March 4th
Italy, Bologna
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"Bella, you're in 5 minutes!" my boss peeks into the dressing room with a smile, allowing the loud music from the club to momentarily invade the make up room. "You look stunning." she crosses her arms mandatorily looking me up and down.
"I told her!" she wagged a finger towards me
"Thank you Minttu." I reply giving Leyla a side eye but quickly smiling at my boss." I'm glad you approve." I nod gratefully watching her from the mirror.
"Whatever!" Nicole rolled her eyes looking at me then back at the other mirror where she's furiously dabbing some make up product against her already flawless skin. Typical Nicole.
"You just need a bigger smile in those plumb lips of yours." Ignoring Nicole's glare Minttu closes the remain distance between us, to fix some of my long just-made curls on the side of my face
I sigh nodding avoiding eye contact with her. "I know boss, I'm sorry."
Her eyebrows twitch "Is everything alright?" the Finn folds her arms behind me.
"Just a little bit nervous." I smiled nervously rolling my shoulders.
"You're doing amazing Bells."she rests her hands above the table standing side by side with me. "You have no reasons to be nervous about this."
Nicole laughed bitterly shaking her head " I'm just gonna stay quite because this ain't my business."
" If that ain't your business why don't you shut that dirty mouth of yours?!" Leyla asks getting up to face the shorter brunette.
That's my best friend ladies and gentlemen.
Minttu sighs shaking her head "Nicole, please." she jerks her chin towards the open door signaling the american to immediately exit the room.
"Whatever!" she mumbled her favorite word, grabbing something from the table glaring at me as if that could turn my Italian behind into a pillar of salt, or even ice.
"That's why you're the favorite!" Minttu exclaims giggling causing my lips to smile involuntarily shaking my head. "You're my friend and I'm being honest with you."
She rested her chin above my shoulder with a hint of a smile. "Yeah??"
she nods slightly shrugging " Numbers don't lie Bells." Minttu admitted
" I'm not that good. " I exhale laughing bitterly.
"But you do please them in bed." she points out with a smirk.
You had to say
"Not that I have a choice, I don't do anything well." Minttu cocked her head back rolling her eyes.
"That's the price of money sweetheart?"
"Still can't pay my bills, Minttu. I'm not like you!"
"You're beautiful and you are enough. Always were, always will be." she titled her head grabbing me by my chin. "You're my favorite secret weapon." she winked whirling around when her phone starts ringing. "I need to pick this up, while you go out there and slay, yes?" I only nod while she's placing the phone against her ear a huge smile spreading across her red matte lips when she closes the door behind her.
"Why don't we just leave and find another job?" Leyla suggests sighing when her hazel eyes meet mine.
This conversation was getting old
"Because we both want to have a good life, because you need this money for your mom." I whisper the last part.
" You also need this money for your family." I reach for her hand giving it a light squeeze.
"Yes but, I can't do this without you." I reply looking between her confused eyes and our hands now intertwined.
"Then let's go, let's leave and find any other thing, I don't know coffee shops, restaurants, anything but not this." Leyla whispers stroking my cheek.
"You know I've never been good doing anything, I was never smart like you. This is the only place I fit and truly feel... worthy." I say twirling around. "My body is the only way to get what I want."
She squeezes my hand with her warmer one, her eyebrows furrowed. "Bella, you're beautiful just the way you are, your body, your beautiful angelical face everything about you is perfect. You didn't have to do surgery to look better." she hesitates. "You don't have to dance almost naked in front of men or even have sex with them for money."
"Yes I needed, and I would to everything again. I want to be the best, the most beautiful, the sexiest and richest of them all." I forced a smile gazing at the small open window.
"But this doesn't make you happy. Bella look at you, look at your own eyes." Leyla pleads. "You're not you anymore and that's because this doesn't please you."
"You're wrong." I shake my head sending her a tight smile. "This is the only way to get what I want, and I'll do it!" I sniffed chewing my own bottom lip avoiding her gaze.
"Bella-..."
"Ladies, Ladies!!!" Minttu calls out excitingly interrupting the shushed conversation. Her face lit up as soon as her green dark orbs meet us. "I'm glad you two are still here." she says excitingly looking between me and Leyla.
"What's up boss?" Nicole asks confused sitting on one of the empty couches followed by the other girls.
"I just received a call, which bring us some news." she ran her hand through her long dark chocolate waves, holding the phone closer to her chest with the biggest grin you can imagine.
"It's one of them, isn't it?" Nicole raised herself from the couch as quickly as a human being could almost tripping in one of the girls sitting on the floor. Her eyes were glinting just like she was looking into a light mirroring Minttu.
Minttu doesn't say a word, she only nods bursting into a excited laugh. Leyla's mouth fell open, her pale cheeks turning into a light scarlet, eyes sparkling with a unique recognition mirroring every other girl in the room.
"It's Ricciardo, isn't it?" Minttu eyes gleamed with excitement as she nods again. Murmurs could be heard as everyone's mood including mine and Leyla's seemed to improve only from hearing his name.
"Yes!" she cheered a few seconds later sighing. "I want Nicole, Leyla, Hanna, Linda and you too Bella." Minttu points out proudly. "You're our secret weapon, my beautiful." she lifted an eyebrow subtly winking and caressing my cheek.
"Just to let you know that I'm his favourite." Nicole stated earning an eye roll from me.
"I want all of you to get ready, we'll meet him outside alright? Now spread spread go back to your places." she claps her hands together.
Nicole being ignored is my secret joy
"And while you're out there slaying I'll choose our outfits." Leyla gets up somehow excitingly and finally smiling. She saw this as a chance, a way to drop this business. While I knew this was a chance to start something better.
It was surreal that Minttu was already shoving us such a big opportunity while we were here for more or less 2 months. I could not help but feel somehow lost yet grateful for what she did to us.
"Bella, this is your chance, I'm sure he's gonna pick you, you're the favorite."Linda stated giving me a lopsided grin.
"Didn't you hear Nicole? She's the favourite!" I reply shaking my head.
"Yes but with this body no one can resist our Bella." Minttu winks walking backwards to the doors. "Go out there, steal the show and get back here to steal some hearts." she murmurs and winks closing the door behind.
"Okay Holy shit Okay! RICCIARDO IS ACTUALLY COMING AND HE MIGHT PICK YOU AND ME!" Leyla yells sending vibrations into my ears. I'll be deaf before this night ends. "Can you believe this? This is crazy."
"What if he picks only you? Or only me?!" Leyla eyebrows furrowed, shoving away whatever negative feelings she had in that moment.
"He will pick us both! If we do this we might be finally able to send some money to our parents and even buy another apartment and finally leave." she replies dreamily.
"What if he doesn't pick one of us?" I insist turning to the mirror yet peeking into the couch where she's lazily sitting.
"Of course he will." her eyes narrowed as she observed me.
"But what if?" I vulnerably asked
"He will." she groans gawking at me.
"Bella, it's time!" a voice outside the door called as Leyla got up to give me a fake mock salute, a ritual we have since forever now.
We squeezed each other's hands as we followed the long corridor back to the main room of the club, were the loud music was blasting, old guys drinking old bottles of wine, big part of them dressed in old shirts just like them maybe one and other wearing expensive jacket or tuxedos, their compromise golden rings always shining brighter getting more attention, but no one seemed to care.
The neon lights, the expensive chandelier and the rainbow lights around it sometimes illuminating each and every dancer in one of the pole bars, the one in the center waiting for me as Minttu sensually introduced me.
This was so normal now.
I gave Leyla a last smile before taking a deep breath for myself and painting the fake smile I had to every single night just to finally have what I always deserved: Earn money, earn fame. To be the greatest, because here that's what I am. The greatest.
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Oh my God I finally decided to do this lmao. Whoever reads this, I hope you guys love this book as much as I enjoy writing it. Much love ❤️
- Edited May 25th, 2020 12:49