Nicole Harper

~•~

The week passed by in a blur. I spent most of my time in front of my mirror. It didn't take long for me to move as fluidly as I used to back in my freshman year. Clara showed me a basic choreography which I learnt in no time.

On the night of the gig, I was pretty nervous, but Clara assured me that I'd be alright. Even if I wasn't dancing properly, as long as I seemed confident, I was okay apparently. I took her word for it.

I followed her to the club she worked for and we met with her boss and three other girls. I wasn't entirely sure what Clara said to her boss but I was the only new face and they weren't even scared I'd fuck it up. If this ended well, I'd owe her.

We got a whole speech about how we couldn't be forced to do anything and could say no if we weren't interested which reassured me that her boss genuinely cared about our safety. Then it was time to leave.

An SUV took us to the location. The girls chatted during the ride while I stayed quiet, looking out the window. They didn't seem anxious. Then again, it wasn't their first rodeo. I could only hope I didn't fuck this up for them.

The SUV pulled up behind a high-end apartment. It was in the area where all the buildings were tall. Six of us filed into the elevator; me, Clara, her boss, and the three other girls. All five of us girls were dressed in identical lace sets as well as lace masks that made it hard for anyone who didn't know us to recognize us later. The lingerie was covered with a long coat.

When I caught my reflection on the mirrored wall, I could barely recognize myself. My blonde hair was loose and had a wet-hair vibe. My lips were painted dark red. I looked like I belonged, like I'd been doing this for years. That made me a little more confident.

Clara bumped my shoulder slightly. "Breathe, Nicole. You've got this."

I nodded.

The elevator ride was quick and in no time, the doors opened into the penthouse. My eyes went straight to the round couches arranged over a raised platform with poles. Five poles to be precise.

The room was huge and dimly lit. Low laughter filled the air. Cigar smoke curled towards the ceiling. There were seven men. All in suits. Even if their backs were to us, they felt imposing already. It was obvious they heard us come in. It was hard not to,  but they didn't bother to greet us.

David, Clara's boss, led us around them to a room directly beside the platform. There, we touched up our makeup and let go of our coats.

I waited for the girls to pick their poles before making do with the last one at the corner, right next to Clara. Standing in front of them was even more nerve-racking. The chatter had died down by now.

Unable to help it, my gaze ran through the semi-circle. Six out of seven of them were staring at us, waiting for us to start, but the one in the middle caught my attention immediately.

He sat dead center, legs spread, and arms draped over the back of the couch like he owned the space. Was he the groom? He didn't look up right away. He just stared at the platform, his jaw tight, his fingers drumming against the back of the couch.

Then his eyes lifted and locked on me like he knew I was already watching him.

I averted my gaze immediately.

Clara gave me one last nod, then the lights dimmed even further. The music shifted to something slower and much sultrier.

I started along with the other girls. We all rolled our hips, dropped low, parted our thighs, and rose again in a slow grind. Some of the men whistled. Bills fluttered onto the platform immediately. My lips almost broke into a smile. Was it that easy?

Having experience in both ballet and pole dancing, it wasn't hard for me to spin around the pole. I stopped thinking and let my body take over.

The man at the center never looked away. His eyes tracked my body like he had the right to. I caught his gaze through my mask. Being a lot more confident than when we first started, I held it for a while, then I smiled.

His jaw ticked. 

I laughed to myself and continued dancing. There was something incredibly thrilling about making a man lose control. Especially the ones that appeared to be dark and brooding. Unlike his friends, he hasn't said anything since we stepped on stage, and that made me want to tease him even more.

One of his friends leaned in to tell him something, but he didn't respond. His friend merely hit his shoulder lightly and laughed. Not once did he take his eyes off me. Was he interested in me? Did he want more than a pole dance?

On the other hand, was I interested in him? I'd been staring at him since I started dancing and there was no way he didn't notice. Was he going to do anything about it? It was almost like the world blurred and it was just him and me in the room.

I'd never been attracted to older men, but there was something very hot about this man, who seemed at least fifteen years older, who looked like he was forced to be present.

There was something about him that made my thighs clench. I couldn't entirely tell if it was the song, the mood, or his intense gaze.

I watched him as he raised a finger. David ran straight to him. He said something to David while watching me and in the next second, David was walking straight to me. 

My heart was pounding as I watched him approach me.

"He wants you," David said to me, his voice low. "Private."

I didn't even have to ask who.

Clara had told me I could refuse, but did I really want to?

My heart was in my hand as the boss led me to the room upstairs. "Remember, you don't have to do this," he said as we stopped in front of the door. 

I nodded. I knew that, but there was no reason to decline. I'd had one-night stands before. This wasn't any different.

"Alright then. Since you're in, make sure you don't fuck it up, okay? We don't want to be on his bad side."

"Is he a regular?" I asked.

"It's his first time, but I'd like to make him a regular."

I chuckled, forgetting about my sweaty palms. It was crazy how easy it was to make money off men's desires. 

The boss left me there and I took a deep breath before I entered the room. The room was big but only had a bed and a chair. I decided to sit on the bed and wait. Music was already playing from the speakers. I wasn't sure how long I waited for, but it felt like forever until the door was finally pushed open.

My breath hitched as he strode in. I stood up on instinct. He didn't utter a word as he walked toward the chair and sat on it, legs spread like they were earlier.

I could see him a lot better in this lighting. He had dirty brown hair with blonde roots. His brown eyes were so intense that I suspected he could see through me. His jaw was sharp enough to cut diamond and his face was something I wouldn't mind looking at all day.

He swiped out his tongue to wet his lips. Hunger was evident in his eyes. He didn't even try to hide it. Somehow that made me feel powerful.

"Are you going to take off the mask?"

My thighs clenched. His husky voice sent tingles straight to my core. 

His lips curved only slightly. He definitely noticed.

I cleared my throat and shook my head. "That's not part of the agreement."

He didn't respond. He just let his gaze run across my body, leaving goosebumps in its wake. Realizing that if I stood there and waited, he was going to have the upper hand, I decided to make the first move.

Nicole Harper

~•~

Two months later and I still hadn't found someone who could make me feel the things that stranger made me feel in bed.

I also had wet dreams about him even if I knew nothing of him.

Sometimes, I regretted going because his image was imprinted on my mind, but whenever I recalled the money I made from it, the regret dissolved quickly. I was able to pay my rent up until my graduation. I was able to focus on my studies without thinking of where to get the next meal from since my mother didn't even bother to keep her promise of sending me her next allowance.

I was more than happy when my lease was up. I'd applied for work in several companies in Boston, but didn't hear from any of them. When my mom suggested I go back home, I took it. My mom wasn't a very good person, but she knew a lot of people. If I couldn't find a job myself, I didn't mind using her connections. 

Besides, I loved Chicago more than Boston and would prefer to settle down there.

"So we're never going to meet again?" Clara questioned as she leaned by my door, watching me close my suitcase.

I looked up at her. Clara and I had become a lot closer after that night. "Chicago is only a three or four-hour flight from here, Clara. We can visit whenever we want to."

She sighed. "True. I just hope the next person that moves in is as nice as you are."

"It's hard not to be nice to someone like you."

Clara snorted. "Tell that to them," she jerked her thumb backward, pointing at the couch where our other roommates were.

I grinned. "They're special."

Everything in my room fit into two huge suitcases. Clara helped me with one downstairs and offered to drive me to the airport. I couldn't say no to that. 

At the airport, we hugged each other bye and I was on my way. I hadn't been back home in a year and a half because living with my mom was quite stressful. Thankfully, I'd be busy this summer-hopefully- and wouldn't have to deal with her every second of the day.

Speaking of my mother.

She was waiting for me as I exited the airport with a large unnecessary sign that had my name on it. My mother, as always, was in a pink matching set. Her blonde hair was tied in a deliberate messy bun. She rushed towards me when she saw me, hugging me with a squeal. I let go of my suitcases and hugged her back.

She pulled back to stare at me, frowning. "You're much thinner than you used to be."

Was I? I'd think I'd added more weight in the past two months.

"It's fine though," she dismissed me before I could respond. She took one of the suitcases and hooked her arm through mine. "We're rich now, so I'll feed you whatever you want." She paused. "Well, the housekeeper will, but his fridge is always stocked."

I stopped walking, making her halt as well. "What? We're living with your new husband?"

"Of course, silly." She chuckled. "Do you expect me to live in a different house?"

"No, I don't expect you to do that, but I can live alone at home."

"What home? I sold our house already."

My jaw dropped. It wasn't the first time I was living with my mom and her husband, but that didn't mean I wanted to go through that again. She argued with them all the time and asked for a divorce whenever things didn't go her way. If she'd told me she sold our place, I would have found a way to renew my lease. "You didn't think that maybe I'd want to live there?"

"Why would you live there when you have a better option?" She sounded genuinely confused.

I sighed and resumed walking. There was no use reasoning with her. She saw everything her way. I didn't know anything about her new husband; not his name, nor his face, nor even what he did for work. She wanted me to live with a literal stranger?

"Don't worry about it, Nikky. He's barely at home so you won't run into him all the time. I only told him to stay home today so I can introduce you. I..."

I stopped listening as she continued speaking. It wasn't ideal to live with her husband, but I had no choice at the moment. I needed to find a job, then an apartment. I also wanted to meet this supposed billionaire. I could only hope it wasn't a glorified drug dealer since my mom had very weird tastes in men.

We walked over to her car. It was just as pink as her clothes. I used to like pink when I was younger until my mom abused the color. "Is it pretty?" She questioned, pointing at the car.

I nodded noncommittally and waited for her to open the boot so I could put my luggage in.

During the ride to her new home, she talked about how perfect her new man was. Perfect being him giving her money whenever she asked without asking why she needed it. 

She also called about where and how she met him, but I zoned out during most of the conversation. I only recalled her saying that it was good to be in places where rich men frequented.

From her words, it was already obvious she didn't like the man. She only wanted his money. I felt bad for the poor man who had to marry her. She was going to drain him and leave him when he had nothing. That was usually what she did. I wasn't sure if these men didn't care enough to know her past or if they were just stupid enough to think they were the exception.

The house looked like every other building on the block, but it was fenced and well, expensive. I guess he did have money.

"Tristan!" My mom yelled as we exited the car. "Tristan! Nicole is here!"

I shook my head slightly, but rolled my luggage behind me as I headed to the door.

"Tris-" my mom's yelling was cut short when the door finally opened.

My breath caught in my throat when a very familiar man stepped out of the house. Was this the husband?

My mom walked over to him with a big grin. "Tristan, this is Nicole, my daughter. Nikky, this is Tristan, your stepfather."

I blinked. That was my stepfather?

The same man who had fucked me two months ago that I couldn't seem to forget was my new stepfather???

Was this a joke?

Nicole Harper

~•~

At first, I thought, what the fuck? What were the odds that the man who kept appearing in my dreams happened to be the man my mom got married to?

Then I thought, WHAT THE FUCK? Did he cheat on her with me? 

That night, I was never really sure who the groom was. If it was his bachelor's party, then he was already engaged yet he fucked me like he didn't care about that. My mom wasn't the best person out there, but that didn't mean she deserved to be cheated on.

"Nikky," my mom said, placing a hand on his chest. "Say hi to Tristan."

My lips parted but words refused to come out. I wasn't sure what to do. If I had anywhere else to go, I would run away immediately. The situation I was in was absolutely insane. Was I supposed to tell my mother what happened? But I couldn't tell her that without revealing that I went stripping. Would she even believe me? Or would she think I was trying to sabotage her marriage?

Tristan stepped forward when I didn't say anything. "Nice to meet you, Nikky."

"Don't call me that," I snapped unintentionally. 

He narrowed his eyes slightly, glanced at my mom then back at me. Was he pretending not to know me? How noble of him. "Nice to meet you, Nicole?"

I gritted my teeth. Was he trying to piss me off on purpose? 

Ignoring my reaction to him, he walked further, trying to take my luggage from me. I stepped away. "I'll carry it in myself."

My mother, oblivious to the tension, or pretending not to care, clapped her hands in delight. "Come in, I'll show you to your room. I took the liberty of decorating it just the way you liked."

I walked over to my mom and didn't look back as she led me inside. I could feel Tristan's stare on my back but I pretended not to notice. The house was huge but I had no time to take it in because I wanted to get to my new room as soon as possible.

Four flights of stairs later, two per level, we arrived at my new room. "You're in between me and Tristan," she explained, pushing the door open.

"You live in separate rooms?"

"He likes his space," she shrugged. Yeah, sure he did. I was sure he used his space to fuck other women, didn't he? "I also prefer to decorate my space however I want. Besides, we have a shared bedroom opposite yours." She nodded at the door opposite the room.

This was such an awkward position to be in. Apart from the fact that I knew the size of her husband's cock, I was also caught in between them physically. Why would she think it was a bright idea to put my room in the middle of theirs? 

I wanted to ask for a different room, but I also didn't want to be a bother.

"Do you like it?"

At her words, I properly focused on the room. My tongue poked the inside of my cheek. The walls were painted pink. Everything in the room was either pink or white. I stopped liking pink a long time ago because of her, but she thought she decorated the room just the way I liked.

I forced a smile, swallowing the actual words I wanted to say to her. "Yes."

"Perfect! Settle in so we can go shopping in the evening."

My brows furrowed in confusion. "Shopping?"

"Yes." She leaned in. "Tristan gave me a black card."

"I'm not spending his money!" I responded which was ironic because my last few months of rent were settled with his money.

"Why? Because he's not your father?" I clenched my teeth at her question. She was the same one who told me two months ago that he couldn't pay my debts because he wasn't my father. "I'm sorry for giving you a deadbeat father, but I've atoned myself with this one, no? Don't be uptight." She held my arm affectionately. "Besides, Tristan wouldn't mind."

Tristan wouldn't mind but I would. I didn't like the man. I didn't want to be near him. I definitely didn't want to use his money. Who knew how he got it?

"The flight was stressful, Mom," I decided to change the subject because if I continued to say no, my mom would find a way to convince me. She didn't stop until she had her way. "I want to shower and get some rest for now. We can talk about shopping on a different day."

She stared at me for a few seconds before letting out a sigh. "Fine. You've had a hard time at school. Get some rest. I'll tell the housekeeper to make you food."

"It's fine," I shook my head. I didn't want to bother anyone and I also didn't want anyone coming up to my room. "I can cook for myself."

"Nicole–"

"It's fine, Mom. Really."

"Are you sure?" I nodded. 

Thankfully, I didn't have to persuade her to leave anymore. She left after that. I closed and locked the door after she left. Then I stood in the middle of the room and looked around.

It was nothing close to my personal taste but I would have to make do with it until I could afford to move out. 

I collapsed on the bed and exhaled heavily. I wasn't sure who I offended in my past life. I wasn't sure if this was some kind of karmic retribution, but I still couldn't believe that man was my stepfather.

I'd spent the last month or two clenching my legs whenever I recalled how roughly he took me that night. I woke up wet from dreams about him. Clara thought I was crazy. Even I thought I was crazy for thinking about a stranger so much just because of sex.

Now I was living in his house and he was married to my mother.

Talk about coincidence.

This was worse than that.

This was punishment for daring to fuck a man during a bachelor's party.