Just One Dance

Olivia St. James, or as her customers know her, Scarlett, was in the state that she had always wanted to be in, peaceful. Nothing or no one could disturb her tranquility, because she would never allow them to do so. Yes, there was drama associated with the life she was leading, but she wouldn't trade it for a thing. It made her into the woman she was, so she wasn't going to downplay her way of living. Being a stripper, no, a professional dancer as she termed it, had its advantages as well as disadvantages. On one hand, the money was great and she enjoyed what she loved the most, dancing. It also allowed her to travel to different countries because it was affordable for her. Scarlett had the nicest things in life because she worked hard for them. Her job was important and no one could tell her otherwise. On the other hand, Scarlett hates that their jobs were frowned upon. People often mistake being a str*pper for a pr*stitute. Not every woman that dances half naked is a sl*t. Some of them, like Scarlett, set their boundaries and adhered to them, but, there were a few who were the reason that made people judge their profession in general. Scarlett had seen a lot of things happening over the years that she had been employed at La Club Erótico, but not enough to change her mind about dancing. Not even the wives who came in trying to persuade their husbands to stay away from the club could do the trick. She had learned that no matter what you do, you can never stop someone from cheating if they wanted to. The lengths that they would go through to lie and cheat surprised Scarlett sometimes, but it was none of her business. She was there to work and that was what she did. That was the reason she decided on being single. Scarlett didn't want to deal with half of what she saw happening between the couples. She had been through heartbreak before and wasn't planning on being a victim of that situation again because it hurt like hell. Scarlett picked up her phone when she heard it chime, indicating that she had received a message. She unlocked her phone to read it. Tony: Please remember that tonight is the masquerade party and I'm counting on you to make it there. Scarlett rolled her eyes and threw the phone on the bed. That was her boss, Antonio Garcia. She had already given him her word that she would not miss the party later, but he was insistent on reminding her every chance he got. She respected him in the aspect of business, but he could be an a*shole to women. Though he only behaved arrogantly because the women he dated, or should I say played with, boosted his already giant ego to get his favors. He knew he was handsome and rich, and so, he behaved like a conceited a*s sometimes. When Scarlett had first applied for a job at his club, he tried to make a pass at her, saying that he had to 'test' the services she was offering. Scarlett slapped him across the face and stormed out, leaving Tony in shock. No woman had ever been able to resist his charms. That was when he knew that Scarlett was cut from a different cloth. He followed Scarlett and apologized immediately, begging her to stay by doubling what he would have normally paid her. He also noticed how the men stared at her while she swayed her hips walking away from him. It didn't hurt that she had a banging body. Not too slim, but not too thick. Just perfectly curvy in all the right places. From then on, the two had become close. Tony treated her like his little sister, although their ages weren't very far apart from each other. There was only a few years difference. The other dancers thought they were f*cking, but neither of them cared enough to address the rumors. Scarlett looked at the outfit she planned to dance in at this masquerade party. Since it was somewhat of an elegant event, she decided to wear something appropriate for such an occasion. It was still skimpy but at the same time sophisticated. She paired it with very high-heeled shoes. If she made one mistake, she would practically break her neck. Scarlett packed her bags with the essentials and transferred them to her jeep. All that she had to do was to get her a*s to the club before Tony lost his mind and started sending her multiple texts, again. He could be a pain in the a*s at times. She realized that she left her coffee mug and went back inside for it. It was needed for the night she had ahead of her. Scarlett entered her jeep and backed out of her driveway. She lived in a three-bedroom house that she had purchased as soon as she had enough money to do so. And besides, it was a good offer because when Scarlett checked the value of the house and surrounding property, it was being sold for less than its value. She didn't know why, but it was good news for her. She couldn't let the opportunity pass her by, so, she purchased it and has been living there for a couple of years. Scarlett's parents and family members had cut her off because instead of using her college degree to find a 'decent-paying job', she chose to settle for the worst. She decided her life was hers, and though she thanked her mother for giving birth to her, she needed to make her own decisions. If there were any mistakes to be made, Scarlett wanted to make them by herself, so she could experience things on her own. Her jeep was a gift from Tony, with no strings attached. He had purchased it in her name when he saw that she had to charter cabs late at night, which wasn't safe for a beautiful woman like her. He couldn't have his best dancer in such a situation. Since she had been working there, she had made his club sales go up by a huge percentage and he thought she deserved to be compensated for the sale increase. She had worked her way up from being a beginner to being the best at the club so it was well-earned. Scarlett played her favorite r&b mix that she could belt out the lyrics from because she knew them well. After all, she had the mix on repeat every day, so there was no way any of the songs were unknown to her. She sipped her coffee casually. When Scarlett was about five minutes away, or so she thought, even if she didn't know there was an event at the club, she would have known something was up by the amount of traffic on the road. Patience was not her thing so she became miserable having to be seated inside her jeep while the traffic was barely moving. Seeing the name of the club becoming visible made Scarlet sigh in relief. It was a good thing that she had followed her mind and decided to leave earlier than usual, or she would have been late which would result in Tony panicking. Scarlett parked around the back, where there was a designated parking lot for the employees. She grabbed her necessities and exited her jeep locking it up. As soon as she entered, Tony ran to her and hugged her as if she had been missing for a year and had just been found. She raised an eyebrow at him, but he couldn't see her since he was still holding on to Scarlett. That man was something else. "Thank God you're here. I thought you weren't coming." Tony said, his voice laced with his thick Spanish accent. "Why wouldn't I come when I told you I would?" Scarlett asked. "The fact that you didn't reply to my text." "That's because you were constantly reminding me to show up. Even if I didn't want to work today, you told me this was for charity, so I have to play my part in giving back." Scarlett said. "Thank God you have a heart." She shook her head. That wasn't what he was worried about, but she decided not to call him out. "Whatever. I'm going to get ready." Scarlett said. "Don't let me stop you." Tony gave way to Scarlett. Scarlett walked towards the dressing room. This was for a good cause and she had no time to waste because the traffic had taken away the extra time she was counting on to get ready. She opened her bag and retrieved her bottle of vodka. She toasted herself and tipped the bottle up her head, drinking straight from it. She noticed the other dancers looking at her, but paid no mind to them. "Here's to a good night."