The Beautiful & Damned

01 - Player

player - /ˈpleɪə/
a man or woman who has romantic affairs or sexual relations or both with other women or men but will not marry or commit to any one

I dropped my handbag to the floor as soon as I stepped inside my apartment. The second thing was shutting the door, then getting rid of my pumps; spending the whole day in them was pretty frustrating, since I don't like to wear heels that often. I took them off and just left them there next to the bag. This week has been stressful as fuck, work wise of course; after all, that is the main reason why I don't have much of a social life anymore. But it is what it is; it's what I do and I chose the career myself so I should be happy that I got an opportunity this big.
I graduated Harvard almost two years ago and I've been working at a great law firm here in Los Angeles; it's called Benson&Davis, where I was offered an internship. One more year and I just might get a full time job. My dad owns a law firm and he offered me a spot right after graduation but I declined, wanted to do it myself; at least try to be independent before I come back home in case I fail. That was only my back up plan.

It being a beautiful Friday afternoon, I decided it's time to blow off some steam, go out and de-stress. Lana texted me earlier, asking me if I'm coming to see her, I replied with I'll be there ;)

Lana works at the strip club. Well, it's more of an exotic performing type of place, quite classy. I'm pretty regular there, have been for a while, helping girls with make-up and hair; a hobby I picked up in high school. Besides, they're on a pretty tight schedule, so an extra set of hands is very much appreciated.
You must be wondering how a Harvard grad with an internship is friends with an exotic dancer; most people wonder but I don't care much for their opinion.
Lana is my best friend and has been since middle school. I love her to death and I'd do anything for her. It wasn't always like this; she's an actual dancer and a singer but she just couldn't get that break yet. She performs at Tropico, which is the name of the club. Owen, the owner, is a pretty chill dude, treats all the girls like they're celebrities and he lets them pick their own numbers and design costumes they want, which is why he completely fell in love with Lana's voice when she sang for him. He immediately told her that she can cover songs she likes which was very cool of him but I still think he's in love with her; it's the way he looks at her, I just know. So I spend some of my nights there, the atmosphere is very relaxing and sexy, I can really let loose, have a few drinks, chat with people or just sit on the leather couch in the corner and enjoy various performances.

I poured myself a glass of sparkling water and took it with me to the bedroom. Picking an outfit for nights out is even more important now because I spend days at work dressed by the code. It usually includes a suit; a button-down shirt with long sleeves and a skirt or long pants topped off with a blazer or a fancy jacket. So my off work outfits are stylish yet very comfortable and casual. I pressed play on Spotify and seconds later sounds of The Weeknd filled my room up. I was holding my glass, slowly sipping and two-stepping in front of my open closet, shaking my ass. I always looked through all my clothes first, see what I was in the mood for.
I ended up picking some darker bleached out ripped jeans that were a bit baggy and a black bodysuit with long sleeves and deep cleavage. I put my long blonde hair into a messier high ponytail and took my strappy black sandals out of the box from the bottom of my closet. When it comes to make-up, I don't like getting caked so I just put on some illuminating primer, mascara and the highlighter of course. I'm pretty good at doing make-up but I just prefer the more natural look.

A few minutes later I was chilling on my balcony, smoking a cigarette. I love listening to the street noise and people chattering, it makes me feel like a part of something alive. It was almost eight so I took my stuff and left.
Tropico is only 10 minutes away so I walked there. Lana was already waiting for me at the back entrance, puffing on a cigarette, checking her new nails out.

"Hey Miss Floral print!" I greeted her. She was wearing a silky floral printed robe.

"Hi! Look at you, you look great, those jeans do you good." Her eyes widened, she was excited to see me, it's been a while.

"Thank you." I said and hugged her. "You always look great so no more words are necessary." I winked at her.

"Thanks for coming!" She said.

"Oh, please, it's been a long month, sorry I abandoned you, work is crazy!" I sighed. She knocked on the door and one of the security guards let us in.

"Oh, poor thing. At least you have a good job." She scoffed.

"Awh, sweetie, don't worry. I'm sure things will happen for you soon, you're talented and pretty, I believe in you." I said and put my hand over her shoulders, pulling her closer.

"Thanks Dee, means the world to me." She thanked me. "Come on, I'm up in 30."

I then did my magic. Lana was performing this song Blue Velvet which is why I decided that she would look banging in pastel blue. I used lighter shades and put some blue butterfly pins in her long dark brown hair. For her outfit she picked this long loose blue dress with longer sleeves and her back exposed. The dress was split on one side so her leg was out there and she had a thin golden belt around her waist; she looked amazing.

I let her rehearse for a bit while I made my way to the bar. I took a seat, greeting Jose.
"Hey J." I said.

"Oh, Harvard! Long time. How've you been?" He asked me. Jose and I go way back, he's been working as a barman at Tropico ever since it opened, that is before we met.

"Working, you know... things have been pretty hectic but I'm here now." I smiled.

"Don't worry, better days are coming. What's it gonna be, regular?" He asked. My regular was a classic martini with two olives but tonight I was in the mood for something different.

"You know what, give me a Mai Tai." I said.

"Coming up."

I was sitting there, waiting for the DJ to announce Lana's performance when I noticed a guy on the right, sitting at the bar, a few feet away, eyeing me. I chuckled and started pretending I'm checking something on my phone. I saw him move, hoping he's not coming over. Of course I was wrong and a few seconds later there he was, in the seat right next to me. I have to admit he was ridiculously good looking. His hair was messily slicked back, a few strands were falling down the side of his forehead. He was wearing a black leather jacket with a regular white t-shirt underneath. He had black jeans and vans sneakers, which kind of surprised me; not what guys would usually wear with that outfit. His eyes were mesmerizing, continuously checking me from top to bottom. Everything about him screamed player. He was very attractive and there was something in his eyes that prevented me from looking away.

Unfortunately, I don't do players.