The Mafia's Obsession

I closed my eyes nervously, exhaling and inhaling. Even though I knew I had been doing this for some weeks, my legs still felt too heavy to walk. I had danced several times, I practised ballet, and I was absolutely incredible at it, but tonight I was going to be dancing as a stripper in front of men old enough to be my father. I felt knots tie in my stomach and I wanted to puke. I wished I could be anywhere but here but couldn't make my wish a reality. It took every ounce of self-restraint for me not to cry out in frustration and anger. Ever since our parents died months ago, it has been only Brian, my younger sister, and me fending for each other. When Dad was alive, he never brought us peace, and now he is dead, and we still don't have peace, as we are left to cover up his disgusting tracks. I just wondered why Mum had to join him in death. Mabel was the only family I had. I took up this job to fend for her and myself, and also to pay off our father's debt, but time was running out, and so did our anxiety increase. By day, I worked in a ballet hall with my crew, dancing decently and performing for people, and by night, I worked as a stripper. I had applied for so many other well-paying jobs, but I was never employed. Even though, I had been in this stripper occupation for weeks, I truly couldn't believe the sort of occupation I had to engage in to make ends meet and pay off my father's debt. "Why aren't you ready yet princess?"Golden, my work colleague, called out to me, snapping me out of my reverie as she entered the dressing room. I didn't even realise I was alone in the magnificent dressing room, and I wasn't ready to do the work I had to get accustomed to. I gave her a faint smile. "I'll soon be ready" The red-haired lady gave me a broad smile and pinched my cheek slightly. Out of all my colleagues, she was the nicest. "Look, darling, I know you didn't want to be in this sort of business, but you just have to come to terms with it. Food ain't gonna fall from heaven you know. You've got to stand and work. Now let me help you put on some makeup," she said with a grin. I allowed her to work her magic on my face. By the time she was done, I looked so radiant that I could barely recognise myself whilst I stared at my reflection in the mirror. "You are really so talented, Golden, " I complimented. She flipped her hair and winked at me. Suddenly, the door swung open roughly, and two other lady walked inside, perspiration covering their tanned skins. "Selene, what are you still doing here? The men are eagerly waiting for your performance, "Claire, one of the ladies, chided before taking off her wig and slumping down on a king-sized sofa. For a strip club, I had to admit this place was oozing pure luxury. The building was magnificent, sometimes I wondered who owned it. "Boss is here today, and there must be no mistakes and sloppy performances," Violetta, the second lady, chorused as she eyed me from up to down like I was infected with leprosy. "Chill vilu, " Golden said with a sigh. "Selene has never messed up and she won't. Stop being so hard on the poor girl" Golden added with a frown. "Selene," she began, turning to face me. "You will do great ok. Go over there and show them what you are made of" I truly liked Golden. I took in deep breaths, trying to calm the torrents of nervousness coursing through me, and stared at my appearance in the mirror. I stared at my nude self from my laced underpants to my white lingerie and dagger heels. Then my eyes darted to my face and the breathtaking makeup Golden applied to it. Yup. I truly looked like a certified stripper. My one wish was that Mabel wouldn't join this line of profession with me. "Once you go out there baby, free your mind and relax. You look so tense. Do your thing and get the money flowing"Golden urged with a chortle. I gulped and nodded my head. I opened the door, but not before giving her a soft smile, whilst the other two girls exchanged glares at me. I truly had no idea why they didn't like me. I began walking down the narrow walkway. The music was deafening. Lights flashed across the stage, burning against my skin as I wrapped my fingers around the cold metal pole and forced my body to move with the rhythm. Cheers erupted from the crowd, loud and hungry, but I didn’t hear them. Because I felt it. A stare. Sharp. Heavy. Unmoving. My breath faltered mid-spin. Slowly… unwillingly… my eyes lifted. And then I saw him. He sat in the darkest corner of the club like he owned the shadows themselves. Men around him laughed, drank, and touched the women draped over their laps but he did none of that. He just watched me. Cold blue eyes. Still. Focused. Predatory. My chest tightened. Something about that gaze felt wrong. Not admiration. Not desire. Assessment. Like I was something he was measuring… deciding… claiming. I missed a step. The crowd didn’t notice it but he did. One of the women beside him leaned close, whispering into his ear, trailing her hand across his chest. He didn’t even look at her. Without shifting his eyes from me, he simply lifted one finger slightly. That was all. A man in a black suit immediately stepped forward from behind him, bent his head, and walked away. My stomach dropped. Who was he? Why did people move the second he gestured? Why did it feel like the entire room revolved around his silence? I forced myself to keep dancing, though my skin prickled under his stare. Every movement felt exposed… deliberate… watched too closely. I released my thoughts and let my body twist around the pole seductively. Slowly, the beat came to an end, and I immediately packed the money littered on the stage for me. From the looks of it, I got about a thousand dollars, if not more, as I walked out of the hall. Today was really my lucky day. "Oh my God. You performed so well today!"Golden excitedly chirped as she waited for me by the walkway. "I truly am so happy Golden. Look at the amount of money I got, "I replied, elated as I showed her my hands stuffed with money. "Keep up the good work, sis," I sighed and stuffed the money inside my bra. "I'll. I have to go home now. My sister would be waiting for me" I quickly hugged Golden and headed to the dressing room to change back to my normal outfit. * * * * * * * I slumped on the couch, my hands flailing around. I was damn tired. Being a stripper was really not easy. "How was work today sis?" Brian asked as she came to sit by my side. She handed me a glass of water, to which I collected and mouthed a 'thank you'. "It was good. I made eight thousand dollars today!"I chirped with ecstasy. Brian stared at me with widened eyes. "Oh my God! That's huge. If you can make this amount every day, we will settle Dad's debt in no time" Just the mention of my father got me hissing. He got us into this mess, and now he is lying peacefully six feet underground, whilst we are working our ass off to pay off his debt. "Crystal, why don't I join you so we can raise enough money on time? "Brian suggested with a faint smile. I shot her a hard glare immediately. "Don't ever join me. There's no light in this job. I don't want you to get yourself involved in it. Stick to your normal part-time book sales please sis" She nodded her head reluctantly...Brian hesitated, then slowly handed me a sealed envelope. My heart sank before I even opened it. The crime boss never forgot. Never delayed. Never forgave. FINAL NOTICE. Payment deadline approaching. Failure to comply will result in collection by force. My fingers tightened around the paper. Seven hundred thousand dollars. A debt our father left behind when he gambled with the wrong people… and lost more than money. We weren’t paying for money anymore. We were paying for survival. Brian’s voice was small. “What if… what if we can’t finish paying in time?” I didn’t answer. Because we both knew what happened to people who couldn’t pay men like that. And somehow… tonight… it felt like something worse had noticed me too. The next evening, I returned to work. Everything felt normal. Too normal. Until I stepped off stage. I had just entered the backstage hallway when heavy footsteps approached. Three men in black suits blocked my path. Broad shoulders. Expressionless faces. Authority radiated from them like a wall. My throat went dry. “Yes?” I whispered. One of them stepped forward. “The boss wants to see you.” Ice flooded my veins. “I… I don’t know any boss,” I said, backing away. His voice didn’t change. “You don’t have a choice.”