A Bratty Heiress

Lilly madam

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I rushed through the doors, apologetic smile plastered on my face. "Hey, Lilly, sorry I'm late," I said, out of breath, to the petite lady sitting on a long stool at the bar, sipping a drink… I looked again to be sure who she was.

She did not respond to my greetings, rather, she looked away.

Lilly's the owner of the place, she took over from her mom two years ago. She's left to run this place with no assistance. I could see the black skin about her eyes. She must be exhausted.

I dashed in through the back door heading for the dressing room. I bumped into Mike, one of the male strippers. At the time , he'd supposed to be up stage. I wondered what he was still doing here. I tried to avoid his gaze, pressing hard on my bag nervously.

Mike raised an eyebrow, his expression a mix of amusement and annoyance. "You're late for our pole dancing set. Again."

I winced, knowing I'd kept him waiting. "Traffic, I swear. Let me get changed, and we'll get started."

As I hurried to the dressing room, the thumping music and catcalls from the crowd created mixed, forming the right atmosphere as it is every other night.

By the time I was done dressing, Mike was already off set. It was me and Hilda's turn. Since I arrived I hadn't set eyes on that girl. I looked about.

"Darling, you is on fire!!!" Mike hailed me as he came through the doors. He seemed satisfied with my outfit tonight. I smiled nervously at him.

"Luh love… the strapless bra uhh!" His partner said as he walked passed up. Make eyed him, and then looked back at me.

"Better be up there, Hilda's begun" He snapped his finger.

"What??!"

"Here," he passed me a bottle.

I grabbed it from his hands and emptied the whole content in my mouth.

"Hold up hold up…" he giggled, amused.

The metalic taste made me twitch my mouth. My throat was boiling. I blinked my eyes twice. The drink had began it's toll on me. I loved the sensation. This was like a ritual we all had shots before every performance.

"Thanks man" I said to him, handing him back his bottle.

"Now go please, Hilda's gonna toast you"

'Hey, sorry I'm late!' I whispered to Hilda, already on stage, spinning and twirling to the music.

As I emerge, my she catches my eye and raises an eyebrow. 'Told you to be on time, girl!' they mouth, wagging a finger. I blow them a kiss, taking my place beside them.

The music pulses, and we begin our routine, our bodies moving in sync with every twirl. Just like professionals, we have our best shot. Playing with the pole like own it. The light from the disco bulb fell on us.

The men began their routine of throwing cash at us. Well, I wiggled my big ass, doing what I'm shamelessly best at.

Hey, I rather work here than anywhere else. Don't judge me. Our performance was as superb as every night's. Me and my girl Hilda headed back stage as we concluded. It was 2:30 am already.

At the dressing room.

I helped Hilda pull her zipper down. She stood looking at herself in the mirror. I noticed a sudden shift in her mood. She was all out during the performance. Now her face looked like it was panel beaten.

She reached out for the face wipe on the dressing table and pulled out a wet sheet and started to wipe her makeup off her face. She sniffed while she did. Usually, after each performance, Hilda's the chatty type. She wouldn't stop talking off how men ogled at her, slapping the cash out of her big ass.

She didn't even scold me for coming late, like she'd always do after every gig. Back in the dressing room, she slam me for always trying to ruin our show as the too girls in Club Octa.

"You saw how that drunken man was finna grab my ass?'" I asked her trying to get her to say something, her silence is making want to freak out.

"Who the hell is that?" She said rather calmly.

"This is so absurd, I'm done" I took my hands of her zip which I've been struggling to get down for the past seconds.

She turned to face me.

"What's the matter?" She asked calmly, again, ok, something's nothing right here.

I stared into her half-wiped face, then checked the back of her earlobes, seemed my hands in her curly wig, even tried taking it off but she held me hand.

"Stop already nora, see" she dropped my hands, abd then spread out her left fingers.

"He proposed to you? When? How? Like??" My eyes widened in shock. I stretched my hands to reachout. For the first time tonight, I took note of the ring, no, she let me. I think I was too caught up in all this s**t that I didn't notice it.

"Calm down, I'll tell you everything when we get home" she said calmly, "Here, wipe your face, your makeup is a bit ruined already. We have to get go."

"Yeah" I took the wipe from her. We changed into regular clothes. Mike, Hilda's boyfriend and co-worker dropped us of at our apartment down town.

The drive was a rather romantic one with me being the sidewheel. I watched how Mike would at intervals turn to look at Hilda. He increased the volume of the Bruno Mars song playing and both of them singed along.

I busied myself with my phone.

"Here you are ladies" Mike said as he killed the engine, pulling over at the sidewalk just in front of our apartment building.

He highlighted the car, went over to open Hilda's door before she could.

"Allow me," he said with a smirk on his face. I watched them play Romeo and Juliet before me. I could not help but smile.

"Oh Mikey" Hilda rolled her eyes, she blushed hard. He held hamer hands, supporting out.

"Are you guys done??" I asked a watching my head nervously, I've had enough.

"Oh, yeah. I would have stopped to have some shots-"

"Go home Mikey, you need rest!" I interrupted him. I grabbed my best friend's hand and together we got in.

The last thing we heard as she jammed the staircase door was the skrtchh sound coming from Mike's sports. car speeding off.

***In our apartment, the third floor, apartment number 207****

"So how did this happen?" I was patient enough to allow her take her bath, and allow us chill down a bit before throwing the question at her.

We both were lying lazily on the couch from exhaustation.

She winced a bit. "It came as a shocker…emm" she began.