Chapter 2 The Dancing Angels

_Neon

The clock struck nine fifteen pm. The office was dead quiet at this hour and it was my favorite time to finish up some work. The only sound was the ticking of the clock and Sylvia's shuffling movements from her small office next to mine.

I went through the final page of last quarter's financial report with a fine comb. I had at least gone through them five times already. Embedding them into my mind and memory.

The company had an accountant for these matters but I always wanted to know what was going on within the company.

When I was younger, I struggled at school, and after an assessment, I was diagnosed with dyslexia. I couldn't read or write. In class, I had to work ten times harder than the average kid. Even now I still read and write slower than the average man.

My condition of not being able to perform certain tasks only meant that I perfected other skills, like people skills. I manage people very well and I can think outside the box, often coming up with ideas that have put Petrov Ltd on the map. Each year it outperforms itself.

The little speaker on my desk stopped playing. That meant it was time to call it a night.

"Good night Sylvia," I said standing in her doorway. She glanced up from her work with a flush on her cheeks. A sign that she hadn't heard me come in.

"I thought I should catch up on some filling but since you are on your way, let me grab my stuff also." She said innocently.

I liked Sylvia, she worked as hard as I did. We had been working together for close to a decade. She was my Pa, and that was the longest relationship I had been with anyone. She was not afraid to put in long hours and she was able to match my pace without falling apart. But best of all, Sylvia was the reader of the small print for me.

"Come, I'll walk you to your car." She was like a little sister to me. She was there to work and just like me, that's what she did best.

"How's your workload?" I asked her as we made our way towards the stairs, we always used the stairs instead of the elevator. Everyone thought I liked the stairs because I was keeping fit, but in reality, I had my reasons.

"I can still manage, for now, but I will let you know when something changes." She gave me a side glance as we walked down the last step to the basement.

I had known Sylvia for a long time, with a mind like hers, I always advised her to start something of her own. but I was also afraid of the day she would take my advice and leave the company, she was the oil that burned the engine.

There were plenty of assistants who would step into her place, but to find one with the same passion and who understood me would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Losing her would be a terrible blow to me both professionally and personally, I relied heavily on her.

"You must remind me to buy you something special for all your hard work this Christmas," we arrived at the parking lot in the basement.

"Only if it's not another Christmas sweater," she chuckled walking towards her car.

"I thought you loved the Christmas spirit," and then she laughed out loud as she opened her car and threw in her laptop bag in the boat of the car.

"I loved it the first time around, not the second and third and fourth...every year," she called out as she got behind the wheel. her car started and she reversed out of her parking spot.

I stood there looking at her, not believing a word she was saying. Of course, she loved the sweaters.

"Please try to get some sleep and come in a bit late tomorrow," she said with a wave.

"Bye, Sylvia," I called after her as her taillights dimmed in the distance.

I took the short distance to my car, unlocked it, and sped off into the London night, still thinking about what I should buy her for Christmas that was not a sweater.

***

I took a seat in my usual corner inside the Dancing Angels. I always enjoyed the show and a few drinks before heading home.

Tonight the club was packed. Unusual for a Wednesday night. I asked the waitress what was the deal with the crowd tonight.

"We have new girls coming in tonight. It's gonna be a show to remember," she winked and left me to simmer in my excitement.

That made my mood ten times better.

The music started slow and the usual routine of girls on poles did their act. When they left, the lights moved around the tables.

An upbeat song came on and the light flooded the stage. Then I spotted her. She was in the center of the stage with other girls I had never seen before. She wasn't like the typical strippers I was used to. She had curves in all the right places. Her short height only made the curves more defined.

The minute she started moving. Slowly at first, I saw the reaction change from the crowd. Bloody bastards. I wanted to pluck out all the men's eyes looking at her. Everyone was mesmerized including me.

After her dance, I felt my body heating up. She had a strange effect on me. I watched transfixed as she made rounds around the tables collecting her tips.

When the waitress came to fill my drink. My throat was on fire. "The dancer who was on stage, what's her name?"

"Candy, the new girl." She collected the empty glass and put a freshly filled one.

"I have a tip for her. Please tell her to come this way." I took a sip from my gin and relaxed back on my chair.

Not long after the waitress left with my glass, Candy showed up next to me.

Up close she was even more beautiful. I found myself tongue-tied. I picked up the hundred pound note and she pushed her boobs forward, where I inserted the money between the two globes.

"Would you like a private dance, Sugar?"

Her voice sounded like velvet. Smooth.

But a private dance was a bad idea. I would unravel like a house on fire.

"No thanks, but I enjoyed the show, you were really good up there."

"Thank you handsome. By the way, my name is Candy. Hope I'll be seeing more of you." Then she sauntered away from my table and I watched her behind jingling away.

Then I knew right there and then that my bed will never be cold again.

The waitress had been right. Tonight had been a night to remember. I took a deep breath and asked for the bill and left.

***

_Meghan

After my first night at Dancing Angels, I counted my tips from the night. If the following nights were anything like tonight, soon I would be able to move out from Alicia's couch and put in a deposit for my place.

Then there was the mystery guy from earlier. I didn't see his face properly because of the lack of light in the corner booth but he was a good tipper. He tipped with a hundred pound note and didn't even request a private dance. Alicia was right, coming to Dancing Angels was a good idea.

I wiped off the layers of makeup from my face and thought about all the money I was going to make. Thanks to Ben, It was important to me to be able to provide for myself. I didn't want to be anyone's investment ever again.

"Hey, Meg. heading out already?"

Alicia peered at my mirror. Her slim body was already dolled up in shiny glitter.

She pulled out a chair and put her long leg on it, to fix her lingerie.

"Yes. I'm gonna skip drinks tonight. Have an early morning tomorrow."

When Alicia raised her eyebrows, I quickly added. "Apartment hunting."

"Oh yes. Wake me up when you wake up, I wanna tag along too." She walked to the door and looked back at me, our eyes met in the mirror again. "Not bad for a first night huh?"

"Not bad at all," I said. She winked at me before disappearing for her performance of the night.

When I stepped outside the club, the midnight air hit me like a slap to my face. I had changed into my jeans and a buffer jacket, but the breeze was unforgiving. I contemplated between walking or waiting for a taxi. Then started walking.

"Candy..?" my heart almost froze, not Ben, not Ben. Please let it not be Ben.

When I turned around, I came face to face with the guy from the corner booth.

"Yes, and you are?" I said looking at him suspiciously. I hope he was not one of those guys who preyed on stripers.

"I saw you dancing earlier and I was impressed." Great. Another admirer, I thought to myself.

"Come back tomorrow for another show. Same time." I said politely with a smile and started walking again.

"No," he said following me. My heart skipped a beat. "I have a proposal for you."

The nerve of him. I felt my cheeks burn with anger. "I'm a dancer, not a prostitute," I barked at him.

He seemed taken aback by that. Good.

"I never said anything about you being a prostitute. Now, are you ready to listen, please?"

"Shoot." I folded my hands across my chest and waited.

"Have you had anything to eat? we can grab some dinner." The sound of dinner made my stomach rumble loudly. A clear answer for both of us that left me embarrassed about my melodrama.

"Ok, I know an all-night joint just around the corner. We can walk there," I wasn't taking any chances with the strange handsome man.

But neither was he.

"My car is parked right there." I was not about to go into a car with someone who just saw me dancing half-naked.

"This is strictly business, nothing more, nothing less," he said looking at me expectantly.

I hesitated for a second then gave in. Kidnappers did not wear Hermes ties and tailored suits.

"Ok."

I was glad that the all-night burger joint looked more decent than I expected at this hour. Didn't want him to thinking I ate at shady joints.

We ordered cheeseburgers and fries. When the food arrived, relief must have been visible on my face because I was tired of looking up, only to find him watching me.

"So…what was it you wanted to talk about?" I said between mouthfuls. Having found my confidence back.

It did not escape me how handsome the man was.

Cliche right?

Oh, but he was. From where I was sitting his skin looked like ripe olives. In a good way.

"I would like to hire your services."

"You looking for a dancer?"

"Not really, no." I shifted in my seat uncomfortably, I really wanted to appear more confident than I felt.

"Then I'm afraid you will have to explain yourself a bit more, sir," I said easing into the conversation, my earlier hostile behavior turned down a notch.

Then he was all businesslike.

"From time to time, I have to entertain business clients over dinner, on these occasions I would require your services."

"You mean to dance while you pitching a business idea?" I chuckled and for the first time, he smiled.

A perfect set of teeth.

"No, as lovely as that sounds but I don't mean it like that, you could be a hostess, chat them up, click champagne glasses with them. Just look pretty."

"Oh, I see what you mean. Like your eye candy stroke sexy hostess ."

"Something like that." it sounded like a script from a movie.

I leaned back in my chair and looked at him through my lashes.

"How much are we talking about on these nights?"

He took a pen from his breast pocket and scrambled a figure on a piece of napkin and slid it across the table. I looked at the figure and I knew then. The guy was selling me shit on a stick.

"Thank you for the meal but I best be on my way." I got up to leave and he grabbed my hand, sending sparks through my body. I didn't need this right now. I stood glued to the spot, my eyes roamed on his full lips and he let go of my hand.

I let out a sigh of relief. Ashamed by my wayward thoughts.

"Maybe I should explain more. The job doesn't only require you when there are the client's over. You will be also working as my assistant"

"Don't you have one at work?" assuming he had a job.

"I do. She manages the business side of things and you will manage the homework side of things. She works office hours, I can't expect her to help me entertain clients after work."

"It makes sense when you put it like that. But I doubt I have the experience you need."

"You are a natural. But training will be provided."

"And no sex involved?"

"No sex involved, I need you fully clothed."

I bit my lower lip in thought. It was a good offer. A chance to start my life from scratch without depending on a man.

"Can I sleep on it?" My resolve was fast fading. "By the way my name is Meghan."

"Nice to meet you, Meghan, I'm Neon. Of cause you can sleep on it, but I was hoping you could start tomorrow evening, here's my business card. Call me when you have decided."

He paid the bill and we left the burger joint.

Outside it had started to drizzle. We ran back to his car, this time no questions asked as he drove me to my place.