Chapter 3 (MASK)

CRIMSON

“No mask…” I whispered to myself. Could I do it? Could I dance on the pole without being conscious that the one watching me might see me one day walking on the streets delivering flowers? Would I want to earn money in this kind of way? 

I am not selling myself. I am not prostituting*. 

I am just dancing. 

I have not degraded anyone who does prostitution*. That is their body, that is their life. But I… I can’t do it. I cannot sleep with random guys even if I need that much money. I cannot do that kind of job because I am not fitted for it. I am just an ordinary girl that has an ordinary dream. 

But would the man whom I will dance for tonight still believe in that crap? But why do I care? He doesn’t know me and he will never see me here again. After I get the fifty thousand pesos payment for this dance, I will no longer accept any substitution job in this club. I will find another sideline to earn more. 

“I trust you that you could entertain the boss’ friend and make your performance tonight worthwhile,” Daisy said that made me cut my thoughts and gave my attention to her.

“Dey…” I said as if I wanted to change my mind. “Once I get the payment, can I go straight home?” I asked. 

“Of course,” Daisy said with a knowing smile. 

I murmured my thanks and started to prepare myself. I wore the skintight red and black two-piece costume composed of a lace and velvet sports bra and spandex booty shorts with slits on two sides that made anyone wear them sexier. 

I ponytailed my long hair and put on some makeup that accentuated my costume. I made my eyes darker with a touch of red. I put bloody red lipstick on my lips and I was satisfied when I stared at myself in the mirror. I look like a vampire.

I walked out of the dressing room and went to the VIP room that Daisy told me about. I shrugged off any negative thoughts and started to turn the knob to open the door.

I entered the VIP room. As the dimness of the room surrounded me and the coldness of the atmosphere enveloped my system, I felt awkward doing pole dancing for the first time. I gulped, trying hard to tell myself that I needed to earn the money and not waste my time. 

Red lights blurred my sight and I could see the body of the man sitting on the couch. I couldn't see his face clearly because it was so dark and the thought that he was darker than the darkness made my heart beat fast. 

I don’t know why, but suddenly I thought to back out. I have a feeling he wants to eat me alive. I am not into superstitions, but this time… this time I even doubted my own belief. I felt that the man sitting alone watching me was more than just the darkness of the room, he looked like a devil who was shadowing me, threatening me.

When I positioned myself in front of the pole while holding the pole with both hands in front of me, I bowed my head and closed my eyes while waiting for the music to be played. I am scared, I am shivering to the bones as I know the man’s eyes penetrating me like pulling my soul out of my body.

As the music started and I started to grind my hips in slow-motion as I jived with the sexy beats, I frowned when it seemed that I saw the VIP’s eyes glistening, but I dismissed that thought. It was just the red lights that probably reflected in his eyes. I should not think of any impossible things.

After I slowly moved my hips and swayed them seductively, I did a little swinging with my foot from the pole and started spinning as I raised my other leg from the floor and bent my legs on my knees as if I was sitting while swirling the pole. That is the basic chair spin I always did before I gave my full performance. 

I cannot see any movement from the man who will pay me fifty thousand pesos once I satisfy his eyes. 

His eyes. 

Yes, his eyes only as I will never sell my body. 

I kept doing all the basic pole dances I knew that I could perfectly do. As I was hearing that the music would soon end, I did my most dangerous act. I climbed the pole and planned to slide myself downward later. I was almost on the top of the pole when I accidentally slipped and, being agitated, I fell. 

I closed my eyes and held my head to make sure I would not damage my head once I hit the floor. But… it didn’t happen. Someone catches me before my body hits the ground. I opened my eyes and I saw a familiar face. 

I gulped my imaginary lump. Two different eye colors are staring at me. I wanted to feel scared but he made me feel safe. Fifty thousand pesos are gone. He will not pay me because I tripped and I missed my chance. I even gave him a problem as he saved me in the nick of time. 

“Are you a regular pole dancer here?” he asked while helping me stand up. 

I felt my cheeks flush from the shyness I felt. He was the man to whom I delivered flowers early on this day and now he was the one who watched me perform a failed pole dance.

“No,” I admitted. “I was just substituting for the main dancer but I failed. I am sorry… please don’t tell the management. I won’t ask for a payment, just don’t tell the management because I need to do some part-time jobs here still,” I said quickly. I was thinking of not doing any job for the club earlier but changed the decision as fast as I felt earlier while falling from the top of the pole.

“How much?” he asked me and I didn’t want to sound conceited because he helped me not to be hurt. I tried to smile. 

“What do you mean?” I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. 

“You, how much is your one night?” 

I went still. I cannot tell him that I am not selling my body. I don’t know. There was something in the way he stared at me that made me speechless. I saw again the uncanny way he looked at me. He was so good looking but he leered at me like he was longing to devour me. 

Oh no! I am not going to give my first time to a man I barely know. 

“You— smell good,” he said hoarsely. 

My lips opened in an awkwardness I felt. I stepped back. He was scaring me, the way he said those words doesn’t sound like he wanted to bed me. He sounded like he wanted to eat me. Eat me as a whole. Not the thought of other implications of words, but the true meaning of them. 

“Delicious,” he said to me while sniffing my hair.  

“Sir, I am not a whore*… I am not sleeping for money. I’m sorry but I need to go.” I turned my back on him and ran outside the VIP room. 

No! I won’t let him touch me again. I am scared of his way of giving me a stare and the way he said ‘delicious’. He made me feel that I am his food. 

And I don’t know if what I saw was right, his eyes seemed blazing while he was sniffing me. He scared me. I was about to turn left when I saw him talking with the club owner. I felt scared when he gave me another look and nodded at me. 

“Do you know the story of the bloody werewolf rogue that was killed by his alpha? Do you know about that rogue that was hated by all of his pack and all the other packs that no one wanted him at all? Are you familiar with the story, child?”

“Remember this always… Once upon a time, the Creator created many beings to occupy the world He perfectly created. Once upon a time, before Adam and Eve were created to live in the Garden of Eden… angels and animals were created first. As well as dragons, werewolves, fairies, elves, dwarves, mermaids, vampires, and any other being that we only thought were just mythical and pure imagination.” 

That damn thought again. I remember granny again when she was telling me about that folklore. But looking at the man looking back at me made me think that granny’s story is all true. I think he was like that bloody rogue granny was telling me.

He is not a normal man. 

How could a normal man that I left in the VIP room now be standing in front of the club’s manager? How could a normal man smoothly catch me when I fell from tripping on a pole at that instant?

This man is like the man that granny told me about years ago. He was like a rogue. 

The rogue has been despised and is now living with humans. 

I stepped back and I was about to go and talk to Daisy. As I turned around, I saw him again in another direction. I immediately turned my head and I saw him again with the club’s manager smiling evilly at me. 

Oh no! 

He is not only the rogue in the story. 

He is the devil!