fast to pick that up and I did not fail to note the concern that was laced in her voice as she briefly looked at me in observation, noticing the air around me that glared it hard for anyone to have seen that indeed, something was wrong. "What happened? Start with the bad news, Rachel." She sat with her legs crossed like a little kid, watching me intently and with care.

"So, I found out that I was the only person out of everyone who applied for the job of that got it—"

"What the f**k, b***h! That's GREAT news!" Quinn was screaming.

I couldn't help but break into a smile at that, reminding myself of how much of a privilege it felt like the first time that I had heard it too.

"Well, yes, I knew that it was not such a bad idea leaving out some information off that resume, and I guess that worked out for me, right?" I said and Quinn nodded rather aggressively in agreement.

"It paid off at the end, so yes, I guess it was worth it," She said this, "I knew you were going to get in, Rach. There was no reason why they would not want to hire you on the spot!"

I smiled at that, happy that Quinn was always there to put a smile on my face even when I felt like I was at my lowest point.

"Doesn't really change the fact that I lied, Quinn," I had to remind her.

"So?!" She widened her eyes at me, "Look, in my opinion—"

I couldn't help it. I broke into laughter the moment that she started to give her opinion because one thing about Quinn was that she was the most opinionated person that I knew. She sure knew how to c***k me up with every bit of opinion she had, and some of them, even if I knew were downright stupid, sure made my day to listen to.

"—In my opinion," She continued nonetheless, "As far as you're in it for the dough, even if it means taking some d**k or committing a little sin of omission, then girl, shoot! Get that! I am with you a hundred percent, Rach. Take my word for it, hook like and f*****g sinker!"

"People commit serious crimes for money, Quinn," I said, actually laughing at what she said.

"At least, they are working hard!" She stood by her word.

"Quinn!" I screamed her name in playful applause.

"Okay, fine, fine, I'm kidding, Rach!" She raised her hands in a mock gesture of surrender, "But, oh come on, you are fretting over something so little, bestie. You didn't kill anyone. You just omitted something from your resume."

Man, I knew she was in for a treat when I got to give her the full details of what had happened today with Mr Sanchez and of course, the little bit of adjustment to my game of deceit too.

"Something happened, Quinn," I told her and she piqued with interest immediately, "Remember that man I told you I met that night at the Highway Club?"

My chubby, pretty friend looked at me and blinked her long lashes, saying, "The old fucker who tried to r**e you and you kicked his f*****g a*s; why?"

"Well, I met that same old fucker today, bestie," I told her.

"Shut up." Quinn slapped a hand over her mouth in shock.

"Oh it gets worse," I laughed humorlessly, "The man happens to be Head of HR of the Ciel Company, Quinn."

My best friend looked like her eyes were about to fall off her sockets in that instant and I could totally understand her shock.

"Talk about 'it's a small world' alright," I scoffed at myself and shook my head.

"You mean the same old man who picked you up from the club and brought you to hi apartment? The same man who pushed? Same man you called a bastard? Same man you slapped?—"

"I remember him clearly, Quinn." I cut her off.

"Well, f**k me," She muttered in horror.

"Yeah, no s**t," I scoffed.

"Did he remember you?" Quinn asked me, "I mean, there's a possibility that he wouldn't, right? Because hell no, he can't tell anyone he picked you up as an escort from the club. That would be a red flag to those people at Ciel; they only have a type they hire and as it stands, they think you are that type, Rachael."

"I am aware and that is why I was so desperate for him to not tell anyone about it and make me lose this job," I told her.

"So what? You killed him?" Quinn blabbed so fast and I was stunned to see how serious she was, even when I knew that there was no way that she should have been serious about that.

"No, Quinn, I did not kill him," I answered, humoured her, "But, he blackmailed me and as it is, I am now his puppet and for him to keep my secret, I have to do as he says."

"Jeez." Quinn deflated that minute; she looked bummed. "Talk about a rough first day at work."

"Crazy because it starts out great until I had met that old motherfucker," I groaned as I recalled him and the encounter that I had with him back then, "Can you imagine that Michael McAllister had asked me to work with him as a bonus? Something like an assistant. Apparently, he saw me as a good marketer—"

"Which you are; you're good at everything," Quinn chipped in and I fought the urge to smile because I was sharing not-so-good news.

"—Also, he thinks I am elegant and confident and he has so high expectations of me." I was telling my best friend and I stopped when I recalled that even after it all, I still heeded to that bastard Mr Sanchez and had agreed to be a rat against the McAllister Enterprise.

Oh, man.

Of course, I did not mention what it was exactly that I was doing for Mr Sanchez to Quinn. I did not go in too specific and fortunately, she did not push it. I was grateful for that, at least.

"What are you going to do?" She asked me and I could see it in her cute almond shaped eyes that she was truly worried about me, "I am not a fan of blackmail, Rach. It never ends well."

"I don't know, Quinn," I told the truth.

"Did you accept?" She asked.

"Huh?" I looked at her.

"Did you accept?" She repeated her question, "Did you accept to do as Mr Sanchez says for him to keep your secret?" She looked like she was crossing her fingers as she was waiting for me to answer the question that she had asked.

"Yes," I told her.

"Oh, no," She muttered.

"I had no choice," I said to her and I needed not to explain myself much because immediately, Quinn threw her hands around me in a hug.

A hug that took all my worries and anxiety away.

I didn't know how she did it, but her wrapping her warm, fluffy body around me was all I needed to feel better and as a matter of fact, a huge burden was lifted off me in that instant.

"Thank you, Quinn," I said when we pulled out of the hug and her smile at me was wholesome, "I needed that."

"Blackmail or not, you'll be fine, Rach," She said to me, "You're one woman I know that always knows how to get her life back around even when she falls." She looked like she meant every word and that meant so much to me. It warmed my heart.

"Thank you, Quinn," I said to her.

"You're welcome," She answered, "And you need rest. Tomorrow is another day, bestie."

"Oh," I laughed at that, shook my head, "I never even got to tell you the good news part."

Quinn glinted like a light bulb, squealed and nearly burst out of excitement.

And I told it to her.

"Michael McAllister asked me on a date."