Alpha’s Virgin Stripper

JOJO:

My body still tingled from his touch. I entered our room and shut the door behind me, leaning against it. I tried to silence all the raging thoughts in my head as I walked to my bed.

Our room was silent; I was the only one around. I crawled into my bed and allowed myself to slip into it. It sucked that I still sensed his scent around me, so familiar.

It was hard to believe he could have saved me that night.

I woke up to see everyone in their beds, Hadley snoring loudly as usual. I rubbed my eyes and Ashley yawned simultaneously, beside me.

When her eyes were wide open, she blinked twice before a smirk plastered on her face.

“Look who’s back and glowing!” She sprung out of her bed immediately and jumped into mine, right beside me.

“Now, you had better tell me why you look like you had glitters poured on your skin, and I want every freaking detail!”

I rolled my eyes.

What was I supposed to say? That I almost lost my virginity while training? Nope, I’ll have to pass on that.

“He was okay, quite a good trainer.”

Did she believe me? No. Instead, she swore she would find out what had transpired on her own. I wished her the best of luck, but only in my mind. We got dressed and headed for the day’s training.

After the training, we were all back in our room and while some of us packed, people like Ashley and Brandy did not. When I asked the reason, out of sheer curiosity, Brandy shrugged her shoulders. It was Ashley who answered my question.

“Yeah, we have nowhere to go from here. So, we just hang around. We would be alright here…” She turned to Brandy.

“Right Brandy?”

Brandy sighed. “Yeah, right.”

I let them be and continued packing. I was eager to go home, I felt sorry that they didn’t… well, have a home to return to.

Valerie was my home.

Bentley arrived at our room shortly after I was done packing.

She handed me a package. When I tore it open and found a brand new Samsung s22 Ultra, I almost screamed aloud with joy.

“Rush Empire keeps their promises.” That was all she said after I thanked her a million and one time.

She bid us all farewell before she left.

By evening, I had rounded off all I needed to do. Bentley had given me two thousand dollars before leaving, I squeezed the bills into my bag and left the building. I stopped at the grocery store to get some things for Mel and Valerie, before heading to Mel’s apartment.

The first person my gaze rested on was my sister, the love of my life, Valerie Wyatt. She sprang up from the sofa she had settled into and ran towards me. I stretched out my arms to welcome her. I lifted her from the ground and placed her against my chest. She sobbed in silence, and I… I fought back my tears.

I had missed her, so much.

“Ley, who’s at the-” Mel’s voice followed, before her scream and her race across the room to meet me. She engulfed Valerie and me in a tight hug at the same time. We all laughed heartily.

These two ladies were my world.

“You have no idea how much we missed you!” Mel screamed while we walked to the room.

“Yeah, aunt M began hallucinating and seeing you everywhere.”

To this, I placed a kiss on Mel’s head and she chuckled.

The next day, Mel woke me up early to get ready for a surprise. Valerie was up too, excited. She knew about the surprise and I loved surprises. I didn’t want to ruin it by asking what it would be.

“We’re going to the hospital?” I asked when I recognized the road we took.

“Yes,” Mel replied, with a grin.

But, I didn’t want to see my mom. And what was so surprising about seeing her in a palliative center?

I stayed quiet and waited patiently, hoping and praying that I would be wrong.

A strange door opened in front of us. Mel stepped in and Valerie followed. I exhaled and followed them behind.

I allowed the wave of emotion that came next to consume me. My mother lay in a queen-sized bed, in an air-conditioned room, oxygen mask strapped on her and IV lines around her. This was premium hospital care in a white polished grand room.

This was nothing short of a VIP room. But, it all made sense when Mel pulled me to a corner and explained how Rush Empire had performed this miracle for me.

I didn’t know why, but I knew I would forever be grateful to them.

Also, I had to get a dance with a VVIP as soon as I could. I had to pay them for everything they had done for me.

I saw my mother’s handshake slightly and a tear dropped down my cheek.

Kenji could not tell how he had gone from wanting a casual one-night stand with the stripper, Ashley, to knotting his onyx black tie for their first date. Perhaps, his motivation came from her confession after she saw him with Zita Lowe

“I have a crush on you.”

Suddenly, he did not just want to go in for sex. Maybe he could stall, feed on her little crush and play around with her, have as much sex as he wanted, and let her off softly, no feelings involved.

He asked to go on a date together and let her pick the restaurant. When he walked into the venue, he applauded her taste. Ashley was seated, waiting for him.

“Sorry I took your time…” He settled into the chair opposite hers.

“It’s fine, Kenji. You should place an order, I have already.”

Kenji had told her to address him by his name. He loved to hear the name slip off her tongue, the same way he was loving watching her sit here. He placed his order and waited for the meal.

“So, why do you work here? With us?” He threw the question so casually, and only understood the meaning when he caught her leering at him.

He cleared his throat and started to rephrase.

“I mean, clearly not judging, anyone can do what they want. I’m just curious. The money or dancing is a hobby?”

Ashley sighed.

“A little bit of everything. I mean, the money is… is great. But here I’ve got a family. That’s something I never really had.”

“Hmmm.” Was all he did to reply? He had no words of comfort for her.

A gentle tap on his shoulder saved them from the awkward silence. Kenji tilted his head to look at the intruder.

He jerked up and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He couldn’t believe the familiar eyes he was staring at.

She was tall and lean. Her broad shoulders lapped perfectly in her red chiffon top, tucked inside faded blue jeans. Her frame and body seemed young, only the creases on her forehead and the faded look of her blonde hair gave her age away.

The woman flashed him a hospitable smile. Kenji’s hands trembled as he sat still. Why did this woman look familiar? Why did she have a striking resemblance with someone he once knew?

“Good day, have you placed your orders?” She asked.

Kenji blinked twice.

It was her! It was her! He knew that voice too well.

“What… what are you doing here?”

Another statement he should have kept to himself. The woman looked around the room while Kenji mentally slapped himself. Of course, she wouldn’t remember him! He had been a little boy when Lake’s mother left.

“I’m sorry. We’ve… we’ve ordered.” Kenji stuttered his apology, his eyes still twitching with disbelief.

“That’s okay. Enjoy your time here and if you need anything at all or have any complaints, just let me know.” The lady replied with a smile.

Kenji tore his eyes away from the woman and found Ashley’s narrowed at him.

“Is something wrong?”

Kenji didn’t know if seeing her was a good thing or a bad thing.

He let out an exasperated sigh and locked eyes with Ashley.

“That… that woman is Lake’s… mother.”

Her eyes widened in shock, just as he had expected.

“What?”

Kenji shook his head. He was just as awestruck as she was, clueless about what to do with his discovery.

“Yeah.”

“I thought she abandoned Lake and left the pack years ago?” Ashley pressed.

Kenji placed his hands on his thighs and leaned into his seat.

“She didn’t abandon him. We shouldn’t be talking about this. She remarried and wasn’t allowed to take him along.”

It was the one event that shaped his friend into the man he was today. The man who wanted nothing to do with any woman. It was the top of the list of things, followed by his inability to bear children.

Before Ashley could speak, a waitress with the name tag Mel walked up to them to serve. Kenji had to question her before she left.

“Who’s that lady?” He pointed at the woman and the waitress cast a questioning glance at him.

“That’s my boss.” She replied casually, before moving away from the table.

I frowned and Ashley’s eyes widened again.

“Is she stalking Lake?”

Kenji’s eyes found the woman again, smiling at another customer.

He truly did not know.