CHAPTER 3 #2
“Do we have a problem here?” Jordan asked, waiting for me to say the word.
“That’ll be 5.50,” I repeated.
Mr. Jackass reached into his pocket and grabbed a $50 bill from his wallet, tossing it on the counter top. He took his cappuccino that Madeline had made, way too fast for my liking, and nodded towards the $50 bill.
“For your exquisite customer service,” he said before turning and heading for the door. The little bell above the door rang as he stepped out and it felt as though I could breathe again. Letting out a heavy sigh, I took the bill, and tossed it into the register.
“Hey, what was that all about?” Jordan cautiously asked, his voice laced with concern.
“I guess it’s just not my day,” I mumbled before heading out back.
* * *
The vibrations of the booming music had seeped into the sidewalk as I approached the club. I smiled, greeting Jamie—one of the bouncers—before slipping past him.
Loud music and chatter surround me as I stepped inside. I greeted Marco and some of the girls as I passed through the crowd, heading straight to my dressing room.
“Ay, mamacita,” Silvia groaned as I entered the room. Surprisingly, she had her bob parted off to the side. Multiple silver chains hung around her neck, and today’s hoop earrings were bigger than usual.
She was devouring the biggest cheese grilled sandwich I had ever come across. I couldn’t help but laugh as she plopped down onto the couch.
I grabbed my waist apron. “That for me or the sandwich?”
“Both?” she cutely smiled and I shook my head with a timid smile. “Oh my God, Nirah, you look—” she cut herself off and started going off in Spanish. I couldn’t help but chuckle, and blew her a kiss.
“Save those kisses for Giovanni,” she winked at me. “Or is it Jordan?” she grinned and I rolled my eyes.
Playfully, I stuck my tongue out. “It’s actually Silvia.” She simply laughed and nodded her head at me in agreement. “I have to go. I’m serving till I’m needed on stage so if you need me, I’ll be smiling and dancing in compliments.”
I headed out and started taking orders. For every compliment I got, I smiled and thanked them.
It’s not that I hated receiving compliments, it was just that they never really complimented me , it was always my body. Don’t get me wrong, I love my body of course, I worked hard for it.
I had trouble accepting compliments, and I had always known the reasonings behind all my self conflicts. But, I just couldn’t bring myself to admit it or say it out loud, because then it simply meant that they were right. That they inevitably got to me.
“Earth to Nirah,” Marco said as I daydreamed with a drink in my hand. “Everything okay?” he crossed his arms over his chest and I met his gaze with a smile.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”
“It’s okay,” he shook his head. “Go serve that customer their drink and then head over to tables five and seven in VIP for me, okay?”
I nodded and walked up to Giovanni’s table in the VIP section. His face held an ear to ear smile. “Here you go,” I handed him his drink.
“Thank you, gorgeous,” he winked and I smiled in return. As usual, he showered me with a variety of compliments. Although he was almost ten years older than me, he was still really cool. He kept his friends in check and didn’t make me feel uncomfortable or anything remotely close to that.
After serving him, I made my way over to my next table, scanning the club.
“What can I get for you tonight?” I smiled. I looked up to find the greenest eyes staring back at me. “Oh, for fucks sake,” I sighed, dropping my shoulders.
“What?” he tilted his head to the side. “No preppy voice, no big smile?” he asked and I rolled my eyes in response.
“Yep,” I nodded. “Confirmed stalker.”
“And here I thought I had the biggest ego in the city.”
“You do,” I confirmed without hesitation.
He wore an expensive dark grey suit, and the lights in the club danced off his shiny wristwatch.
The first two buttons of his white dress shirt were undone, and I spotted the ink on his chest. A chill settled in core.
“What can I get for you tonight?” I repeated myself.
“I haven’t decided yet,” he gave his head a slight shake.
“Well, if you don’t order now, someone else will take your order later because I need to be on stage,” I said as I shifted my weight onto one leg.
“I guess I’ll just wait till you’re done,” he merely shrugged his shoulders.
“Oh, good Lord,” I mumbled under my breath. “Look man, I have shit to do, so if you don’t order now, someone else will come back later, and it sure as hell won’t be me,” I clarified and I—for the life of me—could never decipher his facial expressions because fuck, there weren’t any.
“I’m really concerned as to how you got either of your jobs, because I’m certain it wasn’t for your friendly nature or manners.”
I pouted. “You’re concerned about me? That’s cute,” I pressed a smile onto my face. “If you don’t like the customer service, just leave,” I forced a friendly smile. Friendly nature? Says the jerk who basically threatened me at my job after I tried being nice to both him and the blonde.
“I’ll order when you’re done performing,” he once again said and I bit down on my teeth with frustration.
“Just order something. Anything ,” I almost desperately pleaded. He ran his tongue across his bottom lip and slightly tilted his head to the side.
“Bourbon,” he finally said and I let out a breath of relief. “Don’t take your time,” he added and I almost rolled my eyes so far deep in my head that I’d begin to seize. I turned to leave, making my way over to the bar. Asshole . I don’t even know how I’ve been able to tolerate him until now.
I spotted Jordan at the bar, holding up a cell phone, so naturally, I patted my hips, realizing that he had my phone. Embarrassment flushed heat to my cheeks and I rushed over to him.
“Thank you,” I sighed, throwing my arms around his neck before pulling away. He explained that he had found it under a few papers in the back of the cafe and I mentally smacked myself. “So, are you staying for the show?”
“Is Nirah Joy allowing me to actually watch her perform?” he asked with a broad smile and a subtle twinkle in his eyes.
“Well…” I trailed off. “You’re my best friend and you also came all this way to drop off my phone, so yes. How could I steal this opportunity from you?”
“The Lord has finally answered my prayers,” he squeezed his hands together.
I laughed. “Well, in that case, have a seat and enjoy the show. I’ll have one of the waiters serve you while I perform.” He nodded and I left.
Ever since the day I told Jordan about my job here, I was pretty insecure to let him watch me perform.
I felt as though it would get in the way of our friendship, or that he’ll see me differently…
negatively . But Jordan has seen my best and worst side and he’s still here, so it’s time to face the music.
I made my Mr. Jackass’s drink and took it to him. He seemed too occupied by the other two men that had accompanied him, to even noticed my presence which I was thankful for, because it meant I could rush back to my dressing room.
Taking a deep breath in, I headed over to the stage, waiting behind the curtains. Letting out short, shaky breaths, I hopped onto one foot then the other.
Jesus, why am I so nervous tonight? Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because there are two hot guys out there tonight. One hot stranger and the other one just happens to be your best friend. Thanks little voice in my head.
Blowing out one last breath I headed onto stage, not seeing much. The spotlight and lights around me finally turned back on, emphasizing my lingerie.
I started my routine and the energy was immaculate from the start. I didn’t think of the pole as something hard and metallic. I turned it into my partner. I used it to my benefit, I took control. The beats seeped into my muscles, forcing them to move to the rhythm.
After my performance, the music slowly faded and I slid down onto the pole, feeling my heart rate steady.
I narrowed my eyes, searching the room for Jordan, but instead, my eyes landed on Mr. Jackass . His fingers ran up and down his jaw and his eyes traveled up my body.
Jordan was at a table with a big grin on his face as he gave me a very approving nod. I covered my mouth, hiding my smile—suddenly feeling very shy. I rushed down the stairs and saw Jordan walking over to me.
“So what did you think? You like it?” I swallowed a lump of anxiety down my throat.
“I loved it.”
His approval meant the world to me. It felt good knowing that both of my best friends—the people I held dearest to me—knew the real me and accepted me. This was one less secret to keep.