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The music starts blaring taking her to a world where only she lives as she sways along the music, the people surrounding her looks at her in awe. Erika gracefully swirls around the pole as she dances along the music mesmerizing the audience.
Leaning her back to the pole with one hand holding it right above her head, she slowly slides down before ripping off the shirt and throwing her head back with the process. Turning her back, she stays kneeling with the pole between her legs as she sways her hips before slowly getting up bending her ass in the air shaking it a bit.
A seductive smile forms in her lips as she looks around before pulling the string of her skirt but let is stay lose on her hip and the people groan in disappointment.
She slowly spreads her leg one by one as she bends half of her body down and looses the skirt. She winks at the man in front before dancing her way out of the stage just as the music ends.
"Erika, you look lovely and the performance was just out of the world. I knew I made the right decision when I offered you all this. Ok, I have some people who are interested to buy you a drink, they are very" Rose gets interrupted by Erika.
"Sorry Rose. I can't, Gio needs me. I already told you I only dance no any special meeting or favors ok. Bye!" she states as she leaves to go to her apartment she had recently bought.
In no term was she going for a solo act to any of the men, she agreed to do the strip only for a reason and the moment she makes sure she can get a better job she will leave all this. Stripping sure pays a good amount of money but the price she has to pay for it isn't worth it.
Just a little bit longer and she will make sure she is out of here. Just a little bit longer. Making sure all her make up and smell of the club is washed off her body she takes a leave to her house.
Just a few weeks on the club and she was a hit, she made enough money to get out of Rose's house. Even if she was grateful to Rose she couldn't stay too long in that house. She definitely should thank Evan for that if it wasn't him, she couldn't have gotten the apartment for her and Gio.
As soon as she enters the house she walks to Gio and he jumps on her arms happily.
"Eri, you back" he smiles kissing her.
The babysitter she appointed for Gio leaves after she pays her for the day. Gio can't stop but explain her how his day was, she listens patiently to his half sentences while moving to the kitchen.
In the last few months, Gio has grown up gradually and it amazes her every time she looks at him. Even if it's been merely 3 months she was with him, he can understand everything she says and can pronounce words which were really amazing.
He is barley 5 months but seeing him, it's like he is already 2years old. She has stopped taking him to the club after he started to tell what he was seeing at the club to her which was not good for kid his age.
Moreover, he has a photogenic memory so he loved to draw and color anything he sees to show her later, sometimes she found him drawing her pictures with some dance poses she had done in the club.
It was no doubt that Gio was not a human, he was a supernatural being but the question was what?
Once Erika had accidentally cut her finger while chopping the vegetable and Gio had run to her and before she knew he started sucking the blood, when she tried to take it out of his mouth he had been angry and whining that her finger tasted sweet, but she ignored it. He looked way too human to be a vampire but still she had some doubts about him.
When she doesn't answer the question he asked Gio pulls her hair to get the attention he needed after being away from her whole day. That's what he does every time he wants her attention pulling her hair.
"Gio it hurts! So how was your day?" she asks knowing he wanted to her to ask him that.
Gio climbs on her lap once she takes seat on the couch with some sandwiches, and they both watch some cartoons while he animatedly talk about his day.
This has been her schedule on the days she worked, coming back home to Gio was the best thing of the day. She hopes she doesn't have to strip all her life, just few more bucks and she will be out of here. She smiles as she looks down at Gio who has been singing the song along as his favorite shows comes in.
Once he fall asleep she tucks him in before getting the much needed sleep herself.
As her performance for the day ends, she can't wait to get out of the place soon enough.
"Good job!" one of the dancers smirks at her way and she nods.
She pulls the gown from the hanger to cover her body as she exit the stage and walks to the changing room.
"Hello there" someone speaks startling her.
The guy stands with his back to the wall with a smirk looking towards which lets her know about his intention.
"Hi, how can I help you?" she asks.
"That's what I want a help from you, I have been coming here for quiet sometimes especially on the nights you perform though I'm disappointed when other gets to see what I like" he states as he walks to her.
Erika looks at that man in confusion as he stands next to her and pulls her hand before kissing the back of it.
"I'm Blaze Draydon"
When he licks her hand she jerks it away from him in disgust. Taking a step away from him she tries to walk past. She knows the likes of him, has been seeing them every once a while making a move at her.
"Well I have to go so excuse me!" she states as she moves past him but stops when he holds her back.
Blaze smiles as she tries to walk past him, but he isn't someone you just walk away from. The moment he had laid his eyes on her, he knew he had to have her if not for his enjoyment than for some of his own reason.
"Why not join me for a while?" he asks trying to persuade her once again.
She smiles tightly at him as he holds her back and pressure the hold on her arm a bit. She had had enough of being polite.
"Listen here asshole, only because I do this work doesn't mean I have to spend my time with men like you now let go and move aside before you drop on the floor!" she sneers.
Blaze grins as he grips her tightly, "Feisty I see. Why don't we take this in a bit private place? How about my bed?" he suggests.
Oh he will definitely enjoy her!
"I'd love to but the thing is I'm diseased, well if you want to get AIDS be my guest!" she informs and he backs away as she just burned his hand.
What the hell?
"What? Rose said you were clean" he states in disbelief.
"Well I was till a guy I slept with gave it to me, sorry" she adds as she enters the changing room locking the door.
Erika waits for Rose to come running for her as she changes her dress. She knows how much Rose hates when one of her customers feel cheated but Rose knows well too how Erika feels about being alone with her customers as well so they are even.
"ERIKA!" Rose bellows just as she opens the door.
"I'm right here, no needed to shout" she comments making Rose angrier.
"Who do you think you are insulting my customers, you are here because I want you to and you will do everything I say else"
Erika interrupts her, "1st and foremost I told you I won't be doing anything except dance so tell your customers to stay away from me. I know I have my own reasons to be here but that doesn't mean I'll do things I don't want to" she states.
Rose glares at her, she had been trying so hard to break this girls spirit throwing her best customers as well money but nothing has worked. She needs to make sure Erika never leaves this place which can only happen if Erika takes that final step which will make her stay in this place forever and close all the doors to ever leave.
More customers have been coming and wanting to see her but this girl she is so hard to persuade! She tries once more to make her listen but when she doesn't agree Rose leaves the room fuming.
Blaze waits his chance to be with her alone once more and just as Rose leaves he gets in closing the door. Erika turns back to see him standing on the door with a grin before packing her bag so she can leave.
"I know it seems all sexy and stuff when we dance but I don't think those lingerie will suit you and it's very hard to walk on those heels" she comments trying to buy more time.
"Very funny Erika, but let me tell you I don't like being made fool so I'm going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget" Blaze takes a step towards her.
When he found that she had been lying about her disease he was mad but then the thought of punishing her for it made him happy. No one fools Blaze and more over a mere stripper, even if she has a body as sin he can't let go the fact that she fooled him and it's time she pay back.
Erika rolls her eyes at his threats, she watches as he walks towards her and before he could touch her she throws the chair at him. Blaze doesn't see that move of hers as the chair hits him.
"You Bitch!" he shouts as he holds his head.
Seeing this is her chance she grabs the nail filer and injures his hand before stepping on his leg hard running to open the door and looks back at him.
"Just so you know, next time try to attack first instead of wasting your time on making threats it gives your opponent less time to form plans. Bye!" she waves at him.
Blaze watches her leave, if he wanted he could hurt her right then and there but not now this time he will let her win. He will let her go just for now but he will revenge her for this act of her and when he gets his hands on her oh sweet mercy he will enjoy it.
Marco sees a flushed Erika trying to leave in hurry so he stops her to ask what's the matter?
"What happened?"
Erika sighs seeing Marco before looking at the way she came running. She explains everything that occurred between her and Blaze as she tries to calm her nerves.
She may show she was brave in front of Blaze but the truth was far from it. It is getting more and more dangerous the way the men are approaching to persuade her and she really is scared for her own safety.
Marco hugs her and tries to calm her nerves as she finishes telling him how Blaze had tried to harm her. Assuring her that he will make sure no one will do anything to her he makes his way to the bar where he asks someone to cover for him for a while.
Even when Erika argues Marco insists on dropping her to her apartment just for his own peace of mind.
"You okay right? He didn't harm you, did he?" he asks once again making her groan.
"Stop asking the same thing, I'm good" she groans as she opens the door of her apartment.
"If you are worried about Blaze then don't be. I'll take care of him okay?" he smiles as he kisses her cheeks saying bye.
"Won't you meet Gio?" she calls but he just waves back.
Smiling the way he cares for her she enters the house. Marco has been nothing but a sweetheart to her after she started working there and she feels comfortable talking to him as well.
"GIO"
Erika can't believe what her eyes sees as soon as she enters the house, this boy's love for paint will be death of her for sure.
Gio freezes as soon as he hear her shout at him before running to hide inside his room butt naked and all.
Looking at the condition of the house once more her eyes lands on the poor babysitter, who is covered in paint. She apologizes and pays some extra money to the sitter before she pulls Gio out of his room.
Every single time he does this she warns him and avoid punishment as he always keeps pouting knowing how to melt her heart.
And because of that he is once again covered in paint as well the walls where she is sure he tried to draw. She is also sure that his baby sitter tried to control the situation but he won as she was too covered in paint.
"I can't believe you! How do you expect me to clean all this paint?" she scolds as she puts him in the tub and washes the paint off of him.
This is what happens once a week, he goes crazy inside the house try to re decorate it all and his idea of redecorating is to paint all the walls and floor of the house being naked while leaving his hands and foot prints everywhere possible.
"Don't you dare try to do that!" she warns as she sees him trying to slowly get out of the tub. He just smiles at her innocently and sits back in it.
Erika washes him and once again he runs around the house naked she can never understand his obsession to be naked all the time.
She holds him back as he once again run for his drawing book and paints. So, she grabs the things to keep it away from him.
But no matter what he always finds it. But this time she will make sure he understands the level of his punishment if this happens again.
"You are not getting anything not until you clean this mess" she states as she hands him a brush.
He looks at the brush in confusion shaking his head in denial, "Gio no brush teeth"
"No, no brush teeth but the floor" she orders pointing at the floor then the wall where his hand prints are clearly seen.
He grudgingly walks to the wall and scratch it with his tiny brush knowing too well he won't win the argument no matter what? They have gone through this many times. Gio shakes his butt as he hums a tune and brush the wall.
Erika laughs as she swats his ass knowing he did it to tease her. Gio throws the brush and runs off to hide as soon as Erika brings his clothes.
"No clothes!" he screams as she catches him.
"Uh-huh! You will get cold baby, now come on then we will have your favorite ice cream!" she tickles him and he giggles.
As soon as Erika brings his ice-cream he attacks it, "Yummy" he grins eating his share fast them pouting once it's finished and eyeing her share.
Erika ignores his puppy dog eyes as she quietly eats her, but he just pulls her pants to get her attention.
"Gio miss Eri" he says throwing both hands in air so she can take him in her arms.
But she knows all his acts and tactic to get more ice-cream from her so she ignores him.
"Let Erika finish it then I'll take you okay?" she says.
Gio stomps his legs on the floor before climbing on her lap, but Erika puts the ice-cream away from his reach making him groan. He looks at her with big teary eyes as he sniffs pointing at his empty bowl.
"Only if you promise no mishap, when I'm gone?" she asks.
Gio sighs in irritation it's so hard to win with her sometimes. He nods seriously then passes his bowl to her to put some more ice-cream. He happily eats it all as soon as she serves him the bowl.
As soon as Gio falls asleep she tucks him in his bed before picking all his drawing books, colors and toys spread all around the house. Once the mess is cleaned she prepares a cup of coffee for her self. She smiles as she finds he has made pictures of her and him once again in his book.
The cool air hits her face and playfully teasing her as her hair flows when she opens the window to watch the city lights which looks so much like stars shining in the dark.
Like all those nights once again her mind moves to the place she wants to be right now but she can't. Life wasn't same after she left the place she once called home, never in her dreams had she thought she will be doing this thing.
There isn't a day she doesn't miss that place or the people she left. Many times she had picked up her phone to dial the familiar number and talk with her loved ones, to tell them how much she wants to be back and how much she hates doing what she does.
But every time that thought appears it disappears instantly, she isn't the same Erika they once knew. Her life isn't just her life anymore, it's somehow has connected to Gio too.
Going back to them isn't an option now nor is it possible she has come too far away and is doing something that will just make them hate her but she didn't had any choice. Did she?
Even if there was she decided to do this on her own, sometimes the situation we face in our life leads us to do things we never imagined or we shouldn't but we end up doing it anyway. So, now it was no use to go back to her old life no matter how much she misses it or wants to.
"Will you be disappointed when you find what I do?" she whisper asks no one.
"But then again, you were never impressed with me from the start" she answers her own question.
Blowing the air from her mouth on the window glass, she writes a word in it which fades away slowly from her view just like it happened with her in reality. Closing the windows she makes her way towards her room for a much needed sleep but not before she checks on Gio one more time.
The word written in the glass may fade away but what about the word printed in the heart and mind?
The one for whom her heart beats, the one she wishes she was made for, the one her soul cries for, the only one who has the power to break and shatter her into million pieces but at the same time completing and making her feel whole.
'Enzo'