The Billionaire's Stripper

Kelsey

The music that used to suit me so much over the past weeks felt like an ugly invasion to my ears as I pressed through the swam of bodies pressed closely against each other on the dance floor. I was straining my eyes and looking for Abby. The flashing of multicolored lights from the disco ball hanging off the ceiling hurt my eyes but I wasn't gonna give up my search for her.

As I walked along, it felt like my feet suddenly outgrew the perfectly sized black heels I've been wearing for the past five hours. God, they hurt my feet. I maneuvered around the jam-packed people standing at the front of the door leading into the club'ss bedrooms. I stretched on my toes to search the faces of men and women engaged in heated kissing and romancing- littered along the narrow hallway, hoping to spot Abby but again, she wasn't anywhere in sight.

I sighed, exhausted out of my wit. The black leather skin-tight strip dress I wore wasn't helping either. Neither was the makeup I'd been forced to wear the leather which exposed more skin than I'd w on a different circumstance but I practically have no say on how I dress up here if wanted the money. This was my job and I knew better. Abby had given my face what she called "a little touch-up" at the dressing room before and my face was bout that right now. God, I'm gonna kill that girl.

I turn around, slowly giving up my search. Then my eyes caught the silhouetteof someone at the far corner, causing me to narrow my eyes into focus.

Abby.

She sat cross-legged on a parlor lounge, her milk-colored LBD dress glittering under the dim disco lights, her vanilla-shaded hair falling across her shoulders as she laughed heartily at something the man seated next to her must've said. I watched sternly as her other hand searched the depths of the man's chest,aning into him as she listens to him talk.

Uh. I grunted as I hurriedly started walking towards them. Not tonight. I stopped before Abby, thankful no drunk bastard grabbed me on the way for a dance, or worse, for a night with him. Thinking about that makes me wanna puke. Wait, I do wanna puke. I think I've had too much alcohol for the night.

I pulled Abby up to her feet, ignoring the regular hooker beside her, and yelled over the blaring music "we gotta go back!"

"Why?!"She yells back.

"I can't talk!" I replied before dragging her out.

"I'm having a headache, Abs, , "I told her the instant we got into the changing room. Some of the other girls were seated at the dresser tables, getting their makeupsdone.

"No, I think you're running a fever"Abby confirms as she placed a hand on my burning forehead.

"I think I'm gonna take an off here, call it a night, "I said tiredly " I need to meet Donovan"

"You know Sean will never let you leave," she said "it's Friday night and it's just.........10"

"I know....."

"Well," she wiggled her brows at me as she clicked her tongue and I knew what was gonna come next "I think Mr hottie outside is gonna take me home for the night" she completed.

I cannot believe she feels excited about that. The douche I just saw her sitting with isn't even near 'hot'

"Speaking of hot," Blaire interrupts us, standing up from the dresser chair we had no idea she was sitting on right beside us "I'm gonna go home with this 'hottie' from CO.Brothers Companies" she added with a long smirk, pulling at the blue shoulder bag hanging off her left shoulder. She was dressed in unbelievably tight blue jeans and a lacy Tube top which displayed her pale flat stomach and a belly button that was hard not to notice, oh with a shiny ring on it. She has fairly noticeable makeup on and her raven black hair stood out on a tall ponytail behind her back, two strands falling over the sides of her head down cheeks.

"His name is Matthews Lambard," she continued as we remained mute, pride lacing every word "you two wouldn't know what that means, would you? Knowing the name of the man you'd be entertaining for the night. Don't worry, I'll make sure to tell you all about that when I'm not so busy making him breakfast tomorrow morning, in his apartment" she adds extra emphasis on the last three words.

I mentally rolled my eyes. 'men don't take prostitutes to their apartments but cheap hotels' I wanted to tell her that but I just shut up instead, as always.

"*Bon Nùit*" She added with a wave of her well-manicured hands in front of our faces before walking out with a proud elegance, my eyes following her as she went.

"Here's the thing, "Abby abruptly speaks, like Blaire didn't just do it again in front of us "you go meet Donovan and see if he'll let you slide this night. I need to catch some cruise for the night girlfriend"

I shake my head teasingly at her.

"You going to the apartment?" she asked.

"Nah, am going home"

"Okay," She slams herself into me for a quick hug "see you tomorrow"

"Kelsey!"Donovan's voice pulls us apart as he appeared through the door.

Donovan was the club's manager. At 35, He'd been in the business for eight years before I came along and it's been two years for me now. Donovan was a kind and understanding man, the reason why I was always able to slip away from here whenever I wanted and avoid doing some shits that I didn't wanna do here.

"Hey, Don," Abby calls out, slipping next to him at the door "Kelsey was just looking for you!"

"Thank God, Kelsey, I need you back out now, "He said and I felt the anger rush into my face instantly.

"Okay, bye!"I barely heard Abby say before she disappeared from the door, leaving us alone.

"What? I can't come back out, I've had enough to do for the night and you know it" I told him annoyingly.

"God, Kelsey, stop making this any harder for me, please? You know many of the other girls are out for the night"

"That's The take? Okay, fine. I'll get a man to take me home for the night too if that's what it takes, "I heard him sigh but I continued anyway. "I'll just go get a man then!"

I'm gonna go mental if I give another man a lap dance for the night. Honestly, the last one wouldn't let me off his thighs until Sean came to my rescue! This job was rapidly becoming harder and harder with every passing day. I didn't know how much longer I could fight for my sanity in this hell building.

"Kelsey, listen to me," he reaches his hands over my shoulders "this is gonna be the last one and you can go back to serving drinks......"

And while doing that, I'm whistled and pulled down into several laps for a show. Just not tonight.

"Listen...Don...I can't take on for tonight. Am exhausted. My head feels like a freaking wrecking ball right now. I just need to go home"

He watches me for a moment then sighs and said "the man says he wants you to dance for him and that's it. Privately. Only dance, I told him that"

I wasn't so surprised. This wasn't the first time a man would wanna have a private service with a stripper. It's normal for every girl here and that's just one thing I can never avoid like I do the rest. If you've been pointed out by a man to dance privately for him, there's no running away from that.

"Donovan..." I mimic a crying voice.

"he already paid," he pressed further "and he's waiting in booth room seven. Just freshen up, wear something sexy, get his champagne from Paige at the bar, and go give him a freaking lap dance"

"Then I can go home"

The smile springs back to his handsome face "then you can go home"

I sighed in defeat "Alright"

After getting changed, I grabbed the champagne at the bar table and went into booth seven. As usual, it was some of those well-off men showcasing their little wealth with finely tailored suits. Like every other night, I did my job: display my dancing skills. Over the months Abby's efforts to teach me dancing have finally started to pay off. But that was just it, the deal is to give you a lap dance and that's all I ever allow myself to do, leaving the men satisfied. There's no kissing, no groping, and no sex. I'd made it clear enough that I wasn't a prostitute but a lap dancer and thankfully, they pretty much understood that thanks to Donovan though.

Unlike many other girls who would kiss their customers just to steam up their seducing skills, I never really cared. I never actually wanted that. That was a great violation of myself to me. Most of the time after getting the job done, I leave with a tip which I give to Donovan like we're all expected to do but tonight, like many other nights, he asked me to keep the tip.

I showered quickly, getting the man's cologne off my body before jumping into my faded blue jeans and black flats, pulling on my red hoody. Then I made my way out of the stripper house premises.

It was past midnight when I got to the apartment I shared with my father. I passed the security who quickly let me through.

My father was suffering from. He was an alcoholic and was mostly violent so I always made sure not to wake him up whenever I decided to crash in in the middle of the night or late morning.

I slowly pushed the door open, as gently as I could but the sound of an empty bottle rumbling over, away from the door as I pushed made me shut my eyes tightly. I open my eyes again, pushing the door a little bit wider only to see my Dad's rocking chair backing me and facing the window. The room is still pitch black, thank God.

I gulped hard as I crouched down to get a hold of the bottle with my hand on the floor. After getting ahold of it, I set it aside and pushed the door wider to let myself in.

I reached for the light switch just beside the door and switched the light on, positive that my dad was probably sleeping in his bedroom but, boy was I wrong.

I saw his rocking chair turn around and his wrinkled eyes blinked at me. The apartment reeked of strong alcohol. It smelled like puke and it was slowly churning at my stomach.

He was drunk and his eyes looked bloodshot- also judging from the number of empty alcohol bottles littering every nook and corner of the room and on the center table.

"You're home again" his voice was deep and grumpy, his eyes eyeing me strangely. I know we've never really had the best relationship ever since I was little and I thought I was used to that by now but the way he looked at me now gave me the chills.

Don't be ridiculous, Kelsey. I stepped forward and shut the door behind me.

"Hey Dad, you're awake"

"Why won't I? I was waiting for you. I had a feeling you'd be crashing in tonight since it's the weekend"

I decided to ignore him and clean up the mess for the night since I'd be gone tomorrow morning before the day sees light. I picked up some bottles and walked over to the wall side table.

"How's your health?"I asked him

"Really? Do you care about that, Kelsey?"

I turn around to face him "Dad...."

"No you listen to me," he cuts me off, anger in his voice "you make me sick the more. You," he points a finger at me "it's you. You're my sickness, Kelsey and I'd say it over and over again"

I shut my eyes and took in a long breath, then summed up a reply "no, Dad. You're doing this to yourself. Look at you. You're like .......sixty and you drink so much. It's what's killing you. All these" I point at the bottles which I dropped on the wall side table. I walked to the side to pick up another one "you mess the apartment up with your bottles and cigars and. ..."

"You shut your mouth right there," he yelled. Suddenly, he's on his feet, pointing at me, his eyes pouring hate into me. "Do you hear yourself? I drink, I waste my life, so what? What the hell do I have to live for?!"

I feel tears well up in my eyes as I watched him, his every word sinking hard into me. Yes. This is just one of those nights.

"Answer me, Kelsey!" his yelling shook me "you are the reason why I fucking drink so tell me what the hell I'm living for!"

"But..." my voice broke "but...." I gulped hard and tried to clear my throat. The tears are slowly invading my vision, blurring it "you have...... . and it's because of your reckless drinking. How is that my fault? You were advised severally to stop drinking! Do you even attend that sober club anymore?"

"Shut up!" he banged his fists on the table " you're so pathetic, just like Elizabeth" his lips lifts into a smile and I forced my gaze down. He's still my father no matter how much of an asshole he's always proving to be. And I loved him. And I'm gonna help me get through this.

In the end, he's just drunk and sick.

"You see?" He continued "you're just as useless as your mother. Yes! What kind of a woman leaves her own home and comes back at One fucking a.m!? Barney next door got a daughter too and she does not give him a hard time as you do me! She goes to school and learns, Kelsey! LEARN! but you don't. You just go out there, living in some fucked up motel and whoring around with filthy shitty men!"

"I do that for us, Dad!" I finally yelled back, anger bubbling up inside me. Anger and hurt. "I do this so we can live. I do everything I do so I can pay this rent," my lips trembled, breaking my voice "even though I barely sleep in it. So I can pay for your hospital bills...."

"And how would you know then? Huh?! It's been two weeks, Kelsey, how would you know if my fucking meds are finished?! Because it is, damn it!" He rummaged through the table and picked out the pharmacy's plastic white bag that held his drugs. He empties the contents of empty pills shafts all over the floor "it's all finished! Now how would you know that?!"

He started walking to me and I stepped back till my back hit the table.

"How?!" He screams into my face and a tear finally dropped.

My heart pounded, igniting a different pain in my chest. Was this thing called breathing supposed to hurt so much?

"What is that sweetheart?" he spoke again "are you crying? Oh that is all you ever do, isn't it?" His hand trailed my cheek, smudging the tears over my cheek. "You have no idea, do you?" He spat in my face.

"Dad...."

"Shut up!" He yelled, his hand leaving my face to grab my neck. "Shut up you filthy whore!"

"Stop...." Doesn't he know this hurts so much?

"I said shut the fuck up!"

His hand tightened up, knocking the air out of my lungs. If this continued he was gonna knock me unconscious, I was losing it. I tried to pull his hand away but he slapped my hand away with his free hand, the former leaving my neck to grab my chest. I seized the opportunity and pushed him away. He falls back on this button on the floor and I quickly tried to breathe in air. I run over to the door and pulled it open.

"You stop right there, Elizabeth!" he roared weakly.

Kelsey. My name is Kelsey and I'm not Mom. I stopped walking like I always did, rethinking, contemplating whether to go back and help him up and into bed or not. He'd probably be better in the late morning. But I knew I couldn't stand here any more than I already did.

This hurt me beyond words and the tears flowed freely now. I needed to leave. Maybe for good this time but I just couldn't. He's just an addict who's sick and needs closure from his only child right now. Maybe I should go clean the room when he's sleeping like I always do. But then there's all he just said resounding in my head. No, I can't. Not anymore.

I turned to the door again and attempted to step out.

"You, "I stopped as he spoke "if you walk out that door don't bother coming back"