The Billionaire And The Stripper. ARI LEVINSON

Chapter One

Warnings: Mature content. Mention of the objectification of women (slight).

Y/N

Again. You sigh.

Again you will need to explain to Rita that you won't be able to pay this month's rent. Neither will the previous month's. But hey, this is what it is.

"I can lend you money Y/N, you know that right? And then you give it back to me when you can, there's no rush." Leslie, your faithful co-worker who is also your best friend outside of this place, hugs you from behind. You are sitting in front of the locker room mirror, there is a small wallet on the makeup table, some money inside it, and a couple more in your hand.

"Les, no. I appreciate it but really, no."

Your friend sighs. "Why don't you let me help you?"

You turn your back to the mirror for a moment to look at her. "I am not going to take away what little you have, it is yours. enjoy it".

"If by enjoying it you mean spending it on grocery shopping to survive the whole month, Wow Y/N! what a party I'll have!" Leslie intones sarcastically as you smile, but not out of happiness or grace, more of a hopeless smile.

"Someday my friend," she turns you around, taking you by the shoulders so that they both face the mirror, "someday, money will rain down on us, we will get out of this joint and we will achieve our goals."

"I hope so Les, I hope so".

~

"Good news!" Les jumps behind you, scaring the soul out of your body.

"Dammit!" you say, even though the word is distorted because your mouth is full of food. Your dinner.

Sometimes you wish to eat at some restaurant, order food, like pizza or a big hamburger. You sigh. Clearly, some leftover pasta is going to be for now.

"Stop eating. I have a job for you baby girl". Clapping her hands she smiles and sits in front of you. "Listen, Amanda got sick so she isn't coming tonight and I heard Susan being so fucking sick with not canceling this one. This one is a new client".

"And?" You say, your mouth still filled with a new bite of your food.

"What kind of shows does Amanda do? Duh Y/n! VIP ones!"

You close your eyes, stunned. "Don't shout at me!" You laugh and cover your ears.

"Sorry," Your friend giggles and takes a pause before continuing."But back to the important thing, guess who will replace her? You!"

"What?" You almost choke on your food while getting up. "I can't, Les! You know I don't work in those shifts anymore since he..."

"I know, I know. Don't even mention him, okay? Don't, that's in the past. He doesn't come here anymore, and you know." She reassures you, hugging you at hitting such a sensitive topic and experience of your life. But your friend is right, that's in the past.

"Yeah, sorry I-Thank you, Les, really".

Your best friend brokes the hug and smiles."Does this mean you are going to do it?"

You nod, silently telling her that yes. Leslie jumps and claps her hands, leaving you standing there for a second as she takes her makeup bag and puts it on your desk.

"Sit down, let's get you ready for it baby."

ARI

Patience is not a quality of the big, tall, beefy man who is sitting on the sofa in the room, whiskey in hand.

He has been waiting twenty minutes for today's supposed company. When clearly, at the entrance, he asked everything to be ready in less than then.

Ari sighs wearily, drinking what's left in his glass, he gets up to refill it once more, taking a moment to look at the rest of the room.

The walls were stained red, except for the ceiling and floor, which were black, as dark as being lost in a forest in the middle of nowhere. From this, it hung a chandelier that gave warmth to the environment. In front of him, a stage, not a very big one, enough for one person, accompanied by the sofa in which he was sitting until a moment ago. Ari walks over to it again after getting his drink and sits down.

At that moment, the door opens.

Y/N

You can do this, you can do this, you can do this. You repeat yourself mentally. Your hands shake too much, nerves? No. Fear.

After months of so much work to move on, to overcome it on your own, as you have always done, today you feel as if it were that same day.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Y/n!! If you don't open this door now I swear you will go home without a job!!" Susan screams from the other side of the bathroom door. "Y/n!!!"

Exhausted, you get up from the toilet and wash your hands (you know that Alicia, the cleaning lady keeps them sparkling clean, but bathrooms are bathrooms).

Looking in the mirror, your smile curves, your eyes narrow. A big smile adorns your face.

Remember why you are doing this.

~

Stepping inside the room, she had no time to say hello.

"You are late." It's the first thing she hears.

Y/n curses mentally, of course she knows that, but instead of discussing it with the man, she smiles. Remember he pays for you to survive the day to day.

"Well, I'm here now, right?" You try to sound innocent. Stupid. That's what they all like.

" 'Course you are." He laughs, "But truth is, I don't want the show now."

Your expression drops. "What?"

You couldn't see him, not daring to get close to him. After all, you don't know him, you don't really know anyone. They just pay you, do your job, do what they say. It's what Susan always tells you. But sometimes... sometimes you wish you could tell them only two words... They think they rule the world because they have money. They probably haven't even had to move a pinky at all since they were born.

A throat clearing draws you back to reality.

The big man, whose face is still unknown to you, stretches his arm over his back, exhaling heavily.

" 'You still here? I don't want you anymore, get out of here".

Not knowing if it was the way he said it, so selfless, so dead, like you were a toy. An object. And you can handle anything else, but that? Oh no, not that. No more.

So without thinking, you blurt out those two words you've always wanted to yell from the rooftops to all these rich bastards.

Fuck you.

After hearing you, the man makes no sound in his mouth but you notice how his body tenses. So he rises from his seat, resting the half-drunk glass of whiskey on the floor and turns around to face you.

And when he does it, your heart seems to stop.

Author's note: I'm so excited about this series. My officially first series and also my first time writing Ari. This maybe don't show much about them yet but next chapter we are going to have more of Ari's pov. Let me know your thoughts about this first chapt after reading it if you want.