1. After Dark

Storm’s POV

I walked into the club, grinning widely as I approached a seat. ‘Thot’s what’s up’ was one of the most popular hotshot strip clubs in the uptown part of the city and its environs.

Various moneybags flew in to be captivated by their favorite sight “City Glam”. She was the highlight of the club itself and was the most sought after stripper.

I’m Storm, not the regular cliche CEO but the guy at the brink of losing it all.

I got comfortable and ordered a drink. It arrived and I raised my glass before gulping letting the cool-to-the-touch liquid burn down my throat.

Not enough.

I ordered a few more and downed them almost immediately when they arrived, placing the glasses on the silver platter of the seductive waitress. She flashed me a sultry smile.

“Slow down there champ, do you need some company?”She wiggles her brows at me and mine slightly furrowed in amusement and mild surprise at how desperate she sounded and even looked.

“I’m just here for the entertainment darl.”

The lights dimmed, only a bright spotlight illuminating the stage. Her silhouette approached, a second highlight in the dark club.

The spotlight went out for a split second and she struck a pose, her back to the audience and the shadow glitter of the eyes belonging to her masked face shone bright as the light hit them, giving her eyes a dreamy series of glitters.

The light illuminated her sexy figure clad in a bright red leather bralette, a pair of fishnets and  red high-waisted shorts that had half her buttcheeks unclad hitting it off with platform stripper heels that looked about five inches tall.

A hand rubbed it's way down her body as she commemorated a slow dance ready to give way to unleashing her gravity-defying moves on the glittery silver-coloured dance pole.

Her belly piercings were attractive at a maddening level and onlookers got ready with their cash cannons, they hooted as she dropped low before doing a sexy, slow whine, her long legs doing justice to the frame and her high ponytail complementing her enigmatic eyes under the hood of the thick lashes she had on.

After a painfully long wait, she got on the pole and showcased her craft. She slid, rotated, gyrated, circled, twisted and turned on the pole to the excitement and entertainment of the audience and I wasted no time in maxing out my money gun on her.

She pulled off her short shorts and they cheered her, unleashing dollar bills on her with every turn of her hips and with every motion of her backside.

She slid off the bralette and they hooted before groaning as her magnificent bosoms were unclad but with taped nipples. The money rain still didn't stop.

She danced off the pole and made her way towards me sensually. At this point all she had on was her mask, black nipple tapes, her thong and heels.

I leaned back and enjoyed the show, taping a few hundred dollar bills on her as she grinded on me, making my night -as I sipped on my martini- before advancing to a few other gentlemen.

Just perfect.

Cin's POV 

I grinned as I approached the locker room, it was where we did our makeup and changed outfits, it contained our stuff and everyone had a specific amount of space apportioned to them, mine being the largest, obviously.

"She's more promoted than the rest of us and that's not fair, what makes her different from us?" A colleague complained from within the room, loud enough to be heard.

I halted in my heeled steps right at the door.

"They make her the highlight of the night even almost every night, it's not like she dances better or anything." Another wailed.

"It's probably that stupid mask, makes her seem like a mystery or something." Another sassed.

That was Cindy.

"I know she's definitely ugly, what if we pull the mask and see what's really behind it?" Shiny suggested.

Scheming bitches.

I made my presence known.

"You'd be halfway dead before you even get to touch it." My eyes blazed, challenging her.

That's what I thought.

They all kept mute, returning to their face art.

I changed my outfit, packed up my stuff and headed out to the accountant, my money in hand.

In this business, I needed to be smart. With the way this club is run, we give them a percentage of our total earnings per night. It was a good gig for what it's worth and that's where being smart comes in.

I usually stashed a good sum of my earnings where the sun doesn't shine and I tender the rest so the percentage is then deducted and I return home with the rest of my cash.

I'd made it so believable by tendering almost the same range of money every night from my first time up until this very moment. A girl's gotta survive.

"Count it." Larry smiled.

He was the accountant and the only person here I could almost consider my work friend. 

I slipped the cash in the counter and the sound of notes going in and out was enough to calm me.

"I'm still wondering when I'd ever get to see your face Glam." He smiled up at me, his smile was adorable enough to make me almost kiss his cheeks.

Larry was a tall lad with a muscular build topped with amazing hair and the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen in a man. Never had a black man looked so yummy to me, or I just wasn't looking at them with the same emotions involved when I admired Larry.

"All in good time. 34700." I said to him.

"Okay Glam, but you do know you can't keep pushing me away forever." He wrapped his arms around my waist as he settled my frame between his legs. I placed my money in my bag.

"I can actually."

"Glam?"

"What?"

"A kiss?"

"You really do want to see my mask off?"

"I really just want to kiss you."

I couldn't deny that I'd also wanted to kiss him for quite some time now, the sexual tension was getting harder to ignore as the weeks rolled by.

"The crowd wasn't too serious tonight, you'd tender 8645." He said and I counted it off before dropping it on the money counter.

I pulled him over to the light switch, flipping it before smashing my lips against his, my palm still over the switch. He responded swiftly and I could tell he felt good about it. A minute later and I pull away, hurriedly placing my mask back on before flipping the switch again.

"You're an enigma." He kissed my forehead.

"I gotta go." I said hurriedly, picking up my bag to avoid dealing with whatever emotions that might surface soon.

I walked out of the building through the rear entrance and I trudged down the street to the bus station, it was about midnight already.

Slipping in my airpods, I hit the play button on my phone, "Mood" by Ian Dior blasted through my eardrums as I kept walking on the lit road.

A sleek black car pulled up beside me and I gave little to no regard as I still kept walking, putting a slight bump in my steps, increasing my speed. 

He rolled down his windows as he drove at a slow speed trying to keep up with me and I still didn't care about whatever he said. He backed down and drove off the other way.

 I was already at the bus stop. I pulled off my masks and stashed it in my bag before pulling out an airpod. I was basically one of the very few people around the place, better safe than sorry.

"Finally!" A voice exclaimed right beside me, startling me.

"Reynolds!"

Wait what?

"Reynolds?"

"In the flesh." He flashed a cocky grin.

"What the hell are you doing here?" My nostrils flared.

"I'm just cruising ya'know, enjoying the evening breeze many many kilometres from home miss Cin." He teased.

Reynolds and Renata were the twin grandchildren of Ms Lennon, my elderly coworker who took up a job after Mr Lennon passed. She was my favorite pain in the neck and more or less a guardian forced on me by her very own self but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I rolled my eyes as I watched Reynolds ramble.

"Really, what are you doing here?"

"Nana asked me to pick you up at this precise stop without any tangible reason why. She made sure it was this exact bus stop. Why though?" He looked around.

"None of your business, let's go, it's pretty late."

"Alright lady, time to ride." He pointed at his motorcycle, chuckling at the unintended pun.

Perverted eighteen years old.

I looked towards the cycle already eager at the feeling of the adrenaline rush and the wind going to blow through my hair. I increased my airpods to a full blast as I boarded the cycle before Rey sped home.

I'm Cincinnati Lopez, a sassy bookstore staff by day and by nightfall, I was NYC's hotshot stripper and that was my secret identity. I was known as "City Glam" popularly known as Glam.

Cin by day, Glam by night. Welcome to my life.

As closed off as I could be, there were  some that I held dear to my heart and they were Ms Lennon and the twins and my alter ego. I cared about her but I'd hardly or never show it and I basically paid the bills of the twins unknown to them. Only the sweet old lady and I were aware.

She was aware I had a night job but didn't know what it was about. She was yet to figure that part out and I'd been at it for a few months.

"Here we are Miss Cin, home sweet home." Rey stopped the cycle and I alighted, already trudging in.

I walked straight to my apartment, right across theirs and Rey's cough made me halt. I understood it.

"She's probably asleep." I shrugged, not willing to check on the old lady tonight.

"You know that's impossible till she's sure you're home safe and in person too." He scoffed.

"Just tell her I'm tired and I'll see her tomorrow." I yawned and waved him goodnight.

"Will do, goodnight miss Cin." He gave a cheeky smile and I exited the corridor, shutting the door behind me.