ᴛᴀɪɴᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ ʜᴇʀ

ᴛᴡᴏ

Akira POV

"Where the hell have you been?" My Aunt Judy's voice pierced the air as soon as I walked in. She couldn't give me a break.

"Out," I muttered, closing the door behind me, hoping she'd drop it.

"Classes finished at 4, and here you are, waltzing in at 6. I asked you to watch your cousin," she snapped.

"I had something to take care of, Aunty," I replied, trying to keep it cool.

"Well, your cousin was here all alone. The least you could do is stay with her until I get home." she shot back, her glare sharp and disapproving.

"Sorry," I muttered, not wanting to escalate things.

She kissed her tongue, walking away while mumbling under her breath about how I was going to end up pregnant, messing around with worthless men. I let out a heavy sigh and retreated to my room.

I needed space. I threw on a shower cap, stepped into the shower, and let the hot water try to wash away the tension. Once I was done, I slipped into something simple—a black crop top and low-rise jeans. My belly button piercing was on full display, and the dimples on my lower back shimmered with the small silver piercings I had there. I wasn't in the mood for conversation with Aunt Judy, so I let her think I was just working as a waitress. She didn't need to know about my real gig.

____

I called an Uber and climbed into the back, feeling the driver's eyes on me in the rearview mirror. I rolled my eyes and handed him the cash once we arrived. Walking into the club, I immediately spotted Aries.

"Coco! Hey, girl!" she called, waving me over.

"What's up, sis?" I grinned, making my way to her.

"I'm good, but damn, it feels like I haven't seen you in forever," she said, squeezing me in a quick hug.

"Bitch, it's been like four days," I laughed, shaking my head.

"Felt like forever," she chuckled. Then her eyes lit up. "Hey, after this, you wanna make some extra cash?"

"I'm listening," I said, raising an eyebrow. I wasn't about to turn down an opportunity to make more money.

"One of my friend's friends is throwing a housewarming, and they need four strippers. We've got three, but I need you to be the fourth," she explained, a hopeful look on her face.

"So, you don't even know who's hosting this thing?" I asked, cautious.

"Nah, but trust me, Coco, I need someone I know and trust," she pleaded.

"How much are we talking?" I asked, always keeping money in mind.

"$3,000 each," she said, and I froze.

"$3,000?!" I almost shouted, my eyes widening. "Aries, I'm not doing anything crazy. I'm not sucking anyone's dick."

"Chill, girl, no one's asking you to do that," she laughed, her hands up in mock surrender. "Just dancing, flirting easy money. They're rich white kids; we're just gonna finesse them."

I rolled my eyes, but the money was tempting. I slipped into my red lingerie, pulled on my stilettos, and when the music hit, it was time to get to work.

The beats of Megan Thee Stallion's "Cash Shit" blasted through the speakers, and Aries and I took to the pole, dancing in sync. The crowd was hyped, and before I knew it, money was flying at me. I moved to the rhythm, teasing the audience with every spin and grind. After a while, I made my way to the back to freshen up, knowing I still had a lot to do.