Laura

Mr Wright

The room was brightly lit with bright red lights all around the room. There were numerous silver bars on the circular platforms, some being used by gorgeous dancers who had clearly been working there for a while. Eli led me over to a small stage closer to the back, making sure that the other girls saw that we were there. The bar was busy with numerous clients, the two bartenders struggling to keep up with their orders. There was an old, wrinkly man with grey hair sat near the stage, his eyes watching Eli and I intently. It made me uncomfortable, but I knew that unwanted stares were part of the job. Eli got up on the stage and she slowly started doing some simple moves, making sure that I understood what to do before I started. I carefully gripped the cold bar, my heart pounding and my mind racing. I carefully wrapped my leg around the pole as I started doing the simple moves Eli had taught me. The man stared and before I knew it, there was a crowd of men, young and old, watching me. Some were even started to throw notes at me, most of them cheering and clapping. Once I finished, I gently wiped some sweat from my brow and Eli helped me collect the money. We placed it into a small box with my name on it. Eli handed me the key and I quickly handed it to one of the bartenders, who watched the keys. They only gave it to the girl who owned the key, so there was no risk of our money being stolen. I walked over to the bar and I smiled at the bartender. He was young, with fair hair and light skin. His eyes were dark and he seemed quite muscular underneath his white button-up shirt.
"Could I have a glass of water please?" I asked, shouting over the loud music. He nodded and quickly handed me a cold bottle of water from the mini-fridge under the counter. I quickly started drinking from the bottle, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. I smiled and looked to my left, looking for Eli. I suddenly noticed that I was being watched. He was sat in one of the large booths, a girl on each side. He wore a black shirt, but he kept at least three buttons undone and I saw the slight shine of his dark shoes. His hair was dark, as were his eyes and he seemed to be quite tanned. I frowned and turned to the bartender, giving him an uneasy look. He sighed gently and briefly glanced over at the man.
"The man over there who was eyeing you is called Nathaniel Wright. He is the one the girls most likely warned you about. He only eyes the girls he wants to play around with," he explained, keeping his voice low and continuing to work. I gasped and moved my head down, my heart pounding in my chest. I looked around, desperately trying to find Eli so that I could tell her. I saw her assisting a client, and I knew I couldn't interrupt her, so I just stayed by the bar. After fifteen minutes, Eli appeared at the bar, sighing as she reached for a bottle of beer which had been set there for her. She took one long swig and wiped her mouth, breathing heavily.
"I just had to do two performances in a row because Liya was making out with one of Wright's men," she explained, rolling her eyes and groaning. I gently poked her arm and gently gestures towards Mr Wright, who was still watching me from his booth. Eli looked over and glared at him, her thick, dark brows furrowing.
"He's been staring like that for more than ten minutes. What do I do, Eli?" I asked quietly, scared and frustrated that I was being watched like I was his prey. Eli turned around and she sighed heavily, a young woman walking up to her.
"Thank you so much for taking care of my performance, Eli. I was busy in the bathroom taking care of some things," the girl said. Her bright blue hair was messy, her lipstick was smudged and that wasn't even the worst part.
"It's fine. Oh, and next time? Make sure that you actually clean up her your mess," Eli said, pointing to her own cheek. Liya frowned and I looked away, embarrassed for her. Her eyes widened as she hurried to wipe the sticky white stuff off of her face, profusely apologising as she ran away from us. I coughed and Eli laughed, clearly not fazed by the encounter.
"Does that usually happen?" I asked shyly, worried I would get into trouble. Eli nodded, still laughing. Suddenly, someone tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to see who it was. My eyes widened as I became frozen. I couldn't move and my mind was racing. He was stood mere inches away, a smirk growing on his thin lips. Many considered him attractive, but I was not part of that group. He seemed cruel and unkind and I hated people like that. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, I heard a shriek and a slap was accompanied by it.

My cheek stung as I stared at the girl. She had been one of the women sat beside Mr Wright and she clearly liked him more than he liked her.
"Reyna, what is your problem?!" Eli exclaimed, her brows furrowed and her arms folded across her chest. Reyna was panting, the adrenaline pumping through her.
"Nathaniel is mine! This bitch tried to take him away from me!" Reyna shouted, pointing her long painted nails at me. I placed a hand on my cheek and sighed gently, the thoughts of arguing with her leaving my body. I saw him smirking and I knew that he had planned it. I groaned and walked away, already exhausted. My shift was over and I wanted to go home and sleep. I walked through the office hall and into the dressing room, where I sighed heavily. I started taking off my makeup with rose scented wipes. Once I was fresh-faced, I put my coat back on and I packed up my suitcase, not bothering to say goodbye to anyone. I could hear shouting coming from the main room and I wasn't surprised. As I opened the side-door to leave, I heard someone call my name.
"Laura! Wait up!" a man called from behind me. I stopped and turned around, surprised to see the bartender there. He stopped and panted, before he smiled. He handed me a large wad of cash and my heart melted.
"Oh, thank you so much..." I said, embarrassed that I didn't know his name. He smiled again and nodded.
"Jonathan. Jonathan Wry," he said, his eyes bright.