1 The Proposal

PEARL

'I have a proposal for you, Pearl.'

I heard his baritone voice murmur in my ear as I sat astride him, slowly swaying to Rihanna's sensuous voice blaring from the club's dim-lit VIP section. I didn't stop dancing despite the little bulge prodding my crotch from his trousers but instead replied in a seductive tone,

'Papi, you own me tonight. I'm at your service.'

He leaned forward, his gaze intense, and whispered, "I'm not just talking about tonight. I have this proposal that could change everything for you."

I expertly slid down from his lap to kneel between his legs with my buttocks perfectly arched like a cat sizing up its prey, ready to pounce when I heard

'I want you to be my wife for a year.'

Hooked in that position, I looked up at him, hoping he was joking, but the disco light of the club bouncing off his face reflected his tight jawline, indicating his seriousness.

'You can't be serious.' Despite the obvious, Pearl said.

'I'm as serious as I can be.' He responded.

PEARL

I rose to grab my bra, hanging on the couch behind his head, smacking his face with my naked breast while at it. In a rage, I pushed past the bouncers at the VIP entrance.

"Who does he think he is?" I kept murmuring under my breath as I walked towards the dressing room to escape the noise from the club.

Memories of why I had to work as a stripper came flooding as soon as I walked into the dressing room, a quiet haven when all the dancers were inside the club, and tears began to pool in the corners of my eyes.

Looking in the mirror at my reflection and what my life has become, the hardships and obstacles I had to conquer over the last four years. Lilian, my gorgeous daughter, has been the highlight of those years and my survival mechanism. The thought of her alone brought a smile to my face.

The dressing room's door flung open, and with the noise came Mystique, my best friend at work.

'Hey, gurl,' drawled Mystique as she struggled to keep in place all the cash hanging in every corner of her lingerie.

'Why are you not out there, babe?'

'The club is lit tonight.' She kept on rambling while counting her money.

She looked up when she noticed I wasn't responding.

'What's happening, babe?'

'Why do you look like someone snatched your bag of money?'

Before feeling Mystique's shoulder nudge, Pearl caught a whiff of her strawberry-scented perfume closer to her nose while debating whether to tell her or keep it to herself.

'Come on, you know you can tell me anything.'

'We've always had each other's back through the end of poles.' An inside joke between us.

Knowing her words were on point, I grinned.

Pearl described her encounter with the client in the VIP area. He always requested for her whenever he came into the club, but didn't know his name because staff members were forbidden to get personal with customers. I could feel my resentment erupting once more as I recounted what happened.

'Who told him that I needed a husband as charity?'

"Mystique, do I appear too stiff and worn down for a stranger to believe I need a husband?"

'My love, "No." She smacked my ass and remarked,

"You look gorgeous as ever, particularly in that outfit.''

I gave her a friendly shove while laughing, adding, "But seriously, what will make him propose such?" embracing me from behind and looking at me through the mirror.

She said, "You know only one person who has the answers to your questions," as she peered at me in the mirror. I believe you should go back and let him give you the answers.

I raised an eyebrow at her, and she nodded in agreement.

I stood up to hug Mystique, and she whispered in my ear

'Stop sulking and turn on that feminine charm.'

ALEXANDER

She appeared in front of him as the dim lights played games on her silhouette as Alexander Bass was lost in thought while watching a show of strippers from his VIP section on the higher level of the club. In the club's VIP area, the seductive ambiance seemed to get more seductive.

She picked up a champagne glass and resumed her place on his lap. She fixed her gaze on him and smiled mischievously.

So, what is the deal with this proposal? She questioned.

If there was one thing Alexander Bass was skilled at that helped him to run his father's empire, it was his ability to see past people's facades, and he could see through Pearl's; the combination of curiosity and rage that he planned on exploiting.

He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and produced an envelope. It was a thin envelope, and the thought of what it contained made Pearl's heart race.

He held it out to her, his eyes never leaving hers. "Open it," he urged.

Pearl accepted the envelope, her fingers trembling while scanning the club for the eagle eyes of her employers. She tore it open, revealing a contract inside. Her eyes quickly scanned the document, and her heart skipped a beat. It was a marriage proposal, but what stood out to her was the figure involved, one that could potentially change her life.

As she looked up at him, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"This... this is serious, isn't it?"

He nodded, knowing he had her just where he wanted her. Until he heard;

'But why?'

'Why will you choose me? What's in it for you?'

He could feel her curiosity overpowering her rage, and he couldn't answer her questions yet.

The proposal was just for a year; he didn't need to get her deeply involved.

'I just need a wife,' he mumbled with a straight face.

'And you chose a strip club to choose a wife?' He could hear the mockery in her voice.

He was getting angry that a mere stripper could be questioning his choice, but he couldn't show it because he needed her to accept his proposal right now.

'I need time to think about it. I will give you my response in a week.' She said.

'What do you have to think about?' He retorted.

'Is the money too small? How much do you want?'

She paused her movement with her hands raised above her head in a pose, ready to slide them down her long legs seductively. She felt tempted to raise her hands to his cheeks, but her job was important. So she just smiled through her rage and said,

'The dance is over, Sir.'

She bent to pick a piece of her lingerie, which she removed while stripping for him. He held her hand with a firm grip and said

'I just need you to know this. When I want something, I get it!'

With that, he let her go and turned away from her, leaving her in a state of confusion and rage.