Tempting Kisses (ENGLISH)

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

YESENIA ESCOBAR 

“NEED SOME COMPANY? Or do you want to be alone?” 

I raised my gaze to Kevin, who was now standing in front of me, cleaning the glass. "Even if I claim I don't want a companion, you're still there," I sneered.

He chuckled gently. "At the very least, a bit of distance from you," he shrugged in answer to my remark. 

When everyone is busy, we often chat with Kevin, and I'm not usually comfortable with other people. Kevin is our constant companion while we are in front of the bar or when we are assisting the girls with clients. We danced in the middle of the stage while wearing masks, but by the time we took them off, we were just another member of the bar staff.  

Kevin and I talked for a few more minutes while I drank the juice he had placed in front of me. We spoke about his son, who was born a few months ago. He seemed to be overjoyed as he spoke about his son, and the great thing is that Kevin looks precisely like his kid. 

“Yesia, get dressed.” 

I quickly stood up and said goodbye to Kevin before heading back to my dressing room. Vika is already there, holding the new costume she made for me. I'm currently wearing a brassiere and a pair of silk pants with a long split on both sides that expose a few portions of my body. Or rather, only some parts of my body are covered with this cloth. 

“You like it?” 

“Yeah, I feel a little less naked,” I replied to Vika while looking at my reflection in the mirror.

Vika smiled sparingly and hugged me. "One day all the troubles in your mind will disappear. Someone will come to save you from the dark place that you are in now, but don’t forget that we are just here for you, Yesia." she said while stroking my head.

Yeah right. They were the people who saved me when I fell into a deep well and I didn’t know how I could get out. They are the people who became my sunshine in the dark place I was in. When I thought God had left me alone and no one to defend, he gave me this set of friends. God has given me people that, no matter what I push away, they still stay by my side.  

Each step I take, one by one, the lights turn on my path. I remember the first time I set foot in this place. I was so amazed, because it looked like magic, to realize it was just a motion sensor. I slowly walked up to the stage where I was always the star and the only beautiful thing to everyone. The stage where only my body and gestures are what they see. A part of me that will never matter to them and all the people watching me. 

I raised my hands and simultaneously moved them to the music, wrapping all around me. As I closed my eyes and danced freely in my mind, my body moved spontaneously. This is the job I dislike, but when I am in the middle of the stage, I forget all the fears and distractions in my mind. I feel like with this mask on, I can do anything I want without people judging me. 

I gasped as the music stopped as the light focused on me. And even with my eyes closed, I could feel a pair of eyes focused on me from a corner of Paladizzo. From the mask I was wearing, our eyes met as if we were in a staring contest that each of us had no intention of backing down from.

“Yesia, let’s go!” 

My thoughts came to a halt when I followed my colleagues off the stage. I was astonished to see a hand waiting for me below. I assume I watched it for a few seconds before I passed through his hand. I thought he had left, but I was surprised when I lost my balance while walking and a pair of arms caught me. 

"Are you alright?" he asked as I looked up.

To my shock, I quickly moved away from him, and I also fell to the floor. "What the hell? Are you following me? What are you doing here? Non-employees are not allowed in this part," I continued before standing up and fixing myself.

“Woah! I am just helping you and I’m here for Argus. It's simply a coincidence that I happened to see you," he scoffed before walking away. 

My lips parted as I watched him walk away. Is he angry? I am the one who should be angry at his abrupt appearance wherever I am. He is like a mushroom that sprouts and acts as if we are friends. It's annoying that he and Argus are friends. It means that I will often see him here, like Orion. Another man who also bothers me silently, Orion, sent me a basket of fruit because he heard I was unwell the other day. Fortunately, he sent it here to Paladizzo. The only problem was that I was also being teased by these friends of mine.

It's now one a.m., and I'm on my way home. I had three gigs a while ago, so it's exhausting. We had a day when we were the only ones dancing in the center of the stage, with no other dancers joining us. When I was pole dancing earlier, it appeared as if my hip would be cut from my body. If I complained, Vika and Zep would lecture me again because I am too lazy to work out.

“Going home?” 

A voice from behind me asked, and as I turned around, I saw Eli standing against a lamppost, lighting a cigar. “No. I'm merely wandering around.” I scowled at him. 

“I’ll give you a ride.” 

His arrogant attitude is so annoying that he really thinks I really want to be with him. Even if the truth is that I am disgusted with his presence, because every time he opens his mouth, only arrogance comes out of his mouth.

“No, thanks. I can manage,” I said as I waved my hand at him and left. 

I believed he'd stopped due to what I said and the fact that I walked away. But I was taken aback when he abruptly drew my arm back to him. His actions have shocked my entire universe.

"Fvck!" I screamed in horror as my back landed on something cold and hard. "What are you doing? Are you crazy?" I exclaimed, attempting to withstand the anguish in my back.

But I didn't get a response from him other than a harsh kiss and the sensation that he was assaulting my lips. As he pressed himself to kiss me, I was overwhelmed with fear and apprehension. My strength was meaningless no matter how hard I pushed him, since he was pressing himself to kiss me. I could taste the cigarette he had been smoking earlier on his lips, taking advantage of my vulnerability. 

I avoid getting too close to men because I'm afraid they could have anything to do with me. I'm concerned they'll be able to use my weakness again as they did in the past. But this man always showed up to ruin my life and now makes me feel the thing I was frightened of all over again.

When he stopped kissing me, my hand automatically flew to his cheek. “I hate you! You jerk!” Even though my whole body was shaking right now, I was still able to move and run away from him. 

I lazily watched my friend's busy hustling on sale here at their favorite clothing store. I don’t know what they get in clothes that don’t seem to be worn out. They always shop, especially when there is a sale, and when they shop, you’ll think they have nothing to wear.

"Yesia, I bought you a dress too," Roux shouted, to which I just answered with a wave.

I let them shop while I quietly ate and enjoyed the dishes I ordered. I'm sure they'll finish shopping later, and I'll just get tired if I follow them around. So I let them shop and they will just come back to where I am and leave what they bought. 

They are always like this, so it is normal for me on days like this when they go out. Fortunately, Ishie is busy, so I can be with them all day. I stopped thinking of a pair of feet across from the table I was sitting at.

"I haven't ordered anything," I told the waiter as he laid out some food in front of me.

"Someone ordered it for you," he replied, bowing to me before leaving. 

I examined the food in front of me. It barely fits on the table because of its volume, and I don't even know how to finish it all. I don't know why Eury ordered another meal when I had already ordered enough for the four of us. I did nothing but eat quietly while waiting for my friends to come back. 

Since I met them, many things have changed in my life. Things I didn’t expect because I thought after what happened to me, I would never get up again. But because they came into my life one by one, I slowly overcame the trials that came into my life. They became the wall that I leaned on every time I was troubled. 

I was startled by a pair of feet stopping in front of me, making me stop eating. My face automatically frowned when I saw who the person was standing across from me. I turned my attention back to the food in front of me because I didn’t want to see him.

"Are you alone?" he asked.

 But I chose not to answer him because when I face him, the memory of what he did to me comes back. As I thought he was leaving, I was even surprised when he comfortably sat across from me. The nerve of this guy! I should have told Argus what he did to me, but for no reason, I still chose not to.  

“Can you please leave me alone?” 

“I’m not doing anything, Yesia. Are you afraid of me? Did I scare you the last time? It was just a kiss.” He asks one after the other. 

I clench my hands in annoyance at how he acted in front of me. He acted as if he hadn't done anything bad to me last night. “Can’t you just leave me alone? I don’t want you here. I don’t want you near me.” I didn't realize that my tears were already dripping and my hands under the table were shaking non-stop. 

Yeah, it was only a kiss. I shouldn’t be bothered by that, but whenever there is something unfamiliar to me, it does not make me feel excited; instead, it consumes me. I fear that something might happen to me again, that one of these people might take advantage of me again. 

“Hey, why the hell are you crying?” When he approached me, I was taken aback, and my chair almost fell over. "Are you okay?"

“Eli, let go of her!” 

Roux and Eury quickly blocked him from my sight while Zep and Vika were at my side, asking me non-stop if I was okay. “What is happening to her? Is she okay?” I heard Eli ask my friends. 

“She’s okay, but please refrain from bothering her or getting near her,” Roux said. 

“W–why?” 

Slowly, I am calming down. My hands, which were non-stop trembling earlier, are now slowly calming down. Even my breathing is gradually equalizing. I was trying to catch up a while ago. “Yesia, is not comfortable getting near men, so please don’t make her uncomfortable and scared of your presence.” I heard Vika say to Eli.

I don’t know what Eli’s reaction was to what Vika said to him. They were just in a hurry to pull me away from there. It’s always been like this, and somehow this feeling bothers me. I always ran away from the pain and people that scared me a lot. Maybe because I am scared that the same thing might happen again, and this time I am aware of that.