Chapter One: Stripper for the night.

ROSETTE POV

"Are you tensed?" My friend, Kara, asked as she nudged my arm. "You've been so quiet, Sweetie."

We were seated next to each other at the back of the cab, on our way to a private club.

I turned to smile at her, "Uh? No...no! I'm good." I lied.

Yes!

I didn't feel good at all about what I planned on doing later this evening, but I was way too far gone to back out now.

This evening, I would be taking up a bet made by my friend to sign up as a stripper at a private club, just for one night. I've heard stories of how girls made money from being one time strippers, especially if they were physically attractive, but that wasn't why I agreed to do this.

I wasn't even doing it for the money, but for the fun of it; the thrill of dancing half naked in front of strangers that I would never meet again. A part of me wanted this because it would be my last attempt at being a rebel, before relocating to Los Angeles to live with my mother and her new boyfriend.

Soon, the cab pulled out right outside the club.

"We're here! Time to shake that booty!" Kara squealed.

A cold chill ran down my back as Kara grabbed my wrist and we sprinted towards the large gates at the entrance of the club. There were two heavyweight men with thick, muscled arms in vests that read, "Security."

They frowned at us as we approached them, panting.

"Identification!" One of them growled.

Kara and I exchanged a knowing look before we dug into our handbags and whipped out our forged ID cards which carried false age.

22 years old.

That was my age for the night, as I was so sure that the club wouldn't let a 17 year old like me to get in. I was technically an adult already, because I would be turning 18 in less than 24 hours.

Soon, the men stepped aside, opening up the large gates, to let us in.

Kara pulled me in, leading me to a small apartment that was just besides the club.

"Ready, Ross?" She said, squeezing my fingers gently.

I nodded, "Sure as hell."

In the next few minutes, we had already met with the manager of the club at his office, and told him of my intention of being a stripper for the night.

He had a large grin on his face as he slid a bag across the table towards me.

"You gotta put that on." He said.

I peeked into the bag, and pulled out a fancy face mask. "A mask?"

He nodded, "To protect your identity while you wriggle that ass out there. Remember, 40% of the money you make tonight must be given to the club—to me."

I bobbed my head, as I held myself back from saying that he could keep the entire money, because I didn't care about that.

He narrowed his eyes at me, still smiling, "There are hidden CCTV cameras everywhere, and if I see you tucking away some cash before the night is over, it'll definitely won't end well for you."

"Yes, yes!" I cut in, impatient as I rose to my feet and put the mask on my face. There were two peepholes for my eyes to see through. I spent the next few minutes in a cramped dressing room, taking off my dress, and all I had on left was my red lacy panties that matched the bra I was wearing.

That was the last time I saw Kara that night, because I was soon led by two uniformed men, through the backdoor, and into the crowded hall. The strobe lights were the first thing I noticed when I stepped into the stuffy building. The club had the structure of a boxing ring.

There was a raised platform in the middle of the hall with long poles, and a few half naked women danced and slid against the poles.

Strippers.

A shiver ran through me, as it dawned on me that I would be up there in a matter of minutes, just like them.

Loud music thumped from unseen speakers, and the crowd surged around the dancing ring. Men and women with half naked bodies, collided against each other, as they danced wildly. The smell of whiskey hung low in the air, causing my mouth to water.

I turned to one of the uniformed men besides me.

"I need to get a drink!" I shouted at the top of my voice so that he would hear me over the noise of the music. He nodded and pointed at a large nar which stood at the other end of the Hall.

I sighed with relief, heading over to the bar.

"A shot of whiskey!" I yelled at the bartender. He nodded slowly before taking his eyes off my large boobs.

A thrill ran through me.

I was barely started, and yet I was already getting lust-filled stares from men. I chugged several shots of whiskey into my mouth, wincing as the raw liquid burnt down my throat.

The music kept getting louder, and soon euphoria pumped in my veins.

I was already starting to feel light when a strong hand grabbed my arm, jerking me backwards.

"Hey, Stripper?" He called out.

I recognized him as one of the men who led me in.

I bobbed my head, swaying my hips to the beats of the music.

"Get on the stage right now, and get to work!" He growled, shoving me through the crowd, and before I could make any sense of what was happening, I felt my feet leave the floor as he placed me on the raised stage.

A cheer erupted from the crowd as I walked over to one of the polls, giddy.

The other strippers waved at me, and they all filed out, leaving me alone on the wide stage.

This was it!

I muttered under my breath. I was now doing one of my fantasies—dancing as a stripper. My mother would be horrified to know this!

I chuckled softly to myself, wrapping my fingers around the poll as I started swaying my hips as seductively as I could. The music transitioned into a much slower one, making it easy for me to dance as sensually as I could.

I scanned the crowd with my eyes, and saw almost everyone watching me. Each time I leapt in the air, spreading my legs apart, the crowd would break out in a chorus of approval.

The effect of the drinks I had earlier was beginning to settle over me, and my senses flared.

I was already getting used to the attention, and it excited me. I started to dance as wildly as I could until the music went off abruptly, and a voice came on the speaker.

"Damn! This has to be the hottest stripper I've seen in this club. I'm placing $700 on her, so I can take her up to the VIP room for the night."

Soon, my eyes found the man who was speaking. He had a huge pot belly and a bushy beard. His brown eyes stared at my mask, as he held the microphone in his hands.

Another man snatched the microphone from him and yelled, "You bet $700? I cancel that. I'm placing $1000 on her, to have her for the night."

A cheer arose from the crowd as everyone clapped and spoke at the same time.

I felt a throb at the back of my head as the scene unfolded before me. More men placed higher bets, promising to offer more only if I'd agree to have sex with them for the night. I almost thought the betting wouldn't come to an end until the club manager broke through the crowd, snapping his fingers.

"Get her down here!" He ordered one of his men, "She'll be spending the night with these two men, as they placed the highest bet."

I was too weak to struggle, so I was taken to two older men, who were practically drooling over my body. Just before I was handed over to them, a commanding voice behind me barked.

"I cancel their bet! I'm placing triple of what they proposed. $45,000. Let me have her."

A hush swept through the crowd, just as I swung around to check who it was. I found myself looking into the face of a strikingly handsome man.

Holy Crap!

He was drop-dead gorgeous, with a typical bad boy appearance.

His straight blonde hair was ruffled and messy, while his icy blue eyes remained pinned on me, causing me to wonder if he could see my eyes behind the mask I had on. Tattoos ran down his arms and chest, but they stopped right at his wrist. He took brisk steps towards me, closing up the space between us, then he lowered himself, leaning close to my ears.

"Relax. I'll take you out of this fucked up place, away from these wild dogs, okay?" I heard him say, his voice deep. There was a venomous lit in his tone as he spoke.

I froze.