𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞

Chapter Thirty

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It rained when Imani walked to the club to resign, not heavily, just a little more than a drizzle. She wore a long black skirt with slits on both sides, a grey turtleneck, a blue denim jacket, and wedge boots with her hair hidden inside a grey beanie.

Standing at the gate, she stared at the place that had not only brought her closer to her dream of going back to school but a gift of love too.

She had heard a lot about a place like this. Most people referred to it as a den of iniquity, a place where only immoral people especially women worked, but few knew the desperation that drove those women to strip for a living. Imani felt content looking at the black gate, recalling the first day she'd walked through it—young, and desperate for work. Now the universe had opened a new door for her, one she was both nervous and excited to walk through.

Everything happens for a reason, Imani knew this, but she remembered father Josè saying it. He had seemed like he wanted to say more, but he had not. She liked that about him, his ability to know that his opinion would not come off as helpful as he would think. For a Christian, the priest wasn't judgemental. Most Christians Imani had come into contact with over the years were the most judgemental people.

She didn't know what reason the universe had when it presented her with Matthew and this new job, but she couldn't help but be thankful. She would work hard and go through school to be worthy of this new chapter.

When she went through the gate and then to the front desk, she found Ben arguing over the phone with suppliers. He wasn't a bad guy, Imani thought, they had crushed over some of his decisions for her, but he was pretty reasonable. He threw her a puzzled look, perhaps because she wasn't scheduled to work that day, but he didn't say anything other than acknowledging her with a nod and then continued with the phone call.

Once he was done, Ben put his phone down and then glanced at her.

"You need something?" Imani's lips twitched, bemused as she shook her head.

"No, I came to quit." his eyes widened with surprise; of all the things he had expected, that was the least. Ben respected Imani—her work ethic, and her ability to adjust to any situation as long as she got paid her due was admirable.

She didn't flirt off the stage like most girls or guys in the club, she wasn't impressed by wealth, and if she did, she hid it well. Infact, no one in the club knew anything about her other than she had a young brother, which she had yelled in a heat of anger when Alana had pushed her against the wall for claiming she stole one her biggest tippers.

"He asked for me, he wants me!" Imani had yelled, glowering at Alana.

"You're probably fucking him." Imani's eyes had turned almost dark with a rage that was so intense she had Alana take up a step back as she neared her. For a woman that lived hiding her face as if she was embarrassed by her life choices or timid, she had seemed like a ticking bomb ready to explode at any given time as long as her eyes remained flared up, glaring at Alana like she wanted to eviscerate her with her bare hands.

But she hadn't, she had somehow calmed down and then calmly told Alan, "whether I'm fucking him or not is none of your damn business but mine." In one of the bouts, while dragging each with their choice of words, Imani had revealed the only thing any of them knew about her–the existence of a small brother, whom she had declared was the only reason she worked there.

"You're quitting?" Ben repeated, staring at her as if willing her not to.

"Yes," Imani said, and then nodded when Ben continued to stare at her with a pleading look. She had a loyal clientele, all the girls did, but Imani had a larger pull because she looked refined, coquette, yet virginal at the same time.