One Night Only

LILLIE

I sat in a chair in front of the mirror. Mika arrived and stood behind me to start straightening my hair. With my hair, it didn’t take much time since it was somewhat straight, although the humid weather sometimes messed it up.

“Have I ever told you that you have beautiful hair?” she asked.

“Millions of times.”

“Well, I never get tired of saying it,” I replied, recalling her compliment.

“What will you wear today?” she asked.

“A bra, a green sequin skirt, black open-toed heels with a platform, and, of course, my emerald green sequin mask.”

“Wow, you’re going to shine with that sparkling green,” she commented.

“That’s what Julie wants,” I said with a sigh. I didn’t know why she asked me to wear these clothes today.

“Oh well, we have to listen to the boss.”

After doing my hair, she helped with my makeup. Then it was my turn to help her. We always helped each other. Besides, it was the only time we had to chat about our things.

“It’s Saturday, which means it will be a good night,” Mika said with a generous smile. “Today, I’m the first one out, so wish me luck. I hope I finally find my millionaire tonight.” She winked at me.

“You don’t need it; you always do great,” I assured her, giving her a thumbs-up.

My performance was after hers and two other girls, so my dance would still be a while. I took the opportunity to sit in one of the armchairs in the dressing room and started messaging my sister on WhatsApp. I wanted to know how my mother was. Whenever I had a chance like this, I spent my time asking my sister about my mother. Sometimes she scolded me for asking too much. Since I knew I wouldn’t be up early for work tomorrow, I messaged her at this hour. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered her. After she told me everything was fine at home, I stopped bothering her and played a little game my niece had installed on my phone. I had to do something to pass the time I had left. I wouldn’t wander around the club; I wouldn’t risk it that way, although I could go out in disguise with a black trench coat and a cap to chat a bit with Tomas and Roy, the bartenders.

I got up and decided to follow my crazy head and go out for a while. At this moment, most of the girls were in the main area. Some were with clients, while others were dancing in the smaller stages, so I found myself alone in the dressing room.

I grabbed a black trench coat and a cap of the same color, which I carefully placed on my head so as not to get disheveled. That’s it, I got out of there. Before arriving at the hall, you could already hear the screams, the laughter and the voices of various conversations, and that was a sign that the club was crowded with many people. When I got to the bar, I smiled at the guys and started chatting with them. They gave me a glass of water after laughing at me for walking incognito in the club. Meanwhile, they told me about Mika, about how she danced that night. The only thing I thought was that maybe she had already found her millionaire man. It made me laugh to remember that. That girl knew what she wanted and she wouldn’t let it go.

Between chat and chat, time flew by and I didn’t even notice. I looked at the time on the wall clock that was in the bar and got up to leave, but not before thanking the guys for the drink and for the good talk we had. I said goodbye to them and almost ran away. I turned left to leave the living room and go back to the dressing room. When I took a few more steps, without reaching my destination, I staggered on my heels when I collided with someone. When I thought I was going to land on the ground, I felt that that person I tripped over reached out to grab me by the waist and prevented my fall so as not to hurt me. On the one hand, I was relieved to realize that he had saved me, but, on the other hand, I remembered that a stranger. Still, I raised my head to see my savior. I met the most beautiful eyes ever seen in my life. He was a perfect size and gray, but what caught my attention the most was that strange something that determined his gaze, something like mysterious and danger. The man was very close to my face, too close, I would say, but that made me notice his face in detail. He was a very attractive man, with black hair combed back, with a serious countenance, with a contoured nose, asymmetrical lips and a clean-shaven and well-groomed beard. His jaw was well distinguished and was as perfect as all his features. He turned out to be very handsome, but what I liked the most was his look, his beautiful eyes, although there was a hint of darkness in it. How could I like something like that?

My body was still attached to his. He was still holding me with his arm. That look froze me and that face left me lost. He looked at me as if he wanted to record something in his mind. I couldn’t move and my breathing stopped for a moment. I didn’t understand why this was happening to me with a stranger, with a man who didn’t know who he was. As soon as I realized that I had lost the cap I was wearing on my head, I could understand it when he detailed me with his eyes; he went from my face to my hair. And that’s when I asked myself the question: “Will he be a client?. Just thinking like that made me shudder. I’ve always wanted to run away from this kind of man, the kind who, just by looking at his face, shouted danger.