The Secret Guardian

Chapter One

WHEN Cassandra was standing in the dimly lit parking lot of the McDonald's with her wheeled luggage, a cold August drizzle pricked her face.

Bagged with confidence and pride, she is determined to live on her own. She is twenty, and she thought that she was now ready to face the world independently.

Of course, she could think of all these things after starting a fight with her parents, who only want to study and make good at school. But Cassandra is not that nerdy woman who always reads books and spends time watching documentary shows during her leisure time. She is a rock person, and she wants something different.

So, she followed her heart.

Worried if Natalia would pick her up and let her sleep in her place just for days, she's busy looking around the place where she is standing.

She realized that her nails were dirty and didn't even remove her cuticle on them for days. She bit one nail at a time, as she always does.

She is busy doing that stuff when Natalia's black van rolls up to the curb. Natalia quirked an eyebrow at her in the rear mirror as she wrestled her suitcase into the back next to Natalia's boxes.

After that, she climbed into the passenger's seat and put on her seatbelt.

"Damn," she yanks back and growls for frustration as she flings it at the window.

"Am I late? I am sorry, I have to pick up some things that my stepdad told me to pick at Jerry's," Natalia explained.

"Gosh, I stayed there forever," she replied as she tossed her hands up.

"How long is forever, Cassy?"

"Two hours Nate!"

"That's a bit long, huh!" She swallowed a smile before she gave her a proud look.

"Whatever. Tell me what's for dinner so I could be happier today, at least." She leaned her head on the headrest of the seat and closed her eyes, remembering last night when she started the endless fight with her mom.

"Mom cooked pasta for dinner."

"I'd rather sleep hungry then," Cassy mouthed in frustration.

She's not eating any pasta dishes for meals. She prefers eating rice with any viand served. She's more like a man when she eats.

"You're acting like a hungry construction worker again, brat." Nate accelerated the speed because, seemingly, heavy rain was approaching their way.

"Don't believe the weather forecaster. It'll not rain today, believe me." She gave her friend a sarcastic laugh after telling this and then turned on the music.

A piece of country music started bringing a different vibe inside the van, and as it played, they remained silent, but when the chorus entered, they'd be having a duet together.

"Country road, take me home...into the place...where I belong, West Virginia..."

Three minutes later, they arrived safe and dry. Cassy gave a proud look at her friend when she pointed her finger up and as if she's telling Nate, "I told you, the weather forecaster is such a liar!"

"Yeah, your voice is too loud, and I can hear it in my mind. You're correct!" Nate got her point and then walked towards the back of the van.

"Jesus, these are the only things you have?" Nate was surprised when she realized how plenty of Cassy's things were packed inside an old gray-wheeled suitcase.

"These are just the things that I need, Nate. Don't judge me. You'll be surprised if I'll open this now for you to see my invaluable valuables." Again, she wrestled with carrying her suitcase from the back of the van and then stretched out its handle.

"Well, I can see that," Nate replied.

Nate's parents are welcoming people. But Cassy wants to stay here for at least a few days while looking for a job. She wants to live independently without bothering other people, especially her best friend's family, because they have treated her nicely ever since she went here.

"Oh, hello, Cassy. It's nice to see you again, my dear." Rowena, Nate's mom, welcomed her with a warm hug.

She accepted it with a shy expression and then tapped Rowena's shoulder so she could breathe properly.

It's a bit tight, just like how Rowena used to do.

"We've been waiting for you, two. Dinner is served. Come here, ladies." Rowena helped them come in through a big wooden door.

Nate's house is as huge as rich people in the city, and even if Cassy went here so many times, she's still uncomfortable roaming around.

"Mom, Cassy is vegetarian. You've cooked pasta," Nate reminded her mom when they were heading to the dining area for dinner.

Cassy seemed to be very shy when Rowena looked at her. Just like how she used to be, she started biting her nails and then looked at Rowena and Nate with puppy eyes.

"Oh, dear. You look so cute." Rowena stepped closer towards her and held her left cheek with her right palm.

Rowena adores her a lot. Nate is their only child, and her mother wanted to have more children, but her reproductive organs won't allow her.

"I-It's okay, ma'am. I'll have a cup of coffee. That will do, thanks," she replied.

"Of course, you can't just take coffee for dinner, dear. I am afraid you won't get enough sleep if you take that. I cooked vegetables for you, don't worry," Rowena was smiling when she said this and then started to tap Cassy's shoulder to make her feel good.

AFTER dinner, Nate accompanied Cassy to the guest room, where she would spend nights resting.

She planned in mind that she had to go out and search for possible jobs she could apply for during the day. Her credentials may be inadequate for her to be readily accepted, but she's confident of her talents in music and dancing, only if the latter would give her at least a decent job.

WEDNESDAY afternoon, while she's walking along the street of Magallanes, Cassy reaches for her wallet inside her pocket. She only has few bills with a small denomination, and still, she can't find a job. She's staying at Nate's house for almost a week now, and even if they say that it's just okay to extend, she is still uncomfortable living in her best friend's house.

"It's not yet the end of my life. Come on, self, fight!" She tapped her shoulders with her hands and tried to make herself confident amidst her situation.

Five companies and three other stores didn't accept her because of her lack of experience and inadequate credentials, but Tuguegarao city is so vast for her to lose hope. Optimism is her middle name, so she shouldn't give up that easy.

WALKING along the highway of the city with nothing inside her stomach makes her feeling immortal. She can't think quickly and adequately. Her head hurts a lot, and she suspects that hunger triggered this.

Cassy couldn't just give up her health, so she entered a restaurant and ordered food for herself.

The cashier waited for her payment with bored eyes while Cassy counted her coins from her purse. The restaurant is strictly following their rule 'pay as you order," so she should pay before she could comfortably eat.

While enjoying the tenderness of the beef dish she ordered, a phone call disturbed her.

A company she had submitted her credentials might change their mind, so she hoped it was a phone call from one of them.

To her disappointment, she saw Nate calling. She almost cursed her friend to the heavens, but she answered it after seconds.

"Nate."

"Cassy, where are you?"

"I'm at Dolly's."

"Alright, perfect. Could you wait for me there? I have something for you," Nate's voice is rushing.

"Okay. But what is it?"

"Wait for me, okay?"

"Okay." She hanged up the phone call and continued eating.

AFTER a while, Nate entered the restaurant then immediately came into her. Just after Nate had taken her seat, she told Cassy her plan.

"I talked to the manager of Nancy's, and she told me that they lack girls for tonight. This might be your chance," Nate's voice seems too excited to tell her friend about Nancy's vacancy.

"Nancy?" Cassy is surprised by what she heard from her friend.

"Yeah. The gentlemen's nightclub," Nate confirmed.

"Jesus, for Pete's sake, Nate. Are you telling me I'm going to be a stripper?"

"No. Nancy's place is a decent one. It's a place for nice and good-looking gentlemen."

"But it's still a nightclub. Does it have any difference with others?" Cassy asked her friend with an answer already in her mind.

"Just come with me, and let's visit the place. I went there myself, and I'll tell you, it's a decent place with decent co-workers."

When Nate is telling something good, she really will encourage Cassy to believe her. And her expression is undoubtedly an encouragement that compliments her words.

"Alright, let's see." She stood and held her friend's hand, then stepped out of Dolly's.

She is desperate enough to find a job and earn money, so why not try something different. Plus, she trusts Nate so much.

"FIVE THOUSAND PESOS?"

She was surprised when she heard about the salary per night.

"That's per night for our star dancers," Nancy added.

"Wow!" She wowed with a lot of amusement in her eyes.

"That's aside from the tips that you could get while dancing," Nancy added, the owner of the nightclub.

"Well, what will I do to be a star dancer?"

"Simple. Can you see that center stage there, with a pole at the center of it? That's the place where star dancers give their best for ten to twenty minutes." Nancy stood from her office chair and pointed out the stage from her back.

Her office is found at the top of the building opposite the stage. It is covered with tinted glass, so she can see everything that is going on.

Not bad if she'll just dance for twenty minutes. But she's so much worried about how the customers would give their tips. Usually, customers will insert their hands from the dancer's clothes if it's right to consider the clothes from what she knew. That way, customers would just freely touch their dancers with their bare hands.

"But don't worry, we have rules to follow in this club. The cops are just roaming, and any action against the community standards will let this club be closed." Nancy took her seat and then looked at her again.

"Grab it, Cassy. Grab it." Nate grabbed her hand and forced her to say yes.

"And what are the rules?" she further asked.

"No touching, no stripping off of clothes or costume, and strictly three feet away from the customer if you'll be hired for a private dance. As simple as that."

She looked at Nate and gave her a look to confirm her friend's claim when Nate told her that Nancy's gentlemen club is a room of decent ones.

"So, there's a private dance, huh? How is that?"

"If a customer wants to see you dance in a private room with him, he has to pay an amount. Tips will go to you, but the hiring is 60-40. I'll get 60 for that."

"Okay, I want to try it tonight," she confirmed with a lot of determination and confidence.

"Okay. How about your friend?" Nancy asked, referring to Nate.

"No, I-I won't," Nate replied.

"Okay, since we lack girls tonight, you'll be staying at the right side of the center stage. Follow me. We don't have enough time to talk about things now. The show will start in 30 minutes."

She bade her friend goodbye and gave Nate a flying kiss before she followed Nancy.

WEARING a short red skirt with a white long sleeves shirt tied on the level of her rib cage, she's now ready to perform with two other girls. Her hair was kept messy, and Nancy applied complex make-up to her face. She is wearing a black pair of boots, and she's like a freaking hot high school girl with her looks.

When the music turned upbeat, customers began to shout

"Damn, I can't do this!" She stepped backward and then tried to look into the other girls standing backstage, waiting for the cue to enter.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome our girls with a guest," the announcer began to talk, and as he continued it, Cassy's heartbeat became faster.

"Oh God, this can't believe real!" She exclaimed.

"Let's all give a round of applause for saucy, sexy, and sassy, Cassy!"

With the DJ's cue, the other two girls stepped up the stage, and the music began to change from upbeat to sexy dance.

Cassy closed her eyes and stepped up the stage, and as the other girls were dancing in freestyle, she did her own.

And when she opened her eyes, a hot guy in his early adulthood got her attention.

The guy is wearing a pale pink buttoned-down open at the collar, and the sleeves rolled up in his elbows.

As she performed on stage, hips moving slowly, the guy moved closer. The guy reached up to slip a bill into her shirt, and his gaze liquified her inside and turned her legs into jelly.

"Damn, he's freaking hot!" Her mind shouted.