Chapter 7 Got The Job

• River's P.O.V.
• I stood outside the Ree_Mar club, my heart beating fast as I prepared to take a risky step. Taking this step felt huge, a line I never thought I’d willingly approach.
• "A friend spoke highly of the place, River, and I promise. it’s just stripping and nothing else," Angel’s words echoed in my mind, trying to reassure me. She’d told me that a few days ago, sensing my growing desperation.
• Nana had just slipped into another uremic crisis, and if another episode struck… I could lose her. My inability to cover her medical needs weighed heavily, each delay feeling like a betrayal. Flying back to Italy was out of the question; the money I’d need for a flight would be better sent to her treatment.
• Angel’s suggestion had come at just the right time, right when I was sinking under the weight of it all. She’d mentioned the job at Ree_Mar hesitantly, knowing how much I’d always rejected the thought of working in places like this. But ever since we’d been fired, we’d both been scrambling for decent jobs, only to find ones that paid so little it was impossible to make ends meet.
• Reluctantly, she had taken up the role as a stripper here. And now, here I was, debating whether to follow her lead. It felt like my only choice.
• "Miss, are you waiting for someone?" a burly man in a black shirt approached me. His size was intimidating, but his voice was a stark contrast to his look. He had to be the bouncer.
• "Uh, no. I was just about to go in," I replied, sending him a shy smile and he nodded, returning to his post at the door.
• Bracing myself, I walked inside. The air was cool, carrying a strange smell of weed, maybe, or something even close. I wrinkled my nose but pushed forward,trying to prepare myself. After a quick inquiry, I was pointed in the right direction. It was still daytime, and though the club was still quiet ,a few men remained in the building, carried away in conversations that felt heavy, like a business meeting , meant to be discussed in the shadows.
• Finally,a sign board helped me to the CEO’s office, and my heart beat increased its pace with each step. My mind twisted with doubts, telling me to turn around and forget this plan, but the need for money won over any hesitation.
• I knocked lightly, and a hard voice called me in. I stepped in introducing myself with a shiver of fear, surrounding me and took a seat in the soft chair he offered. As he went through the club’s terms and conditions, I felt a persistent tug of guilt, begging me to reconsider. At one point, I even shifted in my seat, prepared to stand and walk out.
• Just then he mentioned the pay, and I froze, the figure echoing in my head. It was three times what I earned at Swavey Foods. I swallowed hard, then urged myself to pick up the pen and quickly signed the agreement, sealing my fate. Standing up, a rush of elation tingled through me. This paycheck could be the answer to everything.
• "Uh, Miss River?" A clearing of the throat stopped me just as I reached the door.
• “Yes, Mr…?” I hesitated, realizing I hadn’t even caught his name.
• "Marco," he supplied, smiling as his sharp, blue eyes took a slow sweep over me. There was something about the way he looked at me that made my stomach twist unpleasantly. He looked handsome, with a large build and a piercing look that was faintly familiar, though I could not place where I had seen him before.
• "Just remember, Miss River," he said, his tone cool but mixed with warning, "I co-own this place, and my business partner is very strict. I would advise you to do your job well to avoid any unnecessary trouble."
• "Of course, Mr. Marco," I replied quickly, practically bolting from the room.
• Outside the door, I put on my face cap, pulled it lower to shield my face and pushed my sunglasses up on my nose, a slight disguise to guard against judgemental eyes or sneering glances.
• As I stepped into the backseat of the Uber, my phone buzzed. I looked down, and my heart skipped a beat as a message lit up my phone screen. My throat constricted as I read it: YOU START TONIGHT
• ***
• I walked into my house and instantly felt something off: a subtle yet rich, masculine scent remained in the living room, an aroma that smelled expensive and not familiar. I glanced around, wondering where it was drifting from, then shrugged it off as I tossed my handbag onto the couch.
• Plopping down, I slipped off my face cap, letting the plush cushions cradle my tired body. It was only two in the afternoon, plenty of time for a nap before I’d need to start getting ready for the club by midnight. I didn’t think twice about the scattered items. I texted, Angel, informing her about my successful interview and then I shut my phone and threw it to the center table
• With a deep breath, I let my eyes flutter close, cuddling up into the couch and folding my hands behind my head.
• "Tsk, tsk, tsk, bad hygiene," a hoarse familiar voice shot out,sending a chill down my spine. It was a voice I never expected to hear again,a voice I ought to avoid and one I will avoid”.
• My eyes snapped open, and I practically jumped up, heart racing as I registered the figure before me in the house I’d locked so c
• arefully.
• “Rico…”
• “Alive and in the flesh, baby.”