Chapter 1.1

"Are you fucking crazy?!" 

Feliza took deep breaths; preparing herself to answer my question that I just screamed at her. 

I needed to scream at her due to the reason that it's super loud and insane here. And also, taking me here to celebrate my birthday is super absurd. 

What was she thinking? 

"Listen, it's not that bad, Genevieve. Just take your time and enjoy." 

I looked at her in disbelief. Enjoy? What the fuck does she mean by enjoy? 

"What kind of gibberish are you talking about, Feliza? What enjoy? Is watching these men onstage erotically dancing while stripping their clothes off is what enjoyment for you?" 

She just looked away, and disappointment ate my whole being. 

What I'm seeing right now with both of my eyes is indeed an ultimate surprise. 

She's out of her mind. 

And oh, did I mention that she's married? 

"Feliza, we should go home instead." I suggested. Feliza looked at me again. But this time, with both of her eyes wide opened. 

"What? Why? Genevieve, it's really expensive here." She sounded like a child that's about to beg her mother. "I mean, I know that you're not into this kind of entertainment. But please? Just stay? Have some fun?" Her eyes were pleading mine, "Come on, I already spent a lot for this. And I earned what I spent for months. I did it for your birthday." She even pouted to support her statement that is meant to convince me. 

But for pete's sake! What am I going to do here? Am I supposed to shriek too just like the other women adoring these male strippers onstage? 

"What about your husband?" I asked Feliza with concern. 

"What's with him?" She nonchalantly asks back. 

Her answer made me look at with disbelief. What is happening to this woman? Seriously? 

"Uhm, does he know that we're here? At a highly reputable male strip club?" 

Feliza sighed like she was expecting me to question her. "Yeah, he knows. But he doesn't give two fucks about it, Genevieve. And I wanted to take this opportunity to forget about how awful he is being a husband to me. I wanted to forget that and celebrate your birthday with you at the same time. Can't we just agree to stay instead? It's just for one night, Genevieve. Just for one night, please?" 

This time, I was the one who looked away to avoid her stare. 

She only talks about her husband once in a blue moon. Whenever she wants to, and whenever she's on the mood to talk about him. I have no idea how things have been between them since they got married. 

It was an arranged marriage, and Feliza had no other choice since it was also her father's death wish; to witness her get married to someone that her parents think is suitable for their daughter. 

She did it anyway. 

Thinking of that made me feel guilty in all of a sudden. And the other side of my brain said that I should be grateful to be here, instead of scolding her for her idea of 'ultimate surprise'. At least she made efforts, right? It's the thought that counts. Meaning she thought of me, she thought about making efforts on celebrating my birthday with me. She's my only close friend, and she has been by my side ever since I set foot on Vegas. 

I gave up and sighed. If she was there at my lowest, then, I should also be beside her whatever that she's going through right now. 

"Alright." 

"Wohoo! Yes, girl!" She happily exclaimed.

"But I can't promise to have fun. This is literally not enjoyment for me, but I'll try to find fun in the midst of these desperate women; shrieking for the men onstage." I wheezed on that. I've never been to any strip clubs here in Vegas. But I also never imagined that it is this wild. 

"Let me get us something to drink! I'll be right back!" Feliza shouted to me when the music playing became louder. Making it hard for those conversing inside this club. 

I roamed my eyes everywhere as I decided to observe the whole place. Everything that I laid my eyes on looks expensive, and every detail matches its Rococo interior design. My eyes couldn't see a single thing that looks wrong inside this room. 

Well, except for that one guy onstage that is almost fully... uhm, naked. 

I avoided that unpleasant scenery, and looked at the other part of this club instead. I keep on convincing myself that this is not that bad. Thinking that I'm a grown woman, and that I'm allowed for this kind of entertainment. 

"I'm back! Here, I brought us martinis!" Feliza handed me one of the cocktail glass that she's holding. I took a sip and my mouth welcomed its fruity taste. 

Hmm, it's not so bad at all. 

"So, how much did you spend on this?" I asked Feliza out of the blue. 

"Just a couple hundred dollars." She casually said like it was a type doing considered as one of her habits. 

I was shocked to the core, "What?!" 

"Yeah! Just a couple hundred dollars, Genevieve!" She shouted before standing up with her cocktail glass on her hand. I shook my head when she started dancing to the loud music playing just like the others. 

Feliza became one of them. And before I even know it, she started screaming too for the performers onstage. 

I gulped. 

Good Lord, what is this?

I looked away for I don't want my eyes to witness the male strippers onstage. I focused on taking a sip on my drink instead. And from time to time, I would turn to Feliza to see if she's still sane enough to stay by our table and not wanting to join the flock of shrieking birds just below the stage. And whenever I accidentally glance at the stage, I would immediately look away and look at the corner of the room where no ladies losing their minds over men erotically dancing can be seen. 

I just continued drinking as time pass by. I even played on my phone to distract myself as I pretended that I'm not in this place. Feliza just kept on providing me drinks, and I didn't notice that I was already drinking shots of tequila.

"Ooh! Genevieve look! The star of the night! AHH!" 

The loud music suddenly faded as a new one comes along. "Sexyback" by Justin Timberlake & Timbaland played. 

Feliza became so stoked as if something rare is about to pop out and show its whole being. I look at the direction that she pointed with her finger. She pointed at the stripper that just came out from the stage; revealing himself. It made my friend pull me by my hand, and she caused my head spinning due to standing up without a warning. 

The effect of tequila is acting up. 

"Oh. My. God!!! He is freaking hot! I can't believe my eyes!" 

Looking at the stripper onstage, I can agree with Feliza. He is indeed hot. He's not even starting yet. He's not even stripping his clothes off, yet he already caused the whole club wilding with only his appearance. 

"Well, yeah. He is." I said, agreeing with Feliza. 

"Right?! Oh my!!!" 

The man was wearing an intricate grey mask that covers half of his face. A red velvet suit and pants. Black shiny shoes, and a bowtie around his neck. 

The spotlight was on him, and only him. 

He’s like the devil, but the devil being a ravishing rogue.

Everybody screams, everybody shrieks, and everybody chants his name. 

"Kairo! Kairo! Kairo! Kairo!" 

His name was echoing throughout the whole place. And I witnessed everything with both of my eyes how this man is the most awaited performer for tonight. I can even bet my whole life just to prove that he's the most awaited. 

I trailed every detail about him with my eyes. Every feature of his face, of his body. He's pretty expensive; pretty untouchable.

"Kairo?" I asked, turning to Feliza whose eyes are glued on the man onstage. 

"Yeah. Kairo, his stage name." She replied without even looking at me. She's not even blinking! 

"Don't you think that he kinda looks familiar?" My question made Feliza look at me with the surface of her forehead ruined. "What? No way. I've never seen such a handsome man like him." 

I shrugged it off. 

She's probably tipsy now. 

I agreed with what my mind told me. 

Tipsy, right. How about me? Am I alright? 

Wondering if I'm alright, I sat back on the soft couch and once ignored everything. Instead of joining Feliza on making shrill outcries towards that stripper, I took the bottle of tequila and drank it. And from time to time, I would drink it with lime to somehow get rid of the aftertaste.

I continued drinking with my legs crossed, and my eyes roaming everywhere.