MUNA

PART 28 : DIVA HOUR

Everyone is afraid of something. We fear things because we value them. We fear losing people because we love them. We fear dying because we value being alive. Don't wish you didn't fear anything. All that would mean is that you didn't feel anything.

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After they shook hands on their arrangement, Nico looked around, trying to see if anything was amiss, before he left.

"I'll have my men look around for your bag so you can confirm the money has been credited to your account. I was told you had a phone in the bag, shebi?"

"Y-yes. My phone is in the bag. Wherever it may be."

"Okay then. They'll find it, don't worry. Kindly get dressed, my diva. You will be announced soon. Anything you need, just ask Efe."

He gestured to Efe, who was struggling to nod off sleep.

"Efe."

The girl was half awake or half asleep because she didn't answer.

"Efe!"

"Yes, Boss Nico. I'm sorry." She immediately stood upright and came forward.

"Wetin you dey think sef, this girl. Are you high?"

"No boss. No ohh. Ahh, me, keh? I no dey drink reach like that." She was throwing her hands above her head, explaining that she wasn't drunk. She was only sleepy and tired, but she couldn't tell him that.

"Attend to this lady's needs and help her get dressed. If your shift is done, you should call Folake to come here and take her place at the bar. Is that clear?"

"Yes, oga boss Nico."

He left the ladies, and Muna turned quickly to her bag. She hastily checked her phone and saw a credit alert that her eyes had never seen before. Three friggin' million naira!

Hmmm, true to his word.

Efe directed her to a small room, where she saw a makeup vanity table with tons of makeup brushes on it.

Muna thought of how many faces those brushes had glided through and prayed her face didn't have a breakout after this night. She had to restrain herself from allowing her OCD to ask for the brushes to all be washed before being used on her face.

She buckled the strap of her bag and turned to Efe.

"I want you to help me hide this bag and let no one know that I gave it to you. I will pay you for this, okay? First, I need to pee before I dress up or make up. Where can I ease myself, please?"

The girl pointed at the door behind Muna and told her she could take her bath too.

"I'm coming, ma. Let me keep your bag somewhere safe. I will come back to help you dress. It is almost your turn."

"Please don't leave yet. Just wait till I'm out. Help me get dressed after the makeup, then you can go hide the bag for me. Cool?"

"Anything you want, ma."

Minutes later, after relieving herself, Muna came and sat in front of the vanity mirror.

The makeup was done in no time, and Muna was actually impressed with the result. She tried dialing Audrina again, but her number was unreachable.

Muna all glammed up now and dressed; she couldn't believe how well the red dress fit. It had no arms, and Muna was glad for that because she wasn't putting on any bra when she left her house that evening. Her top hadn't needed it.

The dress somehow made her boobs more pronounced, and the thigh region was made of a soft netting fabric, which made that side of the dress transparent.

They asked for her shoe size and gave her a silver heel, which had some straps she had to wrap around her leg, up to her calf, and then tie it behind.

Efe, apparently, was a makeup artist too, and she loved the facebeat she gave her. She was not going to think about the situation she was in, but just give her performance her best shot, hopefully not to the extent that she would need to give something more to any of Nico's clients.

She asked for water, and Efe brought her a can.

Huh? Who knew water was also available in cans? Muna thought in amazement.

She drank some and gave her the rest to dispose of.

Taking a deep breath, she made a short prayer for Audrina to find her before things escalated or for God to do something. Anything. She couldn't believe she had made a deal with someone she had just met. The importunity of the whole circumstance seemed to be overwhelming to her.

Nna ehnn! God abeg. She mentally uttered, then adjusted herself in the dress.

"I'm ready," Muna told Efe.

Then Efe made a call, and some men in black suits came into the room and led Muna out of the room and into the backstage area through a murphy door.

Efe took the bag and headed out, carrying it like it was hers as she took it to another room. Audrina, who was standing on a bar stool, saw Efe as she walked upstairs in the corridor with the bag and took note of the room she entered next.

Muna was shown where she was to stand and told to inform the pianist of her song choice, then she went back to her position and waited for her cue from the MC.

There was a big curtain in front of her, and on the other side of it was a loud crowd. Muna had not been in front of a crowd for a performance of this sort.

As far as she could remember, the karaoke she and Audrina had been at earlier that evening, was the biggest crowd she'd had to face. She wasn't even sure what she was going to do with the money Nico had sent her, though, but her mind kept her sane.

She took deep breaths as she listened to the man announce her as "Muna the Diva," then the applause that followed made her more of a nervous wreck.

She put on her best smile, and tried not to look like she was about to sing for them against her will, then started Celine Dion's classic, keeping her sights above the head level of the audience.

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