Kira Modest

Chapter 23

                                      Shift 14

"Milana, your admirer is back." Katherine entered the dressing room, swinging the door wide open. 
"Fell in love, huh?" A short-haired brunette whose name I couldn't recall chuckled.
Milana smiled at her, wary of envy. I had noticed for about two weeks now that she had been sitting with the same man and never leaving. At first, I thought maybe he just didn't offer, but then I found out the girl never goes out at all. Milana is slightly slimmer than me, with ash-blonde, natural-colored hair. They always style her hair in loose waves, cascading gently over her shoulders and back. She does her makeup herself, very delicate, almost every day. She behaves very quietly and unobtrusively, hardly talking to anyone, while others joke around in the dressing room, being moderately bright and interesting in the collective. But surprisingly, she attracts more attention than anyone else. Just a charming magnet of sorts. She dances in white lingerie, wearing a white pareo over it, which she removes on the pole. She's like a young nymph, so delicate and light that it's scary to touch. A slightly turned-up little nose, naturally plump lips shaped like a bow. Her face has a slightly square shape, and light hazel eyes. 
"Well, why not? A man can fall in love with a stripper. It's like something out of a grown-up fairy tale."

"Love at first sight." The girls chatted among themselves.
"Milana, go to the hall. Someone's looking for you." Alexander entered our dressing room. 
She left without interrupting the girls' conversation.
" And he enjoys just sitting with a stripper at the club. A young, handsome guy. Why is he looking for girls specifically here?" I quietly remarked to Mary.
"Well, maybe he's smitten. We can't always control that. So, he comes here as if it were his home." 
"I find it hard to believe she's so unattainable. It's like she's playing a game," I say suspiciously.
Somehow, I don't believe in the innocent sincerity of this cutie. 
"On your day off, he sent her a jar of decorative live butterflies to the club. Incredibly beautiful gift. She felt so sorry for them; they'll die in that jar. And before that, he sent her a hundred and one rose. At this rate, he'll buy her out of the club."
"What do you mean, buy her out? How?" My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Well, she refuses to go with him and doesn't give out her mobile number. She's absurdly honest in front of the club. I don't also believe in her purity myself. So, it's quite possible he'll take her away from here."
"Kara, I'm up next." A shout rang out through the dressing room.
"Okay." I replied.
Without noticing the usual, sliding glances of the guards, I head down the corridor towards the hall. At the turn, I bump into a huge, two-meter-tall, plush brown bear. 
"Whose is this?" I ask the girls standing nearby.
"It's from Milana's beau today."
Crazy. Some men behave very unpredictably. There are so many beautiful girls in the world. Why exactly a stripper? It just doesn't make sense to me. Maybe it's a hint of envy playing inside me?
I'm not eager to jump on the pole, but I won't refuse generous tips. The first thing that catches my eye is Milana with her boyfriend, if I can call him that. I peer closely in hopes of understanding even a little — why? Why is he sitting there? Why did he choose her? All I see is a serene softness in his expression and kindness in his eyes. He looks at her as if she were a treasure found after a hundred years. He's a young guy, evidently quite wealthy and deeply charmed. I shift my focus from them to the dance and lose myself in the music until I'm interrupted by a waitress who delivers a request from the guy across the room for me to approach. Now my attention shifts to him. The dark-haired, muscular, handsome young guy looks at me and smiles sweetly. I'm so cold to his smile. Instead, all I see are dollar signs, and I couldn't care less about what's behind them. Since he came here and called me over, then let him spend. 
"Hi!" I sit on his lap without hesitation.
The temptation and money-grabbing instincts kicked in automatically; I didn't even notice my behavior.  
"Hi." He's awkwardly catching me on his lap and feeling uneasy about my boldness. "You dance beautifully."
"I know. Thank you." 
Pfft, surprised me. Boy, it's time to start showering me with money, not compliments. I'm fed up with compliments. But money? I'll never get enough of it.