To keep my mind off the fact there's people looking for me at the minute, Romeo put me in charge of assigning the strippers at his strip club their new outfits.
And there is nothing more I love than clothes.
My penthouse is full of strippers at the minute. I bought nail techs around, masseuses, hair stylists.
Extreme makeover for everybody.
One of my best friends, Malory, walks up with her hair done and nails painted yellow. Yellow is so her colour. "What you got for me?"
I go through the bags of names and hand her the one with hers. She's one of the lead strippers so she has to look better than everyone else.
She peeks inside of the bag and smirks, then walks to one of the spare rooms to change.
Other girls start piling up for their outfits and I give them all, ticking their names off the lists.
I have four bodyguards now. Mom and dad wished for me to have absolutely no relationship with them so that I don't get upset like I did when Mario and Dante died. I don't even know their names. I call them A, B, C & D.
One of by each entrance of my penthouse. They're all big and scary men. One of them looks like he's been dragged through hell and back but I guess that's a good thing.
The girls start walking out in their new outfits and I bless myself for being a fashionista.
They all looked incredible.
"Oh my god, you all look great." I clap excitedly.
Malory has the dream body, and with the yellow outfit and high heels, it just looks perfect.
I adjust some of the straps for the girls and fix some of their skirts if their wearing some. I also change some stuff around.
Then I'm just staring at them as they talk amongst themselves.
I stare at their flawless skin and flat stomachs, their thigh gaps and long legs. I pull my cardigan on, folding my arms to hide my stomach.
I'm never insecure of my body until I see people that I don't look like.
I'm the biggest in this room.
"Ilaria, do you think maybe I can get something more covered?" One of the newer strippers, Ria, asks.
"Uh, yeah, what size are you?"
"2."
Must be nice.
I poke through the bags. "I think red really suits you well. Do you want the cup sizes bigger or-"
"Just something more covering all together, if you can."
I pick up a high waisted lingerie with stockings and she couldn't stop thanking me.
Bodyguard A walks up to me. "Ma'am, there's a man in your elevator. He says his names Asahi. Tall Asian guy. It isn't in your schedule to have anyone over-"
"Let him in, just keep him in the lobby."
He nods his head, walking away.
This penthouse is a mess.
But they're all leaving soon. There is a big show tonight and I don't feel like going.
Another stripper, and her two friends walk up to me. I hate these girls. They're all so mean. "What can I do for you?"
"I want pink." She says.
"Not happening. Pink is reserved for lead strippers, which you're not." I stand up. "Anything else?"
"Well can I have something smaller than? This is for a big girl." She points to the outfit she was wearing.
"What size are you?" I ask.
"What size do I look, Ilaria?" She folds her arms, hip popping.
"Definitely not yours, that's for sure." Her little friend says.
"Tell me your size or I'm going to throw you off my balcony."
"2, clearly."
I poke through and find the ugliest thing there. "Don't complain again." I shove it to her.
She rolls her eyes, walking away.
I walk to the entrance, Asahi was sitting on the small bench, on his phone. "What are you doing here?" I ask.
He looks up. "I..." He then picks up a plastic bag. "Bought food."
"There's a load of people here right now. Can you wait in my bedroom? I'll only be about 20 minutes."
"Of course." He stands up.
I walks him to the living room, every single girl stopped and looked at him.
Thankfully, my brother made all of these girls sign a contract. Any business they see with the Reigns, they keep their mouth shut or something will happen.
Death.
Romeo takes care of that though.
I look up at him and see his eyes darting around the room.
I somehow, grow even more insecure at that.
"Go to my room." I say to him.
He then keeps his head down, walking through the girls and to my room.
Malory gives me an approved thumbs up. "He's yummy."
"He's huge too." I whisper to her and she laughs, and then starts calling out groups for people to leave in.
I hug her goodbye and then call the new maid. She lives in the apartment below me. "Can you come up and tidy?"
"Yes, Miss. Ilaria." She hangs up.
I walk into my bedroom and Asahi was just staring out of my window. "You have a great view." He says.
"It's pretty in the winter time when it snows." I sit on my bed. He joins me, opening the bag of food.
"Why were there a million strippers in your apartment?" He asks.
"I was giving them their new outfits." I look at the Indian food.
I'm not even hungry.
"I can get something else." He closes the curry.
"No... No, I'm not hungry."
"You're not hungry or you seen all the skinny girls and don't wanna eat?"
I look up. "You sound like my brother."
"Respectfully, you're single handedly more attractive than any woman that was in that room." He opens the curry. "Eat just a bit."
"I ate a big dinner."
"Your bodyguard told me you haven't stepped foot in the kitchen all day. Eat, Ilaria. Gonna need some energy."
"Why are you even here?"
"Cus I want to see you, and I want to fuck you and I will do that but I won't do that if you don't eat. You'll pass out."
I pick up a piece of naan bread, taking a breath.
He watches me. "How long have you had an eating disorder for?"
"I was undiagnosed beginning of this year." I dip it into the chicken curry.
"And yet you're still counting calories and skipping meals?"
I look at him. "I have bad days."
"Or you're not recovered." He says, the obvious.
"I lied to my support therapist. All she wanted was a pay check."
"How long have you been struggling?"
I would never even think about telling someone this, but he's so easy to talk to.
"Sixteen." I look away from him.
I could hear his faint sigh. "Six years?"
"I know it doesn't look like-"
"Don't say that." He shuffles a little closer to me. "I'm just... Do your parents not know?"
"They do. But they think I'm recovered too. I did recover when I was 18, but then my girlfriend at the time was... rude and i relapsed and at 21 I recovered fully again, but recently so much has been happening and when times get tough I just..."
I look at the food. "It's not even the food. I love eating. It's... people."
"What do you mean?"
"I've always been more filled out... I grew boobs at 12." I say. "And that alone was just hell in school. And then I grow up to be around all these pretty strippers and..." I stop talking. "People like making fun of my body."
He clears his throat. "Are your boobs real?"
"Yes."
"Like fully?"
"Do they feel like silicone to you, Asahi?" I raise an eyebrow.
"No... No, I was just wondering. Your ass as well..."
"I've only got my nose done." I shrug. "And i wouldn't have but Romeo kicked a soccer ball at my face once and broke it so I had to fix it." I frown. "You thought I had plastic surgery?"
"Yup... You got the best body I've ever seen for it to be completely natural."
I smile. "Thank you for saying that."
He smiles too, and we don't talk of the topic again. We eat, wash our hands and then get in my bed.
He came here to fuck me, but I'd like to believe he just preferred my company instead, because he fell asleep before I did.
Arm draped over my waist, he snores lightly, his lips parted.
He has both sides of his nostrils pierced with a black stud, and his eyebrow pierced.
I trace my finger down the Roman numerals on his neck, then the snake wrapped around his shoulders.
He makes a soft sound, then grabs my hand, eyes opening slightly. "Go sleep."
"You're so pretty."
He smiles lazily. "Admire my beauty tomorrow."
I smile, he pulls me closer to him and his warmth was enough go make me instantly tired.
I fall asleep in his arms.
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Asahi on top
(he'll never beat Hamada)
wc:1518