Julia took Hailey to her strip club as early as possible even though she didn't want to do so. Hailey was a precious friend she didn't want to taint with the kind of business she offered to people in her strip club.
However, Hailey was hellbent on earning the money herself and not taking it from Julia just like that.
Hailey looked at the lounge, it was huge enough to accommodate a stage with pools where the dancers can perform for the audience. And neatly arranged chairs were standing before the stage with enough space so the waiters and waitresses would serve drinks to the audience.
There were janitors cleaning and mobbing before the club would open at midnight.
"Stella, come over here quickly," Julia called someone.
Hailey was shocked by the person who'd arrived. Stella was the name of a woman but it was a man dressed in a woman's clothes with over ten kilograms of makeup that was standing before her.
"This is Hailey, and she will be joining us tonight," Julia introduced. "Hailey, this is Stella, my manager. He helps me run this place when I'm not around."
Stella, a man, chewed aggressively on his gum as he sized Hailey. "She looks fresh and timid. Have you done this before, sweetie?" He asked.
Hailey shook her head. "Not at all."
"Don't ask her too many questions. I want to teach her the basic things she needs to learn before we open," said Julia.
"You don't need to worry about that. With your body type, I'm sure we can land you a client tonight, hmm?" Stella giggled at his own joke while Julia and Hailey shared a look.
Stella took Hailey away and introduced her to the other performers while Julia busied herself with other tasks.
At 11:30pm,
Hailey was sitting in front of the makeup mirror, looking more exhausted than she thought she would look.
She'd spent ten hours mastering the movements Stella was teaching her, from how she was going to tease the audience with her stripping, how to talk when they call for her attention and most importantly, pretending to be dump no matter what question they asked her because apparently, men love dump women.
Julia was the one applying Hailey's makeup. They were both silent, neither of them speaking.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Julia asked in order to cut the silence. She opened the blush and applied it ever so slightly on Hailey's cheeks so that her sky blue eyes would stand out even more.
"I'm sure about this. I need to save my son," Hailey replied, taking a deep breath. She didn't care if she had to sell her body. She'd already sold her body for one man already. Blake but he misused her and she didn't even get paid for her services. There was no difference doing the same thing but getting a few bucks so she can pay for Aiden's medical fees.
Julia hummed but didn't say anything as silence consumed them once again.
She took Hailey's dark hair into a messy bun with one pin so when it was time for her to release her hair, she only needed to take off the pin.
"I know this might not be easy for you," Julia started, letting down some strands to dangle off Hailey's forehead. "But I want you to know you're a strong mother. I don't think every woman would go this length to save her son."
"Come on, don't make me cry now. It would be a waste if we had to redo my makeup," Hailey said, giggling through her tears.
Julia chuckled as well.
Stella stepped inside, clad in a black dress that accentuated his tiny wait. His chest was filled with a soft garment that Hailey didn't want to ask what it was. She still wasn't over the fact that he was a man, wearing a woman's cloth.
"It's time."
Hailey took a deep breath. She stood up, and stepped behind the stage as the host introduced her.
"Gentlemen, get ready…Tonight, we're turning up the heat with a brand-new beauty. She's mysterious, she's magnetic, and she's about to steal the spotlight. Put your hands together for the one who's about to own this stage, Honey Viper!!"
Hailey cringed at the name given to her. Stella had come up with it earlier, and she didn't bother to tell him to choose something else.
The audience clapped as Hailey's entire demeanor changed. She was uncomfortable earlier, but she didn't care anymore. Her mission right now was to impress the men before her she couldn't see because of the bright spotlight on her.
They clapped, cheered for her as the music started.
She swayed her hips, her movement sleek and slow. She moved slowly, making sure she delivered what she'd practiced earlier without making a mistake.
Hailey had a gut feeling she was doing everything right because the men cheers became louder as she smiled at them.
Then it was time.
Her body stilled as she gave the audience her back.
A single tear streamed down her face as she reached for the hook of her bra as slowly as possible, leaving the men hungry in anticipation.
Hailey took another deep breath, as she unhooked her bra and let it fall. Immediately, there was an uproar from the crowd.
Unbeknownst to Hailey, as she was delivering her performance, there was a pair of dark eyes watching her every movement with a more calculated sense than the other men.
His eyes roamed around her body, immediately stopping at her panties that had a cute little bow on it.
"Don't get distracted now, Killian. This is not why we're here," someone said from the killian's side.
Killian drowned his drink. "I was not getting distracted. I was just watching," he gritted out.