Chapter 1

Lyra

 

My view on stripping, being a stripper, or letting men watch you undress for a wad of money?

 

Here it is.

 

Most ladies view it as a means to an end or a way to get rich quickly, but I, I view it as a type of art. 

 

A way to draw men in and tease them just enough to wrap them around your little finger but never give them what they want, which is sex. 

 

I have been doing it for a year now, and I can tell you that it's the best form of empowerment a woman could have, apart from education or some other form of moral avenue that society deems proper, of course.

 

I loved seeing them want me, need me, but not have me, and it was the main reason I had kept at it even after my first experience, which had been purely curiosity-driven, by the way.

 

I had wanted to know what it would feel like and, as I said, empowering.

 

In a simpler way, it just means I love the attention and I don't think I'll be getting out of it anytime soon.

 

"Caroline, how are you doing today?" 

 

I put on a bright smile as the owner of the strip club where I normally danced, Qiara, walked towards me, and I smiled back at him.

 

He was a drag queen, the sassy type, and that was why it was great working with him. He had his rules, I had my rules, and he protected his girls too, though I didn't socialize more with the other girls.

 

"Good, and you?"

 

"Good too. You ready for your session?"

 

I nodded. "I just need to get ready and dressed up."

 

He nodded. "Go to the dressing room then; your outfit has been picked out for you, and you'll be doing a solo first, then a duo with Lara later."

 

She was another girl in the group I had danced with before, and I nodded.

 

"Cool," he continued down the hallway to take care of some other business while I found the dressing room in the opposite direction down the hallway.

 

It was thankfully empty as most of the girls were taking care of some other things around and I turned to the mirror to hype myself up a bit.

 

"Okay, let's get to work."

 

I put on the skimpy outfit in all black that the stylist had laid out for me. It was weird, but it was something that Qiara arranged for all the girls except you wanted to choose your outfits yourself, but I was fine with the one that was picked.

 

Short skirt, tight top but easy to take off, all in black leather and lacy underwear I had put on specially for this occasion.

 

I never went fully nude though, something I had talked to Qiara about, and despite me not going fully nude like some of the girls, I was in high demand either way, something that made most of the other girls hate me.

 

But I wasn't here for them, was I?

 

The song started playing as I walked onto the stage, my hands immediately going for the pole set in the middle, and I noticed the change in the atmosphere.

 

Their eyes on me, their focus on nothing else than the way I was rotating around the pole and handling it like it was their d*ck. They wish.

 

I did some more routines with the pole, twisting around and finally going for the moment they were all waiting for, and I felt powerful when I slipped the skirt off my waist.

 

It was like a million eyes were focused on me, even though there were only a few in there, and I immediately felt one eye that was more intense than the others.

 

It was like it was boring into my back. So I turned to face the crowd again, this time my top, going off, and I saw him.

 

Tall, I kind of just knew he would be tall, by the way; it wasn't like he was standing.

 

Black hair or so, since the lights among the audience weren't on. 

 

Were those brown eyes?

 

Grey?

 

Anyways, it felt like his eyes remained on me throughout my whole dancing, and by the time I walked off the stage, my undies still intact, I came to a grave realization.

 

I was wet.

 

I wasn't just slightly wet; I was soaking wet. Just from keeping eye contact with him throughout my dancing and feeling his eyes roam over me as I danced.

 

I was curious to know who he is.

 

"Caroline," I turned around as Qiara walked into my dressing room, rushing up the remaining steps to meet me like he had some great news, and I was sure it was great news in his book.

 

"I'll soon be done; I just need to change for..."

 

"No, no, change of plans. Somebody requested a private session with you."

 

My heart immediately skipped, hoping for some reason that it was the guy who had kept me hypnotized in the crowd; it was meant to be the other way around, but I maintained my composure.

 

"You know I don't do private sessions, Qiara."

 

"Yes, I know, but he requested for you, specifically."

 

"Don't they all do."

 

He sighed, "You just have to do some stripping and lap dancing, and that's all. You don't have to do anything with him that you don't want to. Just please, he's new and looks like he has a lot of money. It'll keep him coming."

 

I gave in. Not because of the money, though, because I could buy myself a property in Manhattan if I wanted; it was just... I wanted to know what he looked like up close.

 

Was he handsome?

 

Are his eyes brown?

 

Is he as sexy as I felt he was?

 

"Fine"

 

He squealed before I could say more, "Wait, you're serious?"

 

"Do you want me to do it or what?"

 

He covered his mouth. "No, I'm just, I'm surprised. It's fine. Thank you."

 

"But it's just this once, I'm not..."

 

"Of course. I won't ever pester you again."

 

Yeah, we both knew that was a lie. 

 

He smiled and told me the number of the room, leading me there before I could change my mind, and I felt the confidence I had left fly out of the window the minute I walked into the room. 

 

Damn, was he hot? Yup.

 

Steam and fire in one sentence because I immediately melted the minute he glanced up at me from his phone, which he had been staring at when I walked in, and I felt my pants get more damp and wet as his eyes glazed over the skirt and top I had worn earlier.

 

I felt uncomfortable, and I never feel uncomfortable.

 

"Well, are you just going to stand there or do your job?"

 

I walked further into the private room, shaking off my discomfort and trying to gain my control back because that was the whole point of this for me, right?

 

Taking control.

 

Wrapping them around my little finger.

 

I couldn't let one man take that away from me just because he was hot.