Daria
“I’m over this.” Cecilia spat out, jumping up from her cot in the corner. Simultaneously we all turned to look at her from our cots. “We’ve been in here days, days without being let out.” she snapped looking at us like we were crazy. “My hair has not been washed in I don’t know how long and I really don’t want to think about it.” she started to sound hysteric.
“By all means, leave.” Greta invited sarcastically, lying her head back on her pillow and closing her eyes again. We’d been locked in here for what felt like years but had only a few days and slowly we were going crazy being cooped up together like this.
“Excuse me?” Cecilia turned to look at Greta, narrowing her eyes. “ No need to be rude.” she finished. Greta laughed and shook her head.
“Oh sorry, you’re right. It’s not like we’ve all been sitting in our own dirt for the last few days. It’s only been you, so sure. Raise your voice, yell and give out, we will all sit quietly and feel sorry for you but...Oh that’s right, we have been too! You don’t see me yelling.” she finished on a yell shooting up in her bed to glare at Cecilia.
Uh oh. This was bad.
“Ladies...” Aurora called calmly, rising to sitting as well.
“Now you listen here,” Cecilia dropped one hand onto her hip glaring at Greta who rose to standing. “I’m just saying-"
“Well don't.” Greta interrupted and a shocked gasp spread through the room.
“Ok, now girls. Look it’s been a long few-" I rose swiftly to stand between the two girls, who took steps toward each other, diminishing the space between them.
"Mind your business, Ria.” Cecilia snapped and I spun slowly to look at her.
“Excuse me? Do you want to say that again?” I scoffed raising my eye brows at her.
“Ok seriously. Everyone needs to take a breather. We’re all in need of a shower and some good shampoo I agree-" Aurora commented softly in her silky voice but was drained out by Cecilia.
“This isn’t about my hair anymore. This is about Greta being a bitch for no reason. Being sarcastic and rude-"
“Oh well, hello kettle.” I snapped crossing my arms over my chest. I heard Greta laugh behind me as Cecilia eyes shot to me.
“Ooh what’s that supposed to mean?” she mirrored my pose.
“I mean your ‘mind your business’ comment. If you want to keep your business to yourself, sweetie, don’t be yelling about it in a crowded room.” I snapped back at her.
“Don’t you ‘sweetie” me!” Cecilia snapped back.
"Hey don’t start this.” Aurora said in a sharper voice.
“Stay out of this.” I commented and heard Greta laugh sarcastically behind me.
“Well would you look at that, another kettle in our mist.” Greta clapped her hands mockingly and I swung to face her.
“You started this shit!” I pointed a finger at her. "If you had been nice and supporting instead of-" I ranted before Cecilia interrupted me. Again.
“Oh because you’ve been so supportive!” she exaggerated her words in an attempt to show how foolish she thought I was.
“What do you want me to do? Break the door down? It isn’t my fault were here!” I threw out my arms.
“He’s your brother.” Greta said from behind me and I spun in anger.
“And he’s your old man. You should have the cop on to guide him in a better direction than he went and don’t lie, he definitely dropped hints to you about his plan. He did not say shit to me, hence the reason I have nothing to do with this!” I snapped. Suddenly it was like a contest, each one of us trying to be louder and more obnoxious than the other until we fell silent when the door to our room slammed open.
Right hand man stood staring at us, an extremely pissed off look on his face.
“Shut it.” he ground out. None of us responded, we simply looked back at him.
“You’re needed tonight. You’re to wear what your given and follow what the girls tell you to do. You have to be presentable.” he grinned wickedly in a way that made me think our version of presentable was different to his. Without further instruction he exited the room slamming it closed and locking it. We stood in silence, playing his words over in our heads.
“Do you think that means we will get a shower?” Cecilia broke the silence softly. I closed my eyes in exasperation.
We were stood in a hallway, the door in front of us closed, muddling the music on the other side. The hall was dimly lit, the floor a thick carpet, the walls were mirrors.
We were in a strip club, dressed as strippers. Each one of us dressed in different colour lace corsets and garders. We still hadn't been informed of what our purpose here was but it didn’t take a genius to guess.
“I don’t like this.” Aurora whispered quietly into the silence.
“Really? I’m having a great time.” Cecilia wrung her hands nervously in front of her.
“Enough. We’ve been rude enough to each other today. It’s stopping now. ” I said before an argument started. When tensions were high in a group of girls, they tended to take it out on each other.
The door across from us opened and right hand man stepped into the hall way, swiftly closing the door behind him. He opened his mouth to speak.
“What’s your name?” I blurted out and he stopped to look at me. “ We need to at least have something to call you if we need you.” I shrugged.
“Zip.” he said back slowly, face expressionless.
“You’d tell us your name? What about when we go home?” Aurora blurted out before covering her mouth. Zip smiled his crooked smile.
“I'm not hiding, love. Now, to tonight’s business. You are needed for a specific purpose tonight. You go in there and you don’t show us up. This is a business transaction, it goes well, it’s gets you one step closer to home.” he grinned wickedly at us. “So dance for whoever asks you to dance, sit on whoever’s lap you have to sit on because you going home depends on how your performance is.” he laughs at our obvious discomfort.
“Then I guess we'll be on the first bus out of here tomorrow.” Greta snapped pushing past him into the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. He turned slowly back to look at us with his eyebrows raised. Looking at each other we all take a deep breath, knowing we had no choice but to walk forward into the unknown.
We walked with our heads held high.
“No, no I said no.” I heard Aurora call frantic and I turned to see her shaking her head back and forth viciously at a tall man in a suit that's leaning into her.
“One sec.” I said lightly to the man who’s lap I am sitting in. Rising as elegantly as I can to my feet I turn and walk toward Aurora, feeling the eyes of every man in the room on me. Feeling his eyes on me. When I first walked into the room I had been shocked to see a few of the members of the club sitting amongst the foreign, rich looking business men in suits that were scattered throughout the room. There were a few girls already in the room, most I recognised from the club house that night we came. I recognised that girl Fox had been with the last night too, currently she was curled up on Fox’s lap, her face tucked away in his neck, busy as ever.
I tried my best to keep my eyes focused on Aurora and the man with her. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Smiles moved past the girls he was with, towards Aurora. I got there first though, pressing between them I smiled suggestively up at the man.
“Sorry honey, she only works a double act with me and that’s not on offer tonight.” I winked and felt the eyes in the room on us. Slowly I took a step back moving Aurora back with me. “You take a look around and I’m sure you’ll find that for tonight. We are going to go freshen up, we'll be back.” I smiled sexy at him. Turning swiftly I moved Aurora from the room into the hallway we entered from.
“Ria, I can't-” Aurora started the minute the door closed behind us.
“Shh. You’re done, it’s okay you aren’t going back in there.” Grabbing her hands I held them close to me. She was shaking. The door behind me opened and Fox and Zip came through. I turned to them, staring them in the eye.
“She’s finished.” I said decisively. Watching them I take in how their eyes move between the two of us. Silence descends between us.
“Bring her back to the compound.” Fox says to Zip but before Zip can reply Smiles appeared in the door.
“I’ll take her.” he comments and moves Aurora out from behind me and down the hall, effectively leaving the club.
“Give us a minute.” Fox says drawing my eyes back to him. Zip leavea the hall, entering the room and closing the door behind him. I have my eyes on Fox as he stares blankly at me.
“What?” I snap making him raise his eyebrows at me. “She isn’t that type of person. Hell I amn't that either and I’ll be damn if she’ll be put in that position. I don't care about this deal going right for you tonight-" I rant.
“Really? You don’t? You think you have a say?” He says quietly. I swallowed cautiously.
“I... well... yes, yes I do.” I say back crossing my arms over my chest, not missing how his eyes drop to my chest momentarily before returning to mine. His eyes narrow.
“Someone needs to make him happy.” he said and I scoff at him moving back a step.
“Your girl in there looks more than capable of making him happy.” I’d like to say I didn't sound bitter but god dammit I was failing. He backed me into the wall behind me, bending deep to put his face close to mine.
“Watching were you? Careful, little bird. You don’t run things here. I let your friend go home, now you owe me.” he muttered back, a dare clear in his eyes. I feel my blood boil.
“Fine.” I spit, after a second, back into his face, “After tonight, you can call us even.” I snap brushing up against him as I pass. I’d showed jealousy tonight in a way I really shouldn’t feel and walking into that room I was determined to make it appear that those feeling didn’t exist.
It was going to be a long night.