A/N: Thanks to all for the words of encouragement and hope you're all loving it, as much as I loved writing it.
As always, characters belong to Steph M. but I own the plot.
Thank you all so much and I'm still looking for a beta, in case anyone is interested.
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After the horrible meeting at Cullen Inc., I decided to just let it go and look for another job, I couldn't wait for someone to help me, and so I have to help myself.
Dancers Wanted! *Make male dreams come true. Make up to $3000.00 a night.The sign caught my eye but I couldn't/would not go that low for money. Besides I wasn't a good dancer.
I heard the cafeteria at school was hiring waiters and the pay was decent enough for me since I didn't have many options.
I make my way up the hill, where the school's cafeteria was, it was maybe 10 minutes from my dorm room, the dining room is crowded but I see Josh, the manager leaning against the back door. I walk up to him.
"Hey Josh, I heard you guys were looking for a waitress and I really need a job." I speak to the manager at the café.
Josh was a good looking man, in his 40's, he had blue eyes and a affectionate smile, he had on a flannel shirt and black dress pants (Not a good combination) but he pulled it off. I'm sure he had all ladies swooning in his teen years.
"Hun, I know it sucks but unfortunately we already have someone in line for the job, and since we serve wine on the weekends, we can't actually hire you sweetie." He spoke in a condescending way, looking at my worn clothes with disgust.
He spoke again. "You need to be at least 18."
I sighed and ran a hand through my thick waves, already discouraged. "Isn't there any other job? In the back or the kitchen? I'm a hard worker, I will do anything you tell me to!" He could probably hear the desperation in my voice, but he stood up and walked to open the door.
He looks down at his foot, shrugging his shoulders, and checks his watch. "I'm really sorry, we really can't hire someone this young, especially since you don't have a lot of available hours."
"Fine. Can I at least leave my number incase there's a spot?"
"Sure Bella." I scribble my cell number and walk out of the room.
I think it's strange the way the world kept bringing me down, I have no family near, no money and everyone treated me like a little girl. No one knew my story and why I am the way I am.
On the way to my dorm I grab a coffee, my stomach grumbling with hunger. I sip it carefully so I don't burn my tongue. I unlock my door and sit on my bed, I see Rosalie's side of the room, while my side is organized and had everything in its place, and her side had clothes strewn around and heels peeking out from under her bed. My roommate is nice, but we haven't had time to actually get to know each other. Rosalie is gorgeous, blonde, tall, and curvy with a face that put any girl to shame. Guys lined up to take her to dates and she was always out partying with her other popular friends. She has never invited me-either because she was embarrassed to be seen with a nobody or because she knew I wouldn't fit in with her crowd-and not that I would accept if she were to ever invite me anywhere. The smell of her perfume is still lingering in the room, and i wonder if she is in one of her crazy parties again.
Thinking about fitting in takes my thoughts back to Mr. Cullen. How rude he was. But he was beautiful, and filthy rich. There was something about him and I couldn't get him out of my head once I got him in my thoughts, he would never go for a girl like me, even more so because I'm only seventeen, and he's probably around his late 20s. I want to google him, and I'm sure I would find out but that would have to wait since i didn't have a computer. The man was fucking nuts and I hoped we never saw each other again. I look towards my coffee, I sip it expecting it to still be hot, but it's as cold as I feel in the moment.
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I log into my online banking from the school's library computer in the morning, expecting enough money to last me at least until the end of the week.
Your current balance is $34.97
That wouldn't last for more than today and there was absolutely nothing I could do. I thought of calling mom but I knew she wouldn't have any to give me, and I was too proud to ask anyone else for money.
It seems like my choices were sparse, and my whole world was clashing in. At this time, my problems seem bigger. I weighed how much debt I would be by the end of this October if I didn't find another job or better, a miracle.
The sign that I saw yesterday for that club doesn't seem so bad after all…
I look towards my closet and at my few items of clothing. There was this cute top mom had sent me for my birthday, it was basically a tank top but my name was written in sequins on the front, it was tight enough to be sexy and not too low cut to seem slutty. I paired it with my favorite pair of skinny jeans and the only pair of heels I owned, gold pumps with a low heel.
I threw my coat on top and tried to find the location of the sign I saw earlier, and yes! It's as shiny and opaque as it was when I first saw it. A sign from Heaven indeed.
A couple of older man stood in the entrance to the club, I couldn't tell what it was, but it seemed like a higher end place; where you would probably see politicians and police officers getting lap dances.
The pounding music can be heard from the outside, i stand in line, and when it's my turn, I pull out the fake idea I had gotten when I first moved here. The security guard eyes me skeptically but nods me in.
I walk in, there are some girls on the stage, twirling around the pole and laughing, I couldn't imagine anyone having fun working at a place like this. Intimidating security guards are placed all over the club. I try to find who is in charge. In the corner of the room, a tall man with glasses and a low ponytail is talking to a few girls. I walk to him and see if he can help. A couple of girls barely dressed walk by me, making me feel overdressed for this sort of occasion, one even has a nipple tassel.
"Hi, I'm Bella, I heard you guys were looking for dancers and I really need the money." It was like word vomit, I say the sentence so fast that he probably had a hard time understanding.
He laughs as if i told him the funniest joke he had ever heard, he eyes my body, and motions for me to twirl, and i do so, my cheeks hot with embarrassment.
"First of all, don't ever tell anybody your real name. Second, how old are you, you look barely old enough to get in chuck-e-cheeses." He stares hard at me, making me blush at his comment to my age.
"Ok. I'm 18." I say quietly. Please Jesus forgive me for lying.
"All right, I need some girls tonight. Can you dance?"
"Not really, but I can learn. Please, I just… I just really need a job." I follow him as he walks around the bar, finally getting a look at the place. It was all black, black leather seats, black marble table tops and black booths, it was still early in the Friday, but people were already setting things up.
"Listen little girl, you get one chance. There's a lot of girls who really need a job too. If you do well tonight, you got yourself a job ok?" I nod and he continues. "Tanya is going to show you the ropes and explain it all. Hey Tanya! Come show little Bella what to do, she can go as the opening show tonight."
A tall strawberry blonde comes over from behind the bar, she had a tight corset, her boobs jumping out from the top. Her legs were covered by a pair of black jeans and her makeup was done to a T.
"Come on honey, don't look so scared or the other girls are going to eat you alive. Are you comfortable showing your tits?" She asks pointedly, while looking down at my non-existing boobs.
"Um, I thought I only needed to dance…" I cross my arms and feel my cheeks flush in embarrassment.
"You do need to dance, but look around you, you don't think these guys only come here to see you shake and not offer anything. If you don't give them a little something, you won't make it through the night. If you want James to hire you, make him money tonight."
"Ok, I got it." I harshly accept the outfit she offers me.
"Get dressed! You're on in 20 minutes." She leaves the room. Alone with my thoughts, I start getting dressed, she gave me an outfit similar to her own, a hook on corset but with a pair a frilly midnight blue panties to match the top.
I stand in front of the mirror. "Not too shabby Bella." I say to myself. I'm short, but I was graced with long legs, a flat stomach and shiny long brown hair. My eyes matched my hair color and they shone with sparkly gold eye shadow that I found on the counter of the dressing room, my pouty lips were a deep red color and I decided to just keep my own heels on.
The music was loud out in the club, the bass deep and sexy for the environment, the music was turned down and that's when I heard- "Hello Everyone, welcome to The Woods, tonight we have a special presentation for you, she's young and innocent, our very own dark angel… Welcome Enigma!" Enigma?! I could only assume he meant me, and I took slow steps towards the stage. James nods at me and that's when my heart goes crazy, my hands are sweaty and my legs are shaking as the familiar beats of Sarah Brightman's Eden starts playing.
I close my eyes and try to let my nerves go. Everyone has gone quiet and all I can hear is the song and the intensity of the moment. I start to mimic girls on music videos that I often see on YouTube. I dip my hips slowly and go as low as I can without falling, I throw my head back and do a roll with my body. I hear a few guys call out and it adds an ounce to my confidence. with my eyes still closed I drop the floor and lay on my back, I run my hands down my breasts and for show, I throw my head back. The cheering gets a little louder. I turn on my hands and knees and am surprised to open my brown eyes and see dark green eyes staring straight into them. My crawling falters a little, but I can't stop now. I look away from him and continue the dance. I remember Tanya saying I that I have to show a part of my body, and surprise myself when I start to unhook the corset, a guy seated in the front stands up to get a closer look, and I feel a strange desire coursing through my body, I throw my corset behind me and feel my nipples harden with the cold air from the fans on top of my head.
I do a few more hips and turns, turning to sneak a peek at Mr. Cullen, his head leaning in to whisper in the waitresses' ear, she nods and holds up her hand as if to say five. He nods in return and lean down to scribble something, handing her what looks like an envelope, he turns again to look at me, he half waves, but I turn away again.
The song comes to an end, I'm out of breath and most of the men present are clapping and whistling. I walk backstage and take a deep breath, near the clothes I came in with, there's a bottle of water and a note attached to it:
"You did good little Bella, come see me after we close the club, James.""Hey Bella, you must have done really good…" I turn to see Tanya walking in with the other girls that were supposed to dance after me.
"I hope so. You didn't watch?" I blush at the compliment.
"No. I was working the bar, but I caught a few of those hip rolls, I guess you're not as bad as I thought you would be." She smiles, and I know she's just joking.
"Thanks, I didn't know I had it in me either."
She brings me a pack of baby wipes when she sees me trying to dry off my sweat with a dirty rag from the table. "I have your tips, you can take them when you leave. For now, you have a private room request, you don't have to do anything you don't want. But remember, the more you do, the more money you get…" She trails off, and I know immediately what she's offering.
"What is his name and what does he want?" She looks down and reads something. "Says here this guy only wants to talk, but we never know what that means these days." She sees the hesitation in my eyes.
"There's security watching everyone like a hawk from the outside of the room. You don't have to be afraid."
"I'm not!"
"Go ahead then, they are the rooms to the right of the stage, give the security guard your name and he will show you who requested you." I turn towards the door, and grab the gold robe that came with my outfit.
"Bella?" I stop and listen. "Good luck."
"Thanks." I whisper, but i know she can hear me.
"Bella." I give the huge guard my name, but he frowns. Ohhhhhhh ok I get it. "Enigma. I'm sorry." I give him my stage name.
"Alright miss, follow me, your man is at the last room towards the end." I nod and make my way down, my school tuition and my bank account balance were the only things keeping me going. I
"So is this what you do for money?." An arrogant smile took over his face.
I gasped in surprise.
Where in the world did this man came from?
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Thanks so much for reading, please leave a review guys! I love you all, and please let me know if there's anything you didn't like or really liked.
Song from Bella's dance is Sarah Brightman- Eden Gregorian Mix